NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This ebook edition contains a special preview of Kathy Reichs’s upcoming novel Two Nights and the bonus novella Bones on Ice.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 … 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.
Praise for Speaking in Bones
“Speaking in Bones keeps the suspense high.”—Associated Press
“Temperance’s forensic sleuthing uncovers many secrets, along with a blockbuster psychological surprise.”—The Huffington Post
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This was an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing, and mostly guessing wrong. My one complaint is the ending. I’m always disappointed when a woman character who has shown intelligence throughout walks into a situation that she knows, and the reader knows, is dangerous. This situation always pulls me out of the fictional world because my attention is called to authorial manipulation of the plot.
I pretty much love this series. The TV show is significantly different and I really think the books are much, much better.
I have mixed feelings about this book. Hence the 2 star rating.
Overall, it was a good story with enough twists to keep the reader surprised, but one seemed a bit contrived. The book also went two chapters too long. Instead of showing us Brennan solving the case, we get two chapters of Reichs having Brennan and other characters telling us how the case was solved. So the story ended not with a bang but a whimper.
Reichs gets a bit ‘preachy’ when Brennan and Ryan are discussing the dearth of Missing Persons information in NCIC. Their exchange sounds forced and awkward – what a writing friend calls, “Well, as you know, Bob…” dialog. It also is a bit of ‘soapbox’ oratory where Reichs is expressing her opinion on the topic. While what is said here is true, it doesn’t belong in a novel. It’s a topic for an article in a professional journal or some other publication.
Temperance Brennan still ranks as the dumbest intelligent main character I’ve ever encountered. After 17 narrow escapes from getting her goose cooked by the bad guys, you’d think she’d wise up. But, no! She goes charging blindly into a potentially dangerous situation – not once but twice here! – without taking a moment to think about potential consequences. Actually, she does think about it then goes ahead and does the dumbest thing possible anyway. And again, the timely intervention of others saves Brennan’s bacon. This ‘happens in every book’ scenario is getting boring and tiring. Maybe that’s how Reichs plans to end the series – with the bad guys wasting Brennan before the good guys can save her stupid ass.
Then Reichs compounds the felony by having Brennan do it again in the novella Bones On Ice at the back of the book. There’s a bit of a disconnect here when you read the novel then the novella since events in it occur before events in the novel.
Come on, Ms. Reichs! You can do better than that. Show us Brennan actually solving the case and give her the common sense to go with her brains.
Not a great story but I like the way she writes. Seems like real people (for the most part). The hero is not incredible, just doing a job and living her life. The villains are pretty strange folks.
I’ve read the Temperance Brennan series out of order, and love the television show as well. It’s rare for both to be so engaging. So glad I have a few more to read.
3.5s. I always enjoy the science and medical accuracy of this series, however I do feel that they’re a bit repetitive. Temperance Brennan discovers a murder that no one else believes at first, then is attacked by a killer who’s unhappy with being hunted. If you’re a fan of this series you’ll likely enjoy this one.
I had this book on my reading shelf while I was going through my writing/reading malaise, but once I began writing again and then reading again, I really wanted to pick it up. Kathy’s writing style is very different from mine but I enjoyed the fast pace of the action. It was very informative and a page-turner. I read it very quickly because I wanted to know what was happening next. I thought I would put it down several times but the chapter endings kept me reading. It was a great book to read!
If you’re a fan of Kathy Reichs’ Temperance Brennan books, you’ll enjoy this one too.
I love both Temperance Brennans. I say that because despite being based on Kathy Reichs’s books, the TV Bones is nothing like the Temperance Brennan in the books. Once you accept that fact, though, each is an engaging character in her own right. This book is no exception.
Good writing, great story.
Marvelous! I did have to look up a few words and that is good! New words !
With a lot of medical terms it was very well put together.
Oh – Ms. Reichs – you did forget something so you owe me a beer…….
I love the author Kathy Reich. Like Mary Higgins Clark once you start reading you can’t put it down.
I like that I always learn something I did know before. Although the book is fictional, it’s based on actual happenings.
I love the TV series Bones, and love the novels that inspired it, too! Great reading!
Love the author. Enjoy everything she writes!
Reichs never fails to deliver! This is another one of her amazing stories where you keep telling yourself “just one more chapter” and you end up reading most of the night because you need to know if your predictions are true.
Too violent. I couldnt finish.
Great book as usual.
Love her books.
This series never disappoints.