Kathy Reichs

"i was killed by curiosity like a finely tuned cat."

that was not, actually, one of the many similes this book is drowning in, but it may as well have been. some real examples:

"In my mind’s eye I could see her standing at a pay phone, scanning her surroundings, her eyes never resting, broadcasting fear like Radio Free Europe."

or

"She was thin as soup in a homeless shelter"

or

"For the third time in as many days I saw daybreak, an event I embrace as eagerly as Joe Montana welcomes an all-out show more blitz."

i don't even know what that means.

not to mention such general sparklers as:

"I had enough pharmaceuticals in me to numb the Iraqi army ..."

the iraqi army is an odd choice for a book published in 1998, though i guess it takes place in 1994. still, odd choice for a book that takes place in 1994. unless there was some iraqi army drug scandal i'm forgetting all about. or was the iraqi army the lasting symbol of "a big group of people who it would take a lot of drugs to numb" back in 1994?

it may be that i only read this book because i've been feeling really negative about almost everything i've read recently, and my reviews have fallen on a spectrum from cranky to brutal, which may or may not be fair. might as well read something that i know i would hate, right? the sad truth is that when i was bored last winter i watched some of the t.v. show bones, which is based on these books. smart science lady who is smart and says smart science-y stuff and figures out stuff in a smart way? (i am also smart, as is evidenced by the previous sentence.) sign me up!

but the "same" character in this book says things like:

"I watched him walk away, admiring once again the way he filled his 501’s."

and constantly comments on how she can't quite figure something out, there's something she's missing, there's a piece of the puzzle that doesn't fit. all the while, i'm screaming at the book, "i can tell you what you're missing! it's fucking obvious!"

also, this book would be half the size if any of these near-interchangeable characters actually told each other anything. they're supposed to be running an investigation. together.

or maybe a decent editor would have sufficed.

the final reality is that i just didn't care about anyone in this book. well, that's not true. i really liked the lead character's cat. so maybe i finished the book to find out what happened to the cat. nothing bad happens to the cat. or maybe i finished it so i could exorcise my book crankiness and take it all out on kathy reichs.

we'll see. watch out, [b:Woman in the Dunes|9998|The Woman in the Dunes|Kōbō Abe|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1361254930s/9998.jpg|58336] show less

When Kathy Reichs comes out with a new novel featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, I feel a little sort of electric happiness that I carry with me as I await the novel's release and then as I read it. As with any long-running series, the characters continue to grow, becoming more themselves and building their relationships with one another. Temperance, Ryan, Slidel—with each new novel, I enjoy my time with them more.

In this novel Brennan faces a pair of overlapping show more challenges. First, a new boss with questionable ethics and limited forensic skills, who has it in for Brennan. Second, an unidentified corpse badly mutilated by feral pigs. Determined to identify the corpse and to best this new nemesis, Brennan finds herself following an increasingly complex trail—one that branches out in multiple directions.

Whether or not you're familiar with Brennan, I can pretty much guarantee that you will love this book and will leave it feeling hungry to spend more time with her.

One quick caveat: if you're a reader like me who is uncomfortable with depictions of violence against animals, you'll want to skip a few paragraphs in chapter 32. The first time you see the word "kitten" jump ahead three paragraphs. You'll still be able to follow the action without trouble. show less

Kathy Reichs’s creation of Temperance Brennan appeared to be a mirror image of the author. Reichs was a forensic anthropologist for the state of North Carolina and the province of Quebec, Canada when I first read this many years ago. Deadly Decisions is the third book in this series and while it's too hit and miss overall, this one is a nice read.

Temperance is called away from Quantico when a young girl named Emily Anne becomes an innocent victim in the escalating turf war between biker show more gangs in Canada. It has become serious enough that a Special Operations Unit called Caracajou has been formed, and Temperance is asked to join it. Once she does, she learns in heartbreaking fashion how the sophisticated network of the new mafia uses some very old and horrifying methods to remain in control.

Reichs writes Brennan as a classy professional who has overcome a drinking problem in her past. Though widely respected in her field, she has at best a respectful relationship with the stuffy French detective named Claudel with whom she often works. Reichs weaves these details naturally into the crime story, unlike Patricia Cornwell, who eventually let all Scarpetta’s hang-ups and neuroses, and those of Lucy, ruin that series.

Deadly Decisions is a good read, and there is excellent atmosphere in this one. When the body of a second girl buried years before is discovered, Reichs is at her very best. She provides tense excitement but colors it with sadness. The portion about the careful excavation of a body so badly decomposed that only the girl’s bones, and the mystery of who killed her are left for Temperance to uncover is particularly well written.

Also within the narrative Reich's provides touching moments, such as the releasing of balloons at Emily Anne’s funeral. There is an understanding by the author in regard to violence, and how it often occurs suddenly and without time to mourn. Minor but important details such as this add depth to a genre which has increasingly become sensationalized with brutality and gore, desensitizing the reader and removing any resonance. Not the case here, I'm happy to say.

This is a classy read in a genre that has become bloated, and has very much gone astray. Author Kathy Reichs imbues Temperance Brennan with professionalism and humanity, all the while remaining focused on the crimes and the victims. She fleshes out Temperance into a real person we would want on our side in such circumstances. This is a series that found solid ground with this one, and this particular entry is well worth checking out. show less

The Good: Speaking in Bones is a really wonderful mystery, covering some things Tempe hasn't previously faced. She finds herself looking into a cold case at the request of a web sleuth. Of course, she has no idea what a web sleuth actually is, which introduces the reader to an entire corner of the internet that most are unaware of. Given Tempe's ignorance on the subject, the ins and outs are described in a very elementary fashion that readers will understand regardless of age or tech savvy. show more What I really enjoyed here was how the characters are finally growing out of their original molds. Most obviously, the huge changes in Slidell. If he can change, it damn near proves anyone can.

The Bad: The problem with long running series is that they generally don't follow real time. Fans of this series have been reading about Tempe and Ryan for a good 18 years. How much time has passed in the series? Maybe a couple of years. So when Tempe has doubts about Ryan's proposal, it's hard to understand. To us, they've been together longer than most married couples, even with their constant on-again, off-again. You have to take yourself out of the story to understand her hesitance, which completely removes any tension that may have built while awaiting her final answer. show less