Bare Bones (Paperback)

"As I was packaging what remained of the dead baby, the man I would kill was burning pavement north toward Charlotte."

With this opening sentence, Kathy Reichs serves notice that her heroine, Temperance Brennan, is in for one of her scariest, most gruesome adventures yet. As fans of this popular series already know, Tempe is a forensic anthropologist: an expert in the human form (especially bones) who helps solve crimes. The abovementioned infant is only the first in a series of grisly remains, both human and animal, that Tempe must sort through and decode. Meanwhile, as several seemingly unrelated cases begin to intertwine, her sleuthing puts her in the crosshairs of a very nasty stalker who hides behind an e-mail alias.

Reichs knows how to keep the narrative ball rolling with a canny mix of plot developments, character delineation, and scientific detail, all relayed in Tempe's smart, breezy, sarcastic voice. In fact, Bare Bones has a few too many characters and plot lines for Reichs--or most readers--to keep perfect track of. But it's a fun ride anyway, enlivened by some steamy romantic scenes and some fascinating, appalling information about the illicit trade in endangered wildlife (did you know that bears' gall bladders fetch more money per ounce than cocaine?). Bare Bones is a crisp, enjoyable read that cements Kathy Reichs's standing as the best forensic-thriller writer at work today. --Nicholas H. Allison --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

This sixth novel in the Temperance Brennan series opens at a sprightly pace. In fact, so pacy are the early chapters, that when the author turns to introducing and developing her characters, the narrative slows considerably, like changing from fourth gear to first in one movement.
Set in North Carolina, this mystery includes many friends that Reich’s readers are familiar with: Andrew Ryan our heroine’s current flame, Katy her daughter, and of course her pet dog and cat, Boyd and Birdie, to whom Brennan often confides her most secret thoughts.
Not content with a single compelling mystery, Reichs involves us in drug smuggling, possible infanticide, the poaching of rare animals and the trafficking of their various body parts, a plane crash that causes the death of two people, a headless corpse and many disconnected human remains at a plethora of locations all seemingly without a common denominator. Assisted by an obnoxious detective, “Skinny” Slidell-whose use of folksy down south sayings and “witticisms” truly irritates at times-Brennan manages to pull all of these crimes and illegal activities together at great risk to her personal safety, and presents us with an interesting finale.
While this novel will make pleasant Sunday afternoon reading, some questions must be raised: For example, Brennan, after an encounter too brief, expresses grave concerns about her daughter’s new boyfriend, Palmer Cousins, for no reason other than that he is very good looking. We’re first subjected to these misgivings of a doting mother on page 27, but afterwards, we’re forced to wait until page 166 to hear of him again. In addition, I have yet to understand why Ryan, born in Nova Scotia, employed as a Police detective in Montreal, constantly talks like Hopalong Cassidy in a “B” western movie. Frankly it’s irritating! As is the use of too many abbreviations such as “mope”, “perp”, “vic” and “pax”-the latter apparently referring to “passenger” and I’ve thought for all these years that it meant “peace” in Latin! These things undermine Reich’s writing.
Despite these criticisms, Reichs is undoubtedly superior to her contemporaries when she tackles the forensic aspects of her cases. At these times, her style changes for the better, and she seems much more at ease. Both at the crime scenes and in the morgue, her vivid descriptions and explanations are excellent.
Reichs has filled this latest novel with so many situations, characters and locales that the plot is at times confusing. The author herself seems to be aware of this, and twice recapitulates the myriad of conundrums she, and we, are confronted with. For this the reader is most grateful.
If you were disappointed by Reich’s previous offering, Grave Secrets, you should be pleased with this latest improved effort.
Des McNally (Books in Canada)
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.