Blog Tour: ‘The Bone Code’ by Kathy Reichs

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘The Bone Code’ by Kathy Reichs, the latest in the forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan series of thrillers.

With thanks to Random Things Tours and publisher Simon and Schuster for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

From the Publisher:

‘‘I await the next Kathy Reichs’ thriller with the same anticipation I have for the new Lee Child or Patricia Cornwell. The Bone Code over- achieves. Temperance Brennan uses all her skills as a forensic anthropologist to solve a murder mystery story that races across America at the speed of fright.”

James Patterson

Number One bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with her twentieth edge-of-your seat thriller featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.

A storm has hit South Carolina, dredging up crimes of the past. En route to Isle of Palms, a barrier island off the South Carolina coast, forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan receives a call from the Charleston coroner. During the storm, a medical waste container has washed up on the beach. Inside are two decomposed bodies wrapped in plastic sheeting and bound with electrical wire. Chillingly, Tempe recognises many details as identical to those of an unsolved case she handled in Quebec fifteen years earlier. With a growing sense of foreboding, she flies to Montreal to gather evidence and convince her boss Pierre LaManch to reopen the cold case. She also seeks the advice—and comfort—of her longtime beau Andrew Ryan.

Meanwhile, a storm of a different type gathers force in South Carolina. The citizens of Charleston are struck by capnocytophaga, a bacterium that, at its worst, can eat human flesh. Thousands panic and test themselves for a rare genetic mutation that may have rendered them vulnerable. Shockingly, Tempe eventually deduces not only that the victims in both grisly murder cases are related, but that the murders and the disease outbreak also have a common cause . . .

My Review:

This is the 20th book in the Temperance Brennan series, but the first I’ve read. I’d heard great things about Reichs’ novels and so jumped at the chance to read this one.

As someone new to the series, I had no problems with picking up the story or understanding the characters so I’d say this could definitely be enjoyed as a stand alone novel.

This book is about a murder investigation that Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist, is called in to assist with. Two bodies have washed ashore in a container in Charleston, South Carolina and prove a challenge to identify given that fingers and teeth have been removed. As Brennan works on the remains, she is reminded of an almost identical situation in Montreal 15 years previously. Moving between Montreal and South Carolina, Brennan starts to piece together a solution that has higher stakes than she ever anticipated…

In the background of this novel is the spread of a rare bacterial disease and the impact that has on the South Carolina community in the wake of COVID-19. This is an interesting addition to the novel as it gives the story relevance and context – even if it does feel a little recent and painful to be reading about!

One of the real strengths of this novel is the scientific basis for the investigation – given Reichs’ own experience as a forensic anthropologist, this wasn’t a surprise, but it all felt credible and real. In fact, I think I learnt quite a lot about DNA and vaccines from this book, although Reichs carefully avoids huge chunks of very technical scientific information which would perhaps detract from the story.

The plot itself is another strength – there is enough peril to keep the reader on the edge of their seats, plus the pacing is good. Given that Brennan is working between Montreal and Charleston, there were plenty of changes of scenery, plus lots of characters and enough scientific and investigative breakthroughs to maintain a sense of momentum. There was honestly never a dull moment!

Those long-time fans of the series would also – I imagine – be drawn by the character of Temperance Brennan herself. She certainly is an interesting figure, being both extremely smart but also very relatable. The story is told from her perspective so the reader has intimate access to her thoughts and emotions which gave the novel a sense of immediacy and vitality. Placing her in the context of her romantic relationship, her domestic setting and situation regarding her daughter added to the sense of a living, breathing figure who almost jumps off the pages.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves tense, well-plotted crime fiction. I loved that the investigation was methodical and scientific in approach, yet there was so much going on in the book that it never felt that the action lagged. This was a brilliant introduction into Brennan’s world and I’ll certainly be back for more.

About the Author:

Kathy Reichs’s first novel Déjà Dead was a number one bestseller and won the 1997 Ellis Award for Best First Novel. The Bone Code is Kathy’s twentieth entry in her series featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Kathy was also a producer of the hit Fox TV series, Bones, which is based on her work and her novels.

Dr. Reichs is one of very few forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology. She served on the Board of Directors and as Vice President of both the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, and as a member of the National Police Services Advisory Council in Canada.