Book Review: Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

Another in the excellent Temperence Brennan series, compelling reading and for me much better than the Patricia Cornwell novels of a similar genre. In this novel Temp is in Guatemala investigating corpses from 1982 when soldiers ravaged a village.

There are no records for the dead, it is Temp's task to help to identify them. When she is packing up for the day she takes a phone call and hears shots from the other end of the line and a woman's screams. Then there is just silence.

Temp is then requested by the police to help on another investigation too where four young women have vanished from Guatemala City over the past couple of months. Some remains are discovered in a septic tank.

The plot soon explodes and the cases all come together. Detective Andrew Ryan and Special Crimes Investigator Bartolome Galiano are also helping to solve the case too.

Not one of my favourite ones, so 8/10.

Book Review: Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs

Temperance Brennan in this third novel by Kathy Reichs featuring her is investigating a plane crash in North Carolina's Smoky Mountains. Temperance is a forensic anthropologist. The mystery is that she finds a human bone at the crash scene of someone who could not have been on the plane.

The descriptions of the crash scene are great. The mixture of sadness, grief yet somehow professionals doing their jobs in these extreme circumstances comes over very well.

There is also plenty of love interest with Andrew Ryan in this novel as well as Pete the ex-husband clearly on the scene too. I like to read about Temp's personal life too and how this develops through the novels.

However, Temp is kicked off the investigation team when she is set up by a supervisor. Temp is then on the case to get back on the case as well as clearing her name too.

This is one of the best Kathy Reichs for me, I read this some years ago but I can vividly remember this novel, particularly the early scenes.

9/10 for me.

Book Review: Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs

Temperence Brennan novel number 3 from Kathy Reichs and we are now really in character. This novel starts with disparate parts of a puzzle: the shooting of a nine year old in a Montreal stree; a North Carolina teenager disappears from her home yet parts of her skeleton are found hundreds of miles away.

Temp spends a lot of time travelling from place to place and we are along for the ride too. She enters the world of the motorcyle cult and she treads a fine line between getting the information and clues she needs with the possibility of putting herself or her family in grave danger.

Some romance ensues with Andrew Ryan and I try to understand the thoughts of a woman and her views on romance! Dr Reichs is, like Temp, a forensic anthropologist so we get the real deal here as well as the background of Canadian and USA locations. As I am from England I find these fascinating too.

8/10 for me.

Book Review: Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs

Really enjoyed this latest Kathy Reichs outing, set in Charlotte with the back drop of NASCAR racing that I know nothing about. Another in the Temperence Brennan series. A body turns up in a rubbish tip near the NASCAR track in a barrell full of tar. Temp is called in for her professional opinion.

This case leads to the investigation of another that is many years old, the disappearance of two young lovers from the NASCAR track. The missing girl's brother becomes involved, the FBI are involved (and pushing their own agenda), and Temp ends up with Detective Slidell for a lot of the time. She tries to balance her pursuit of leads in the case with Slidell's disgusting habits and lack of hygeine. Another god like detective is also on the case, and Temp flirts with him but everyone warns her off of him.

Also there are some mock comic moments with Summer who is getting married to Pete, Temp's ex husband. She inadvetently puts Temp on the right track and straight into danger.

I read this in Istanbul over Christmas and New Year and really enjoyed the book.

9/10 for me.

Book Review: Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs

This is a well written novel by Kathy Reichs and the second in the Temperance Brennan series, the anthropologist who splits her working time between Quebec and the USA. This novel opens with Temperance working on the remains of a nun buried in 1888, who may be made a saint. Brennan does not consider that the nun died naturally.

The second thread of the novel concerns an arson case and the reader is taken seamlessly from one case to the other as the twin plots unfold. Further mysteries are added including the disappearance of a student as well as the introduction of Temperance's enigmatic sister Harry.

I could not put this novel down and I also enjoyed being with the same character again from the first novel. New people are introduced to us too at this time that will come back and reappear in future novels too.

Enjoyed this and 8/10 for me.

Book Review: Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

I must be one of the few people not to have watched Bones on TV? However I have enjoyed reading all of the Kathy Reichs novels and peering into the professional and personal life of Temperance Brennan. How it compares with TV though I have no idea?

Deja Dead is the first of the series and deals with a serial murderer. A dismembered body of a woman is found in a monastery and is too far gone to have an autopsy and therefore Temperance Brennan the anthropologist is called in. Kathy Reichs is also an anthropologist and the books generally focus on her own real life background I feel.

Temperance has been looking into recent disappearances in Quebec and once she starts to investigate the latest corpse she becomes convinced that a serial killer is at work. The detective on the case, Claudel is not convinced of Temperance's theories but he is eventually convinced when the body count rises.

However the more Temperance delves the more she puts herself and her family in danger. A good first novel and better than Patricia Cornwell for me.

8/10

Book Review: Mortal Remains (Or Spider Bones) by Kathy Reichs (Temperance Brennan 14)

I really enjoy reading the Temperance Brennan series written by Kathy Reichs. This one is set in Hawaii that I would like to visit sometime. Temp is on the case of servicemen and endeavouring to identify remains. A body turns up in Canada that is identified as someone who died in Vietnam in 1968. Temp relocates to Hawaii and takes her daughter as well as Ryan and his daughter with her.

The mystery takes some time to unfold as different bodies appear to have different owners. Some of the science is a bit too technical for me but I enjoyed the mystery part of this novel. I also enjoyed the suspense and the thriller parts too when the party is invaded by gang culture.

The situation for Temp and Ryan does not move on much and her private life seems a tad dull at the moment, maybe there is more in the next novel.

8/10 for me

Book Release: Seizure by Kathy Reichs

The latest novel by Kathy Reichs is released tomorrow.

Be sure to get your copy!!!



New Novel Release: Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs

The latest Kathy Reichs' Temperance Brennan novel comes out today. Grab your copy now!!!

Recommended Author Kathy Reichs

Kathy Reichs I avoided reading for some time as I thought (incorrectly) that she would just be a carbon copy of Patricia Cornwell. However, this is not the case at all and many would consider Kathy Reichs novels to be better.

They generally feature Temperance Brennan who's character inspired the TV series Bones (that I have never seen). The books are splendid mystery with some educational medical science thrown in.

Like the author, I love the changes between Canada and USA locations, as well as some other countries overseas. The novels are easy to read and you keep going back for more to find out what has happend to Temperance in her personal life as well as her working life. Good thrillers.

Kathy Reichs website