Thank you to NetGalley for a prerelease of The Bone Code. I'm a HUGE fan of Kathy Reichs novels. This one did not disappoint. In fact, it's one of my favorite in her series to date! The story was suspenseful, rooted in science, and engaging to read. However, you don't need to have a background in science to understand the clues and concepts. I also applaud her for finding a way to incorporate vaccines and viruses into the storyline (topics on everyone's mind these days). I cannot recommend this book enough!

I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to write yet another book in a series. This one is a winner! The gifted author creates an intriguing fictional thriller, while subtly citing authentic knowledge. Should you be a fan of Tempe Brennan, this mystery is a must-read.

Although I haven’t read that many in this series, I do like Tempe.
Story starts with Hurricane Incara about to hit the South Carolina coast and mandatory evacuation has been ordered. . Tempe and her cat Birdie weather the storm with no serious injuries.
However, the storm has washed up a medical waste container ~ inside are two bodies wrapped in plastic bond with electrical wire. Hmm doesn’t sound a normal medical waste contain to me!
Medical forensic anthropologist us called by the local coroner. This sounds a lot like an unsolved case in Quebec Canada.
Additionally health authorities in South Carolina are alarmed about human flesh-eating bacteria. Aww our gal has got her work cut out for herself!
The first of the story ‘had ‘me. Living in California we experience earthquakes; when we lived in the mid-west we experienced tornados. We experience a hurricane when we took our first vacation to Virginia Beach. As we checked into the motel I was like Tempe’s cat Birdie and was nervous. The manager assured us we would be safe and suggested where to park our little Volkswagen Bug so that it wouldn’t get hit by flying debris. I did sleep that night (I guess exhausted from the drive) we woke in the morning to beautiful sunshine and blue sky with white puffy clouds. It truly made me a believer in “this too will pass”!
⭐⭐⭐.4 Stars
Want to thank NetGalley and Scribner for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for professional review purposes only. Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 6, 2021

A coroner is faced with a case that has haunted her for years. A woman and a young girl were found floating in a waste disposal container in canadian waters. Now a similar container has been discovered containing the bodies of two young girls. Using all the science at her disposal, she must discover the identities of these women and hunt down their killer before he can strike again.

I had a difficult time getting into this book. For years, friends have been telling me how great Kathy Reichs" books are. And so, I gave it a chance. I stuck with the silly sounding character names and scientific jargon, and never gave up. And, boy, I'm glad I didn't!
The story was original and compelling and yes, even frightening. The writing is good and even humorous at times And despite the weird names, the character are well drawn. In the end, this was a real page turner. I highly recommend it.
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Tempe + Latest Forensics = Great Novel

The novel opens with Tempe doing some outside work at the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s Office. A CAT 3 hurricane is bearing down on on South Carolina, but an elderly lady is waiting to see her. She wants Tempe’s to find out what happened to her great aunt who went missing in Paris in 1888. The only clue is a picture of a death mask that looks exactly like her, her sister, and their grandmother. After the hurricane passes, her friend Anne calls and needs help to put her on the coast house in order. While there, she receives a call from the Charleston County coroner asking for help as a container washed up with two bodies, wrapped in plastic, badly decomposed, single bullet to the head, and with fingers and teeth gone. The kind of bodies that are right up Tempe’s alley. During the autopsy, this case reminded Tempe of a cold case from her early years in Montreal. The novel takes off from here.

The main storyline is told solely in the voice of Tempe. The action shifts between North Carolina and Montreal as Tempe flies back and forth working on both of these cases. Anne takes over the death mask case, and keeps Tempe up to date and gives Tempe an idea of using more contemporary DNA techniques. Being back in Montreal brought many memories of the early novels that primarily were set there. Claudel and Charbonneau are back with the old give and take enriching the Montreal portion of the main storyline. In Charleston, a new interesting character is introduced, Detective Vislosky, who personality works well with Tempe. I hope that she returns in the future. Even though the basic story line sounds complex, the author keeps all the parts understandable. The level of suspense builds throughout the novel and captured and maintain my interest all the way to the end.

The B-storyline is still fresh with new material especially her relationship with Ryan. Gone are the days of Tempe’s cozy ground floor apartment as she has moved in with Ryan in his high-rise apartment that shows how intwined their lives have become. Of course, observing the interactions between Tempe and her cat, Birdie, were quite enjoyable as Birdie seems to have many more opportunities to be irritated with Tempe especially flying to and back to Montreal. These B-storyline threads enhanced my enjoyment in reading this novel.

As for the aspects that causes angst for some readers, there are not any intimate scenes, but just references to it happening. Vulgar and rude language. seemed to have increased from the last novel, but when I checked, it actually decreased. In this novel, the reader is exposed to French rude language. Most of the violence is described in less edgy after the fact, but there is as it occurs. None of these raised any red flags for me.

This novel has many of the aspects to which I have become accustomed. Tempe’s unique way of describing people and events is still fresh. Her description of forensic genealogy is quite good, understandable, and does not bog now the flow of the main storyline. The twists and turns and a few literary grenades along the way ensured that I could not put this novel down. I finished in what for me is a very short period of time.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. I can rate this novel only with five stars. If you are fan, do not miss this novel. If you have read one of the numerous previous novels, you can start with this one.

I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Scribner with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Scribner for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs is delivered on an outstanding platform that is sure to snag readers for her other books. I had not read any of her books but was happy to know this was the 20th in this series and can be read out of order. The setting is the Isle of Palms beach in South Carolina where a Forensic Investigator Temperance "Bones" along side her long time beau Andrew open up a cold case that took place over 15 years earlier.

The scene begins when a canister washing upon shore with two bodies inside bound wrapped in plastic. When the familiarity of the case floods her memories of the previous case she takes it on in hopes of solving both.

Then a flesh eating bacteria, which can be found in the mouths of cats, dogs and humans attacks the people of Charleston. This disease Capnocytophaga can cause disturbing symptoms such as meningitis and septicemia. A very in depth research was needed to write this book, so kudos to this author who obviously knows her stuff.

This was an edge of the seat thriller that may lull some with the facts and information especially after the Covid pandemic, but hang on for a gripping climax. All of these terrifying events become connected with astonishing evidence.
Thank you NetGalley for this thriller ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

In the twentieth book in the Temperance Brennan series (the basis for the popular tv series Bones), forensic anthropologist Tempe gets called to investigate remains found washed up on a South Carolina beach in a medical waste container. The case is eerily similar to one she and her longtime beau Detective Andrew Ryan investigated fifteen years ago in Montreal.

If you haven't read the Temperance Brennan series, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. The writing isn't stellar, leaning too hard on cliches and formulaic plots that always end with a damsel in distress moment. Yet, sometimes the predictable nature of a detective series can be comforting. Having read all of the Temperance Brennan series (except book 19 which I somehow missed), I can say that The Bone Code is par for the series, not as good as many of the early novels, but much better than some of the recent ones.

I've been a fan of this series it seems like forever - this is the 20th book, and I doubt I've missed more than a couple. They're always a treat to read, and this one is no exception. Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is off to meet a friend who lives on the Isle of Palms off the coast of South Carolina amid a Category 3 storm that's threatening evacuation. A call from the coroner in Charleston tells her some kind of container has washed up on the beach. It seems the container's filled with two dead bodies - wrapped up in plastic sheeting and secured with electrical wire. Uh, oh, Tempe says to herself - that's too close for comfort to a case she handled in Quebec, where she regularly serves as a consultant in Montreal.

Concerned, she snags a flight to Montreal, hoping she can convince her supervisor there to reopen that old case. But she's also eager to touch base with her love buddy, Andrew Ryan, who's retired from the police and now puts his investigative skills to work as a private eye.

Just as she's prepping to head out, though, she's visited by an elderly lady who shows Tempe some photos and asks for help identifying a suspected ancestor. A little bit of research unearths a connection to so-called "death masks," but Tempe has little time to deal with it and hands off the task to the friend with whom she's staying on the island (there's a bit more mention of this story thread and it's kind of interesting, but it never seemed very important to the rest of the book).

As if dead bodies and a potentially deadly hurricane weren't enough, Charleston is facing terror of a different sort: not long after the threat of COVID-19 has faded, a new virus is on the horizon and spreading quickly. Tagged as "capnocytophaga," it appears to be transmitted to humans by way of dog bites. This outbreak, too, threads its way throughout the story, but the really good part lies in whether, and how, there's a connection between the four bodies found in containers 15 years apart. That investigation, with Tempe's charge aided and abetted by Andrew, gets the lion's share of pages (as it should) and puts both of their lives in danger more than once.

Throughout it all, the author's humor shines through (sometimes in the form of banter between Tempe and Andrew). And oh, did I mention how much I love Andrew? Not only is he extremely competent and oozes French charm when he wants to, this guy drinks Moosehead. That makes him "un homme apres mon propre coeur" (a man after my own heart, if my Googled translation is correct).

I must say, though, that while I love the medical stuff - one of the main reasons I'm attracted to this series - this one was a little too technical in spots for me to fully "get." But hear this: at no point did I want to put it down. In large part, chalk that up to the author's game of ending chapters with cliffhangers (some more precarious than others). Yeah, I tried to ignore that when dinner or bedtime came, but more often than not, she won.

All in all, excellent once again. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs will chill you to the bone while Tempe, the forensic anthropologist tries to solve murders hidden in medical containers that happened 15 years apart while a man-eating contagion spreads among the population during the COVID crisis. Neatly all tied together with bone codes, as only Reichs can do, this is oone offering you will want to read.

Life seems to be settling down for Temperance: the new head of the county’s ME office seems reasonable, an addition to her home will give space when Ryan moves in. But just when a private consult wraps up a real-life hurricane brings a metaphorical one into Brennan’s world. A container, tossed up but the storm, contains two female skeletons. That is horrific enough, but the case mirrors an unsolved case from early in her career consulting for Montreal. So starts a cross-border race to connect the pieces together and solve both crimes. Reichs makes technical information about genes and genetic tracing accessible -but frightening- in this gripping and satisfying 20th entry to the series. Highly recommended.

I received a free review copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I've never read a book by Kathy Reichs, but I was an avid watcher of the hit TV show, "Bones". Due to this, I was very familiar with Temperance "Bones" Brennan and the world that I was about to dive into. (I found it humorous how the TV show was subtly mentioned!)

PROS: Right away, I was sucked into the story and imagined myself in the crazy weather. Reich does a very good job of placing her readers in the places she's writing about. I enjoyed the interaction between Bones and Ryan. I thought the storyline was well-paced, too. Although some people may not like the vaccine/mRNA/Covid-ish talk, it really didn't bother me.

CONS: This is just an opinion, but there were too many technical medical terms for me. If I read the other Bones books, I might be more informed on these, so this just may be a "me thing"!

Overall, I thought this was a great, relevant book and would recommend it to Reichs fans and those (like me) who have never read a book by this author before. I will definitely be checking out more books by her!

I really enjoyed "The Bone Code." I especially liked that this one included the relatively newer subfield of forensic genealogy. Interesting and entertaining.

Kathy Reichs is a comfort read for me. I can rely on a good story and this book doesn't disappoint. It has our favorite characters and introduces a few new folks that are sure to show up again. The story involves a new case that intersects with a cold case. It takes us from the States to Canada and back again. Hang on tight!

Another good one by Kathy Reichs! One of the best things about Reichs' books is that she really shows you how Tempe contemplates things, both with the murders and her personal life. Her plots are complex and fairly realistic. I only pick up one of her books when I have several hours to read, because I know I will be sucked right in. Can't wait for the next one.

A great new installment to the series. This one had me laughing out loud and holding my breath, it definitely kept me intrigued to the very end.

Good fast paced thriller! This nook grabbed my attention from first page! And that's what I love about a good book! Loved the characters Dr. Brennan! This book was well written.... I wished I would have read the others before this one.... But I don't think it affects any whatsoever.

My first read of Reichs' Brennan series. I know the character only from the TV show, which is clearly based very generally on Tempe only. I enjoyed the story and the characters in both Charlotte and Montreal.

I have been a Kathy Reichs/Temperance Brennan fan for years upon years so I was thrilled to see that a new novel in the series is coming soon.

This installment begins with Tempe in Charlotte riding out the remains of a hurricane. A distress call from her friend Anne sends her to the Isle of Palms in South Carolina, where she is called upon to help the Charleston medical examiner's office with some bones that have washed up in a storage container due to the hurricane. In passing, she also hears of a new disease that's being transmitted from pets to humans, which ends up being connected, though the reader doesn't find out exactly how they're connected until much later. The case of the bones in the storage container is eerily similar to a case she worked in Quebec years ago, and as Tempe investigates (along with her boyfriend Andrew Ryan and assorted other colleagues) she finds more and more similarities. Eventually, she dives deeply into genetic research, vaccine production, and gene splicing to get to the bottom of the case.

One thing I have always loved about Ms. Reich's Tempe Brennan books is that opening each new book feels like meeting up with a group of old friends to catch up. Oh hey - here's Tempe and Ryan! And Claudel and Charbonneau! And Birdie the cat! I've thoroughly enjoyed watching the progression of relationships over the course of the book series. The author's wry sense of humor is not lost on this reader and I appreciate the little inside jokes sprinkled throughout, like Tempe's friend Anne watching an episode of "Bones" on the iPad. There are plenty of humorous asides, some concerning plane flights with a cat companion, for instance, that made me smile even while I was eagerly turning pages to "help" Tempe solve the case. I especially enjoy the banter between Tempe and Ryan because it often sounds like things I might say myself. The personalities of not only the main characters, but the supporting characters, are clearly conveyed without excessive wordiness. And finally, I never close a Tempe Brennan book without having learned something along the way. This time my newfound knowledge is all about genes and vaccines - a very timely subject these days. Once again, I am awed by the ease with which Ms. Reichs breaks down all the scientific lingo so it can be understood by mere mortals like myself.

This is the first book by Kathy Reichs that I have read, but it won't be the last. I am always happy to read a book that can surprise me. It was complex but not overly complicated. I also enjoy the international connection, as the characters spent time in South Carolina and Montreal.

The storyline wraps around murders that happen in distant places and in distant times. It all is very timely, and refers to COVID19 and mRNA vaccines, though that is not really what the book is about. The book is about a search for the identities of four women found in two barrels in two separate rivers at two separate times. I found the science to be accurate to the best of my knowledge, which I also always appreciate.

The characters are believable and some of them are likable, some not so much. It was suspenseful and I was hooked from the first page. I would recommend this book to people who like to read authors like Dan Brown and John Grisham.