Monday Mourning

Well!
Sped through this book, with its tales of Montreal and crime lords and bizarre malignant situations, spun together with romantic intrigues and friends in trouble. It's a quick, urgent read, hard to put down and fun to read. I've zipped through it once, now to review to study the structure.
Reichs is so good at creating suspense between chapters you keep thinking to yourself you'll stop after this chapter, only to find yourself unable to. My dog is seriously annoyed at me for my ignoring him while I read on.
It's a Temperance Brennan novel, so you will get the usual blending in of interesting forensic information with the mystery. Her character is well-drawn and rounded - the other characters are somewhat more flat and undefined but show more it doesn't seem to matter as they just glitter on the edges of the story as it races to its conclusion. show less

I love this series. Reichs' books are always fast-paced and well-written, with an array of intriguing characters and a genuine mystery at their core. MONDAY MOURNING was no exception, although I had trouble with the subject matter about 3/4 of the way through. Not because the topic wasn't well handled but because it was a little too brutal for me. My tolerance for vicious abuse of girls and women is low these days. Still, MONDAY MOURNING delivered thrills, chills, and the complex forensic anthropology I'd come to expect from Kathy Reichs. I can't wait to see what Tempe does next!

Journal Entry 4 by winggypsysmomwing from Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada on Wednesday, November 02, 2005

9 out of 10
I thought this book was one of the best Kathy Reichs has written recently, maybe because it was set entirely in Montreal, a city she clearly loves, or maybe because Tempe (her alter ego) is so emotionally involved with the case. Unlike BrooklinBrat I am a fan of Reichs but her last few books had left me vaguely unsatisfied. Now she's back in top form and I'm happy.

The explanation of Carbon 14 dating is one of the best I have ever read and it was interesting to read Dr. Reichs' case notes at the back that showed she used the technique in her own case.

I really liked Tempe's friend Anne and I hope she will be showing up again in show more the books. show less

Three women are found in a pizza parlour basement and Dr Brennan is on the case. This thriller is borderline gory with a murder mystery that is not for the faint of heart. The adventure escalates to heights that seemed stretched for a forensics archaeologist, even for one as passionate as Brennan. I did, however, enjoy walking in the streets of Montreal in the dead of winter. Reichs has a great way of describing situations with a few deft words that keep the story moving along.

I really hate Tempy. She is a garbage character and terrible friend. She’s shitty and assumes the worst of EVERYONE. In this book she was especially slow, clueless, and gullible. I HATED how the clue to the pizza shop was like right away and we had to wait till MIDWAY through the book before Tempy finally got curious. Also add in the fact Tempy didn’t EVEN blink when a victim gave her orders even “after all her research” nah it’s crap. I’m not even sure I’ll continue with the series. This was a tough read to try and get through.

So I was reading this work and enjoying it a lot and then came the final 30 pages and I nearly threw it out (of course, I couldn't do that to a library book). The usual characters are present in the Montreal cast and, in this early work, Tempe and Andy Ryan are getting along famously. The basic story is a real puzzle and once again we are educated in an usual aspect of Kathy Reichs' world: carbon dating. What troubled me was the way she worked herself into a life-threatening situation. All of a sudden, she feels like becoming Mike Hammer. Until the last 30 pages, I would have given this 4 stars. Temperance Brennan is smarter than her creator gives her credit for being.

Hadn't read a Kathy Reichs in a while so thought I'd give it a whirl. Unfortunately I find her very formulaic and her obsession with food drives this non-foodie a little crazy. I love the fact it is set in Montreal, as I grew up not far from there. There were times when I was reading it I was thrown back to my childhood in that province. (In regards to the French, purists may not like her use of Quebec French but it is what they speak there! - see an earlier review). I doubt if I'll read another one.