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A review by timothyneesam
The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs
3.0
3.5/5
I’m not really familiar with Kathy Reich’s series, other than as a TV show I haven’t really watched, and I wasn’t sure about jumping into a book series that’s reaching a double dozen in number. In The Bone Code, forensic anthropologist Temperance (Temp) Brennan examines sets of bodies wrapped in plastic and bound by wire, washed up from the sea 15 years apart.
The book is partly set in Montreal, Quebec, and partly in South Carolina, where the beginnings of a pandemic is causing concern. It didn’t take long for me to get used to the core group of characters, including Brennan, her cat, Birdie and Quebecois boyfriend Ryan; Detective Tonia Vislosky; and a best friend who seems to spend much of her time drinking (it features enough to become annoying).
Clues are put together through clinical forensic research set against warm banter between the characters, and South Carolina and Quebec storms are almost characters themselves. I picked up the book based on a back cover description of a pandemic possibly linked to the murders but plays such a minor role in the book that it’s hardly mentioned until the end.
I enjoyed the book far more than I thought I would. Reichs often ends chapters by telegraphing that something significant is about to happen, and the suspense was enough to keep me turning pages. The banter between characters is warm, counterpointed by Vislosky who is a bit over the top as a tough-as-nails cop. The banter keeps the book humane as we delve into forensics and genetic coding.
It’s a good, solid read set in a pair of interesting locations. The book moves quickly, not too heavily, with well-drawn characters who seem to care for each other.
Two thumbs up.
I’m not really familiar with Kathy Reich’s series, other than as a TV show I haven’t really watched, and I wasn’t sure about jumping into a book series that’s reaching a double dozen in number. In The Bone Code, forensic anthropologist Temperance (Temp) Brennan examines sets of bodies wrapped in plastic and bound by wire, washed up from the sea 15 years apart.
The book is partly set in Montreal, Quebec, and partly in South Carolina, where the beginnings of a pandemic is causing concern. It didn’t take long for me to get used to the core group of characters, including Brennan, her cat, Birdie and Quebecois boyfriend Ryan; Detective Tonia Vislosky; and a best friend who seems to spend much of her time drinking (it features enough to become annoying).
Clues are put together through clinical forensic research set against warm banter between the characters, and South Carolina and Quebec storms are almost characters themselves. I picked up the book based on a back cover description of a pandemic possibly linked to the murders but plays such a minor role in the book that it’s hardly mentioned until the end.
I enjoyed the book far more than I thought I would. Reichs often ends chapters by telegraphing that something significant is about to happen, and the suspense was enough to keep me turning pages. The banter between characters is warm, counterpointed by Vislosky who is a bit over the top as a tough-as-nails cop. The banter keeps the book humane as we delve into forensics and genetic coding.
It’s a good, solid read set in a pair of interesting locations. The book moves quickly, not too heavily, with well-drawn characters who seem to care for each other.
Two thumbs up.