3.5 stars
Tempe is called in to investigate two bodies that washed ashore in a steel drum during a hurricane. She's also dealing with a flesh eating bacteria post Covid and everyone is panicking. Just okay.

Although I haven't read all of the Temperance Brennan series, I find that each time I do read one, I want to go back and read more. This book is no different for me in that regard. Entertaining and educational, another winner.

This is the scariest book I have ever read. Why? Read the review to find out.
“The Bone Code” is the twentieth novel in the series that inspired the popular TV series “Bones.” New readers will be quickly immersed in the story, and any information needed from previous books is part of the current narrative. Temperance Brennan is a forensic anthropologist, a specialist in DNA, human genomics and the wonder and power of the double-helix molecule. We have all met her; she is the person sitting next to us on a plane with a discontented cat under her seat.
The story is told in Brennan’s first person narrative so readers learn what she learns when she learns it. Her narration has three distinct styles; she talks to herself with quick, abrupt, no nonsense observations. Her professional demeanor is meticulous, focused, and detailed with pleasant comradery and a touch of humor. She also has a casual side, easy going with friendly banter about everything from cold weather to children and life in general. Of course, there is also Andrew Ryan with whom she shares joys, sorrows, challenges, and a home.
Chapters are identified by date to assist readers because nothing is as fast as it is on TV. The real drama begins when Brennan gets a call that dredges up a long ago unsolved case, two unidentified bodies in Montreal. Now there are two more victims, now four unidentified bodies, and many unanswered questions. The cases are far apart in geography and time, but so similar in other ways that they have to be connected. Her old case that was as cold as the arctic is suddenly red hot, thanks to a journalist who just shows up at a location because there were not any other big stories that day. The investigation is detailed, organized and professional, but the case is like a fragmented mirror in a fun-house; one scene cartwheels crazily into the next. In the end, the old adage works – just follow the money. Suddenly the pieces start to fall into place; everything “fits like an Armani suit.”
“The Bone Code” takes readers down an unexpected road “big pharma” and flu vaccines. I received a review copy of “The Bone Code” from Kathy Reichs and Scribner. It is one of the most frightening I have ever read because the COVID19 vaccine is an mRNA vaccine.

I have to confess that I almost gave up after reading the first three chapters of Lathy Reich's latest novel. The Bone Code, which I read courtesy of NetGally, Simon and Schuster. With medical and anatomical terms being tossed out with every sentence, it was difficult to keep track of who did what to whom, and most importantly when. The why would take a long time unraveling, which made me glad i didn't give up on the book.

This is Kathy Reichs' twentieth entry in her Temperance Brennan. Series about a forensic anthropologist. I now feel compelled to start at the beginning and read my way through to #19. That's the sign of a great novel.

When a hurricane blows a shipping container ashore in Charleston and proves to contain two bodies, it reminds Tempe of a unsolved case in Montreal. As she pursues DNA of the victims, she discovers ties that lead her to reinvestigate the original case. They are too similar to coincidental. What Tempe discovers is scary as all get-out and all too real given Covid 19. It hits uncomfortably close to home.

Don;t get bogged down in the first three chapters. The book picks up its pacing in the following chapters. Actually, the action flies at the reader with breakneck speed. I enjoyed the encounters Tempe has with two physicians assigned to the case, and her interactions with a fellow investigator. The bits of humor Reichs throws in is a welcome relief to the sombre storyline. I really enjoyed they way Reichs pretty much forces you to keep reading after the last sentence of each chapter. It is very effective.

Unlike the previous book in this series, the focus this time was mostly on the case and less on character development. The original, highly complex plot of this book features events spanning miles and years – and an investigation into what most would seem to be distinct cases, if it weren’t for Tempe’s gut telling her otherwise. True to form, she is like a dog with a bone and insists the two cases must be related. Sub- and side-plots, including a strange request from an elderly twin, add to the intrigue. Although it started out a bit slow, the pace picked up as the story built. Strange coincidences and unpredictable twists made for an interesting and enjoyable read.

As is usually the case with any Temperance Brennan novel, I really enjoyed The Bone Code.

This time it is a case of some bodies in a barrel that washed up on the beach. The weird thing is that Tempe worked on a similar case many years ago in Canada.

The investigation is interesting and I really liked that fiance Ryan was around for a lot of the book and helped with the investigation. The South Carolina setting was different and added some interest.

It seems like there is a lot going on at the beginning with some additional issues being introduced, but eventually, it all becomes clear. I love the brisk pace of these investigations and am always surprised by the twists.

If you are a fan, you shouldn't miss this one. And if you aren't, you can jump in anywhere--each book is its own story. However, some characters have quite a history that can be enjoyed if you start at the beginning.

I didn’t think this book was as good as reichs other books. Bones had too many irons in the fire, too many stories. They were related but I prefer when she does more forensics than crime fighting.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of The Bone Code.
I haven't read a Temperance Brennan book in AGES but somehow got pre-approved for this. I jumped at the chance to read it and it didn't disappoint.
I think it is a solid 4 star read. It would have been a 4.5 star read, but I didn't enjoy or appreciate the way Reichs described the physical aspects of a character. I don't think any of us need to know that a woman's arms are "jiggly".

However, the actual storyline was interesting and held my attention. Two containers found with two women in each container, 15 years apart. Same MO, but one was found in Canada, and one in the southern US. They couldn't POSSIBLY be related could they??

The twists, the extra mysteries, and the witty banter between Tempe and friends/colleagues kept me on my toes and enjoying the book to the end.

Kathy's back! While I don't turn to books in this series for an impossible to solve mystery, I appreciate that this book does keep me guessing about how everything will be tied together in the end. It was great to meet some new faces, and return to some familiar places. At 20 books there are bound to be some formulaic elements, but this is still a recommended read for both long time fans and new readers.

This is one of the best Temperance Brennan books Kathy Reichs has written in a very long time. Interesting, entertaining, intriguing, some scary parts, some tense moments, and very well written with outstanding characters. I highly recommend this book!

I received an ebook ARC from Netgalley and this is my voluntary, honest review.

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs is a highly recommended procedural featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance (Tempe) Brennan. This is the 20th book in the series but it can be read as a stand-alone novel.

A storm has washed ashore a medical waste container on the South Carolina coast and the Charleston coroner calls Tempe Brennan to examine the two bodies found inside. The decomposed bodies are wrapped in plastic, bound with electrical wire, and each has a shot to the head, something she has seen before. Tempe is taken back fifteen years earlier when she had an identical case in Quebec. Could the two cases be connected? After the examination, she travels to Montreal to gather evidence from the previous case and to see Andrew Ryan, a former Quebec homicide detective turned PI, who’s her current significant other. During the same time South Carolina is experiencing an outbreak of a flesh-eating contagion, Capnocytophaga. There is a side story about a woman searching for the story behind a death mask.

It helps to have some familiarity with the series, or even Bones, the television spin-off of the books, in order to really appreciate the novel. The series features great step by step investigations of the cases and closely follows scientific procedures and advances in forensic medicine. The stories always follow two primary settings and then Tempe will visit other places while conducting her investigations. Tempe is a well- established character, as is Ryan, and her cat. Reichs' writing is always strong and the novel is well-paced, ensuring to keep you reading just one more chapter to reach the end.

It becomes clear that someone has a secret and will go to drastic measures to protect it. Who would have been involved over such a relatively long period of time to keep a secret and why? The final denouement is pitch perfect and ties up all the cases and questions raised in the book. The series is a bit formulaic, but admittedly it works and always results in a novel that is based on real medicine, entertaining and believable.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Scribner.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and submitted to Amazon.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dr. Tempe Brennan's work help solve three intertwined mysteries.

Fifteen years ago, forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan and Montreal homicide detective Andrew Ryan worked together on a murder case. The remains of a young woman and child were found wrapped in plastic sheeting and stuffed into a plastic medical waste bin. Both had been shot once in the head. Their teeth were removed, their fingers sheared off. The victims were never identified, and the case has gone cold. In the present day, a hurricane tossed a similar bin up on the beach in Charleston. Temperance is called in to assist the local police in processing and possibly identifying the two young women inside. She is hit with a wave of déjà vu : the details are almost identical to the Montreal murders.
Just before the storm hit the Carolina coast, a woman named Miss Polly Suzanne Beecroft asked Temperance for help in finding out what happened to her great aunt, Sybil. Polly’s grandmother and sister had gone to Paris in 1887, and Sybil vanished from the face of the earth. Polly also showed Temperance a death mask, believing it to be of Sybil’s face.
The COVID-19 virus hit Charleston hard, and now there’s an outbreak of a usually non-contagious virus found in dogs and cats. The city is in an uproar, the inhabitants divided into “save our pets” and “lock up the dangerous animals.” A local scientist claims he can identify those who are at risk, using a DNA test, and offers a vaccine that will protect them.
DNA evidence links the two murder cases to each other. In tracking down leads and suspects, Temperance racks up frequent flyer miles as she bounces between Charlotte, Charleston, Nashville and Montreal. She is assisted by Ryan, now a private inspector and her romantic partner, who uses his talents and contacts, and a prickly Charleston homicide cop with a keen mind and a crack shot.
Through dogged investigation and research, combined with high-level scientific methods, Temperance and her colleagues untangle all the twisted threads of the disparate cases, bringing closure and justice for them all.
Kathy Reichs is a master story teller, and The Bone Code is one of her best. The intricate plot will keep the reader fully engaged, and the thread about viruses and vaccines is timely. Highly recommended.

I loved the TV show but this was the first of her novels that I’ve read and it will probably be the last. The main story arc concerns the murder of 4 young women 15 years apart and is well developed and interesting. I did have trouble keeping track of who’s who but I blame that on reading it over several days and my whacko memory. There is also a sub plot concerning a new virus that is killing people (think COVID-19) that is more difficult to follow. Finally there is a side plot about a death mask that is not developed so I’m not sure why it is even included in the novel. There are a lot of stereotyped characters here and much effort at suspense.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner/Simon & Schuster for the ARC to read and review.

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs.
Tempe works on the remains of two bodies in SC that reminds her of a case from 15 years previous in Quebec. The book wades into vaccines, genetics and forensic genealogy. A very interesting case that kept me reading to discover what happened to the victims and why. There was a lot of science-y stuff and an gratuitous side story about identical twins and death masks that made the story a slower read. I've only read a few of the earlier books in the series many years ago but did not problem jumping in without reading past books.
A good entertaining work. It's prompting me to seek out some of the earlier books in the series.
This book was shared with me from Netgalley, the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs is another in the Temperance Brennan series of what are basically police procedurals with Tempe in the lead role as a forensic pathologist who had several jobs, since he work was pretty much all contract work. One of her homes is Charlotte, North Carolina, which is not under hurricane watch. In Tempe's profession, things happen all at once. She is called on for multiple jobs and then nothing. Right now she is working on simple little investigations and one odd one brought to her by a little old lady. This lady is an identical twin and is the great granddaughter of another set of identical twins who are identical to she and her sister as well. The third photo is of a death mask, which must have been made of one of the earlier ladies and she wants to know why, when, and where. After spending twenty-fours hours, essentially hiding in a closet with her cat, the big case comes in. It is tow bodies, naked, stuffed into a barrel, teeth pulled, and fingers cut off, which has just washed up on the beach thanks to the hurricane. Her breathing stops. This is almost identical to a murder in Quebec over a decade ago. One that had never been solved.

Tempe is a middle-aged woman who has a committed relationship with a retired Quebecois detective, Ryan. They live together, here in Charlotte, and in Canada, where she works for the police, as well. They have an excellent relationship despite the fact they are often separated. She has a grown daughter who is currently serving her second tour in the Middle East. She is, to put it bluntly, a workaholic. But she is so smart and so dedicated. She has a reputation that can't be beat so every official she meets is anxious to work with her. This is a very frightening story. Big pharma has way too much power over our lives and as in every profession, there are people who are mentally unbalanced, power hungry. Another frightening business might be the public DNA business, which has become such a fad. It took dedicated weeks of investigation to unravel this mess, which took place in two countries, totally coincidental that she was involved in both cases. If she had not been, it might never have been solved. She put her own life at risk, and as it turns out Ryan's as well. Startling story. Powerful investigation. Unbelievable outcome. Reichs does it again!

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Bone Code by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #thebonecode

Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist, has her hands full when a biomedical container washed ashore near Charlotte, North Carolina, is found to hold two decomposed bodies, bodies remarkably similar to the two in a case Brennan worked in Quebec 15 years before. Those bodies were in an identical container, were also female - one woman and one child, teeth and fingers had been removed to prevent identification, and their identities were still unknown. Brennan knows the similarities are no coincidence. The killer had eluded them once, but she vows that he will not get away again. She meticulously researches both cases, holding out hope that advances in genetic testing will reveal clues that have been long hidden. When she discovers a probable link between the victims, someone becomes nervous and will do whatever it takes to prevent the crimes from being solved.

Kathy Reich’s thorough research into current genetic studies, biomedical technology, and medical ethics is evident in this complex thriller.

I've been a fan of Kathy Reichs since her first Temperance Brennan novel 24 years ago. The surprise isn't that the series is starting to feel formulaic, The surprise is that the formula still works. Fans of the Temperance Brennan series should be pleased with this latest edition. Strongly recommended

This was a well-written, entertaining book. It was fast paced, quickly caught my interest and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author. This is a must-read author and series for me.

This Tempe book was crazy to think what can happen in the genetics field. She is such a great character, consistent from book one until now. The writing was great as was the plot of the book. Some things really make you stop and think at how the future might be going.


I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley