I'm glad this book got the word out there about shithead poaches and how just out of control the issue is and the billions of dollars involved. So yay for a wake-the-fuck-up-people message to her readers. Most of the story was fine. A bit different in that it felt like there were so many odds and ends I had no idea where it would end up. But I can live with that. What I can't live with is the same stupid shit she got into a few books back and repeated here again.

She's knocked out, put in a dark room, and shitting herself when what she should have been doing is getting a grip. She comes across a table and a window "half buried" under ground. Brennan - quit going on about how stupid you are. That's already established. Turn over the table, kick off one of the legs and break the window! Mayhap I missed a piece where there are bars on the window? I couldn't figure out why she didn't escape that way.

In the long run this issue is neither here nor there as I seem to have a messed up little hobby where I just judge the ever living hell out of people trapped in dangerous situations. I'll be the first to admit I would probably just sit curled up in a corner sobbing if this bad stuff happened to me. But I was raised by a mother who would talk to the TV and give problem solving solutions to women characters. If they didn't do as she recommended she would turn and say, "I hate it when the writers make the women look stupid." Most of the time, especially with older movies/shows, she had a point and valid arguments.

But in the end Brennan quits stumbling about mentally and physically and does alright. Sadly the stuff she belittled herself about (not telling anyone where she was, etc) were the very issues she had a few books back. Slow learner. Texting is nice, Brennan. Text someone next time you wander off into suspicious areas alone. Just saying.

My first Kathy Reichs book. I though I'd start reading her stuff since I recently discovered how much I enjoy the show Bones. I liked this one. Too bad I had to start in the middle of a series- but still good stuff.

Was not as exciting as the previous books. Nice story but kind of very similar to previous books.

Another Tempe Brennan getting into trouble, almost dying, and getting rescued to solve another mystery. If I were her, I would change professions! The books are entertaining and fun.

Reviewed first at Brunner's Bookshelf

In the past I have loved Kathy Reichs’s books and I am still a big fan of the show based on her books Bones. My Undergrad degree is Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Forensic Science; with all of that why is it I just didn’t care for this book. This is now two of her books in a row that I was less than thrilled with. I’m starting to worry that I have grown out of Kathy Reichs. I keep wondering if these books have always been this way and when I started reading them I didn’t have a lot to compare them to. Have my tastes just changed? Has this ever happened to you? I would love to hear from you in the comments just so I know I’m not alone on this.

So the plot of the story is there is a suspicious fire and Brennan is asked to look into some charred remains putting her vacation on hold. While stuck working she decides to step away and meet her daughter’s friends. While at a Bar BQ with them her dog finds bones. Not just animal bones but human mixed in. Is this poaching that went wrong, or did a bear snack on a picnicker only to choke on a bone and die. I’ll let you read and figure that out if you would like.

The more I think about this plot I keep picking at it. Why do these books have so many different victims/cases mashed into one book? There have been times while I am reading that I have no idea which bones she is referring to belong to what case or victim. It can be frustrating. It’s almost like trying to keep straight the characters of Game of Thrones without a character list handy. I also have started to hate the whole romance (or lack thereof) angle in these books. I remember when I first started reading these books cheering for Brennan and Detective Ryan. Now I am just irritated with the juvenile “I love him”, “I hate him”, “I love him again”. It doesn’t really advance the story in my opinion.

I think I am going to keep this short; I’m really indifferent on this book. I didn’t care for it but I didn’t hate it. I will try to go mid road here and give this 3 out of 5 stars. I feel it really is more of a 2.5 star read but I’m going to round up this time. I have a few more to read and if the next one is about the same I might end my run there.

good enough story but it got preachy at the end.

One of my favorite series.

Temperance Brennan is back from Guatemala (Grave Secrets Novel) and planning her vacation which has to be put on hold because of a ‘bunch’ of bones turning up at different locations. First the remains of a new-born baby are discovered. Then bones are found in a wood and at a nearby farmhouse. Then when small plane crashes and bursts into flames, mysterious black substance is found on the bodies of the pilot and passenger and the burnt-out interior. Temperance Brennan finds herself working overtime to reach a conclusion before the perpetrator/s can catch up to her and her daughter for good!

Though I have been following the Bones TV Series for quite some time now, this is only the second novel that I have had a chance to read. I am still surprised at how naturally I picturise Emily Deschanel as Temperance Brennan while reading the novel. I have to admit that, while ‘reading’ I do find Temperence’s quirks a bit irritating. However her knowledge and deductive skills, as always, left me speechless. On the other hand, I am still trying to work out whether I like Andrew Ryan or not. There’s a myriad of characters in this novel. While some were important, some were merely there to fill the pages. The plot was complex. With so many things happening at so many places at the same time, it was a bit difficult to keep track of which character belonged to which storyline. However it also made the novel more interesting for me and made me slow down and take good notice when each character was introduced.

There’s no need for me to elaborate on the author’s style of writing. She is very detail oriented - some would say too much, but I like it. Every novel has something to offer. Be it a look into human nature or something about some obscure disease or just about bones. However, I felt that the climax was a bit rushed and clichéd for a Temperance Brennan story.

Overall, it certainly made for an interesting read.