Bones Are Forever: A Novel (Temperance Brennan) (original 2012; edition 2012)

Kathy Reichs always gives us a good read, scientific information (this time about the geology of diamonds and surrounding environment), romantic tension, and exciting conclusions - and this book is no exception. Tempe Brennan hunts for the killer of three infants, which leads her to the Dene First Nations people in Alberta, and provides a little bit of Indigenous perspective in this crime drama. It's a faster read than some of her other works, and takes the reader north of 60. ( )

Temperance Brennan in the books and in the TV show share nothing but a name and a profession, but setting that aside, a good read. The characters personal lives would be confusing if you started here, but these are good books. ( )

Bones Are Forever
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A newborn baby is found wedged in a vanity cabinet in a rundown apartment near Montreal.

Dr Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist to the province of Quebec, is brought in to investigate. While there, she discovers the mummified remains of two more babies within the same room.

Shocked and distressed, Tempe must use all her skills and inner strength to focus on the facts. But when the autopsies reveal that the children died of unnatural causes, the hunt for the mother – a young woman with a seedy past and at least three aliases – is on.

The trail leads Tempe to Yellowknife, a cold, desolate diamond-mining town on the edge of the Arctic Circle, where her quest for the truth only throws up more questions, more secrets, and more dead bodies.

Taking risks and working alone, Tempe refuses to give up until she has discovered why the babies died. But in such a hostile environment, can she avoid being the next victim?

** I recieved this free from the Goodreads Firstreads program **

I would actually give this a 2.5, but rounded up because I am positive there will be a ton of people who love this book. I however, was just not one of them.

I was so excited to start this book - the synopsis sounded great! I should state that this was my first Kathy Reichs book. I have many friends who follow this series religiously and kept recommending that I try them.

So Temperence Brennan is called in on a case where a dead newborn infant is found wrapped in a towel, hidden under a sink. 1 infant turns into 3. I should have been wiping tears from my eyes as she described these lifeless bundles. But I wasn't. I found Reichs a very unconvincing, unemotional and just plain cold writer. The inner pain Temperence was feeling....well I just didn't buy it.

The story then forges ahead and takes us to Yellowknife. What started as a hunt for the killer of these newborns turns into a lesson of diamond mining in Canada. I literally felt like I was reading a textbook at times. The newborns were all but forgotten.

Now for Temperence as a character. I just couldn't relate to her. She is obviously a very smart, educated woman. Or at least she is supposed to be. I'm not sure how many smart women would head to a forest at night after recieving a cryptic call to "come alone" without telling anyone. Or play peeping tom on an umplanned stakeout, again alone and without notifying anyone. Or go against police protocol and inform someone that their sister is dead before the police have confirmed it. You get my point.

The ending was disappointing. This girl sure has a horse shoe up her butt.....lucky that hotel desk clerk Nina (you know, the one that willing gives Tempe a key to Ryan's room without permission?) just happens to be looking out the window....what are the chances!!!

Overall, the book wasn't bad. It did have some interesting parts, some exciting parts.....they were just squished between the "shake my head" parts. ( )

one of her better books for a while ,not so much "french explanantion of departments" and not so much "love , romantic" involvement , more of the old style kathy reichs and it's usual forensic qualities, lots of dead babies was different and interesting. ( )