Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs
Kathy Reichs latest Temperance Brennan novel is a book with fifty shades of gray. No, she has not decided to delve into the wondrous world of erotica. She is still presenting us with stories about Temperance Brennan, an esteemed Forensic Anthropologist, who has been the subject of seventeen books and a TV series titled Bones. However in Bones Never Lie, Reichs' latest book, the weather is gray; the murders are gray; the mood of the characters is gray, and the overall attitude of the story is gray. There is no brightness here until the very end when the readers do get a ray of sunshine
The story mainly takes place in Charlotte, North Carolina during the late fall and winter. The weather appears to be predominately rainy and cold. Brennan is called in on a cold case that takes her mind back to the murders of a serial killer named Anique Pomerleau. Pomerleau almost killed Brennan and did kill several others. She has never been captured and Brennan considers her one of her biggest failures.
At the time of this story Brennan's life is not going too great. The romance in her life ended when Detective Andrew Ryan left for parts unknown and made it clear he did not want to be contacted. Her mother is in an assisted living home where she is suffering from problems both mental and physical. Her social life seems to depend on a teen age girl who helps her care for her cat. The times are gray indeed.
The police detective she is paired up with on the cold case is a rumpled mess named Slidell. He is foul tempered, messily dressed, and grumpy as can be. Brennan can barely endure him but knows she must work with him to try to solve the case. If she can, maybe she will be able to track down Pomerleau and bring her to justice.
The investigation that ensues brings Brennan and Ryan back together and takes them to Canada. This is where the clues lead. But it is Charlotte that holds the secret to the mysteries and in the gray, chilled climate of the weather Brennan finds a murderer hot on her trail.
Fans of Reichs style of writing and her portrayal of Temperance Brennan will find more of the same. Newcomers will find a fascinating character but they might have problems with the thoroughness of the investigation. Reichs knows her stuff and lays on the details as to medical evidence, etc. She is totally thorough, perhaps too much so as it slows down the pace of the story and causes the readers mind to wander.
Reichs does advance Temperance Brennan's life with this story and that, and the fascinating crimes she helps solve, make this a must read for Reichs' fans. There is a good payoff at the end so keep that as your goal when you are reading this latest book.
Bones Never Lie is published by Bantam Books. It contains 352 pages and sells for $27.00.