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A review by captainjemima
Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs
4.0
Another solidly good read from Kathy Reichs! This is number 6 in the Temperance Brennan series. I have to say that, as the series goes on and becomes more "modern", I like it better.
This novel - for once - is set only in Charlotte, North Carolina. Our protagonist Dr Temperance Brennan refreshes our memory in this book, telling us that usually she spends a few months in Charlotte, then a few in Montreal, Québec, and swapping back. She works for both governments in helping them with solve crimes or mysteries with her powers of forensic anthropology. However, Tempe is in Charlotte during a very hot summer, looking forward to a long-overdue beach holiday.
A discovery of bear corpses speckled with human remains at a BBQ; a private plane flies into a rock face, the bodies inside being covered with a strange black coating; a body of a burned newborn baby is found in a woodstove. These events happen right at the beginning of the novel and serve as a centre-point for the story. Tempe takes a small analytical role in this instalment - she is only in the lab inspecting bones for about a third of the novel, which is different. She actually spends quite a bit of time in the field, visiting professionals to get their side of the story, visiting victims' families by herself, and taking her dog out to sniff out corpses. I found the criminal plot very interesting this time. It covered ground such as poaching, which is something that would interest me as an animal lover, and it also looked at drugs and the black market without getting boring.
One enjoyable element of this novel is the inclusion of Detective Andrew Ryan. He usually works with Tempe in Montreal, but as her work pulls her away from their promised holiday, he decides to join her in Charlotte. He adds some comic relief and protection for Tempe. As usual, Tempe Brennan is targeted by somebody who thinks she is getting too close to the truth of the case. Why does this happen in every single book? Do we think that Kathy Reichs had regular threats like this? At least Det. Ryan is there to make sure that Tempe feels better. Though, Tempe is notoriously blind when it comes to threats; at least this time the threat is obvious when she receives emails containing stalker-like photos.
Overall, I enjoyed this book as a nice little easy novel. The last full-length novel I read was a bit strenuous, so this one was like a book holiday. I definitely recommend checking out the series. It's best to start with the first book, 'Déjà Dead'.
This novel - for once - is set only in Charlotte, North Carolina. Our protagonist Dr Temperance Brennan refreshes our memory in this book, telling us that usually she spends a few months in Charlotte, then a few in Montreal, Québec, and swapping back. She works for both governments in helping them with solve crimes or mysteries with her powers of forensic anthropology. However, Tempe is in Charlotte during a very hot summer, looking forward to a long-overdue beach holiday.
A discovery of bear corpses speckled with human remains at a BBQ; a private plane flies into a rock face, the bodies inside being covered with a strange black coating; a body of a burned newborn baby is found in a woodstove. These events happen right at the beginning of the novel and serve as a centre-point for the story. Tempe takes a small analytical role in this instalment - she is only in the lab inspecting bones for about a third of the novel, which is different. She actually spends quite a bit of time in the field, visiting professionals to get their side of the story, visiting victims' families by herself, and taking her dog out to sniff out corpses. I found the criminal plot very interesting this time. It covered ground such as poaching, which is something that would interest me as an animal lover, and it also looked at drugs and the black market without getting boring.
One enjoyable element of this novel is the inclusion of Detective Andrew Ryan. He usually works with Tempe in Montreal, but as her work pulls her away from their promised holiday, he decides to join her in Charlotte. He adds some comic relief and protection for Tempe. As usual, Tempe Brennan is targeted by somebody who thinks she is getting too close to the truth of the case. Why does this happen in every single book? Do we think that Kathy Reichs had regular threats like this? At least Det. Ryan is there to make sure that Tempe feels better. Though, Tempe is notoriously blind when it comes to threats; at least this time the threat is obvious when she receives emails containing stalker-like photos.
Overall, I enjoyed this book as a nice little easy novel. The last full-length novel I read was a bit strenuous, so this one was like a book holiday. I definitely recommend checking out the series. It's best to start with the first book, 'Déjà Dead'.