#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs “roars back with a Temperance Brennan mystery unlike any that have come before” (Booklist, starred review) in which the forensic anthropologist must use all her skills to discover the identity of a faceless corpse and its connection to a decade-old missing child case. It’s sweltering in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Temperance Brennan, still … and Temperance Brennan, still recovering from neurosurgery following an aneurysm, is battling nightmares, migraines, and what she thinks might be hallucinations when she receives a series of mysterious text messages, each containing a new picture of a corpse that is missing its face and hands. Immediately, she’s anxious to know who the dead man is, and why the images were sent to her.
An identified corpse soon turns up, only partly answering her questions.
To win answers to the others, including the man’s identity, she must go rogue, working mostly outside the system. That’s because Tempe’s new boss holds a fierce grudge against her and is determined to keep her out of the case. Tempe pushes forward anyway, even as she begins questioning her instincts. But the clues she discovers are disturbing and confusing. Was the faceless man a spy? A trafficker? A target for assassination by the government? And why was he carrying the name of a child missing for almost a decade?
With help from a number of law enforcement associates including her Montreal beau Andrew Ryan and the always-ready-with-a-quip, ex-homicide investigator Skinny Slidell, and utilizing new cutting-edge forensic methods, Tempe draws closer to the astonishing truth.
But the more she uncovers, the darker and more twisted the picture becomes…
“Edgy…eerie…irresistible” (Sandra Brown), A Conspiracy of Bones “was created by a master of the genre who knocks it out of the park” (David Baldacci).
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This is Kathy Reichs as you’ve never read her before. The story starts like a pistol shot and fires nonstop through over three hundred layered pages. The twists are meticulously planned and thrown like bamboozling curves on the edge of the plate. But you will see new layers to the brilliant Tempe Brennan that may surprise you. Read this book. It was created by a master of the genre who knocks it out of the park.
Sinister and chilling. In Tempe Brennan’s riveting return to the investigative trail, she suddenly finds herself caught in a tangled web. Who can she trust? Maybe not even herself. Bones is back and better than ever.
Kathy Reichs pits the indomitable Temperance Brennan against straight-from-today’s-headlines terror to create a story that launches at maximum velocity and never lets up. Edgy. Eerie. Irresistible. Don’t miss this one.
One of the absolute best thrillers of the year! Both Temperance Brennan and Kathy Reichs are at the top of their games in this brilliant rollercoaster of a tale. I can’t recall when this many twists have been so masterfully woven into a novel. But, of course, it’s not all about plot. The characters, too — good, bad and in between — come breathtakingly alive with heart-gripping effect. A great series has just gotten greater.
A Conspiracy of Bones shows off Kathy Reichs’ dazzling new level of plotting mastery. A thrilling read from one of my favorite writers.
Pulse-pounding suspense ride!
Temperance Brennan is recovering from a delicate surgery and suffers from migraines and nightmares, so the last thing she needs is a strange man lurking in the shadows of her home late at night. But when she goes out to look for him he vanishes.
Then, a series af ghastly photographs are sent to her via text messages and leads her to a faceless corpse. Her new boss blocks her at every turn, forcing Tempe to work outside the system in order to track down the victim’s identity and his link to her.
This is my first Kathy Reichs book- though I LOVE the television series- and I was excited to get my grubby little hands on it. As you can see by her impressive bio, Dr. Reichs knows her stuff and this led to a, sometimes, jaw-dropping read!
Told in first party, it took me a bit to get into Tempe’s character, but I think that’s my own lack of knowledge and nothing to do with the quality of writing. The book is intelligent, gritty, clever, and filled with plot twists to keep even the most diehard mystery reader guessing.
I give A Conspiracy of Bones 5 lovely kisses- good stuff!
“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”
Exceptionally plotted and unputdownable!
Don’t miss this one! The corpse is ghastly. The investigation is intense. So many pulse-pounding twists and surprises — it kept me guessing till the end!
No face, no hands, and a ton of breathtaking questions. I dare you to figure out all the red herrings. So utterly good! This is Kathy Reichs doing what she does best: sorting through the bones until the shocking end.
Love all her books but this one hit home with me Kathy never let’s me d I wn but the main character over the last few books is getting more and more i dont know how to say without giving away 8f have read the books. Maybe my being in my 50s I sm just more emotional as I read them or I am just growing closer to her as I should if an exceptional author is doing her job…
Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan’s life has been turned upside down. She’s still recovering from a brain aneurysm and isn’t quite sure she isn’t going crazy, the new chief medical examiner hates her and won’t hire her for cases she’s eminently qualified to work on, her long-distance relationship is complicated, and she’s been sent photographs of a faceless corpse. And, adding insult to injury, Charlotte, NC is sweltering.
Much of the book focuses on Brennan’s internal life and her efforts to prove the new CME incompetent. There’s not much on the real work of a forensic anthropologist since the CME won’t let her near her labs or the dead man.
Fans of the Brennan series are sure to like this much-delayed latest book, but if this is the first book in the series you’ve picked up, be prepared for lots of internal dialogue, angst, and reckless behavior of a character who is usually methodical, meticulous, and not stupid.
This is a well-written book, but it has a slower pace than most of the other books in the series. However, it does pick up once Brennan engages a few of her colleagues to help her search for answers to the questions about the dead man. However, if you’re a fan of the author, you’ll be sure to want to put this at the top of your to-be-read list.
My thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for an eARC.
Great book!
I normally give a Kathy Reichs book a 5, but this one had lots more bad language in it.
Why do authors feel like they have to fill their books with bad language when it doesn’t add to the story at all.
Taking God’s name in vain really offends me!!
It’s a pleasure to see Temperance returning to what she does best, peeling back the layers and using her forensic brilliance to expose a shocking cover-up… A Conspiracy of Bones offers page-turning proof that Kathy Reichs won’t be giving up her forensic-anthropologist-in-distress throne anytime soon.
Tempe Goes Rogue
This story does not start with Tempe in the autopsy room trying to find out who body it is and how it became so grisly, or in immediate peril. This novel, as usual, starts with Tempe but in this case a very reflective Tempe. Her boss in North Carolina, Larabee, has been murdered. She is not sure of her sometime long distance relationship with Ryan. Her daughter is posted to Afghanistan. Her mother has cancer and a new boyfriend with benefits. Lastly, Tempe has been diagnosed with an aneurysm and undergone surgery leaving her with migraine headaches. The icing on this layer cake of stressors is a late night prowler. On the professional side, Larabee has been replaced Magot Heavner with whom Tempe has had a tempestuous adversarial relationship for some years.
Then a body is found near the border with South Carolina. Tempe receives a late night text with pictures of the body that suffered significant scavenging by feral hogs. Tempe goes to the office of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Medical Examiner. Heavner tells her that her services will not be required. Being locked out of a major source of her income by a person Tempe would love to prove wrong again, she has the time to achieve that goal. Tempe decides to go rogue and investigate the identity of the deceased. Tempe approaches Slidell, aka Skinny, who is now retired and working as a PI. He does volunteer on cold case unit. The novel starts takes off from here.
I have read all 19 Temperance Brennen novels. The aspects that I love are here in spades. Tempe sassy responses, comments, and especially the asides to the reader are here in spades. Eye rolls did seem fewer and farther apart. Tempe does continue to make and act out many impetuous decisions that usually gain a piece of the puzzle but also point out that there is much more complex this case is. Several times, they put Tempe in danger. My interest was quickly captured. I had to be reading this novel every chance I had.
As usual with all previous novels, the B-storyline is very extensive. In this novel, the relationships between Tempe with Slidell, Ryan, and her mother are quite extensive. Skinny and Tempe work together more as a team than ever before, and the readers will see how Skinny’s relationship with Tempe has changed and not changed.
There is a constant level of vulgar language. The level did not cause me problems, but it could some. There is even swearing is in Spanish! There are references to sex, but no more than that.
Overall, this novel is definitely up to the standards set in the previous novels. I enjoyed reading it and had a hard time to put it down. All the reasons that I like this series were here. All of the loose ends were explained by the end of the novel. Even though that this is the 19th novel in this series, this book’s plot is not stale. I also recommend reading the From the Forensic Files of Dr. Kathy Reichs at the end for some interesting information. I rate this novel with five stars. I strongly recommend reading this novel.
I have received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Scriber with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Scriber for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.
4 stars
Dr. Temperance “Tempe” Brennan is beset by health worries, job stress and not a little paranoia lately. Following Larabee’s untimely death, the powers that be decide that a new chief be appointed. They hire a woman who is of questionable morals and with an ego as big as the sky. She has frozen Tempe out of the lab.
Someone emails Tempe some photos of a corpse just received in the lab. The poor man has been ravaged by wild hogs and is unrecognizable. He carries no identification. The know-it-all at the lab had proclaimed that the man is Asian and some other factors that Tempe can see from the photos are not correct.
What follows is Tempe’s battle with herself and her constant desire to get the facts right and bring justice for this man. She sneaks her way into places and manages to get herself into much trouble, but with the assistance/direction of Detective Slidell puts it all together.
I am divided on this book. For personal reasons, I found the passages in the book about the right wing conspiracy nuts jarring and depressing. I had a very good friend who got wrapped up in a radio personality’s rants on these very same subjects (who shall remain nameless, but I’m sure everyone knows his name), and who I subsequently had to cut out of my life for my own sanity. But Ms. Reichs’ writing skills have not dimmed at all in the years I have been reading her. The editing is very good and her transitions are flawless. I do so enjoy her books and I am saddened to give this one a less than perfect score, but there it is. More please, Ms. Reichs.
I want to thank NetGalley and Scribner for forwarding to me a copy of this truly great book for me to read, enjoy and review.
All ready read it. Loved it. Favorite author
I just couldn’t get into this book. Tempe really drug me down. I didn’t even finish reading it. Very unusual for me and very unusual not to enjoy this author.
Kathy Reichs is one of my favorite authors and her Temperance Brennan series just keeps getting better. There are twists and turns and you will ge wrapped up in the mystery that involves missing children, an unidentified body, and hidden bunkers. The fact that the author incorporated a personal medical condition in the main character was a nice touch.
I anxiously await each new book in the series and continue to be amazed at how the author continues to come up with new ways to keep us entertained.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Schuster for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Good plots, but a bit too much emphasis on the gore and horror, and not enough on character development – I actually like the TV show a lot better…