Reichs' latest, 'Cold Cold Bones', a gory murder mystery
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"Cold Cold Bones" by bestselling author Kathy Reichs (Scribner, $27.99) is the 21st novel in her popular series starring Tempe Brennan, forensic anthropologist.
It's not for the weak of heart − or stomach; there are many scenes full of blood and gore.
Tempe describes her job in the first chapter: "I consult to coroners and medical examiners needing help with corpses unfit for standard autopsy − the decomposed, the dismembered, burned, mutilated, mummified and skeletal."
She's joined in Charlotte, N.C., by her daughter, Katy, who has returned to town after a few stints in the Army.
They discover a package on Tempe's back porch containing a fresh human eyeball.
It gets more graphic from there − soon clues are revealed that lead to a Benedictine monastery, where other horrors await.
As the body count rises, Tempe is concerned that someone is deviously mimicking cases that she solved years earlier.
She gets assistance from Erskine "Skinny" Slidell, a retired detective full of opinions and insights.
Reichs builds the tension chapter by chapter, trying to figure out the methods of the villain's madness.
A major weather event causes deeper consternation and challenges. Ryan, Tempe's private detective husband, is mostly off on a case in Montreal.
Unfortunately, in "Cold Cold Bones", despite numerous red herrings and possible suspects, experienced mystery readers are likely to easily ascertain the identity of the calculating killer.
Reichs is a certified forensic anthropologist; "Bones", the long-running Fox television series, was based on her work and her novels.
She has also co-authored young adult fiction with her son Brendon, including "Virals," "Code," "Exposure" and "Seizure."
Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing's Curious Book Shop, has been reviewing crime novels and Michigan books regularly since 1987. His email address is raywalsh@voyager.net.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Reichs' latest, 'Cold Cold Bones', a gory murder mystery
