SPOILERS below - Read at your own risk.

I have read all of the "bones" books to-date, and unfortunately was not as pleased with this one as I have been with the other more recent editions.

I enjoyed that Katy and Ryan made an appearance, since they have been absent recently, but I felt their roles were superficial in this one. I liked we were in a new location (DC) with new side kicks (Ivy and Deely) and multiple storylines playing out at once.

Overall I felt the rest of the book was under-developed. There were so many things happening (most to explain plot holes like Ben & his side chick murder to burn down the 3rd house and Ryan just happening to go off grid that enough space wasn't available for deeper meaningful story development. I got excited when the concept of genetic genealogy came up for the old bones, after recently reading the book by the genetic geneaologist who helped identify the Golden State Killer. However, there was only a conversation about what it is and then the entire concept never went anywhere else.

The entire solution to the crime hinges on assumptions that were never concretely proven. Was Sue just a batty old lady who brainwashed her grandsons? Or did the Warrings really bully their family?

Additionally, there was SO MUCH repetition of phrases and situations I rolled my eyes a few times: a shadow darkened her door (honestly thought it was going to be Ryan a couple times), Christ/Jesus on a pickel/toast, Tempe woke up and had no idea where she was.

Overall it was a quick read and had familiar aspects you'll have come to love if you're a long time reader. But this one seemed rushed and a bit too light for me.

Tempe awakes to the phone very early in the morning. Her daughter, Katy, wants Tempe to help her friend Ivy who is a TV news woman in DC, and is covering a fire in Foggy Bottom. Ivy wants to interview her about the fire. Temp finally agrees. While packing to go to go on vacation, Tempe gets another call from the DC medical examiner who had watched the interview, was short on staff, and asks her to come help.

The fire has finally been brought under control, and Tempe goes in the building with the fire men. She finally finds the last body who has fallen down through the floors to the basement. When there is no hotel room available to her, Tempe is invited to move in with Ivy, who lives in a huge house. She later finds yet another basement below the original in the burned house, and finds a body in a burlap bag which has been there for many years! Soon another house in Foggy Bottom burns as well. Tempe is sure that the burning houses are connected with gang members.

The more that Temp figures out, the more danger she is in, especially since she is interviewing members of gang which has been active in Foggy Bottom for three generations. She is trying to ignore the texts telling her to stop investigating.

This is a very exciting book and a great addition to the series. I thank Netgalley and Scribner for the ARC so I could read the book before publication.

Very quick read with an interesting historical story line and some subtle nuance. Enjoyed seeing how Reichs introduced Ivy Doyle via Brennan's daughter, Katy, and then how Brennan and Doyle worked together to solve the crimes. A few interesting twists that definitely added to the story line. I did not like that Brennan jeopardized her relationship with Ryan for her own personal interests.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

While packing for a long weekend getaway with Ryan, Tempe is wooed to Washington D.C. to consult on an arson case. Fire scenes are some of the worst to sift through and work; the bodies found are hard to work with to identify. Tempe is always up for a challenge, so she semi-reluctantly goes, risking her relationship with Ryan in doing so. Anticipating working closely with the ME that called her in to consult, Brennan instead finds herself joining forces with a journalist of all people. Ivy Doyle has already started her own investigation, and when Tempe finds herself staying at Ivy's home, it's only natural they share information. When another fire sparks a couple of nights later in the same part of town, everyone's suspicions start to lean toward a connection and a potential crime spree beginning. Suddenly, the heat is on, pun intended, to get to the bottom of the fires in Foggy Bottom. But as an arrest is made and the crime keeps happening, it looks like someone else is taking advantage of the fires in Foggy Bottom.

Whew. After book 22 in the series was such a disappointment for me personally, I was wondering if Reichs was starting to lose her way with Brennan. There are only so many storylines any person - or even group of people - can develop to keep a series going. But Reichs did rebound with book 23, thank goodness. Reichs took Brennan, for the second book in a row, out of her usual haunts and away from her usual partners in solving crime to continue to do what she does best - examining the bones and helping to solve crimes. I continue to be more enamored with the TV character Tempe Brennan than the original one Reichs created. Brennan last visited The Great North quite some time ago, and I found myself missing Brennan and Ryan knocking around Canada, solving some grisly crime. I also miss Ryan being an active policeman because it created a sound and appealing dynamic between Brennan and Ryan, and that's been sorely missing since Reichs retired him. Despite those criticisms, I enjoyed this title, read it quickly, and am still interested in this series.

Another chapter in the story of Temperance Brennan. This book was enjoyable, if a little simplistic The foreshadowing at the end of almost every chapter for some reason just annoys me, and honestly, takes away from the effect because of overuse. But the story is good!

Thank you to Net Galley and Scribner for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I've seen Bones many times but had never actually read anything by Kathy Reichs. I loved this book and the thing that surprised me the most was that the author was so funny! I burst out laughing when she described a character as wearing lipstick the color of a baboon's butt. It was like that all the way through. I also enjoyed all the nerdy science stuff and the way Temperance's mind operated when she was in crisis. In this book, Temperance goes to Washington DC for a fire in Foggy Bottom. There are two mysteries in the burnt-out building, and Temperance doesn't stop until she unravels both. I will be reading more of Kathy Reich's books!

Fire and Bones is the 23rd book in the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs. For readers who found book 22 disappointing, Fire and Bones is a big improvement. In this most recent novel, Tempe is asked to travel to Washington DC to help with the forensic autopsies of 4 arson fire victims. Fire and Bones opens with one of the victims awakening to a fire just outside her room. There are a lot of new characters, but Reichs does a good job of keeping them straight. Most of these characters have dimension and are interesting, with well defined backgrounds to relate. The mystery is nicely layered. Fire and Bones is interesting and fun. The ending, even with an Epilogue, is abrupt. It felt like I should turn the page and look for more, which is what I did.

Thank you to the author, publisher Scribner, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for me to read and review. The comments above are my own.

Kathy Reichs has again crafted an intriguing mystery. Brennan get called by her daughter to do a favor for a woman who "saved her life" in Afghanistan . The woman is a reporter working on a story about how forensic archeologist Identify burn victims in a building fire. Brennan reluctantly agrees to do the interview in D.C. She postpones a much needed retreat with Ryan ( her boyfriend) and heads to D.C. only to be contacted by the Head Medical Examiner about a building fire with four fatalities. The building has a colorful past and a warren of underground tunnels with another corpse in a burlap bag untouched by the fire. There are twists and turns and definitely danger.
This is very similar to her usual style of book, but I had a feeling I had read something so similar to this story by a different author maybe. That said , it was still an enjoyable read and a welcomed addition to the series.

In this 23rd entry in the series, Temperance Brennan turns away from a much needed vacation to go to Washington D.C. to aid in the investigation of five deaths, four of which occurred in fires. Soon, Temperance ties the past to the present finding that an investigative reporter engaged to a real estate developer, may have unearthed old stories of the property that tie to the fires and murders. The narration of the story by Temperance adds to the reader's ties to the character and story. Of course, Temperance's strong personality shines through as she faces police investigators, bad guys, and her love interest. Thanks to Net Galley for the arc.

Loved the new installment of Temperance Brennan, Forensic Anthropologist assisting in Washington DC pathologist in multiple fire victims one dating back to near prohibition times!

Love her quick wit, and her ability to partner with detectives and fire marshals to get to the identification of the victims, and often solving the crime.

Buy it! Check it out at your library! Read it, her character just gets better with each adventure!


Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for the advanced copy of:

Fire and Bones
by Kathy Reichs

Pub Date Aug 06 2024
Scribner
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers

Fire and Bones is the 23rd book in the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs. Tempe is closing up a case and getting ready for a long weekend with her Boyfriend when she gets a call from the ME in Washington DC. There has been a fire at an old home in Foggy Bottom with multiple victims and the ME could use Tempe's help and expertise. Due to it being Memorial Day weekend and much activity going on in the nation's capital, the ME is unable to find accomodations for Tempe. Luckily Katy, Tempe's daughter, has a reporter friend (Ivy) who lives around the DC area and offered to allow Tempe to stay with her. Tempe and Ivy work together sharing what information they can to try and determine who started the fire, as well as a couple of others, and what the motive is behind them.

I found this novel to be enjoyable and fast paced. I loved the author's writing along with the twist and turns. It captured my attention and I didn't really want to put it down. Kathy Reichs has been doing this for awhile now, and her books are still a great ride that one doesn't want to leave. I hope she continues this series for a long time.

Thank you NetGalley and Scribner publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. #NetGalley #FireandBones

Kathy Reichs always delivers!

This case centers on an arson investigation in Washington DC. Tempe Brennan has teamed up with an investigative reporter to dig into the crime family that owned the burned buildings. Is there a connection? Was one of the victims the target? And what about the lady whose corpse is found in a basket in the hidden subbasement?

Always highly recommended. #FireandBones #NetGalley #Salt MarshAuthors

This is book 23 for Kathy Reichs and Brennan. It is, as usual, an interesting and engaging crime that needs solved and I loved both the Foggy Bottom gang and our new journalist friend. My dislike was that for the second book in a row that I have read of hers, Ryan and Brennan are having issues, Ryan was completely missing for most of this book, and the ending was very abrupt and left giant holes open.

Brennan's about to embark on a romantic, much needed getaway to Savannah with Ryan when her daughter calls asking for a favor. Her reporter friend in DC is covering a fire with multiple casualties in a historic neighborhood and wants an interview. The interview results in her being asked to consult by the ME and she very begrudgingly cancels her travel plans to head to DC. The mystery deepens as more fires and bodies pile up across Foggy Bottom. Paired with a dreary cop, a jerk arson investigator and an ME who might not be sharing all the details, Brennan is determined to get to the bottom of it before she heads back to her home in Charlotte. An improvement over the last installation in the Brennen series and the new setting in DC paired with the history is a welcome change of pace. One of the storylines ends in a "we'll probably never know" situation, which I understand probably happens more often than not in real life, but it's fiction so a juicier resolution would have been appreciated.

No time is ever wasted when reading a book by Kathy Reichs but it seems to me that her books are getting shorter and shorter. Although I appreciate books that pull me along mercilessly, this one could use a bit more fleshing out.

A fun (and very fast) read full of long time feuds, chinchillas, recent and long undiscovered bodies and plenty of (gruesome but readable) details about forensic anthropology. Takes place in DC in the Foggy Bottom area -- a place I've heard of but knew little about. Read in a single sitting -- just what I needed.

I absolutely love this book. All the books in this series is great. Tempe is Intelligent and I love how her brain works. This series always keeps me guessing and on my toes. LOVE every second reading this book and the others.

Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs is a welcome addition in the Tempe Brennan series. Called to Foggy Bottom, an area of Washington D.C., to help identify arson victims, Tempe finds an extra body. As usual there is lots of forensic knowledge and a good mystery to solve. There is always room for one more Kathy Reichs book to be read.

Tempe finds herself stuck in D. C. Working on an arson case involving multiple victims. Plenty of suspense with multiple mysteries that will keep you turning the pages. Another good addition to the series. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Kathy Reichs has done it again! Edge of your seat suspense, a fine mix of forensic science and who done it, even a Bones joke thrown in! Brennan finds herself stuck in Washington DC by no choice of her own. After a mysterious fire and the discovery of a well preserved body, Brennan is swept into a Hatfield and McCoy type feud. Brennan goes above and beyond to have justice served. With no help from local law enforcement, Brennan uses her wits to "follow the clues". A roller coaster thrill ride to the end with twist you will not see coming.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to review this book.

I will share on all my social medias the week of street date.

Scott Lovelace
33 Lovelace Ln
Humboldt TN 38343