When a new corpse arrives at the morgue, it has, unfortunately, been badly damaged by feral pigs making it almost impossible to identify. Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is intrigued and determined to discover the identity despite having been frozen out of the lab by her new boss. Still, she won't let that stop her and immediately sets out to investigate with a little (actually a lot) of help from Erskine 'Skinny' Slidell, a long-time and old school detective with the Charlotte police department. But even he can't keep Tempe from getting herself in several dangerous situations.

It seems like lately I've been revisiting series that I had not visited in a very long time and I'm not sure if it's my memory or the series but they haven't lived up to my expectations. This is true of A Conspiracy of Bones, the latest book by Kathy Reichs. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it well enough. perhaps it was that, outside the lab, Brennan seemed less professional but no less reckless than what I remember from those past books. Or maybe it's just that, despite few references to books I haven't read, I felt somewhat disoriented and it took me a while to find the pace. Regardless, the story did keep me reading if not completely immersed for the most part. There is one section where she makes a record of what has already happened that seemed closer to how real forensic anthropology is likely done that I found interesting. However, I have read some reviews that seemed to find it tedious. Anyway, overall, I'd recommend it mainly to fans of the series if purchasing. For anyone else, I suggest the library.

One caveat: I would recommend, for anyone averse to cruelty to animals as I am, you might want to skip ahead a few paragraphs at the word 'kitten'

3.5 stars

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

Fans of this series will be thrilled with this latest instalment.
I highly recommend reading the series in order.

A Conspiracy of Bones was a book that took me on a wild ride. It is also one of the most modern books I have ever read. It seems Kathy Reichs is a master at taking anything that is happening in our world today and is able to knit it into a masterpiece. In this book, she used murder, mystery, conspiracy theories, fake news, child pornography, and fear that takes place in many shapes and form, to create a very powerful and compelling story that will leave you wanting for more.
I admit, I have never read one of her Temperance Brennan books, but I have seen the series Bones. Still, the series has nothing compared to the book. What is on the screen is but a pale comparison than to what is on the page, which is so much better in my view.
The action in the book is constant. We really dive deep into, not only the mystery of the murder itself, but into the very psyche and fears of the main character of the book, Temperance Brennan herself. We find her at an important turn in her life, one I am sure she would have preferred not to face. But like we all do in life, when we all have a right hook that hits us out of nowhere, she has to learn to deal with a personal crisis like none other, just like we all have to do when tragedy hits us. I will not say which tragedy it is; you will have to figure that out as you read. But I did feel her fears and her uncertainties in this story. It was palpable and very real.
If you love murder, mystery, justice, you will love this book series. I know I will have to get all the other books of the series, and it will take time, but I know it will be a fantastic investment for me, as I am sure it is for all readers of this book and of this incredible author. I strongly recommend this book to all who love very heavy-duty murder mysteries. Not the cozy kind, but the kind that will leave ice in your veins in the dread of the discoveries around a very serious subject: murder. There is nothing funny about that and Temperance Brennan will remind us at every turn of the page. Happy reading!

I have missed Temperance. I read all the books when they first came out but after a while life got in the way and I lost track of where I was in the series. Happily I was able to pick right back up and dive into this gem. I love all the knowledge and dedication to specifics that goes into these stories. Here we follow Temp as she is dealing with some personal issues. She is sent a few photos of a body that has been ravaged by feral hogs and so begins the descent into the dark web, conspiracy theories, missing children, and the distribution of child porn around the world. I learned so much reading this, not just about the above topics but about the trials and tribulations the police force face when trying to bring people to justice. Criminals are finding more and more ways of hiding and some of them as horrific in their ingenuity. I liked the ending and how it smacked of reality and the never ending battle of good against evil. This is a gripping tale and I had a hard time putting it down. It will stay with me for a long time. Amazing.

I'm sure I would have enjoyed this installment in the "Temperance Brennan" series more if I had kept up with the series, but the last one I read was prior to the TV series (which I did not watch or follow), and I felt like I was missing too much background to connect with Tempe's character this time around.

Slow to start, Tempe, a forensic anthropologist, is out of work recovering from an aneurysm surgery when she becomes embroiled in the mystery of identifying a "faceless" corpse after receiving a mysterious text message with crime scene photos.

I know it's her character to be so passionate about her profession that she would pursue this case even though all agencies are vehemently discouraging her involvement...but it still bugs me, and I can't get past her recklessness and impatience in this particular story line.

The other problem for me was that so much of the book was just reading about Tempe's internet research, and I just got bored with her foray into the dark web. Unfortunately, it is in my character to get annoyed with the endless scenarios and speculation that was going through Tempe's mind as she researching and investigating...maybe if there had been more dialogue?

The book picked up in the second half, but as a fan of Reichs' earlier books in this series, it was not enough for me.

Thank you to NetGalley who provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book was well written with a lot of suspense, and the characters were very believable. I enjoyed the book with the exception of one section where she had to reconstruct everything they had done on the case. She listed the date, what they did, and the outcome. It made for a repeat of what I had already read so I found that part was hard to stay with, as I wanted to get on with the rest of the book.

Felt amazing immersing myself back into the life of Temperance Brennan. Kathy Reichs used to be or should I say still is one of my fav authors ever! I have missed a few books in the series but I didn't feel lost at all. I forgot how much I missed the mystery and crime solving, these books give us readers.

Tempe Brennan is back. She’s had some medical issues, is still coming to terms with the loss of her boss and mentor and has a low opinion of the person now heading up the ME office for Mecklenburg County. The feelings are mutual and Brennan finds herself on the outside looking in with her services no longer required in North Carolina.

When a body is found ravaged by feral pigs,Tempe receives photos of the crime scenes anonymously and begins working with Skinny Slidell to identify the body against ME Margot Heavener’s orders. What they uncover leads to more and more mysteries and other unsolved cases in the area.

Welcome back Kathy Reichs. She takes the reader on a wild and convoluted ride and adds an element of unreliable narrator into the mix to keep you turning pages following leads along with Skinny and Tempe. Tempe takes risks. She always takes risks and it’s up to Slidell to keep her safe while he hunts down his own theories on the case. This is a great addition to the series and this is one time when reading the afterword by the author reveals much about the new version of Tempe we see in Conspiracy.

Well done.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

Pulse-pounding suspense ride!

Temperance Brennan is recovering from a delicate surgery and suffers from migraines and nightmares, so the last thing she needs is a strange man lurking in the shadows of her home late at night. But when she goes out to look for him he vanishes.

Then, a series af ghastly photographs are sent to her via text messages and leads her to a faceless corpse. Her new boss blocks her at every turn, forcing Tempe to work outside the system in order to track down the victim’s identity and his link to her.

This is my first Kathy Reichs book- though I LOVE the television series- and I was excited to get my grubby little hands on it. As you can see by her impressive bio, Dr. Reichs knows her stuff and this led to a, sometimes, jaw-dropping read!

Told in first party, it took me a bit to get into Tempe’s character, but I think that’s my own lack of knowledge and nothing to do with the quality of writing. The book is intelligent, gritty, clever, and filled with plot twists to keep even the most diehard mystery reader guessing.

I give A Conspiracy of Bones 5 lovely kisses- good stuff!

“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

I have always been a big fan of the Brennan book series but had lost a bit of interest in the past years.. I am glad I read this book as it has re-engaged my appreciation of the character and the author. I love her ability to focus on evidence and to work at the smallest of details to figure things out. I like that past characters are still involved and relevant with Dr. Brennan (Slidell and Ryan) despite the aging cast.

This book was full of current topical concepts such as: conspiracy theories, doomsday preppers, online child exploitation and shock radio. Dr. Brennan still lets her curiosity/enthusiasm get the best of her but her decision making didn't feel too wild for such an intelligent woman.

I always learn something reading these books and appreciate the insight into how the science works.

'Perhaps going rogue was an attempt to steer unsteerable forces. A bird-flip to aging."

"I need to be aware of the foolishness flying loose in the world."

"My curiosity was like a force field driving me forward."

"Slidell was right on my heels, smelling of temper and sweaty synthetics."

Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a Temperance Brennan fan since the first book was published and it is great to see that Tempe Brennan is back! Along with Andrew Ryan and former Charlotte detective Erskine “Skinny” Slidell try to identify a mutilated corpse, pictures of which have been sent to her anonymously.

The plot is a pretty convoluted one, mixing conspiracy theories and child kidnappings and child pornography. In this installment, Tempe does not act much in the role of pathologist but rather an investigative police style role. Regardless, her gut instinct and fantastic mental acuteness stand her in good stead.

For a long running series the quality has never faltered and I hope to read many more Tempe Brennan novels in the years to come. Thank you to NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Normally I enjoy Kathy Reichs books however I didn't like this one. I found that it dwelt too much on women's clothing and cosmetics and the heroine found herself in too many unbelievable situations that couldn't or wouldn't happen.

Kathy Reichs returns with her 19th novel featuring her forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. In Charlotte, North Carolina, Temperance Brennan, still recovering from neurosurgery following an aneurysm, is battling nightmares, migraines, and what she thinks might be hallucinations when she receives a series of mysterious text messages, each containing a new picture of a corpse that is missing its face and hands. Immediately, she’s anxious to know who the dead man is, and why the images were sent to her. In this instance Temp has to go rogue. Tempe’s new boss holds a fierce grudge against her and is determined to keep her out of the case. Tempe pushes forward. The clues she discovers are disturbing and confusing.

What emerges is a very twisted picture involving missing children, an unidentified body, hidden bunkers left over from the Cold War but modified for a different purpose and unethical fake news purveyors on the internet.

Highly recommended.

Tempe anonymously receives photos of a man with no face or hands and is not asked to consult on the case due to a new ME that holds a grudge so she investigates on her own. Still recovering from surgery for an aneurysm, she begins to doubt the clues and her own abilities.
Like all of Kathy Reichs' books this is written with great attention to detail. I found it lacking in the forensic lab and anthropology department which I missed. The plot was not one of her best but it was still an enjoyable read.
Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

This book started out a little slow and dry with Temperance giving into her paranoia, her problems associated with her aneurysm, her migraines. She's seeing people outside her home, whom she follows only to find that there was no one there. She does not get along with the new medical examiner. A lot f the dialogue is 'self-talk' and not interaction with others. Her cat is quite the interesting character in this book.

I have read all of the books in this series with various opinions on each.

This one was probably the most boring. It took me forever to read is as I had to force myself to finish it.

This book should have been called "inside Tempe's head." Most of the story is Tempe thinking and analyzing as well as thinking up ways of showing her new boss who is more virtuous.

Seriously there are pages and pages of Tempe's inner dialogue.

She spends very little time doing anything that made her fun in previous books and this self righteous act got old fast.

Oh, she also added little gems to her story which include "the wind beat at the Annex like an angry landlord come for overdue rent" or ".... the guy either likes cats or he is a cat burglar'

Unfortunately this book was just too boring and silly.

The 19th instalment of Tempe Brennan's story is a page-turner. After a year's absence from writing due to health issues, Kathy Reichs has released a winner. Tempe Brennan's health story mirrors the author's struggle with a brain aneurysm and migraines, which lends real authenticity to the story.

Tempe Brennan has been frozen out of the latest forensic case by her evil new boss. However, an unknown person has been texting her inside info on the case, and her contacts within the medical examiner's office and Charlotte police department have been helping her with her rogue investigation. This mystery does not disappoint! As usual, Reichs has woven an intricate and complex mystery, filled with the latest forensic science tools to help her along the way. Her health struggles present an added layer of challenge. Is her aneurysm causing her to hallucinate? Tempe has never had to question her own senses like this before.

Reichs is a master at her craft. I have read the majority of her Tempe Brennan books and I would say that this is among the best of the series.

**This book will also be reviewed in an upcoming video on my YouTube channel.

I've heard of this author because who hasn't watched every episode of Bones.
First time reading one of the actual books though, and oh my gosh.. what a fantastic book this was!
Tempe is an amazing character as are the other characters in the book.
The author had me turning pages and missing out on sleep to finish the book lol.
The level of detail in the book is amazing, and will capture your attention and have you seeing what she sees.
An outstanding story and now I have to find more of the original stories to read.
Kathy Reichs has a new fan of her written books.
I'm so happy I was given the opportunity to read this book in advance. Many thanks to the publisher.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. It was a well written book. I liked the variety of characters in it. I hope to read more books by this author.

Yet again, Kathy Reichs has written another amazing book featuring Temperance Brennan. This book was unique in the fact it completely centred around things happening to her. She is learning to live with the aneurism in her head and the migraines that are plaguing her. Waking one night she sees a man in a trench coat on the lawn. She follows him but he escapes. Upon waking the next day she isn’t sure if it was real or if her migraine induced a hallucination. The she receives gruesome pictures on her phone and enlists the help of a retired police officer. What ensues is a twisted trail of horrendous crimes that Tempe and Skinny uncover during the investigation. The author creates wonderfully deep characters and being a big fan I loved this book as much as any of the others in this series. Thank you to NetGalley, Kathy Reichs and Simon and Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this book.