Bones Never Lie

by Kathy Reichs

Bantam Books    2014

334 pages     Fiction

Bones Never Lie is the seventeenth book in the Bones series by Kathy Reichs. And this was my introduction to the series. It was an ok place to begin, although I would guess that the rest of the series is as good as number seventeen. Some Goodreads reviewers thought this was the best one of the series. I can't believe that I missed sixteen other mysteries! Where have I been?

 Dr. Temperance Brennan is a forensic anthropologist working in two cities, Montreal and Charlotte North Carolina. She is the alter ego of the author who is, in reality, one of a very few forensic anthropologists in North America. Brennan is haunted once again by her arch nemesis from Montreal, a woman named Anique Pomperleau, who tortures and kills young girls, sometimes after having kidnapped them, holding them hostage for long periods of time. This time, it appears that a girl has been tortured and killed in North Carolina. Could Pomperleau have come this far south to taunt Brennan? Police in northern Vermont also have a cold case that is similar, but of course, Vermont is close to the Canadian border so police in both countries are involved. As Brennan and her erstwhile partner and sometime lover, Andrew Ryan investigate, several more cold cases arise that seem to be tied to Pomperleau. Surprisingly, Pomperleau is discovered dead, and the detectives know that someone else is out there killing little girls. 

It is easy to see how Kathy Reichs uses her experience to construct her plots. It would take a forensic anthropologist to come up with some of the details that makes Bones Never Lie an exciting book. One reader calls the twist upon which the plot pivots "sticky" and it is so unusual that it truly sticks in your brain. Wait until you read it! The case seems to be going nowhere until Brennan's mother, who is in an assisted living facility facing dementia and cancer, uncovers some of the missing details with rather amazing online sleuthing. This, in itself, is a clever detail that adds to the suspense and enjoyment for the reader.

I received Bones Never Lie  as an advanced reader's copy and I tried to put it aside to read books higher up on my list. For some reason, the book just kept calling to me from the shelf until I tackled it and finished it in a couple of sittings. It was great fun and because my teenage grandson was visiting this week, he loved hearing all the gory details.

A good review on an excellent mystery book blog.

Kathy Reichs website and blog.