Temperance is back and the new case will test everything that she believes. Will she be able to find out who killed the four young women? What do they have in common? But as Tempe digs further with the help of Ryan and a local detective and they discover many dark secrets. A good read did take me awhile to get into this book. I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley & the publisher in exchange for my honest review

Bones is my favourite tv show so ... how could I not resist this book. I have to admit it did have a scientist feel to it which overtook the story. I still really enjoyed it.

Temperance Brennan is back and this time she is looking into the discovery of two bodies in a barrel that was found washed up on a beach. This would be enough of a crime on its own but she remembered a case 15 years earlier involving two other bodies found in the same manner. With her trusty cat Birdie by her side, she manages to traverse countries and spend time with her beau Ryan when they are the victims of a hit and run. Don’t want to give too much away but as always Tempe saves the day (and risks her own life) in the fashion readers of Reichs know and love.

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs is set in a post COVID world. A storm hits the South Carolina coast and a medical waste container washes up on the beach containing two decomposed bodies wrapped in plastic sheeting. The bodies are of a woman and child! Could this be identical to a cold case fifteen years earlier in Quebec?

This is forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan’s latest forensic investigation and it puts her on a dangerous trail to murderous villains. Meanwhile there’s a major outbreak involving some sort of organism that can cause illness and death in humans that’s spread from pets mainly dogs called capnocytophaga.

I found the science involving molecular genetics and genome editing were extremely interesting, the story has a huge scientific theme. I loved the characters of Temperance (Tempe), Ryan and Detective Tonia Vislosky and of course Birdie the cat!

A great medium paced crime mystery for those who love forensic science especially. I believe this is book number 20 in the series, wow that’s such an achievement!!

Publication Date: April 21st 2021

When a container washed ashore and was found to have two decomposed bodies inside, forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan was called. What Tempe found chilled her as she could see the similarities between these current bodies and a case from fifteen years prior that was never solved. Tempe was determined to dig her deepest, open the cold case and find some answers. But would everything go to plan?

Tempe and Birdie (her cat) flew to Montreal to follow the cold case – with the approval of her boss Pierre LaManch – and to have Andrew Ryan help her out. Ryan was a police detective, since retired and now a Private Investigator. He could help Tempe open a few doors. Ryan and Tempe had known each other for a long time; absence always makes the heart grow fonder. The deeper they dug, the more they found and just when they thought they could go no further, there was another light at the end of the tunnel. But was it possible to find all the answers?

The Bone Code is the 20th in the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs and once again, she hasn’t missed a beat. While there was a 5 year gap between #18 and #19, the one year between the last and this one means she’s back! I thoroughly enjoy the back and forth between Tempe and Ryan – they bounce off each other well. But it makes me sad for the author when reviewers say ‘this is their first Reichs’ and rate it low. This is the 20th – you need the back story! Just my opinion of course but I rarely see high ratings from this type of thing. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Tempe, Ryan and Birdie once again. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I have seen every episode of Bones (probably more times than one should) but this is the first book from the Temperance Brennan Series that I have read. I found it really interesting that the book is totally different than the show but I still found myself enjoying it even though my much loved characters weren’t there.

I found the storyline to be interesting and it kept me intrigued from the very beginning right until the very end. I liked the use of the scientific jargon and I found it to be just the right amount. I found Temperance to be interesting, intense and incredibly smart

I would love to know more about the relationship between Temperance and Ryan but I think I’ll have to read the previous books to know more.

The Bone Code is the twentieth book in the Temperance Brennan series by American author, Kathy Reichs. When a hurricane washes up a plastic biohazard barrel on the shore in Charleston, Temperance Brennan is called on to examine the remains of two bodies contained within. Naked, killed by a bullet through the head, teeth and fingers removed, wrapped in blue plastic sheeting and secured with red electrical wire, all elements that resonate with Tempe: she can’t forget a virtually identical case in Quebec, fifteen years earlier, never solved.

Tempe has also been asked to research the case of a missing nineteenth-century twin: when Polly Beecroft’s twin sister passed on, she left behind a mystery in the form of a death mask. The image of the woman in the mask is identical to the Beecroft twins, and to their grandmother, Susanne Bouvier and her missing twin, Sybil. Could the mask offer a clue to Sybil’s fate? While Tempe heads to Montreal to re-examine that unsolved case, her best friend Anne Turnip delves into death masks.

This instalment sees Tempe (and the Birdcat) frequently commuting between Quebec and south Carolina, being frustrated at the slow pace of DNA processing, learning more than she wants to about genetic testing, involved in a targeted hit-and-run with Ryan, and researching popular acronyms in order to decipher a teen diary. As well as death masks, their modern equivalent, facial approximation imaging, features, and a nasty zoonotic virus outbreak brings out the worst in the South Carolina population.

The delicious Andrew Ryan makes plenty of appearances to be a sounding board and to offer encouragement, ideas, clever banter and neck rubs. His police contacts prove a major advantage as they revisit a cold case with new technology, and gradually uncover a great deal more about these murders, the motive for which turns out to be truly diabolical.

Reichs does make an art form of ending many chapters with a short teaser/cliff-hanger sentence, which can be a little irritating, but is probably forgivable for a plot that keeps the reader enthralled. This is another excellent procedural that features autopsies and exhumations and all the fascinating tidbits that go with them, demonstrating the wealth of information that bones yield to the right interrogator. An engrossing and highly topical read.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Simon & Schuster Australia.

Another great read in the mixed up life that is Temperance (Tempe) Brennan When a severe storm brings medical waste to shore a barrel is found containing the remains of two people Tempe immediately sees the connection to a case she had in Canada years earlier Now she has more modern methods of finding answers beginning the usual chase of not only scientific evidence but the culprit themselves As usual there is a lot of scientific information thrown at you as you read through these stories showing Kathy's expertise in this world Throw in that Covide 19 is a underlying issue in this book and you have a thrilling ride,. While I wouldn't say this is my favourite Tempe read it is still a great read

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster (Australia) for the advanced copy of Kathy Reichs’ latest novel, due for publication April 14th. I’m a long time fan of Kathy Reichs and Temperance Brennan, and this latest novel had me entranced from the beginning. Her signature touches of story lines developing gradually and then coming together with a bang, the dry wit of Tempe herself, and the numerous characters she meets along the way as she gets herself into situations one would usually avoid were evident and enthralling from page one. Some parts felt a bit rushed and over- dramatic, such as
Tempe’s attitude to situations and people around her and death- defying scenarios that are hurried in their recovery. Unfortunately not my favourite of the novels in this series, but told with the signature twists that inspired the series Bones.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

I have been a long term fan of Temperance Brennan books but was a little put-off by the last one...it didn't seem to be as gripping as previous. But Kathy Reichs and Tempe are back!! Great, up-to-date storyline (in these post Covid days) that moves along nicely. Love the relationship between Tempe and Ryan!!

I have read every book written by Kathy Reichs, and that’s not something I can say about many authors.

The Bone Code might be the first book I have read this year that makes reference to COVID-19. This story is set at the end of 2021, and things are looking good, so fingers crossed that’s the case. It’s not central to the story, but it is mentioned on a number of occasions, especially as one of the story lines involves an outbreak of capnocytophaga, a pathogen found in cats and dogs, that can can on rare occasions be spread to humans.

A Kathy Reich’s novel does not talk down to its readers, it’s full of interesting science, in this novel it’s genetics and genetic testing. With Ancestry.com now offering Ancestry DNA testing it’s something most people have heard of, so it may very well spike your interest enough to get it done after reading this.

The only criticism, is that I can’t help but feel somewhat frustrated when I see Tempe get herself in a dangerous situation, that I could see coming pages beforehand…but I guess that’s kind of the point of a thriller.

It’s also worth mentioning that the good thing about these Temperance Brennan novels is that they can be read independently of each other. If this was the first Kathy Reichs story you picked up, you would enjoy it, never having read the previous books. There are references to things that have happened before, but not in any way that takes away from the story you are reading. You will most likely want to go back and read the other books, but that’s another story!

Very much enjoyed this book, it had a captivating story line and kept me interested and entertained right the way through. The last Bones book lost its sparkle for me but this one ignited the love for the series again, it was very good. Well written and thrilling with some twists to the plot and wow moments. Highly recommended.