Fiction Addict

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: August 2009

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

COLD.

Numb.

Confused.

I opened my eyes.

Too dark. Black as arctic winter.

Am I dead?

So begins Kathy Reichs’ twelfth Temperance Brennan novel, 206 Bones. As Brennan slowly gains her bearings, the reader, and Brennan, discover she is trapped in a small, dark, space. Fighting claustrophobia and panic, questions bombard her foggy thoughts—how did she get here? And who wants her out of the way? Brennan must backtrack through her fractured memories and piece together the events that led up to that moment.

Thus the reader embarks on the journey with Brennan, alternating between the past and present, as she and Lieutenant Ryan work to unravel a mystery while bodies of elderly women start to pile up. Of course, true to any Reichs novel, the heroine faces multiple challenges while attempting to uncover the truth — an anonymous tipster accusing Brennan of mishandling a case, a pesky neighbor, and problems at work, just to name a few.

206 Bones is an interesting read with twists that while surprising, aren’t shocking. The reader might not see the turn coming, but when it arrives, Reichs has set it up in a way that makes perfect sense and suddenly seems very obvious. I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a good puzzle. This novel will keep the reader’s head spinning as he or she pieces together the clues. For those concerned about vulgarity, though, as with all the Temperance Brennan novels, crude language is present.

Review copy provided by Simon and Schuster.