The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs

The aftermath of a hurricane off the coast of South Carolina reveals a medical waste container containing two decomposed bodies wrapped in plastic and bound with electrical wire. Temperance Brennan is called to the scene and recognizes the deaths are similar to an unsolved case she worked on in Quebec 15 years earlier. The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs sees Brennan traveling between Quebec and South Carolina to discover the link between the four bodies that have yet to be identified. The Quebec case was investigated by former homicide detective Andrew Ryan with whom Brennan is now living. The investigation leads to individuals involved with genetics and genealogy. Brennan works to unravel the case which has already claimed four lives and may put herself squarely in the crosshairs of a killer.

Kathy Reichs does a great job of teasing out tantalizing clues. Items that appear to be unrelated are slowly woven together to lead you to the solution. Temperance Brennan is a great character who displays her deep knowledge of forensic anthropology in a way that is easily digestible. The characters around her display the same amazement as the reader when discovering how much can be learned about a person from their bones.

The Bone Code moves along at a great pace as clues pile atop one another and Brennan is led in different directions but inevitably towards the truth. The sense of excitement grows as the clues continue to come together and ultimately point to the killer. Brennan's friends, along with helping her on the case, also help to bring some levity to the story. Interesting characters, a compelling mystery, a real sense of danger, and fascinating science make this a wonderful story. Long-time fans will be pleased and newcomers will find it easy to get into the story. 20 books into the series Kathy Reichs shows no sign of slowing down.


I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.