THE BONE CODE by KATHY REICHS

 THE BONE CODE

by

KATHY REICHS

THE BLURB:

A hurricane hits the Carolinas, uncovering two bodies.

They are found in a container, wrapped in plastic sheeting, bound with electrical wire- and they bear a disturbing resemblance to a case that has haunted Temperance Brennan for fifteen years.

Meanwhile, panic erupt when a rare flesh-eating bacterium is discovered that affects people who have a genetic mutation.

With unrest growing, time is running out for Tempe. When her search for the truth reveals that both the murders and the disease outbreak are linked, she realises that someone will do whatever it takes to stop her from getting answers.

THE REALITY:

The thing I loved most about this novel is the fact that her romance with Andrew Ryan gets a big mention. I always like for him to be involved! It humanises the character of Tempe and adds a bit of humour and backdrop to her life. This novel is set in both of her home towns; Montreal and South Carolina. I tend to enjoy the Montreal books a bit more, and I think that's because Reichs' first- and best- novel was set there. I also enjoy reading about the add-on character of sharp and surly detective Claudel, who is situated there.

This was a novel I read in fits and starts, which is not always a good idea with crime novels as I feel you need to go with the flow to really get into them. So, a bit of backtracking did take place from time to time. As stories go, it was easy to pick up, despite the esoteric terminology used.

I didn't really get the reason for Polly Beacroft's story, which was an add-on storyline, and it didn't appear to be resolved in any way. It didn't seem to add anything to the book. I did enjoy this novel, though, and found all of the characters very interesting and described in a very human and relatable fashion. I've read all of the Temperance Brennan books to date, and whilst this was not the best it certainly wasn't the worst.

The build up to the dramatic ending was good, and I enjoyed the way the perpetrator tried to (spoiler alert!) kill Tempe by attempting to drown her and make it look like an accident. I also liked that Birdie- Tempe's cat- got his own little acting part! Give this a read- it's worth a go.