[.ca] Break No Bones (ISBN 1594131805)

Break no bones: the 9th Temperance Brennan novel:
This novel held my attention from beginning to end. I liked the character of Dr Brennan as depicted in the earlier books and don't much care for the frenetic overlay of all the personal relationship angst. I know that some readers will enjoy this, and those readers will probably accord the novel a higher rating. Still, the story had me interested from the beginning, and trying to work out who the links between the bodies and who the villain really was from the likely possibilities was absorbing. The story moves quickly, and the forensic detail is well presented. Kathy Reichs brings an eye for detail to her characterizations as well as to her science and there is plenty here to keep a reader interested. Recommended for mystery fans with an interest in forensic medicine. Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Far Fetched:
Dr Temperance Brennans work brings her and her archaeological students to an ancient Native American burial ground near Charleston. While there they uncover a decomposing body in a shallow grave. Why was this body buried in a clandestine grave? And what does the unusual hairline fracture and condition of the sixth vertebrae signify? What began as a simple project turns into a heated homicide investigation when three more bodies are found. While investigating, Tempe crosses paths with her estranged husband a lawyer on business in Charleston. Matters become more complicated after her boyfriend arrives from Montreal, she is forced to put all distractions aside in order to solve the crimes. Ms Reichs has her own style of writing, short and choppy sentences. The plot is good but seems a little far fetched and stretching reality, some descriptions implausible in my view. For example sharing a girlfriend's house with her estranged husband and her boyfriend at the same time ??????. This novel is a decent enough thriller, but it lacks style and passion. If you are a fan you will never the less rejoice seeing our heroine once again up to her armpits in muddy water, foul stenches and dead bodies. Not her best book but if you are interested in forensic thrillers you may enjoy this one.

An Informative but Predictable Read:
I appreciate a murder mystery that serves both as a thriller and a criminal investigation. The first quality serves to whet my appetite for adventure and keep me wondering how the story will end. Reich's "Break No Bones" does an adequate job in getting and keeping my attention. Dr. Brennan and her forensic team pursue a complex and baffling investigation of various skeletal remains turning up at various sites outside Charleston, South Carolina. Her keen knack for sensing the unusual and picking up on the extraordinary leads her and her associates to uncover a criminal organization given to murdering the purpose of harvesting body parts. At that level, the story provides a decent and easy read in respect to clip prose, a straightforward plot, and some well-developed characters. What really caught my attention - perhaps because this is only the second Reich novel I've read - is the meticulously scientific way in which Brennan followed through on her clues to solve the mystery of the unidentified human remains. Reich has definitely created a character that is passionately dedicated to discovering and affirming the truth in spite of the growing distractions around her. Like a lot of exceptional things in life, the continued brilliance of Dr. Brennan to solve crimes, like Sherlock Holmes of an earlier century, may have become too wrapped up in a private life that hardly complements her investigative abilities. It is conceivable that some of Reich's fans might now be looking for her to create a new wonder woman to emerge as a modern crime fighter, who brings the table a whole new skill set involving the latest in medical forensics. I am aware that the TV series based on her novels may be more popular because it is focussed on the investigation of crime, and less on surrounding morality of the story. Nevertheless, an interesting and engrossing story with enough detail to carry the reader through to the end.

A disappointment:
If you've read Kathy Reichs' books before this and liked them, you'll be disappointed by this book. If you've only seen the TV show and this is your first foray into the world of her novels, please (please!) read the other books. This isn't a horrible book by any means and it *is* moderately entertaining, but it isn't at all of the same calibre as her previous books or even her most recent book, Bones to Ashes. I get the impression that either Reichs just didn't care enough to do more than "phone it in" or she farmed out the book to a ghost writer who just couldn't match her style. Either way, the book is a strident discord in an otherwise great series of books. The plot really is transparent: you keep hoping that she'll twist things around so that the ending is at least a little bit of a surprise. But, unfortunately, what you think is happening by the middle of the book is indeed what is actually happening -- there are no little surprises, no convoluted turns, nothing that makes you feel anything other than, well, disappointment by the time you reach the end. Unless you're a diehard Reichs fan, I'd give this one a miss and skip right to Bones to Ashes, which is more in line with the style of her earlier books. Trust me, you won't have missed a thing.

A Solid Entry in the Temperance Brennan series:
Temperance Brennan is back in this taught thriller. Working a summer teaching job on the shores of South Carolina, Brennan finds herself in the middle when bodies keep turning up, each connected to the previous. After being disappointed with Cross Bones, I am pleased to find Break No Bones as good as the previous books. Another solid entry in the Brennan series.