Customer Reviews

206 Bones: A Novel (Temperance Brennan Novels)

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(48)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Being a Chicagoan, I very much enjoyed all the references to my city at the beginning of this novel.After several books that provided some background on Tempe (her sister, Harry; her family background)it was fun to read about her estranged husband's family, a lively bunch of Latvians!I found that this book, like the others, pulls me in, and what I anticipate will be "just a chapter or two" of reading invariably ends hours later, when I have finished the book, and the day is gone.The plots move quickly, and I just have to know what happens next, much to the detriment of my plans for the day. There have already been several reviews that discuss the plot; I see no point in belaboring that, except to say that there is always new knowledge to be gained, but the story line is fast paced and never preachy.I like that the author's passion for her profession comes through. It is still my fervent hope that Tempe ends up with Claudel and not Ryan, and I eagerly await the next book in hopes that Tempe's fascination with Ryan's blue eyes will be replaced by appreciation of Claudel's sartorial splendor!

"206 Bones," by Kathy Reichs, opens with Tempe Brennan realizing, to her horror, that she has been 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 Sūreté 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 a fitting 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.

I read this in an afternoon--always a good sign. While I haven't read all of Kathy Reichs' books, I have really enjoyed the ones that I have. If you're a fan, you'll enjoy this one--a good mix of the familiar and the new. If you're a fan of the TV series, try not to think of the books as having any relation to the show--they're completely different in tone, style, and depth. I always prefer the books set in Montreal, as this one is, because I enjoy reading about its rich history. The book does serve up plenty of that. I don't want to get into plot-specifics because it is a mystery and why spoil the fun? But the characters, both main and supporting, are well-drawn and realistic, if not relatable.

The book loses a star for a blindingly obvious suspect that went unnoticed until the end and tangents that serve only to slow down the reader and show off the author's researching and/or trivia skills. Also, the very, very end devolves into what feels like a self-serving (although probably justifiable) tirade about qualifications to be a forensic anthropologist. While she may have a point, it was about a subtle as an anvil to the forehead and brought the book to a screeching halt. Granted, it was the last page so halting is to be expected, but the tone just didn't fit in with the overall book. But since I enjoyed the book, I'll let it go. This time.

I have read everything by Kathy Reichs, in part because I love the fact that many of her stories are based in Montreal and its fun to read about your town as part of the storyline.

I really, really wanted to like 206 Bones, but I just could not get into it. Yes, I did manage to finish it, but I have to say that it felt as though I had been reading this one for weeks and weeks, even though I did manage to get through it in a few days.

We find Tempe and Lieutenant Ryan in Chicago - someone is accusing Tempe of having deliberately misled people on a former case. It turns out that there is someone out there who is trying to get to Tempe and this sets off a series of events - which sees Tempe and Ryan flying back to Montreal and going back and forth and back and forth.

This novel is so slow moving, that I found myself wanting to skip pages and pages and would still have been able to follow the storyline. On the other hand, there were so many characters involved, not to mention subplots scattered between the US and Montreal that I found myself not caring enough to really follow the cast of characters.

This story felt confusing, but more importantly boring to me. I know that, in my experience, most authors cannot always write a winner and this is definitely not a winner for Reichs, in my opinion.

4 1/2 stars.

Officials ask anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan to help with the body of a missing heiress, Rose Jermain. Temp finds that the woman died of hypothermia and that there didn't appear to be a crime involved.

However, an anonymous phone call is received by the dead woman's father, alleging that Temp deliberately falsified the autopsy report. When Temp explains her findings, she's told that she has an enemy and it would be to her benefit to find out who.

The plot driven story weaves between Temp's current status where she is bound and locked in a small space, while attempting to figure out how she got there and how to escape and the events that led up to her predicament.

The earlier events include being back at the lab where bodies of a number of elderly women had been found. Temp and Lt. Ryan wonder if they are dealing with a serial killer of these aged women.

Complicating the situation is that as Temp is attempting to help the police find the killer of these women, someone seems to be sabotaging her work.

Kathy Reich expands the story line with Brennan in her novels and with the TV show,"Bones." She presents enjoyable plots and situations for her heroine to resolve. Brennan is such a real character that the reader agonizes with her as her superior informs her that she missed a vital clue and a junior member of the team found it and was praised for her effort.

There also a nice chemistry between Temp and Lt. Ryan. I enjoyed this work and continue to appreciate the excellent writing of the author.

I haven't yet read all of Kathy Reichs' books, but this is an excellent addition to them. If you can read the first chapter and not devour the rest of the book, you're a better person than I am! :D "Why not 5 stars?," you ask. Well, there is a misspelling or two, and perhaps a smidgen too much technical detail to be perfect. Still, it's a good story that I enjoyed very much. The follow-up essay is thought-provoking as well.

Tempe Brenenan is back, in an engrossing tale that I couldn't put down until I finished it. Although I was very interested in the story, towards the end I had figured out what was going on, and I was just waiting for Tempe to catch up. For a bright forensic anthropogist, she was very slow on the uptake in this story. Not the best in this series, but still worth reading.

Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan finds herself trapped in a cold, dark, enclosed space. Injured and disoriented, she is bound and gagged. The story weaves back and forth from Tempe defending her determination that the death of a politically connected lesbian was accidental to her participation in the investigation of the brutal murders of three elderly women to Tempe's desperate efforts to escape. After the Chicago debacle, she is unnerved to learn that one or more of her colleagues might be sabotaging her. As troubling mistakes begin to plague her cases, it becomes clear that there might be something more deadly afoot.

This book was a great improvement over the past few efforts. Tempe gets back to basics--solving crimes with forensics and intelligence. Her relationship with Ryan has softened and she is behaving more maturely. Happily, the author focuses on crime and forensics and avoids the strident preaching and politics that plagued some of her previous offerings. Also the dopey family and their dramas were minimized. Welcome too was the appearance of the antagonistic Claudel. The writing was crisp, the plotting fast paced and the ending was satisfying. Kathy Reichs and Tempe Brennan are back on track and it is a ride worth taking.

Five brilliant stars for Kathy Reichs who is not only an impeccably credentialed forensic scientist, she also has the talent to integrate her knowledge into great suspenseful novels. The result is not only a great read but we learn a lot about her profession - and we learn it with great detailed accuracy. For me this was a non-stop read; I could not put the book down. Reichs ability to describe her characters, the scenes, and locations (Chicago, Montreal, and Charlotte NC) make it pop into your mind as if it's on a big screen. There is also a deeper message to be learned here - this is not just another forensic novel. Reichs is also passionate about the standards of professional conduct not only in forensics but in science generally. Don't miss the epilogue!

I have enjoyed most of Kathy Reich's books and this one was no exception, BUT, I am claustrophobic and quite honestly, the book is so well written that I had to skim over certain parts because I felt as though I was trapped inside that vault with Tempe and I could feel the panic. I read it to the very end, but my palms were sweating more than once throughout...I could not put the book down until I finished it :)