Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan receives a call from the Charleston coroner about a medical waste container that washed ashore. In the container, there are two decomposed bodies bound with wire and wrapped in plastic sheeting. Tempe is reminded of two bodies found in similar condition in Quebec 15 years previously. That case was never solved. She goes to Montreal to convince her boss to reopen the cold case.

Back in South Carolina, a disease is taking hold that is causing flesh-eating bacteria to flourish. Many people are taking a genetic test that will tell them if they are at risk for the disease. The two cases are linked as well as the bacteria outbreak in a way I never saw coming. Great read.

Another fabulous read from Kathy Reichs. Tempe is back at it after all the trauma and chaos of the last book. This fascinating story will grab your interest and keep you reading.

In reading this be glad you paid attention in biology. It’s twists will unnerve the stout of heart. It pulses with probability. It vibrates with information of how identify can defy and deceive at yet same time. It will keep you up if you read in the dark. It’s wonderful. A heroine to applaud. A story to engulf. Happy reading

I’ve been reading and enjoying this series for years. And though this is book 20 of the Temperance Brennan series, it remains one of my favorites.

Tempe Brennan is a forensic anthropologist who splits her time between Montreal and South Carolina. And this book takes us back and forth between the two…several times!

A mysterious barrel washes ashore in S. Carolina with two bodies stuffed in it. After Tempe is informed of the contents, she instantly recalls a strikingly similar scene in Montreal fifteen years ago. A case that was never solved. Is it conceivable these two cases are related? What are the odds it’s simply coincidental? (After all these reads, haven’t we all quit believing in coincidences?!)

I just love Tempe. She’s a strong, confident woman in both her professional life, and as a devoted, loving partner with Ryan, the man who has stolen her heart over the years. Recently retired from the Montreal homicide division, Ryan is branching out on his own as an investigator.

The storylines, though a bit gruesome at times held my attention throughout. Tempe’s personal life makes an equally strong showing as she works to solve the many cases that come across her desks on both sides of the border.

I believe all fans of this series will enjoy this latest addition. It can be read as a stand-alone, but I do recommend starting at the beginning of the series.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an ARC to read and review.

A great read. I loved the book. The plot was very well written and I cannot wait for another book. This was from a new to me favorite and great author. I really enjoyed the book.

Another good Tempe mystery with this one involving gene sequencing, DNA, vaccines, among other very technical medical terminology. At times I found myself skipping over all the terminology just to get to more of the mystery of who was the murderer. Looking forward to more of Tempe’s adventures.

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs is a 2021 Scribner publication.

After a South Carolina hurricane washed up a medical waste container bearing two bodies- Tempe is immediately reminded of a similar case she worked in Quebec.

She and Ryan team up again to discover who the two women were in the container, and the possible connection between the old cases and this new discovery.

This 20th installment in the series is set a little way into the future, where Covid-19 has been contained- although it is still very much in everyone's consciousness. (Don't worry, this story is not about Covid- it is only mentioned in passing a couple of times.)

As a new virus begins to circulate in the Charleston area, though, it looks as though history may be about to repeat itself.

DNA has become an obsession with us- as we rely on it more and more to tell us about health predispositions, use it to solve decade's old crimes, finding long-lost relatives, and so on.

Therefore, it only seems fitting that a series that deals so heavily in forensics would eventually explore the darker side of these advancements, examining the possible dangers of so much knowledge.


At the same time, I found myself cringing a little, because while the story is certainly timely, I have to say, the timing might not have been the best considering our current climate- where tinfoil hats have replaced good old-fashioned common sense.

Despite those concerns, I was happy to play along with Tempe and her hunky fiancé Ryan. I love their banter, and the well -timed humor- and I enjoyed the ironical nature of the story.

The mystery is interesting, and well-paced, perhaps a bit too detailed with the science sometimes- and poor old Birdie the cat really got a workout in this story.

At the end of the day, though, despite the unusual circumstances, and the timely topics, it always seems to boil down to the usual catalyst when it comes to the evil that dwells in the hearts of humanity.


Overall, this installment is thought-provoking, but was a little too 'mad scientist' for me sometimes. It’s a solid mystery, though, and I hope to see another installment in the series soon.

3.5 stars

Any book with Tempe and Ryan is a good read. You can count on Reichs to provide you with a compelling story, suspense and a hint of romance.

When Tempe receives a call from Charleston corner she is reminded of a case in Canada several years back. As she begins to gather information she finds herself involved with missing girls also murder who were tracing their mothers. A virus is found in South Carolina that puts dogs and cats in the line of fire.
Reading this during the pandmic has made the science research into the human gnome more real. She has done her research and the ending is as always a read the last page type story.
This is her 20th novel and I have enjoyed everyone.

Temperance Brennan is back and while on her way to Isle of Palms she is contacted about a potential murder. A medical waste container has washed up in shore and the decomposed bodies inside resemble something Tempe has seen before. A great addition to this series I thoroughly enjoyed the story and procedural examination. I look forward to reading many more of Ms Reich’s books

Another extremely interesting installment in a long running book series featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.

If you enjoy extremely detailed medical and scientific thrillers featuring a strong, intelligent female protagonist, this is the series for you. The synopsis describes the pertinent details of the case and involves Tempe investigating a current case in Charleston and reopening an old case in Canada. Because of the dual nature of her job, she spends time in both geographic locations. Aided by her longtime partner, Andrew Ryan (former homicide cop for the SQ in Quebec), the duo share details about their activities and work together in unique ways to find the answers they need. Although the genetics and other technical descriptions are really very complex, the writing is such that the lay person can understand the crux of the situation. At first I wondered how it would all come together, but it did in a most satisfying way.

Although I’ve read several other books in this series, I’ve not been overwhelmed or felt like I missed something important by skipping some because the relevant information is presented in the narrative. I love the writing style and really want to get back to earlier books in the series as I love a good and realistic medical thriller. Coming on the heels of COVID pandemic with a vaccine now available and being widely administered, this was really timely and super scary though I hope it doesn’t fuel the conspiracy theorists any further :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

Tempe [Dr. Brennan] is given a case from the Charleston PD of a medical plastic container that washed up on shore after a hurricane. Inside are two decomposing bodies. This cause a flashback for Tempe to an unsolved case she had in Montreal fifteen years ago.
A suspense story of DNA, genomes, vaccine, pharmacol companies. Tempe travels between Charleston and Montreal as she works the new case checking to see if it is related to her cold case.
This was a difficult book to put down. Kathy Reichs ends most chapters with a sentence that makes you want to read the next chapter to find out what is going on.

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs drew me into the story right from the start! This is the 20th book in the Temperance Brennan series but can be read as a stand alone novel. "Tempe" is a forensic anthropologist called on to work a case where a medical waste container has washed up onshore in South Carolina with two bodies inside. Without giving too much away, this case was like another unsolved case she worked on 15 years earlier in Montreal - way too many similarities to ignore! Covid may be over but something maybe even more frightening is spreading quickly. Every chapter ends with a cliffhanger and you have to keep reading to find out more! Highly recommend this book and I'm excited to read more books by this author!

This is another of the Temperance Brennan series. This time she is called down to Charleston to attend the autopsy of two people found in a container pulled out of the water. She remembers another case back in Montreal that was very similar.
I enjoy this series, if you have read the others you will enjoy this one too. if this is your first one you have read she gives you enough information so that you will not be lost.

Not my favorite Temperance Brennan book but timely. Murder of two females off the coast of Isle of Palms prompts an investigation into a previous case in Quebec. Genetic testing and mitochondrial links lead to some surprising twists but the virus that is spreading from cats and dogs to humans in the Charleston was bogged down with too much science to connect the dots. I enjoyed the subplots involving character relationships and loved the setting since I was in Wild Dunes, SC when I started reading this one.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

I received this ARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was really excited to win a galley of this as I’ve been a long time reader of the series. I must say it did not disappoint. The Bone Code is another solid showing for the Temperance Brennan series. I’ve read almost the entire series, before reading this I did look back and notice I’ve missed the last two before this one. The great thing about the series is that while there is some continuity in the characters, you don’t necessarily have to read them in order because each case is different.

This one starts off with a cooler with two bodies inside washes up on shore during a hurricane. Immediately Brennan gets flashbacks from a similar cold case in Canada. She travels back to Canada to refresh her memory on the case. In typical Brennan fashion she finds herself in a tangled web trying to figure out how the two cases are linked and how they may be linked to a current outbreak of an illness in South Carolina. In a post Covid world, people get pretty anxious about how an illness transmitted by beloved pets is suddenly cropping up. Brennan gets too close at one point, which results in an attempt to take her out of play. Working with law enforcement on both sides of the US/Canada border Brennan helps solve both cases.

I enjoyed the familiarity of the characters and the intricate plot line. Kathy Reichs has a way of interweaving various story lines that don’t seem connected at all. My only qualm with this story was that it was a frantic build up and then it just kind of ended. I can’t explain without giving away the ending, but it just felt rushed towards the end. Regardless I won’t hesitate to pick up the next book in the series.

Thoroughly enjoyed my first Kathy Reichs book. I have enjoyed the TV series Bones and I was curious to see if there were similarities between the characters in the book. If found the book to tell a better story and have more involved character development than the TV show.
I believe I will go back and read the rest of the series.

The Bone Code has Tempe dealing with seemingly unrelated events, but thanks to her skills as a forensic anthropologist and dogged determination she's able to tie everything together. The numerous distractions - weather, her best friend's ancestral research, her boyfriend, her cat and several others, only add to the intricacies and subtleties of the story. Connecting the dots from washed up medical containers to dog bites to genetics makes this book thoroughly entertaining from the first page to the last.

Several people in our blog have read the Bones Series but I have to admit I am very new to this series.
Kathy Reichs create wonderful banter between the different characters that elevates the story above more dark mystery/Thrillers. The story has amazing flow that keep readers enjoying every second.

The story characters are well bonded, interesting and worth reading.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of The Bone Code

I'm a huge fan of the Temperance Brennan series and The Bone Code was a great addition. Personally I have always preferred her Canadian cases (Andrew Ryan!!!) so this book made me very happy. There were a couple storylines I would have liked more detail on, but I'm hoping we'll hear a little more about them in the next book.