Brianna Reviews // Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs

Published: 3^rd July 2003

Publisher: Arrow Books

Format: Paperback

Synopsis:  During one of the hottest summers on record, Dr Temperance Brennan is haunted by a string of horrifying events. First, the bones of a newborn baby are discovered in a wood stove. The mother is nowhere to be found. Next, a plane flies into a rock face. The dead pilot and passenger are burned beyond recognition, and covered in an unknown substance. And then a store of bones is found in a remote corner of the county. What has happened, and who will be the next victim? The answers lie hidden deep within the bones - but Tempe must find them in time to stop further disaster.

Bare Bones gets off to a sort of promising start and even answers the question of who she went on holiday with (hint: I’m happy) but personally for me it starts to go downhill, in the nicest possible way (because I honestly don’t think it’s a bad book I did enjoy it, and I still gave it 4 stars on goodreads) I think this is the worst Brennan book so far.

So this time Brennan is at home, she never went on holiday, work got in the way. She has just discovered that the bones in the stove are as feared from a newborn baby, she’s working alongside a local cop to try and find the mother. And Ryan is coming down to stay with her. Oh and she discovers human remains at a BBQ – or Boyd does. Turns out most of the bones are actually bear bones. And she stumbles nicely into a hunting, animal parts smuggling operation.

It’s not the main crime or investigation in Bare Bones that made it a less enjoyable read although it wasn’t the most thrilling. No it was Brennan herself that made this not so fun to read. This is a long running series, you expect a bit of character progression, and we’ve had that, she’s loosened up a little on the prospect of dating etc. but you would think that after 5 books she would have made a connection between running off on her own without telling anyone and her being in life threatening danger… but it seems that she hasn’t learnt any such lesson, and it annoys me as I’m sure I have gone over before… as I feel like I might have mentioned this in the last 3 reviews, if not then I should have! And I think if I’m honest my view on this entire book story, plot, characters and all is tainted by my utter exasperation and weariness over her yet again running into a clearly dangerous situation without telling anyone. Or maybe it’s just because she has a complete disregard for her own safety  in general; she receives threats from someone in the form of photos of her and Katy taken through a scope of a rifle and a warning telling her to back off (she doesn’t know what as she is working more than one case). These photos rightly scare her and they also worry Ryan, yet despite this she still runs off into danger on her own.

It was quite nice to see Ryan making an appearance while off duty, and to see Brennan being nice to him as well, it’s all very civil, almost normal. Proof that she can change and learn stuff. It’s a nice reward after so many books of them irrationally making it difficult (mostly Brennan).

So in summary, it wasn’t bad the case was actually okay, it’s just the damsel in distress thing is running thin -  I will of course continue reading the series but I hope she learns something sharpish.

Brianna Reviews // Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

Published: 2003

Publisher: Arrow Books

Format: Paperback

Synopsis: In the searing heat of Guatemala, Dr Temperance Brennan excavates the remains of an infant from a site believed to contain the bodies of twenty-three women and children. Shaken by the discovery, Tempe tries to harden herself against these horrors. And then four young girls go missing from Guatemala City. When a skeleton is found at the back of a rundown hotel, only someone with Tempe's expertise can deduce the identity and cause of death. But her path is blocked at every turn. It is clear that some people would prefer that Guatemala's 'disappeared' stay buried. And others will stop at nothing to ensure the missing girls are kept the same way.

So I finally decided it was time to return to Tempe Brennan, partly thanks to a friend’s book clear out which also provided me with the next few as well. I have to admit that since it has been a while my memory of exactly where we left all the characters is a little fuzzy, but maybe that was a good thing.

This time we have left North America for Central America, I have to admit that I found the start of this book very slow, even Brennan’s colleagues getting shot didn’t really speed it up. Detective Galiano’s entrance is where the book first had me properly interested; I think the book would have worked just as well if it had started a page or two before that.

At first I thought that Galiano was a little too much like Ryan, a bit like Reichs had got Ryan and made him Guatemalan, however as Ryan and Galiano conveniently went to college together I think I can perhaps forgive the similarity. This coincidence is stretched a little further with the connection to the Canadian Ambassador, and a perfectly timed desk restriction for Ryan, makes him the ideal Cop to send from Canada to help the investigation in Guatemala, oh and Ryan can speak Spanish! (all a little bit too convenient for my liking).
As for the competing love interests, I wasn’t a fan, but then maybe the fact that I felt strongly about it isn’t a bad thing. And let’s just not talk about the ambiguous ending, who does she go on holiday with??

The case itself I think could have been better, it wasn’t terrible but combined with the slow start and the very stretched coincidences let it down.

I am increasingly getting fed up of Brennan’s ‘I’m just going to run off towards this potentially dangerous situation without telling a single person where I’m going’ attitude, she is for the most part an intelligent woman and I admire her independent character, but somewhere along the line common sense should come into it and telling somewhere where you are going doesn’t make you any less independent. And after four books where this attitude of hers has got her into trouble the scientist in her should probably see the pattern. But no… yet again she rushes off and is inexplicably found.

Overall it wasn’t a bad book and I did enjoy it but Kathy Reichs can do better and I hope the standard picks up again in the next book… And who did she go on holiday with??

Brianna Reviews - Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs

First Published - July 17th 2001

Publisher - Arrow Books

Format - Paperback

Synopsis - When a plane crashes high in the mountains of North Carolina, Dr. Temperence Brennan is first on the scene. As a forensic anthropologist for the state, she serves on the disaster response team. The task that cofronts her is a sad and sickening one. A chance discovery concerns Tempe: a severed foor, away from the main crash site. A deserted house is buried so deep in the woods that locals know nothing of its existence. And her investigation throws up more questions than answers. Before she can make any progress Tempe's profesiional standing is threatened. But she fears that, air tragedy aside, another corpse lies in the woods. Pitting herself against a conspiracy of silence, Tempe vows to bring justice for her mystery victim

As you might remember from my last Tempe Brennan review I was really mad at the way it ended, so it should come as a surprise that I went out and bought the next book as soon as possible.

Tempe is driving back to Quebec when a plane crashes in North Carolina as a member of DMORT (Disaster Mortuary Response Ream) and she is redirected to the site of the crash to help with the identification process. This book however is not really about the identification of the victims of the crash. While at the crash site, she uncovers a much more disturbing mystery than how the plane came down (and that really says something for how disturbing it is!).

In short I enjoyed reading Fatal Voyage, as again with the previous books, it gives the scientific explanations for some of the techniques and evidence. They are still a little long winded for me in places but I like them. I like knowing these things and why this tiny patch in that soil sample is important. I have a small problem with Kathy Reich’s writing style though. I know this has taken until the fourth book to mention but it is only now that I’m sure it’s the books and not me, and that is sometimes in dialogue it’s a little difficult to work out who is talking and who said what. Eventually I work it out but sometimes it takes rereading the conversation a few times which really slows down the reading process. The questions of Tempe's integrity make her consider why she is in such a morbid career which she has already answered in previous books but without specifically saying "this is why I do it", so it's nice to be definitely told.

Apologies for the constant referral to past reviews but this is a kind of series so suck it up. For the past 3 books I’ve been saying that I think Tempe is too short/mean/ horrible to Ryan. Well this book tipped that on its head a little. Ryan reappears in this book (and I may have squealed slightly – thankfully I was at home and not in public) after his partial disappearance from the last book and you will also remember that I wanted more answers to what was going on. Well he comes back and doesn’t say a word about it. Not only that but he acts like a complete ass with Tempe and this time he deserves the way she has previously treated him, although this time she is actually nicer to him. It is somewhat understandable given the whole Bertrand situation but I don’t think it is excusable.  

The Bertrand situation is something about this book that I really like (not the situation itself - I’m not that evil). But the fact that it has carried part of a past case into the current book I like that touch of continuity. I guess it's what makes a series a series because I always have difficulty with how to classify these kinds of books with a recurring main character but entirely separate cases because they are the kind of book that you could read entirely independent of the rest of the series and you wouldn't really miss out on too much - except character development and history. But once you start dragging old cases into it no matter how minor a part or detail it makes it a more coherent series.

Kathy Reichs teases us at the start with the suggestion that yet another member of Tempe’s family is involved or in danger in this book, thankfully they are not, but someone Tempe knows is… seriously people,  avoid her like the plague! Tempe could also use some lessons in common sense as yet again she rushes herself off into danger, and as per every other book she has friends who are police, this time she even tries to phone some of them, gets halfway through dialling Ryan’s number  before deciding not to, maybe she actually has a death wish.

In summary I did really enjoy this book, it felt comfortable to read, and there were the times when I really didn’t want to put it down. I’m resigned to Tempe having no sense of self preservation and to always being frustrated about everything to do with Ryan… I still need that explanation for the drugs thing and is it all over now? So although I still rant about them I don’t think they take anything away from the books (although an explanation about Ryan might add a couple of pages… just saying.) I of course plan on reading the next one, but I don’t yet own it and I’m not in any rush right now.

Brianna Reviews - Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs

Published - 7th July 2011
Publisher - Arrow Books
Format - Paperback
Synopsis - A nine-year old girl dies on her way to ballet class, caught in outlaw biker crossfire. Violence is spilling on to the streets of Montreal and Dr Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist for the state, has to pick up the pieces.She knows she shouldn't let emotion get in the way of her role as scientist, but when nine-year-old Emily's body is wheeled into the morgue she cannot help but react. Tempe's nephew, Kit, is mesmerised by motorcycles. Does he understand the dangers posed by the outlaw gangs? An exhumation uncovers the bones of another innocent, hidden in a clandestine grave close to a biker headquarters. With her boss in the hospital and her sparring partner Andrew Ryan disturbingly unavailable, Tempe begins a perilous investigation into a lawless underworld of organised crime.

Deadly Decisions is the third Temperance Brennan book. This book was the turning point of the series for me. If this book failed to impress then I wasn't going to read any further through the series as I wasn't really sure if I liked the book or just liked the TV series.

So after the last book, Temperance and Andy seem to be getting on and Temperance is finally being nice to him. leading on from Death Du Jour, not only is Temperance being nice to Andy but there is also a hangover from the last case. Upon finding a young girl in the morgue, Temperance can't let another child lie dead and vows to put a stop to the gang wars that are going on. predictably she inserts herself into the investigation.

This book saved the series (isn't saving me money though!). I thoroughly enjoyed this book and this time around i'm sure it is the book that I enjoyed and not it's link to the TV series. Deadly Decisions seemed a little more fast paced than the first two. although it was still a little heavy in the description side in places; three and a half pages on blood splatter is interesting but it would be more interesting if it was explained while explaining what the reader and Temperance wanted to know.

Again, there was just not enough of Andy Ryan in this book and I don't like the way things were left with him - I just can't cope with the suspense of not knowing that's happening with him! And yet again, Temperance's decisions baffle me. And why does she deliberately put herself in danger and not inform any of the many cops that she is 'friends' with?! Lastly, just how many family members can she get mixed up in cases before they all start avoiding her like the plague?

I know after all of these negative thoughts it seems like I didn't like the book but I did, I really did and I gave it 5 stars. I can't wait to read the next one!!
P.S. What happens to Ryan?

Brianna Reviews - Death Du Jour by Kathy Reichs

Published: 2000 (first published 1999)

Publisher: Arrow Books

Format: Paperback

Synopsis: On a bitterly cold March night in Montreal, forensic anthropologist Dr Temperance Brennan is exhuming the remains of a nun in the grounds of an old church. Hours later, Tempe is called to the scene of a horrifying arson. A young family has perished, but there is no explanation, no motive, and no witnesses. From the charred remains of the inferno, to a trail of sinister cult activity, Tempe faces a nerve-shattering case which will test her forensic expertise - and her instinct for survival.

I picked up Death Du Jour to read quicker than planned to. I had wanted to leave a longer gap before reading the second Brennan book but I couldn’t help myself because I had enjoyed reading the first one so much and I wasn’t done with the characters; I wanted more of Brennan and Ryan.

I wasn’t as satisfied with this book by the end of it as I was with the first book. There were a few reasons for this: Firstly it hit me in the book just how much description there is and I prefer my descriptions to be more to the point. It’s okay when she is describing crime scenes and forensics but not when she is making dinner. Secondly there are parts of Brennan’s personality that are starting to jar with me; mainly the way she treats Ryan, he asks her out for drinks and she wants to go because she likes him but she rejects his offer on the grounds that she works with him (fair enough) but then she gets all jealous and treats him like dirt as if it’s his fault she turned him down. Also when she is hell bent on driving off in a snow storm and Ryan ends up driving her because his car would be safer -  he is risking his own safety and she still snaps at him when he makes sensible and safe decision’s and her recklessness ultimately puts them in peril. Thirdly I’m not sure if this is fair but I don’t think there is enough interaction between Brennan and Ryan in the book.

As for the case itself it was interesting and played out well I would add the warning that it is not for the faint hearted! And last but not least, I am a fan of the TV series so I’m still a little unsure if it is the love of the show or the books which is driving me on to read more. I suppose the next book will be the tipping point to find out if it’s the books as I don’t own the 4^th so I will only look for it if I feel that I am genuinely interested in the books.

P.s. These books totally suggest the idea of a Bones/Criminal Minds crossover, if you watch either of these shows look out of it.

Brianna Reviews - Déjá Dead by Kathy Reichs

Published - 1998
Publisher - Arrow Books
Format - Paperback
Synopsis - Rarely has a debut crime novel inspired such widespread excitement. A born storyteller, Dr. Kathy Reichs walks in the steps of her heroine, Dr. Temperance Brennan. She spends her days in the autopsy suite, the courtroom, the crime lab, with cops, and at exhumation sites. Often her long days turn into harrowing nights.
It's June in Montreal, and Tempe, who has left a shaky marriage back home in North Carolina to take on the challenging assignment of director of forensic anthropology for the province of Quebec, looks forward to a relaxing weekend.
First, though, she must stop at a newly uncovered burial site in the heart of the city. One look at the decomposed and decapitated corpse, stored neatly in plastic bags, tells her she'll spend the weekend in the crime lab. This is homicide of the worst kind. To begin to find some answers, Tempe must first identify the victim. Who is this person with the reddish hair and a small bone structure?

Déja Dead is the first book in the Temperance Brennan series written by Kathy Reichs and also the basis for FOX's TV show Bones in which Brennan is an Anthropologist -turn - author of books about Kathy Reichs! However, I would say this book is for fans of the crime genre and not specifically for fans of the TV show as it is significantly different. The only character with the same name is Temperance Brennan but personality wise, Brennan is not the same character. There are some similarities between characters on the TV show and those in the books but not so specific as to pin them down.

The book had me interested from the start although i'm unsure if that is due to the writing or because I have been a fan of the show for years and have been wanting to read this book for at least 12 months! By about the half way point Déja Dead was definitely un-putdownable! I think the book was very well written and the plot was definitely interesting. However, I have 2 points to make. 
1. Even though my guesses at who the killer was were wrong, I found at least part of the plot too predictable and I had predicted it by the third chapter. 
2. There were parts where the motives behind Brennan's actions completely confused me, even with the book being told from her point of view. 

Kathy Reichs, being a real life forensic anthropologist, describes what Brennan does with the bones, the marks she looks at and the tests she does, in accurate detail.  These are real tests and the marks left behind by a saw and what these marks indicate are facts; tests she actually performed in real life. I don't think these would be too hard to follow for a non-scientist, and those who are might appreciate the realism. Again on the knowledge front, Déja Dead being set in Montreal, Quebec is heavy on the French. You don't need a French vocab past yes, no, Mr & Mrs, with most dialogue (including French dialogue) being written in English but it is heavy on French names and thr names of official organisations. Maybe an ability to pronounce these French words might help, as I have none! 

Overall it was a very enjoyable read and I can't wait to read the next one: Death Du Jour.