Mecklenburg Virginia forensic anthropologist Dr. Tempe
Brennan receives a visit from Hazel "Lucky" Strike, a
websleuth who brings Tempe a recording of three voices:
one female, 2 male. The woman on the recording sounds in
terrible danger; Lucky thinks it might be the voice of
Cora Teague, who disappeared over three years before, and
Tempe could be in possession of Cora's remains. Tempe is
unmoved by the amateur detective's plea, but when other
remains are found, Dr. Brennan becomes more willing to
listen to Lucky. The cold case is an almost welcome
distraction from Tempe's personal life, mainly what to do
about on-again-off-again boyfriend Quebec detective
Andrew Ryan and his surprise proposal.
SPEAKING IN BONES, the latest in Dr. Tempe Brennan's
adventures, is a chilling and often terrifying story
right from the very first page. While there are
references to previous books regarding Tempe's personal
issues and recurring characters, SPEAKING IN BONES stands
perfectly on its own. Ms. Reichs is a favourite author of
mine, and she really outdid herself with SPEAKING IN
BONES. The story is extremely intricate, tightly plotted,
and very fast-paced; not one word is superfluous. Dr.
Tempe Brennan is a fabulous character, extremely
competent but not infallible, and in SPEAKING OF BONES,
her imperfections could cost her more than she ever could
imagine. I love that Kathy Reichs inserts explanations of
the various acronyms: it makes everything crystal clear
to readers, and as usual, I to learned new things while
enjoying this fantastic thriller. Every description is
vivid and serves a purpose, and the author is an
undisputed master at creating tension: most chapters end
that either leave you gasping or scrambling to turn the
page.
Layer upon layer of mystery is added as more is known of
the players in the drama, nothing is as it appeared: who
are the suspects, who are the victims, or are the
suspects victims? Details that seemed innocuous turn out
to be of the utmost importance, everyone has secrets. Ms.
Reich's writing is better than ever: fluid, crisp, and
Tempe's self-deprecating sense of humour is a welcome
respite amidst the unsettling events portrayed and the
often gloomy atmosphere. SPEAKING IN BONES is clever,
unsettling, and absolutely sensational!
No one speaks the language of suspense more brilliantly than
Kathy Reichs, author of the acclaimed Temperance Brennan
series. In Speaking in Bones, the forensic
anthropologist finds herself drawn into a world of dark
secrets and dangerous beliefs, where good and evil blur.
Professionally, Temperance Brennan knows exactly
what to do—test, analyze, identify. Her personal life is
another story. She’s at a loss, wondering how to answer
police detective Andrew Ryan’s marriage proposal. But the
matter of matrimony takes a backseat when murder rears its
head.
Hazel “Lucky” Strike—a strident amateur
detective who mines the Internet for cold cases—comes to
Brennan with a tape recording of an unknown girl being held
prisoner and terrorized. Strike is convinced the voice is
that of eighteen-year-old Cora Teague, who went missing more
than three years earlier. Strike is also certain that the
teenager’s remains are gathering dust in Temperance
Brennan’s lab.
Brennan has doubts about
working with a self-styled websleuth. But when the evidence
seems to add up, Brennan’s next stop is the treacherous
backwoods where the chilling recording (and maybe Cora
Teague’s bones) were discovered. Her forensic field trip
only turns up more disturbing questions—along with gruesome
proof of more untimely deaths.
While local
legends of eerie nocturnal phenomena and sinister satanic
cults abound, it’s a zealous and secretive religious sect
that has Brennan spooked and struggling to separate the
saints from the sinners. But there’s nothing, including fire
and brimstone, that can distract her from digging up the
truth and taking down a killer—even as Brennan finds herself
in a place where angels fear to tread, devils demand their
due, and she may be damned no matter what.
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