I don’t know how Dr. Temperance Brennan does it! She has so much on her ‘To Do’ list I felt like making a diagram as I read this interesting mystery. On top of dealing with her daughter Katy, who has an active life as a college student, and her high velocity sister Harriet ‘Harry’ Lamour, who has had a life as full of adventure and variety as four ex-husbands and her own creativity can provide her with, ‘Tempe’ has the professional credentials and energy to work for two employers: as Forensic Anthropologist for the Province of Quebec, Canada; and in Charlotte, North Carolina as a college professor of anthropology. Both jobs require a lot of hours from her, but she is quite the workaholic and fortunately finds herself frequently fascinated by her work. (I am fascinated by her work as well!)Tempe is dealing with dead bodies constantly throughout her life and often they are linked to a police case. She is either supervising and digging up long ago buried dead bodies, not always murder victims, or fresh murder victims, or she is performing forensic lab tests and measurements on scientifically prepared bodies ready for examination by eye, microscope and other scientific instruments. The things she is able to discern through scientific examination of the bodies, the surrounding dirt the bodies are buried in, the insects, plant life and minerals which often have left chemical signatures and indications of the length of time which has passed for a body that has died, is amazing. If, like me, the science of death is so interesting that the ick factor of rot recedes into nothing, then this series will not bother the curious reader at all. However, if vivid and exact physical descriptions of dead flesh and body parts overwhelm any interest in learning something about forensics and death, I recommend not trying these novels. Kathy Reichs does not pull any punches about the fictional victims either, including police cases in her stories that are about babies and young children who have been murdered. While these books are fiction, they are based on Dr. Kathy Reichs’ real life and work.All of Brennan’s life becomes drawn into a single case about a cult-like organization - both of her jobs, her family, her friends and her homes. She soon finds herself under steadily increasing personal danger as she uncovers links between bodies discovered in Quebec and Beaufort, South Carolina, where she and her daughter Katy go on vacation. But, she also finds herself unexpectedly becoming more attracted to the handsome Andrew Ryan, the Montreal detective who is trying to learn why a family was slaughtered with particular viciousness. Beginning a romance is not something Brennan wants, but she is finding it difficult to not think about him. Fortunately, Harry disappears without a trace, reducing her susceptibility to the detectiive’s charms in her growing fright and worry - at least until the next book in the series, maybe….. (view spoiler)[I think this convoluted story was a bit too obviously contrived, especially when her sister Harry ‘independently’ becomes involved in the case from Texas and ends up in danger, which all was more coincidental than I could accept. It felt as if complications were piled on and shoehorned into the plot for the purpose of increasing page count, so I was not quite as much of an admirer of this book as I was for the first one in the Brennan series. (hide spoiler)]
Bones has been on television for five years now. Kathy Reichs's Tempe Brennan series began thirteen years ago. We therefore agree that I'm a little behind on this series. However, being behind is a good thing in my opinion. I have plenty of upcoming books to read, and I don't have to wait on anything to be published to find out what happens next with the main character. Well, you now. Until I'm done.I read the first novel in the Tempe series in February, and now I'm continuing my quest to read them all. I finished the second book this week, Death du Jour, and it is just as fantastic as Reichs's debut novel. The novel begins as forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan embarks on a request by the Catholic church in Montreal. She conducts a dig in their old burial grounds while her students at the University of North Carolina frolic on beaches for spring break. Before Tempe can finish and return following the break, another crime occurs and she is forced to travel several hours away and collect bones from a recent house fire.After Tempe returns to Charlotte for the continuation of her spring semester, crimes occurring there begin to show ties to crimes in Montreal. As Tempe is pulled into the midst of an ever-reaching chain of events, her family is affected and things become a bit personal. This novel explores the ritual side of religion, as well as so-called religion at its worst, in the form of cults.I read into the night several times this week; I just needed to know what happened next in this novel. It was just as scary as Reichs's first foray into the writing world. These books definitely aren't for the faint-of-heart or the easily-scared. My single issue with Death du Jour was its over-the-top plot connections. I mean, what are the chances that a case that a forensic anthropologist who works in Montreal and in Charlotte is investigating has ties to both cities? I would say very slim, if at all.Also, while the presence of cults is a reality in our world, I have recently read and heard much about the exaggeration of their activities. Satanic sacrifice is a phenomenon which gained publicity in the 1980s, but there is little record of actual occurrences. Rather, it seems to have been a media-induced panic which resulted in public service announcements and school programs, but had little substantiated evidence to prove or disprove it. So the inclusion of cult-based killings is sensational and fiction-worthy, but not based in reality.Watch Bones on Fox on Thursdays at 8/7 central.
What do You think about Death Du Jour (2006)?
I've always enjoyed Bones on TV, so picked up a couple of Kathy Reichs books in a charity shop to see how they compare. I believe that this is book two, but having not read the first did not seem to be a problem at all.I found this a fascinating read. It includes a myriad of detail about science, anthropology and other interesting input. I wouldn't describe her as a particularly descriptive author (ie, flowing poetic language) but the constant gush of minute trivia keeps the reader engrossed. The reading is easy, with short sentences and a tight storyline. I could imagine the screen character reading the words, but the book is far more intricate, and in the long-run I would probably prefer the book to the TV adaptation. Occasionally the details got a little too intense, and I'd find my eyes glossing over and having to re-read a page.I read it in one go, which is always a positive for the book! The plot is far-fetched, but only in the way that most crime/detective fiction is full of incredible co-incidences. It was described as a chiller, but I didn't find it particularly scary or overly tense myself (good, as I'm a wimp!) There are a number of disturbing moments when considering the deaths, particularly of children, which I never like but are integral to the book. Parts of the ending were predictable, but other parts definitely weren't: it is well-worth an evening's read.
—Hannah Ruthie
It's funny but I use to love watching the tv series Bones which is inspired by this series but once I read my first book of this series which was Devil Bones I stop watching the tv show because I actually like this series a hole lot better then the tv show.,and one of the reason I love this series better than the tv show is because in this series,the main character Temperance isn't afraid to show her emotions and feels when she works a really bad case,she also allows herself to get close to people but in the tv show the character did none of that.
—Elizabeth Means
My first Tempe Brennan book and while it was a departure from the series (Bones) as I knew it, it was still very enjoyable. Sure there's a lot of medical jargon and it can be very explanatory in spots, but it was an evenly paced story with rich characters and the kind of action you would expect an inquisitive, educated woman like Tempe to become embroiled in. I'll probably go back and read the first book "Deja Dead" as it was referenced in this story.I would consider this a parallel universe version of the television series as the characters are so wildly different. Tempe of the books is divorced with college age daughter, is a recovering alcoholic, and lives part time in Quebec and part-time in the Carolinas teaching and doing field work in both places. Bones of the series is single, lives in DC, enjoys a successful writing career with her main character "Kathy Reichs", and likes a good stiff drink every now and again. It's very easy to believe that if the two Tempes existed in the same universe, could be sisters, if not competitive colleagues.
—MontiLee Stormer
