206 BONES by Kathy Reichs

Book Quote:

“Clearly, I’d been abducted. To be the victim in some sick game? To be removed as a threat?

The thought triggered my first clear memory. An autopsy photo. A corpse, charred and twisted, jaws agape in a final agonal scream….

Was my captor a random predator and I a random victim? Had I been targeted because of who I am?”

Book Review:

Review by Eleanor Bukowsky (AUG 25, 2009)

206 Bones opens with Tempe Brennan, handcuffed and buried in some sort of underground crypt. She does not remember how she got there, but is understandably terrified. The author then traces the complicated series of events that led up to Tempe’s abduction and entombment.

For the uninitiated, Temperance Brennan is a renowned forensic anthropologist who divides her time between laboratories in Montreal and the North Carolina. Her pal and partner in detection is the hunky Lieutenant-détective Andrew Ryan, who works for the Sûreté du Québec. The two have an on-again, off-again romance that is currently off, although they remain good friends. Tempe and Ryan have their hands full probing several convoluted mysteries, including the deaths of three elderly females as well as that of a fifty-nine year old woman whose body was found thirty months after she disappeared in Quebec. As a favor to a friend, they also try to learn the fate of a young man who fell or was thrown into a quarry. Ryan spends many hours tracking down potential witnesses and searching for physical evidence, while Tempe follows up leads of her own and carefully studies skeletal remains.

Reichs’ strength lies in her encyclopedic knowledge of forensic anthropology. When Tempe talks bones, we listen. In addition, the author skillfully captures the bleakness of a harsh Montreal winter, with its icy temperatures, slick roads, and heavy snowfall. The bitter weather is an apt counterpoint to Tempe’s mood. She is indignant that some of her colleagues are challenging her competence, especially an ambitious newcomer named Marie-Andréa Briel. The reader suffers, as well, because Tempe’s inquiries are not all that interesting. They lack the suspense and nail-biting tension that we have come to expect from this talented author. This is a talky novel with too much cutesy dialogue, and the author telegraphs the identity of the villains far too soon. When the bad guys are unmasked, few will be surprised. Another annoying element is Ryan and Tempe’s silly banter; these two act more like lovesick teenagers than mature adults. 206 Bones offers little suspense, a drawn-out and dull plot, and almost no character development. This series may be close to running its course.

AMAZON READER RATING:	from 117 readers
PUBLISHER:	Scribner (August 25, 2009)
REVIEWER:	Eleanor Bukowsky
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK?	YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE:	Kathy Reichs
EXTRAS:	Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION:	Read a review of Grave Secrets