Fatal Voyage

Temperance Brennan #4

by Kathy Reichs

Investigating a plane crash in the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina, forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan discovers in a most disturbing way that the evidence doesn't add up. Tripping over a coyote-chewed leg at the crash scene, she performs a little mental arithmetic and realizes that this victim wasn't on the plane. Once again, Brennan's high-tech DMORT snaps into action faster than you can say "Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team." The author of Death du Jour serves up another exquisite meal.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook

448 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 17, 2001

About the author

Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of North Carolina, and for the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale for the province of Quebec. She is one of only fifty forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and is on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. A professor of anthropology at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Dr. Reichs is a native of Chicago, where she received her Ph.D. at Northwestern. She now divides her time between Charlotte and Montreal and is a frequent expert witness in criminal trials.

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best First Novel (1998): Deja Dead

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found myself in a typical experience of many readers - finding myself reading a later (fourth) book of a series, despite not having read any of the previous books, so I found it difficult to know what I'm already meant to know to enjoy this read, if that makes any sense?

So this forensic detective investigation into a plane crash that crosses over also to a possible historical crime, would, maybe have been better appreciated by a completist like myself if I had read the previous books... and I am afraid this all leads to my poor reading experience and the very poor rating One Star, 3 out of 12. Although it is telling that I haven't tried another one of the books in the series since!
2003 read

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reichs has two stories going on. One a plane crash, the second murders by a secret club. I found the scientific information most interesting, particularly the section about the stages of decomposition. I got a kick out of the Chow dog named Boyd. It provided some humor in an otherwise dark topic.

The book is well written. The characters are interesting. I enjoy books that weave scientific or historical information into the story. I you enjoy a murder mystery or scientific information of forensics you will enjoy this book.

I read this as a hard-back book. It has 363 pages. It was published in 2001 by Scribner Publishing.

[Karin Slaughter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I guess she's okay if you like blood and murder and DUH READ THIS ENTIRE SERIES YO

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not one of her better books got really bored with this one

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy it as much as I have her other books however it's still a solid read.

Four stars.

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my favorite book so far and it has gotten me in the mood to watch season one of BONES!

Fatal Voyage was so good! Well, a lot better than the previous ones. I just feel like things were falling better into place. Plus, the twists and turns were so entertaining! Okay, so in this book you have two murder investigations going on: A plane crash and tons of mysterious murders by a secret club.

Both were intriguing enough, however, I cringed so hard when she was talking about the bodies state and when cannibalism was mentioned. YUCK! Then again, I am back to re-watching season one of Bones and I was so happy. She mentioned Montreal in the first episode and I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I MISSED THIS! My mind is blown and I have a feeling I'm going to like the rest of this series.

Other than all of that, Temperance really needs to get into fighting back or getting better at standing up for herself. Her character in the show can definitely take care of the bad guys all on her own - so I'm just twiddling my thumbs for that to happen now.

Overall, I loved the book and I can't wait to dive into the next audio tomorrow!!

[Bev Mccoy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have read other books by Kathy Reichs and enjoyed them. This one, however, I did not. It has two main flaws - 1) the plot is just too complicated. Too many names and tiny details to remember. After awhile, I didn't care. 2) Time after time the running dialogue of single sentences spoken between two characters is written in such a way that you can't tell who is saying what. I actually had to go back several times and count him, her, him, her, etc. before I could tell which character was speaking. Sheesh!

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better and better. Reichs truly knows how to write a novel that keeps you trapped and glued to each page. Tempe is a very down-to-earth character that is relentless at finding out what happened. You literally feel all her emotions. No matter how bad things seem, no matter how much it looks like anyone would give up, Tempe clamps down as hard as a pitbull's jaws and doesn't let go. And even though no one can figure out how Tempe "gets herself into these situations", she always, always, manages to find out what's going on and getting herself out of it. Too bad she's a character; she's someone I'd like to aspire to become. She's smart, funny, loyal to her family, her friends, her co-workers, almost to a fault, and unbelievably tenacious. I adore her. I was glad to see Ryan was back, I got truly pissed at those who tried to keep her at bay and bash her down... all the little and big things are tied together perfectly at the end, and another breathtaking climax... I couldn't ask for a better novel!

[Krystle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fatal Voyage opens with a mass casualty plane crash. Temp arrives on the scene as part of DMORT and soon finds evidence of a body not related to the crash.

The mystery was good but I found myself bogged down with all the technical details and descriptions. The author is clearly an expert in her field and that shines through.

The ending was also a little too crazy for me.

[Jon · Rating 2 out of 5]

My husband is a fan of the television show "Bones" and I inevitably end up watching the series with him. I occasionally roll my eyes at the unlikely social ineptitude and maturity level of these "scientists" but it's fun to watch. Oddly, my least favorite character is Temperance Brennan, while my favorite is Boothe. Go figure. :)

Back in November, with the prospect of a ten hour road trip to Texas looming over me, I dashed to the library in the lobby of my employer's building and was reduced to borrowing crime/mystery audio books. The pickings were very slim (i.e. nonexistent) for fantasy or science fiction.

Since I sort of liked the show Bones and my husband would be in the car with me to Texas, I selected three of Reichs' Temperance Brennan novels. We listened to two of the five CDs on the way south, but didn't bother after that. I finally dug out the CDs this weekend and forced myself to finish the other three CDs while baking bread, making cookies and crocheting - activities that preclude me from a traditional reading environment.

Neither my husband nor I cared for the narrator. Her repertoire of Southern accents seemed limited to one, which became annoying quickly.

The mystery seemed to center around a plane crash in or near the Smokey Mountains but quickly degraded to something more sinister. I won't give away the twist, but I had my suspicions early on and was confirmed, unfortunately, in the nature of the crime.

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was just as interesting and mysterious as its predecessors!

I consider this series the perfect palate cleansers - they’re so low angst and low stakes (in a way), just simple crime and mystery and murder, and the inevitably fascinating cadaver investigations. Sometimes I skim bits here and there, but it never matters, because Kathy Reichs’ books always pull me in and keep me interested. They’re quick, easy, captivating reads! So low stress.

(Plus I literally skipped an entire book (book #3) because I just read whatever I find at the op shop, but it doesn’t even matter, because each book is almost separate, which I love.)

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two stories. One about a air crash and the dangers of pipe smoking. The other about a mysterious foot and what happens when rich people get bored. Boyd the seventy pound Chow dog brought some humor to a dark topic

I enjoyed Tempe regaining her reputation and her will she or will she not with Ryan the Canadian detective. It would help if she communicated better and an example is the mysterious Danielle. Just ask him is she your girlfriend.

The technical forensic details about dealing and processing an air disaster appealed to the nerd in me. An entertaining read but it would help to be familiar with the previous books.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. The story was interesting, but I had trouble really getting into it. Everything started out with such promise — the opening few chapters drew me in quick; unfortunately, as the pages turned, I grew less and less interested. Partially, I guess, because I didn't really understand Dr. Tempe Brennan, the main character, and partially because Kathy Reich's writing style was too clipped and analytical for my tastes.

Everything's told from the first person (Tempe's) point of view, but she's such a distant character the reader is kept at arm's length for the entire emotional story — Reich tells you exactly how Tempe's feeling, but doesn't give you the details as to why. The result? I don't feel like I know the character. When Tempe's set up, I don't feel bad for her; when she's crying, it doesn't affect me; when she's scared for her life, I feel indifferent toward her safety. I have a hard time investing myself in a story when I have nothing invested in its characters, and Tempe and I just didn't click.

I find Tempe's line of work morbidly fascinating — anyone who has the stomach to find and identify dead bodies is superhuman, in my opinion — but again Reich's writing style quickly killed my interest. Many of the explanatory sections read like science lectures, and the dialogue that was meant to explain things to readers in layman's terms seemed too forced. On the other hand, any dialogue that *didn't* include scientific info was rushed, clipped, and filled with smart-ass remarks. I like a quippy conversation as much as the next reader, but at some point it just becomes overkill.

A friend recommended I try out Kathy Reichs, and I might give the author another try -- maybe it was just this particular book that didn't suit my tastes.

[Marie Wall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly written book and a great addition to the Temperance Brennan series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

[Lucy'sLilLibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

The forth installment of Temperance Brennan as always this book was well written and I still love Brennan as a character. I would advise people to read these in sequence, I think you could get away without reading them but it definitely helps.

Brennan is such a well thought out character and a real female boss. She is constantly getting herself in tricky situations but is always her own solution. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes.

I didn't enjoy this one as much as some of the others in the series because I felt it just it took a while for the story to kick in and peek my interest. There were also a lot of names to memorize and the plot was a lot more complex which I think slowed the whole thing down and disrupted the pace and tone of the book.

Again I am always blown away with Kathy Reichs attention to detail and knowledge. There are some really gruesome parts to this book that might trigger some people.

I will be continuing with this series and I can't wait to see what Brennan will be doing next.

[Lobstergirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first the book seems to be about solving the mystery of what caused a North Carolina plane crash with lots of young people aboard and no survivors. But then it turns into the discovery of a decades-old secret society with a penchant for cannibalism (few survivors there, either). These two plot elements have nothing to do with each other. At the end, when you find out what caused the crash, you won't care.

The biggest mystery here is why the book's rating is so high.

[Saimi Vasquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahora Brennan se ve involucrada en la investigación de un accidente de avión en las montañas. Esta apoyando al grupo de desastres a reconocer las victimas par darles a sus familiares un cierre. Sin embargo, cuando esta en la búsqueda de los restos se consigue con un pie que no corresponde a nadie de los pasajeros del avión, y ese fue el principio de una persecución a ella y a su reputación. Así que esta decidida a averiguar la verdad y hacer que las personas responsables paguen por eso. Con la ayuda de la sheriff, Ryan y un par de sus amigos entre investigadores y científicos, espera descubrir el resto del cadáver al que pertenece el pie y las personas que lo asesinaron. Pero, podrá hacerlo con la presión de la prensa dañando su reputación? Sin los accesos a la información de primera mano?

En este libro Brennan parece estar tomando control de su vida completamente, por fin!. Pero todavía depende mucho de los hombres en su vida. Sin embargo, por primera vez en la serie los otros personajes femeninos son tan fuertes e independientes como ella, y creo que mucho mas. Me gusto, especialmente, que incluyeran a un perro chau-chau, tan típico de esos años (con su lengua morada!), pero que no se olvidaran de Birdie y su mal humor (jejejeje).
El caso que en que se refirió este libro, es sobre los accidentes aéreos por un tonto descuido, pero también, como los "poderosos" pueden arruinarle la vida a cualquiera solo porque "pueden".
En fin, la serie sigue estando muy entretenida, así voy a seguir con el próximo libro.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be average only. This is book 4 in the series. The story itself is interesting, and I was invested enough to stick it out to satisfy my curiosity with regards to one of the mysteries. What I have trouble with is a lot of the factual information. This author overloads us with names and duties of multiple investigational agencies and detailed job descriptions of the various agencies and departments and personnel….it is mind numbingly boring and in my opinion unnecessary. These descriptions can be encapsulated. There are hundreds of people to keep track of. I love mysteries and thrillers. I love medical mysteries and I love learning about the things that Tempe Brennan deduces about the victims she examines. By all rights, I should have loved this but it was just too dry. I will think about whether or not to continue on with this series.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathy Reichs's Temperance Brennan forensic mystery series is always entertaining. I have felt at times that she is dialing in her story. This was not the case with Fatal Voyage, the fourth book in the series. I think this was one of my favorites so far, of the 9 that I've read.

Temperance is part of North Carolina's DMORT, a disaster response team, and is called to the hills of North Carolina to help in the investigation of a plane crash. This is a major effort, of course, involving local, state and federal investigators. Temperance is surprised to even find her partner from the Montreal police force, Detective Ryan, involved. His partner had been on the flight, escorting a criminal back to Montreal and Ryan is now part of the investigation.

At the outset, something strange occurs. Tempe discovers a foot that she must take from a coyote (with Ryan's assistance). The foot doesn't seem to be part of the crash remnants. Quite suddenly, Tempe is accused of disrupting the air crash investigation, especially by the lieutenant-governor and as the story moves along, she is removed from that investigation.

Some people don't believe what has taken place and continue to help Tempe with her efforts to prove that she didn't commit any wrongs. These include Ryan, an FBI agent, McMahon and a local police chief, Lucy Crowe. As well, Tempe is baby-sitting a dog for her ex-husband, Pete. Boyd is a great character. Anyway, the efforts to investigate this foot, and also to get into a hidden cabin located near the crash site, are stymied consistently, even to the point of a friend of Tempe's being murdered.

It's a tense, rich story. The people are well-crafted (I particularly liked Sheriff Crowe, smart, independent, down-to-earth) and the story moves along very nicely, especially considering its length. There are frustrations, but they are minor and don't take away from the overall enjoyment of the story. I like her relationships and her stubbornness, even though it does get her into trouble. But she is an intelligent, passionate, relentless investigator. There is some development of her relationships with her ex and with Ryan but this part of her life doesn't play too much of a role in this story. More to follow in the others. All in all, an excellent, enjoyable mystery / thriller with a pretty darn satisfying ending. (4.5 stars)

[Craig Sisterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long before the Bones television series became a long-running hit show, Kathy Reichs had been writing about her fascinating forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. I really enjoyed this fourth novel in a series that later this year has its twentieth instalment (one of the books being a short story collection).

For those who aren't as familiar with both the book world that Reichs created and the TV world inspired by her books, it's worth noting the two worlds are very different in many ways (for me, I prefer the book series while still enjoying the TV show, and the book 'Tempe' character is more interesting - but I can understand how different people will have different preferences, eg especially if they're big fans of the actors, or characters that are in the show that aren't in the books).

FATAL VOYAGE begins with a mess of bodies in the wilderness, the wreckage of a plane crash where forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is on scene, using her skills to help with the horrifying task of trying to help identify some of the victims. It's a nightmare scene for all involved.

Reichs writing flows well, she draws us in to the situation and the life of her characters, which then become more complicated when remains are found that aren't from the plane crash. Brennan's own life is in danger, and she has to juggle the heartbreaking job of identifying the plane crash victims while dealing with various other personal and professional challenges. There's a lot going on in FATAL VOYAGE, multiple threads which might bother some crime readers who prefer things more straightforward or simple, but I enjoyed this aspect and felt Reichs wove things together well.

Brennan's job as a forensic anthropologist splitting her time between duties in North Carolina and Quebec (mirroring Reichs' own resume) offers opportunities to take readers into all sorts of situations and 'worlds' over the course of the series. In FATAL VOYAGE brings the reality of plane crashes and all the things that are involved with dealing with them to stark life. She doesn't pull any punches, giving readers insights beyond what's gleaned from headlines and news stories. It's macabre at times, but handled well and you feel you're learning some fascinating things while intrigued by the mystery.

As I mentioned above, the Temperance Brennan of the books is much different to the one portrayed by Emily Deschanel in the TV series. The characters share a name and occupation, but that's about it. Book Tempe is older, a divorced recovering alcoholic who has an adult daughter, is far less socially awkward, and lives and works in North Carolina. Family is important to her - her sister, niece, daughter, and ex-husband all feature regularly throughout the series. She has an on-off relationship with Detective Andrew Ryan, and has a tendency to act like a teenager sometimes, even if she's a middle-aged woman who's at the very top of her profession, nationally and beyond. She's incredibly smart in some ways, but a little naive or prideful at other times, causing herself some grief.

In other words, she's a very human and quite relatable character.

If you enjoy forensic thrillers, then I think you'd like FATAL VOYAGE. Reichs is a good writer who took the baton from Patricia Cornwell's groundbreaking Dr Kay Scarpetta series, and ran with it. Temperance Brennan (books world) is a fascinating, at times frustrating, character whose viewpoint we follow in first-person, taking us behind-the-scenes into intriguing, sometimes horrifying, worlds - all done with some sense of humour and humanity that helps keep the morbidity at bay.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

A good mystery is enhanced by having great characters. This book does indeed have a great, interesting and well-drawn character. It is a chow dog named Boyd. Unfortunately, pretty much all of the other characters fall short. And that is just scratching the surface of a very scattered, disappointing and worst yet, boring book by Kathy Reichs.

Reichs is a very frustrating author to read, because she shows great promise in many different areas, but she is never really able to put all elements of a great book together in one book. Deja Dead had a great plot. Death Du Jour had a snappy romance develop between her protagonist, Temperance Brennan, and her sometime-beau, Andrew Ryan. She does a nice job of writing from the female perspective, and has some great characters, such as Claudel in the first book.

Fatal Voyage has little to recommend it, other than Boyd the dog. The plot is meandering, and uninteresting, devoting a chunk of the book to, believe it or not, title searches on properties. The characters she devotes a great deal of attention to in the book --such as Ruby, the inn owner have little impact on the plot. There are a huge number of characters introduced, one after the other, all of them bland and not worthy of much attention. I would have had to have flipped back in the book to identify who a particular character was if the plot made me interested enough to do that. Sadly, I just wanted to get through to the final chapters and see what all of this boring rambling would take me to. Boy, was I sorry.

If the main chapters of the book are disappointing, I am not sure of a good word to describe the actual outcome of the plot. It is truly ridiculous and made me sad that I had invested my time, something I wouldn't say about the first three books. This is a tedious read, where the reader is forced to slog through lame plot action and character after character, name after name, only to arrive at an absurd resolution.

But the dog is entertaining.

[Arnis · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/201...

[Malorie (Firereader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again Reichs delivers a heck of a plot and then throws a huge twist about 1/3 of the way in. I definitely didn't see it coming and could not figure out where it was going until it was time to be revealed. I'm always looking for an author with the ability to stump a person like me who figures out the mystery early.

One of the things I've always liked about the main character (Brennan) is how human she is. She isn't some badass heroin that's impervious to the death that surrounds her. We get nauseous on bad scenes too (I'm speaking from experience because I was a forensic anthropologist too). Reich's built a relatable character, not all authors succeed in doing that.

But for Gods sake Tempe will you stop getting kidnapped every book??

My favorite quote from one of her books so far encompasses the passion, motivation, and conviction every good forensic anthropologist has:

"I am constantly asked why I've chosen such a morbid vocation. Why I work with the mutilated and decomposed. Through time and introspection, I have come to understand my choices. I want to serve both the living and the dead. The dead have a right to be identified. To have their stories drawn to a close and to take their places in our memories. If they died at the hands of another, they also have a right to have those hands brought to account.

The living as well deserve our support when the death of another alters their lives: The parent desperate for news of a missing child the family hopeful of remains from Iwo Jimabor Chosin or Hué. The villagers bereft at a mass grave in Guatamala or Kurdistan. The mothers and husbands and wives and friends dazed at an overlook in the Smokey Mountains. They have a right to information, explanations, and also a right to have murderous hands brought to account.

It is for these victims and the mourners that I tease posthumous tales from bones. The dead will remain dead, whatever my efforts, but there have to be answers and accountability. We cannot live in a world that accepts the destruction of life with no explanations and no consequences."
-Fatal Voyage page 236-237

It doesn't get any more raw or real than this.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay I will admit that I am a nightmare for reading books out of sequence- its not something I go out actively looking to do but its just something I have a natural talent for, well this book is no different so it would seem, but I didn't plan it this way, honest.

Well the book itself was picked up at random and even though I have followed the TV series (which I know has diverged from the world in the books considerably) and that there are numerous books before and after it - I decided to give it a go.

What I read was thrilling story which not only highlighted the differences from TV and book characters but also for me gave a much larger and broader story. After all you have to fit a story ideally in to one 1 hour show (plus adverts) where as in a book you have as many pages as you want (as long as the reader can physically pick the book up, trust me I have read a few books before now where I swear I am going to have permanent damage to my wrists for reading a book that size).

The story also is more challenging I think - I will not give the story away but it seems that there is more danger and real peril here and that the characters doe convey the drama and the gravitas of the situation. I will not criticise the TV series but this is a different league and for a thriller it certainly deserves a read.

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly was wrapped up in this novel. The characterization was great. I especially liked the protagonist, Tempe Brennan, and her dog (via her ex-husband), Boyd. He was a loveable, protective Chow. The plot and subplots were solid. The red herrings were abundant in the twists and turns of this anthropology/medical thriller. There were some scenes which were too graphic, but they fit in perfectly with the plot. As I half mentioned above, the descriptions were sometimes too graphic. For me, I especially didn't like reading about roaches crawling all over Tempe. Made my skin shiver and crawl. The dialogue fit the characters. The setting was North Carolina and a short spell in Canada. At times the language was a bit ripe, but there were no vivid adult situations. There is a love making scene between ex's, but nothing overly vivid. The graphic descriptions of the crash scene and the Arthur's House scene was way more graphic, in my humble opinion. Still, I read this novel with great enthusiasm and look forward to her next book in the series, Grave Secrets.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs is the 4th book in the Temperance Brennan Mystery series. Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan assists in the investigation of a plane crash when she comes across body parts that seem to be unrelated to the crash. There is a lot going on in this book with Tempe having to deal with attacks on her reputation and career. Disturbing and gruesome in parts with a lot of forensic detail. I liked meeting Boyd, a large chow dog, who was able to provide some comfort and protection. An interesting mystery with a horrifying and grisly conclusion.

[Dr. Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far the best one of the series! This book was completely rife with tension. About a quarter of the way in, Tempy is roadblocked and theoretically taken off the case. Seeing her find ways to be involved and trying to continue to solve the case was both frustrating and exhilarating.

One thing that annoyed me to no end was that Ryan was accused of a horrible crime in book #3, but then we learn he's under deep cover. However, there's no full resolution about what happened after he left his cover? Were the charges faked and dropped? Did he actually do it? Was it just to get in with the motorcycle gang? I NEED ANSWERS!

I really came to love Alice Crow in this book. She was a great police officer and I loved that she was on Tempy's side 100% but still did great police work. I loved that there were so many different crimes happening in this book that needed to be innvestigated. There were so many twists and turns! Also I wish Hodgins was a real character in this book because he would've had the most obnoxious conspiracy theories about this case and some of them would've been right! The cult facet of this story was so crazy and gave this book an extra edge.

[Catten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tempe is back, this time investigating an airplane crash. I have to confess that I took particular creepy delight in reading Reichs’ fourth book while waiting for my flight to Las Vegas the week after 9/11.

The book opens with a somewhat confusing description of bodies scattered through a forest. At first I thought it was a dream sequence of some sort, it was so weird. Then the situation became clearer and we find forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan on the horrific scene of a downed plane. Part of the story is about the investigation of the crash. Part of it is about the recovery effort – collecting and identifying the victims. I was privileged enough to attend a conference a couple of years ago in which we were treated to a grim presentation on the recovery and identification operation for SwissAir Flight 800 in Nova Scotia. To say it was disturbing and sad is a tremendous understatement. (I can’t even imagine what the volunteers in New York must be going through right now.) Reichs gives it to us straight and in living color.

As far as I can tell, she’s right on with her details, describing the agencies involved in mass disaster recovery efforts: The Office of Emergency Preparedness runs the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), which provides medical aid and services. Under the NDMS are the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) and Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT). As Reichs puts it, DMAT looks after the needs of the living, DMORT takes care of the dead.

I appreciate this author’s approach to a story. Not only is there enough to keep a forensics junkie interested, she also complicates Tempe’s situation with the love interest, agent Andrew Ryan (don’t roll your eyes, this is not a romance by any stretch of the imagination), her ex-husband, with whom she gets along well and trades pet-sitting duty, and a supervisor who acts on suspicious directions from above and kicks her off of the investigative team. To clear her name and preserve her reputation, Tempe strikes out on her own. This is Nancy Drew meets Kay Scarpetta – minus the SuperQuincy element. Tempe sometimes makes mistakes and stays human.

If you like Cornwell and/or Reichs’ other books, this is a definite must-read. If you dig forensics fiction, grab a copy. And if graphic descriptions of crime scenes make you queasy, pass this one up.

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keep picking up this series because I like the show "Bones." Sadly I would say the show is nothing like the books. They are completely different. Makes me wonder if Kathy Reichs had anything to say about how the show went. They basically took Brennan's name and occupation and made a completely different personality to go with what they wanted. There are so many things different you just may as well say it is a separate series altogether.

I liked the book however I did have a few issues. Brennan is supposed to be a very smart cookie but I found her doing very stupid things. I mean when you get a phone call and someone tells you you are going to die, do you go out at night by yourself to give the dog a walk? I mean who does that! She got the call, was going to call for help but then her pride kicks in and say no you can take care of yourself. She gets home in one piece and then decides instead of sitting at home, I don't know maybe call someone and let them know you get a death threat, she decides to take the doggie for a walk to let off some nervous energy. And guess what happens.... Yep, you guessed it. She gets kidnapped and almost killed before they gets off the property. Big suprise there! As you can tell I found that very annoying.

I also found that for a smart person she is oblivious to great big blaring issues. For example, she finds an old photo with a colleague in it and instead of connecting the dots with the strange comment he made earlier, it is just forgotten.

Anyway, I enjoyed the book on many levels. It is written well and keeps you interested (even if part of the time I am rolling my eyes at her). I may look for the others in the series but then again I may not.

[Rebekah Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am wanting to like this series SO badly (you have NO idea), but I really don't think that I do..

This is the fourth book in Kathy Reich's Temperance Brennan series, but it follows the same pattern as the three before it: two completely different storylines that somehow turn out to be connected, with a little bit of danger to Brennan and her pets/loved ones thrown in.

I didn't find either of the storylines interesting (one being a plane crash, and the other about murders committed by a secret cult) and I'm tired of reading about Brennan (and her loved ones) constantly in danger.

So far, this is my least favourite book in the series.