Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and Scribner Books #partner, for the advanced copy of Cold, Cold Bones in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Scribner Books / Simon and Schuster Audio
Published: July 5, 2022
Summary:
#1 New York Times bestselling thriller writer Kathy Reichs returns with her twenty-first novel of suspense featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan who, after receiving a box containing a human eyeball, uncovers a series of gruesome killings eerily reenacting the most shocking of her prior cases.
Winter has come to North Carolina and, with it, a drop in crime. Freed from a heavy work schedule, Tempe Brennan is content to dote on her daughter Katy, finally returned to civilian life from the army. But when mother and daughter meet at Tempe’s place one night, they find a box on the back porch. Inside: a very fresh human eyeball.
GPS coordinates etched into the eyeball lead to a Benedictine monastery where an equally macabre discovery awaits. Soon after, Tempe examines a mummified corpse in a state park, and her anxiety deepens.
There seems to be no pattern to the subsequent killings uncovered, except that each mimics in some way a homicide that a younger Tempe had been called in to analyze. Who or what is targeting her, and why?
Helping Tempe search for answers is detective Erskine “Skinny” Slidell, retired but still volunteering with the CMPD cold case unit—and still displaying his gallows humor. Also pulled into the mystery: Andrew Ryan, Tempe’s Montreal-based beau, now working as a private detective.
Could this elaborately staged skein of mayhem be the prelude to a twist that is even more shocking? Tempe is at a loss to establish the motive for what is going on…and then her daughter disappears.
At its core, Cold, Cold Bones is a novel of revenge—one in which revisiting the past may prove the only way to unravel the present.
My thoughts:
This is the 21st 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 love being in Temperance Brennan’s world and this time the cases that she finds herself involved in ends up being quite personal. Her work life crosses over with her personal life and we see Tempe struggle to stay on top of things without spinning out of control. Luckily she has Slidell to help her out and I cannot tell you how much I enjoy the banter between these two. Talk about laugh-out-loud funny moments! I just wish that Ryan had a bigger part in this story…his occasional phone calls really weren’t enough for me. Hopefully next book he has a bigger role.
The story moves quite quickly, aided by the fact that most chapters end with mini-cliffhangers, which begs you to keep reading. I will say that while I did end up figuring out who was behind everything, I had no idea of their motivations or how things were going to end. And this in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the book – I loved how this all played out and found myself glued to the book from start to finish. I am always in awe of how Kathy Reichs is able to come up with such unique, engaging stories. And I love that there is just enough forensics that I feel I learn a little about the field without being overwhelmed.
I’m a big fan of this series and love any chance I get to be in Tempe’s world. This latest installment is twisty and completely gripping, and while it can be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading the series from the beginning…it’s totally 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! That’s how good and unique her characterization is of the characters she does.
