Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs is another great read about Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist who is called to Washington DC to find and inspect some very charred remains from a fire in a very old building in an area called “Foggy Bottom”. She and a small team located 4 bodies and a Prohibition era sub-basement which included several barrels and several small rooms as well as a 5th body. The 5th body was not burned in the current fire, but appeared to be an old crime (had to be a crime since it would not be possible for her to tie herself up and put herself in a bag).

Unfortunately, Temperance was about to have a getaway with her beau, Ryan, who lives and works in Montreal but has to push that off due to more fires and more dead bodies. All of this causes him to become frustrated and angry and did he just break up with her?

As always, the answers don’t come easy, but the story isn’t too convoluted to follow. As ever, engrossing and intriguing, Fire and Bones does not disappoint.

Once again, Kathy Reichs has brought back Tempe Brennan for her 23rd book in the series. I look forward to each of her "Bones" books as they are fast-moving and interesting stories that have twists and turns. Reichs can go from graphic descriptions of autopsies to beautiful descriptions of the scenery to put the reader right into the story. The reader is placed into the action as Tempe bravely puts aside her fears and jumps right into every situation. In Fire and Bones, Tempe has a long holiday weekend scheduled with her beau Ryan, when an investigation ties her up in Washington, DC. A series of fires in old buildings in DC involve burned bodies and one investigation leads to another, bringing us into another thrilling conclusion.

Thank you to Simon & Shuster and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of Fire and Bones.

4 stars
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Another solid book by Kathy Reichs. In this new installment of the Temperance Brennan series, Tempe must discover the truth behind an arson the killed four…while also solving the mysterious death of a fifth victim.

I love Kathy Reichs writing style and this is no exception. The plot is well considered and carried out. There is enough plot outside the science to keep the reader engaged. I especially love the way the science is explained throughout the book, so the reader can understand the specifics without having to look it up outside the book. The writing is comfortable to read, laidback, almost like reading someone’s journal. It’s a fun, unique style of writing that I really enjoy. I loved seeing new characters, new sidekicks and new terrible investigators. The historical elements of the books were definitely interesting.

I recommend this series so often and this book will be no different.

In this 23rd installment with our favorite forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan, is looking forward to some time with her boyfriend when she gets a call from her daughter, asking for a favor. The kind that will have her canceling her rendezvous.

In Washington, DC, the Foggy Bottom neighborhood has a reputation and it is about to get worse.

Suspicious fires, and the death of one of the original Foggy Bottom Gang, have Tempe thinking these are targeted attacks.

Even as she investigates, someone seems to be one step ahead of her.

Always a great story!

NetGalley/ Scribner August 06, 2024

I will never tire of Reichs’ Temperance Brennan books. In this 23rd (!) entry, Tempe ends up having to cancel a long-weekend getaway with her now unhappy man and make an unplanned and prolonged trip to DC. Gruesome deaths, multi-layered mysteries, disagreeable investigators (dare I say worse than Skinny Slidell?), and too much great food plague preoccupy her for the duration and create the perfect combo for an intriguing story. My only complaints are that there was a little too much (and repetitive) self-talk and too little Ryan and Birdie time. While I love the out of town stories, I’m hoping the next book brings a meaningful return to Montreal or some time in SC with Ryan along for the investigation too.

Thank you to Scribner, Netgalley, and author Kathy Reichs for early access to a digital copy of this book.

Thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to review Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs.
I really enjoyed this book and was happy about the last twist in the story, I think it made the ending even more exciting.
I haven’t read all of the books in this series and I think this book is perfectly fine as a stand alone because I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.
Tempe is helping with arson investigation in Washington, DC and of course she is getting herself into some dangerous situations. By flying to Washington, DC and canceling her plans with Rhyan she is putting their relationship in danger, will Rhyan forgive her?
Definitely recommend this book and it’s a great addition to the story of Temperance Brennan!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Tempe is excited about taking a mini vacation. That changes when she is asked to assist on a case. The case involves a building that caught fire where they were unsure how many bodies they may find. This book captured my attention from the start.

Name of Book: Fire and Bone
Series: Temperance Brennan #23
Author: Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Scribner
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: August 6, 2024
My Rating: 3.8 Rounded up
Pages: 288

This is #23 in the “Bones” series; although I have not read the entire series-; there are recurring characters Ryan - a former detective with the Quebec Provincial Police, now self-employed as a private investigator and is Tempe’s longtime partner both romantically as well as professionally and her daughter Katy. The stories typically are not continued from the previous book so actually can be read as a stand-alone!

Temperance ’Tempe’ Brennan is a forensic anthropologist who works in Charlotte, North Carolina as well as Quebec.
In this story, she is asked to help identify bodies in Washington DC who were burned in a fire in an illegal BnB in Foggy Bottom. She is reluctant at first because working with burn victims is difficult on many levels. Additionally she and Ryan were scheduled to go on a romantic getaway.
Story is set DC not Charlotte or Montreal, so our usual characters don’t have a big role only Katy is the other who got her mother involved in the DC case.

Story had me from page one! There sure was a lot going on for what turned out to be a quick read.

About the Author Kathy Reichs
Dr. Reichs is a forensic anthropologist for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of North Carolina, and for the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale for the province of Quebec. (Hmmm sounds a lot of Tempe!!!!)
Additionally is a professor of anthropology at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte,
She is a native of Chicago, where she received her Ph.D. at Northwestern- now divides her time between Charlotte and Montreal and is a frequent expert witness in criminal trials.

Want to thank NetGalley and Scribner for this eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 6, 2024.

A quick fun read. Light reading in comparison with her other books. Forget the TV character when you read this book, this Tempe Brennan is conversational,often funny and is relatable. You can see what's coming in a couple of instances but it doesn't deter from enjoying the book. It was hard to put down once I started to read. I don't give book reports, the cover gives an adequate description of the story line without giving spoilers.Read and enjoy!
I was invited to read this book but was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Fire and Bones is Kathy Reichs are her finest! Seriously... this book is sooooooooo good! Temperance does her daughter, Katy, a favor.... and interview with Katy's friend, Ivy, who is a reporter. She's covering a fatal fire in Washington, DC. And, this favor turns into so much more! Tempe heads off to DC to help with the identification of bodies from a fire. She ends up staying with Ivy when her hotel is overbooked - and OMG - Ivy's house sounds incredible! Plus, there's Lan making the most delicious culinary options! Back to the mystery... Tempe digs deep into the unidentified bodies, the owners of the structure, and then a dive into Washington DC history. Told in Ms. Reich's incredible "Tempe" style with the asides. I could NOT put this book down - This might me by all-time favorite Temperance Brennan book! A great big thank you to Scribner for an advanced reader of this book - the opinions expressed are my own.

Personally, I'm happy that forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan gets coerced into giving up a romantic three-day vacation in Savannah with main squeeze Andrew Ryan to take a look at victims of an arson fire in Washington, D.C. - but mostly because it makes for an intriguing investigation. Ryan, though, is less than thrilled - pulling a disappearing act that pretty much leaves him out of the action. Yes, Tempe misses him, and truth be told, so did I - a lot.

The gutted building is located in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of D.C. - far from the "best" part of town - and it appears to have been used as an Airbnb property. Several people died in the fire, and since Tempe is experienced in examining and identifying crispy victims, her expertise is very much needed. But in addition to the bodies found in the ashes, she finds another victim - a tiny woman - almost literally wadded up in a potato sack that dates back to Prohibition. That one, needless to say, proves challenging when it comes to an ID.

Early on, Tempe faces another challenge, though; a place to stay. Apparently, all the hotels are filled, so she ends up staying where she'd rather not be - with TV news anchor Ivy Doyle, who's a friend of Tempe's daughter Katy. Some of the action, then centers on trying to not reveal enough information about the arson investigation that the story ends up on the 6 p.m. news. Then, another building in the same general area goes up in flames, adding another layer to the investigation and further delaying any rendezvous with Ryan (assuming he's still speaking to her).

Are the two fires connected? Who are the victims - and did the arsonist intend to kill them? And who is the little lady in the potato sack and who put her there? And perhaps most important of all, can the relationship between Tempe and Ryan be rekindled? All these questions, and more, are addressed as the story progresses; the details you'll need to find out by reading the book for yourself. I certainly enjoyed learning the answers, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review this, the 23rd book in the series I've followed since the very beginning.

Temperance Brennan is ready for some much-needed time off with her long-distance boyfriend Andrew Ryan. Unfortunately, Tempe is needed in Washington D.C. ASAP. She will have to analyze the victims of a building that was set on fire in a neighborhood known as Foggy Bottom. This time she teams up with Ivy Doyle, a telejournalist. The pair uncovers that the house that was set ablaze was once used for nefarious purposes in the 1930s and 1940s by the Foggy Bottom Gang. When another nearby building burns and a descendant of the Foggy Bottom Gang is murdered, the mystery deepens. Tempe and Ivy cannot stop themselves from probing further into this mystery.

I have come to enjoy Kathy Reichs’ writing as well as the Temperance Brennan series. This one can definitely be read as a standalone but is better read as part of the series. I enjoyed the background in Washington D.C. and thought it was a great setting for this book. I enjoyed the character Ivy and how Tempe works with her in this book. I give this one 4/5 stars. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys the Temperance Brennan series!

Thank you NetGalley for a prerelease of Fire and Bones.

I’ve read every novel in this series. Kathy Reichs continues to create suspenseful, compelling mysteries with Temperance at the helm. Her new novel has lots of twists and turns - and not everything is what it seems. You need to read it yourself to find out who can be trusted…

“Fire and Bones” finds Temperance Brennan in Washington, D.C., as part of an arson investigation. She discovers a body, and we’re off — into a world of bodies, gangs, crime sprees, and danger. This is a solid Tempe novel, with mysteries to solve, humor, and enough twists and turns to keep us guessing. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Tempe Brennan is back, and is summoned to Washington, DC in order to help with forensic work involved with four fatalities caused by a deadly fire in Foggy Bottom. She stays with a DC journalist, Ivy Davis, and becomes embroiled in a related cold case involving another body discovered in the sub basement of the fire site. Brennan approaches the cases with her usual thoroughness, plus her distinctive humor. A surprise subplot makes the story even more ,intriguing.

It was mostly a typical Tempe mystery. This one took place in DC. Had a chinchilla, and a lot of fire. Tempe is called in by a sorta friend of Katy's and then not only does she get sucked into the arson case, but, there's a second case that was even more mysterious that she finds herself pulled into. I really liked the DC Detective Deery. (although it took a min to get used to him, his character was so interesting. Ooh, maybe he can move to North Carolina.... or Montreal....heh). Ivy was ok too, also hard to get to like, and the stuff with Ryan was... it felt slightly off. but wasn't obviously bad. This was definitely a solid read.

Having never read a novel by Kathy Reichs, I did not know what to expect. What I discovered was an enjoyable, interesting and intriguing story about a forensic anthropologist who takes on an assignment to the office of the Washington DC Medical Examiner involved in determining causes of multiple suspicious fires and deaths. Along the way, the reader faces murders, a chinchilla, a family vendetta and learns a significant amount of the history of Washington DC architecture. This reader also found the writing superb and, at times, extremely humorous and descriptive —- “Skinny has all the charm of dripping snot,” a cat “howling like his genitals were on fire,” a pet store named “Howl to the Chief,” and “….skin the color of week-old tea.”
This novel is highly recommended and I thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

Fire and Bones is a classic Temperance Brennan novel from Kathy Reichs. It's everything reads have come to expect from Reichs and Brennan with a multilayered mystery involving arson and burned remains. The novel takes place in Washington D.C., out of Brennan's home turf, so the supporting cast of characters is mostly new.

Reichs lays clues subtle enough that they are noted, and the resolution doesn't seem to come out of nowhere, but not so obvious that you solve the mystery ahead of Brennan. I appreciated the consistency of Brennan's voice, being someone who has read prior books but not for years, it felt like I was returning to an old, known friend.

Thank you to Kathy Reichs and Scibner for the ARC in exchange for my honest review of Fire and Bones.

This was a great thriller with many twists and turns. I couldn't put it down! Temperance Brennan is one of my favorite ever book characters!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Fire and Bones
by Kathy REichs
Pub Date: August 6, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with a twisty, unputdownable thriller featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, who finds herself at the center of a Washington, DC, arson investigation that spawns deepening levels of mystery and, ultimately, violence.
#23 in the series. Our favorite forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan is ready for some desperately needed time off with her long-distance love interest... none other than Andrew Ryan .(Just goes by Ryan) A former detective with the Quebec Provincial Police, now self-employed as a private investigator.
I adore Tempe’s character. Fiercely independent and professional. But she also has a quirky side that’s both fun and a bit snarky. A perfect combination!
I enjoy Reichs’ writing. It is intelligent and she has a clever way with words. A good sense of humor comes through in Tempe’s witty observations. I always learn some new information from her novels, whether it be in the area of forensic pathology or something related to the plot.Reichs is a master at building up suspense at the end of each chapter with a tease that makes the reader want jump into the next one.

I think I have read all of the books in the “Bones” series, however, each one works as a standalone. While this might not have been the strongest plot in the series, it still made for an engrossing read. I look forward to the next one!