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A review by paulabrandon
Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs
4.0
I'm not sure I can explain the plot of this one. It gets complicated! Basically, a body is found that is identified as John Lowery, but records show he died in Vietnam forty years earlier! Dr Temperance Brennan must exhume the grave that everybody thought was John Lowery and take it to Hawaii for reanalysis, as they are obviously the bones of a different veteran. While in Hawaii, another body is found, which has John Lowery's dog tags on them! Who is who? Tied in with all of this are remains that look as if they are the result of a shark attack.
I thought the last Kathy Reichs book (206 Bones) was below average, but she more than makes up for it with this one! In fact, this is better than the last few I've read. As I always say, I love a good story, and I got one here! That helped me overlook some things that bothered me - too much description about travel routes. I'm sure with all the detail provided here Kathy Reichs must have claimed a trip to Hawaii herself on tax (for "research" purposes)! There was also too many instances of a history provided on places and things that wasn't necessary, plus a gratuitous dream sequence.
However, the complex web behind the identities of the three dead bodies was fascinating, and managed to somewhat tie in with the shark victim bodies as well. Quite clever! Drug trafficking and gang warfare does play a part in the plot, which initially had me worried because I find that sort of plot so dull, but it's only references through dialogue, thankfully. The story is capped off with some plot twists - and scientific twists - and a fairly suspenseful climax. It has me wanting to go back and watch Bones, which I abandoned some time during the fifth season. And read more of the books, of course!
Note: In Australia, the version I read was called Mortal Remains, a tactic I find very, very annoying. Book publishers seem to be in denial that the Internet even exists! Do they really think people can't go on-line and find these things out themselves?!? So I'm reviewing it under the title it was meant to be published under.
I thought the last Kathy Reichs book (206 Bones) was below average, but she more than makes up for it with this one! In fact, this is better than the last few I've read. As I always say, I love a good story, and I got one here! That helped me overlook some things that bothered me - too much description about travel routes. I'm sure with all the detail provided here Kathy Reichs must have claimed a trip to Hawaii herself on tax (for "research" purposes)! There was also too many instances of a history provided on places and things that wasn't necessary, plus a gratuitous dream sequence.
However, the complex web behind the identities of the three dead bodies was fascinating, and managed to somewhat tie in with the shark victim bodies as well. Quite clever! Drug trafficking and gang warfare does play a part in the plot, which initially had me worried because I find that sort of plot so dull, but it's only references through dialogue, thankfully. The story is capped off with some plot twists - and scientific twists - and a fairly suspenseful climax. It has me wanting to go back and watch Bones, which I abandoned some time during the fifth season. And read more of the books, of course!
Note: In Australia, the version I read was called Mortal Remains, a tactic I find very, very annoying. Book publishers seem to be in denial that the Internet even exists! Do they really think people can't go on-line and find these things out themselves?!? So I'm reviewing it under the title it was meant to be published under.