Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio, #partner for the ALC of The Bone Hacker in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Audio
Published: August 1, 2023
Summary:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with her twenty-second high-stakes thriller featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan who, following a series of bizarre disappearances on the islands of Turks and Caicos, enters a sinister labyrinth in which a new technology may wreak worldwide havoc.
Called in to examine what is left of a body struck by lightning, Tempe traces an unusual tattoo to its source and is soon embroiled in a much larger case. Young men—tourists—have been disappearing on the islands of Turks and Caicos for years. Seven years ago, the first victim was found in a strange location with both hands cut off; the other visitors vanished without a trace. But, recently, tantalizing leads have emerged and only Tempe can unravel them.
Maddeningly, the victims seem to have nothing in common—other than the strange locations where their bodies are eventually found, and the fact that the young men all seem to be the least likely to be involved in foul play. Do these attacks have something to do with the islands’ seething culture of gang violence? Tempe isn’t so sure. And then she turns up disturbing clues that what’s at stake may actually have global significance.
It isn’t long before the sound of a ticking clock grows menacingly loud, and then Temper herself becomes a target.
My thoughts:
This is the 22nd book in the Temperance Brennan series and I love that this series has stayed the course. It’s a series that somehow always feels fresh and exciting for having gone on so long, and while some books have been better than others, this one was one of the better ones.
I’m always excited to be back in Tempe’s world and this one finds her heading to Turks and Caicos to consult on a case which ends up being more involved than she initially thought it would be. It’s not long after she gets down there that the bodies start piling up and the people she is working with are becoming targets, too, including Tempe.
As usual, the book moves along at a rather fast pace, aided by the short chapters, most of which tend to end in mini-cliffhangers. This just begs you to keep reading because you need to find out what is going to happen next. And the last bit of the book just amped up the adrenaline…wow, was my heart racing! For as long as this series has gone on, I love that each new book is so unique and different. I never feel that I am getting the same old case over and over again.
There are a lot of moving parts to this story and the twists and turns it ends up taking really kept me on my toes. I definitely didn’t see it going in the direction it went, which is why I find these books so interesting. While Tempe wasn’t in the lab as much as she sometimes is, we still get quite a bit of the forensics lingo from time to time and still see Tempe doing her thing!
I really do enjoy this series and will continue to read it for as long as it continues. While this can definitely be read as a stand-alone, I do recommend reading the series from the beginning – it’s so worth it!
Audio thoughts:
I love listening to this series on audio, especially with Linda Emonds as the narrator. She has narrated previous books in this series and does such a great job bringing Tempe to life. She really is very consistent with the voices, which to me, is important – it’s doesn’t matter how long it’s been since I’ve last listened to a book in this series, as soon as I start listening, I’m right back in the zone! She really does such a great job with the voices and characterizations, and I just love listening to her narrate this series!
