Summary: At the start of bestseller Reichs's outstanding 12th thriller to feature Dr. Temperance Brennan (after Devil Bones), Brennan finds herself bound and injured in an underground tomb. In flashbacks, Reichs fills in the how and why of the forensic anthropologist's deadly predicament. When Brennan and Andrew Ryan of the Sûreté du Québec arrive in Chicago on business, she's accused of botching the autopsy of Rose Jurmain, a Canadian heiress. Knowing only that an anonymous caller instigated the investigation, Brennan is determined to uncover who's out to sabotage her. Back in her Montreal lab, Brennan soon realizes that not only is Jurmain's death possibly linked to the brutal murders of other elderly women but that whoever is out to tarnish her reputation refuses to back off. With her usual blend of cutting-edge forensic science and a stubborn, compelling heroine, Reichs manages to juggle several story lines without losing an ounce of momentum. ~amazon.comReview: It's been a while since I've visited with Tempe Brennan and I missed her. While 206 Bones is a solid installment in the series, it's definitely not the strongest. I found this case to be particularly disturbing as it involved the murder of elderly ladies. Yet, while I found it disturbing it wasn't my focus for this novel or Ms. Reichs'. The real focus was the other plot; who buried Tempe alive and trying to kill her? Is it some disgruntled criminal who's been released? Where is she? Notice one of my questions, isn't will she live? Yeah, that's pretty much a given. I seriously doubt that Ms. Reichs would end the series with Tempe buried alive.
Now, Jenn said she had it figured out pretty early who the culprit was that accosted Tempe. I will admit, it took me a little while to put the puzzle pieces together. Once I did, it all made sense.
I'm happy to see that if Andrew Ryan (aka Ryan) and Tempe aren't together, they are at least on speaking terms besides talking about cases. I do like that Tempe isn't waiting for Ryan to come around and is still dating Charlie Hunt, albeit very casually.
I also missed LaManche in this book. I think Tempe and him work well together.
While this isn't the best in the series, it does move the characters forward instead of at a standstill.
I'm looking forward to the next in the series, Spider Bones.
Final Take: 3.5/5
Jenn's Review: 206 Bones
I agree with everything you wrote, Julie.
ReplyDeleteI also thought it was less like one of her novels, & more like an episode of Bones. Don't get me wrong, I love the TV series, but they've always been very separate entities in my mind because they're so different. Although, to be fair, I think she was writing an episode of Bones at the time...
It just didn't have her usual flair...