In her 23rd installment of the Temperance Brennan series, Kathy Reichs proves once again why she’s a master of the forensic thriller. This time, Tempe is thrust into the heart of Washington, DC, investigating a deadly fire that quickly spirals into something far more sinister than arson.

Me. Reichs wastes no time immersing readers into the charred remains of a Foggy Bottom blaze, and the tension builds rapidly. Tempe, always razor-sharp and driven by her forensic instincts, is soon pulled into a tangled web of historical intrigue and modern-day violence. When she uncovers the property’s sordid past—once a hotbed of bootleggers and racketeers known as the Foggy Bottom Gang—the plot thickens in ways both unexpected and satisfying.

The introduction of investigative journalist Ivy Doyle adds a fresh dynamic to the series. Their partnership brings energy, grit, and a healthy dose of skepticism as they pursue clues across decades. What begins as a cold trail of corruption and coincidence soon erupts into a pulse-pounding mystery that links past and present crimes through a string of murders, a second fire, and a growing sense of danger closing in on Tempe herself.

As always, Ms. Reichs expertly balances forensic detail with compelling storytelling. Her ability to craft layered mysteries that blend science, history, and character-driven suspense is on full display. The DC setting adds political intrigue and urban grit, and the Foggy Bottom Gang subplot brings a rich historical texture that elevates the stakes.

The final third of the novel delivers a whirlwind of revelations and action, as Tempe realizes her every move has been watched—and anticipated. The result is a thriller that keeps you on edge, questioning every suspect and motive until the last page.

A taut, atmospheric installment in the Temperance Brennan series, Fire and Bones is a fiery (no pun intended) blend of forensic investigation, historic crime, and modern menace. Longtime fans will relish the return of Tempe in top form, while newcomers will be quickly drawn into Ms. Reichs’ skillful plotting and immersive prose. A must-read for thriller lovers and crime fiction aficionados.

This ARC book is complimentary, provided by the publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

It’s Kathy Reichs of course it’s an amazing book that is worth reading. The book is an amazing story and mystery that has the character depth needed to keep an audience engaged

I am a huge fan of the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs. When you open the cover and start absorbing the words, you will be in for a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Tempe is a strong and highly intelligent individual. And, unfortunately, sometimes her strong work ethic causes problems in her personal life. The cases Tempe gets called in to assist with are always intense and there will be a lot of drama. There are edge-of-your seat moments when you are not sure how things will end. Though there is a myriad of forensic information presented, it is not so intense or high level that you cannot enjoy this aspect of the story. This one keeps you invested in the story as you work with Tempe to help solve the murder mystery. A terrific addition to the series and I look forward to the next adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Crime
Fiction
Medical
Murder Mystery
Mystery
Mystery Thriller
Suspense
Thriller
Thriller Suspense

This is the 23rd book in the Temperance Brennan books. Temperance is a forensic anthropologist typically working in North Carolina and Quebec. This novel, however, is set in Washington DC where she must identify burn victims from a fire. The more she investigates, the more dangerous the situation becomes.

I love Kathy Reichs’ novels and this one does not disappoint. It is very fast paced and suspenseful. I look forward to her next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kathy Reichs and Scribner for this advanced copy. I really enjoyed this book.

Kathy does it again I love going on adventures with Tempe! The twists and turns the suspense it is all amazing!

As an avid reader of the Temperance Brennan series, I am always thrilled to hear about a new book coming out. This time, Tempe is involved in a fire investigation in DC, helping the Medical Examiner identify the remains of four victims from a house fire. While recovering the bodies, she uncovers a fifth corpse in the basement that clearly did not die in the fire but was a victim of foul play.

Tempe becomes consumed with identifying the fifth body, teaming up with her new ally Ivy to investigate leads and search for connections between the body and the owners of the burned-out building. This installment felt slightly different to me, possibly due to less involvement from her boyfriend, former Detective Ryan, who seems to be distant and not responding to her attempts to reach out.

Despite this, I still found the novel enjoyable and would recommend it to fans of the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for ARC of Fire and Bones in exchange for my honest review.

This was a classic Temperance Brennan novel!

Every time you thought when Temperance was ready to leave D.C. something else just nagged at her to stay. She wanted to make sure she didn't leave a stone unturned.
To see the history of the city pulled out in this book was refreshing, and you can see that Kathy didn't leave any of those details out.

This installment in Kathy Reichs' long-running Temperance Brennan series gets a fresh angle by moving the action to Washington, DC. She is at home in Charlotte, NC, and looking forward to a long weekend with her boyfriend from Montréal when she receives a phone call requesting her help with the victims of a building fire in Washington. The building is located in Foggy Bottom, an area with a colorful history. In the thirties and forties, the home was the hangout of bootleggers and racketeers known as the Foggy Bottom Gang. After the fire is determined to be arson, the police investigation initially focuses on possible motives for the murder of one or more of the victims.

But Tempe and her new ally, telejournalist Ivy Doyle (a friend of her daughter), suspect that the fires may be tied to the building's ownership, especially after a second building belonging to the same ownership group burns down from a similar act of arson shortly after the first. Tempe shares her suspicions with the homicide detective in charge of the case, and the pair confront the suspects. The two brothers lead them to their grandmother, leading to a shocking and violent climax. But the surprises are not over. Tempe also finds her suspicions of Ivy's fiancée confirmed, and an Epilog nearly sets a final mystery to rest.

It's an exciting story, as always. That final mystery does seem like a bit of a red herring, though. A lot of narrative time is devoted to it, only to have the solution given as a kind of aside. It was not relevant to the main plot at all.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Advance Reader's Copy.

I've read almost all of the Kathy Reichs police procedural books about forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan. Very entertaining and detailed. This was no different and I really liked it. Unfortunately I waited to long to review it so I'm not doing it justice here except to say - it is a compelling mystery full of surprises. I would highly recommend.

I love all of Kathy Reichs books! Tempe is always able to step in and find out the details of what happens to bodies no matter their condition. This book is like the other's where she has a crime to solve and she will stop at nothing to find out what happened.

I absolutely love any Temperance Brennan novels I read!! I initially got into reading the series around Christmas 2020 because my roommate & I spent quarantine binge-watching the TV show Bones. Afterwards, for Christmas, I asked my mom for a few of the books from the book series and I fell in love!! In this book specifically, it did follow some of the common tropes from prior novels, but it was still an interesting book. I was engaged the entire time, and I am very grateful to have received it from NetGalley. Thank you!

Kathy Reichs does it again! Her Tempe Brennan series never disappoints! I have missed a few books in the series and I am now going back to read them. I can't wait to see what the crew get up to in the next installment!

Fire and Bones is the twenty-third book in the Temperance Brennan series. In this book, Temperance works in Washington, DC on a mysterious fire that left at least four dead.

Temperance is a strong protagonist with her intelligence, wit, and drive. I have enjoyed this series for years, and this book shows the series continues to be intriguing.

Fire and Bones is an enjoyable addition to the series. Recommended to readers who enjoy crime fiction and medical thrillers.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Temperance Brennan is back and in a new city!! I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this novel, but living with the journalist felt like filler. I also could have used some more Ryan in this novel. The original storyline was full of twist, and kept me on the edge of my seat. I can not wait until the next novel!!!

I want to thank NetGalley & Scribner for an ARC of this book.

3.5/5
A classic temperance Brennan book. I’ve now read all 23 books. This one was right on par with most I’ve read. Most chapters ending in cliff hangers keeps things moving quickly. A bit predictable twist/killer even if the motive wasn’t clear.

The following review was published or updated in several Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia newspapers and magazines in November and December 2024:

Booking a full year of reading

Review by Tom Mayer

If only us readers could just spend our days … reading. What would a year look like? Here, the editors of Home for the Holidays present their yearlong list of books, culled from the past 12 months of reading and reviewing. A few of the titles you’ll immediately recognize, and you’ll likely have more than few in your own library. But just in case you missed a title or two, we’re showcasing the whole year’s worth of books that we’ve read and reviewed, month by month.

Except for the first title, the list is simply a list. To find the reviews of many of these titles, visit our newspaper parent, The (Athens) News Courier at enewscourier.com — with a slight caveat. Our newspaper webmasters are currently working overtime to improve our content management system, the foundation of any website, and while many of our archives are now found there, it may be a few weeks before everything is fully re-uploaded — including the most recent editions of Limestone Life and Home for the Holidays. For now, though, enjoy our literary stroll through 2024.

And about that first title: Not every college professor can make statistical analysis approachable, let along interesting to their students and the general population, but Athens State University emeritus professor of psychology Mark Durm is not every college professor. After spending nearly five decades teaching thousands of students, the “ol’ psychology professor” decided that he’d best get around to writing the one book out of his nearly 100 published pieces that’s he always wanted to write. Call it a legacy piece, but what it really is is a “best of” Durm’s peer-reviewed, book reviews, non-peer reviewed and magazine articles from his 47 years in higher education.

The result is “Professional Publications of an Ol’ Psychology Professor” (Dorrance) with full previously published articles ranging from studies on the effects of glasses on a child’s self-esteem to his ever-popular parapsychology pieces, Durm presents his internationally recognized efforts with a twist.

“It’s a different kind of book because it doesn’t talk about the research, it presents the research,” the professor says from his second-career office at Durm Properties in Athens, about a half-mile from where he first presented that research in person. “I’ve spent hours on all of these articles, especially in the peer-reviewed journal articles.”

And so, articles on divorce, sex, religion and other topics now populate the pages of Durm’s most recent book in an effort to both continue his teaching and satisfy what has been a lifelong wonderment.

“You know, most people don’t understand statistics, so it’s all in there,” Durm said. “What I’m trying to do is a more critical approach to ‘just don’t believe everything you’re told.’ … It’s things that were in my life that I wanted to see if they were so, by using a psychological analysis.”

And like any good professor, Durm didn’t do that research on his own — or take all of the credit. Among the co-authors of many of his articles in the book were students — many of who he’s lost touch with, but all of whom who he credits by name in his acknowledgements and for each of who, if they look up their ol’ mentor, he has a signed book ready to hand over. For the rest of us, you can find the book at any online bookseller — just as you can with the remainder of our list, presented by the month in which the book was published, read and reviewed.

JANUARY

Unbound (Blackstone) by Christy Healy NG/F

The Devil’s Daughter by Gordon Greisman NG/ARC

FEBRUARY

Almost Surely Dead (Mindy’s Book Studio) by Amina Akhtar NG

The Chaos Agent (Gray Man 13) (Berkley) by Mark Greaney NG

The Lady in Glass and Other Stories (Ace) by Anne Bishop ARC

A Haunting in the Arctic (Berkley paperback) by C.J. Cooke NG

Ghost Island (Berkley) by Max Seeck

MARCH

Hello, Alabama (Arcadia) by Martha Day Zschock

The Unquiet Bones (Montlake) by Loreth Anne White

I am Rome: A novel of Julius Caesar (Ballantine Books by Santiago PosteguilloMarch 5: Murder Road (Berkley) by Simone St. James

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry (Holiday House) by Anna Rose Johnson

Ferris (Candlewick) by Kate DiCamillo

After Annie (Random House, Feb. 27) by Anna Quindlen

Crocodile Tears Didn't Cause the Flood (Montag Press) by Bradley Sides The #1 Lawyer (Little, Brown and Company) by James Patterson, Nancy Allen

Lilith (Blackstone) by Eric Rickstad

Life: My Story Through History (Harper One) by Pope Francis

APRIL

Matterhorn (Thomas & Mercer) by Christopher Reich

Friends in Napa (Mindy’s Book Studio) by Sheila Yasmin Marikar

City in Ruins (William Morrow) by Don Winslow

The House on Biscayne Bay (Berkley) by Chanel Cleeton

Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week (Peachtree) by Sarah L. Thomson

For Worse (Blackstone) by L.K. Bowen

A Killing on the Hill (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoini

The Clock Struck Murder (Poisoned Pen Press) by Betty Webb

The Book That Broke the World (Ace) by Mark Lawrence

The Forgetters (Heyday Books) by Greg Sarris

Lost to Dune Road (Thomas & Mercer) by Kara Thomas

Warrior on the Mound (Holiday House/Peachtree) by Sandra Headed

Pictures of Time (Silver Street Media) by David AlexanderBare Knuckle (Blackstone Publishing) by Stayton Bonner

Murder on Demand (Blackstone Publishing) by Al Roker

Home is Where the Bodies Are (Blackstone) by Jeneva Rose

MAY

Matterhorn by Christopher Reich

The Hunter's Daughter (Berkley) by Nicola Solvinic

The House That Horror Built (Berkley) by Christina Henry

In our stars (Berkley) by Jack Campbell

Freeset (book 2) (Blackstone) by Sarina Dahlan

Southern Man (William Morrow) by Greg Iles

Camino Ghosts (Doubleday) by John Grisham

JUNE

Specter of Betrayal by Rick DeStefanis

Lake County (Thomas & Mercer) by Lori Roy

Serendipity (Dutton) by Becky Chalsen

Shelterwood (Ballantine) by Lisa Wingate

The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra’s Needle (Holiday House) by Dan Gutman

Jackpot (Penguin) by Elysa Friedland

The Helper (Blackstone) by M.M. Dewil

Winter Lost (Ace) by Patricia Briggs

Shadow Heart (Blackstone) by Meg Gardiner

Lake Country (Thomas & Mercer) by Lori Roy

The Out-of-Town Lawyer (Blackstone) by Robert Rotten

Love Letter to a Serial Killer (Berkley) by Tasha Coryell

Sentinel Berkley) by Mark Greaney

JULY

Three Kings: Race, Class, and the Barrier-Breaking Rivals Who Redefined Sports and Launched the Modern Olympic Age (Blackstone) by Todd Balf

The Night Ends with Fire (Berkley) by K.X. Song

Echo Road (Montlake) by Melinda Leigh

It’s Elementary (Berkley) by Elise Bryant

You Shouldn’t Be Here (Thomas & Mercer) by Lauren Thoman

Back In Black (Blackstone) edited by Don Bruns

The Recruiter (Blackstone) by Gregg Podolski

AUGUST

You Shouldn’t Be Here (Thomas & Mercer) by Lauren Thoman ARC

Not What She Seems (Thomas & Mercer) by Yasmin Angoe NG

Fatal Intrusion by Jeff Deaver/Isabella Maldonado

Death at Morning House (HARPERTeen) by Maureen Johnson

Fire and Bones (Scribner) by Kathy Reichs

Some Nightmares Are Real (University of Alabama Press) by Kelly Kazoo

The Brothers Kenny (Blackstone) by Adam Mitzner

Blind to Midnight (Blackstone) by Reed Farrel Coleman

The Wayside (Blackstone) by Carolina Wolff

Enemy of the State (Blackstone) by Robert Smartwood

You Will Never Be Me (Berkley) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice (W.W. Norton) by Adam Kirsch

We Love the Nightlife (Berkley) by Rachel Koller Croft

Talking To Strangers (Berkley) by Fiona Barton

An Honorable Assassin (Blackstone) by Steve Hamilton possible interview see email

Dungeon Crawler Carl (1 of 6 but see next two months) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

SEPTEMBER

Fatal Intrusion (Thomas & Mercer) by Jeffrey Deaver and Isabella Maldonado

When They Last Saw Her (Penguin) by Marcie Rendon

American Ghoul (Blackstone) by Michelle McGill-Vargas

First Do No Harm (Blackstone) by Steve Hamilton

A Quiet Life: A Novel (Arcade) by William Cooper and Michael McKinley

One More From the Top (Mariner) by Emily Layden

No Address (Forefront Books) by Ken Abraham.

Tiger’s Tale (Blackstone) by Colleen Houck

An Academy for Liars (Ace) by Alexis Henderson

Rewitched (Berkley) by Lucy Jane Wood

Gaslight (Blackstone) by Sara Shepard and Miles Joris-Peyrafitte

Counting Miracles (Random House) by Nicholas Sparks

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society (Ace) by C.M. Waggoner

The Hitchcock Hotel (Berkley) by Stephanie Wrobel

In the Garden of Monsters by Crystal King

Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (2 of 6 see next month also) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

OCTOBER

The Hushed (Blackstone) by K.R. Blair NG

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer (Berkley) by Maxie Dara

On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice (Norton) by WSJ Weekend review editor Adam Kirsch

Framed (Doubleday) by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey

This Cursed House (Penguin) by Del Sandeen

The Puzzle Box (Random House) by Danielle Trussoni

Two Good Men (Blackstone) by S.E. Redfearn

Dark Space (Blackstone) by Rob Hart and Alex Segura

This Cursed House (Berkley’s open submission)by Del Sandeen

Vindicating Trump (Regnery) by Dinesh D’Souza

The Book of Witching (Berkley) by C.J. Cooke

The World Walk (Skyhorse) by Tom Turcich

The Waiting Game by Michael Connelly  ARC, possible interview see email

Beyond Reasonable Doubt (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoni

Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook (3 of 6, with bonus material) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

Frozen Lives (Blackstone) by Jennifer Graeser Fronbush NG

Vincent, Starry Starry Night (Meteor 17 Books) intro by Don McLean

Paris in Winter: An Illustrated Memoir (PowerHouse Books) by David Coggins

NOVEMBER

The Waiting (Little, Brown) by Michael Connelly

The Teller of Small Fortunes (Penguin) by Julie Long

Shadow Lab (Blackstone) by Brendan Deneen

Trial by Ambush (Thomas & Mercer) by Marcia Clark

Devil Take It (Heresy Press) by Daniel Debs Nossiter

SerVant of Earth (Ace) by Sarah Hawley

All the other me (Blackstone) by Jody Holford

The Perfect Marriage (Blackstone reissue re-edit) by Jenny Rose

DECEMBER

Trial By Ambush (Thomas & Mercer) by Marcia Clark

The Close-Up (Gallery Books) by Pip Drysdale

The Silent Watcher (Thomas & Mercer) by Victor Methos

Leviathan (Lividian Trade HC) by Robert McCammon

The Silent Watcher (Thomas & Mercer) by Victor Method

Assume Nothing (Thomas & Mercer) by Joshua Corin

One example link:
https://enewscourier.com/2024/11/29/in-review-booking-a-full-year-of-reading/

I love Tempe whether she's in Montreal or North Carolina or anywhere in between! As always, an interesting puzzle for her to unravel. It's great to have Tempe back!

Thank you @simonsndschuster & @kathyreichs for my complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Dr. Temperance Brennan is about to leave on a brief getaway with her longtime love interest, Andrew Ryan, when she is called to a deadly burn scene in Washington D.C. As Tempe investigates the burn scene she discovers a body that she suspects was there long before the fire.

Curious, she teams up with a journalist and begins to research the building. She discovers it was once a home to a band of criminals. Preoccupied with uncovering clues, Temperance doesn’t realize that her investigation is leading her into danger.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story which masterfully blends suspense with intricate storytelling. The author’s ability to craft original plots is impressive, and this installment is no exception. The character of Dr. Temperance Brennan is both relatable and compelling, and her dedication to uncovering the truth resonates with me. The mix of forensic science and criminal history adds depth to the narrative, making it engaging as well as intellectually stimulating. If you enjoy crime fiction, this book promises to captivate you with its rich detail, well-developed characters, and intricate plot.

I liked the DC setting the best. I love reading about all the intricacies of the capital.
The action was fast paced and kept my interest.

Tempe goes to Washington, DC to investigate a location of a fire. There is a hidden body found in the basement.