A review by moore_stuff_to_read
Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

*shrug* I really like the Tempe Brennan books. This one wasn't as good as the previous books. Here are my thoughts, spoiler-free, for why I think that:

What didn't do it for me:
  • I feel like the "childhood connection" is a bit out of left field as well as forced.
  • Tempe's relationship with Ryan is a bit meh and unresolved in this one.
  • Tempe's treatment of her sister for, pretty much, the whole book.

What I did like:
  • Cold case aspect
  • Forensic linguistic inclusions
  • Diatom analysis
  • Getting more backstory on Tempe (even though this point conflicts with the childhood connection point I made previously).

Still a solid story that keeps you engaged. Just not as good as the previous Tempe Brennan stories. I'm hoping yhe next ones climb back into that 4 or 5 star rating.