Tempe is thrilled to have her daughter Katy home from the army for good, but things are a little tense at times between mother and daughter. Katy seems to be exhibiting signs of PTSD, which concerns Tempe a great deal, but Katy doesn’t want to talk about much of anything.

When an eyeball shows up on Tempe’s porch, things only get worse from then on. Clues lead to other crimes, all of which appear to mimic crimes Tempe has worked on in the past. While Tempe is busy with her team trying to solve the crimes, Katy goes missing.

This is a fast-paced story with many twists and turns, revenge, gruesome murders, suspense, danger, and more.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Every new Tempe Brennan novel is a reason to rejoice, and I’m thrilled to have read this on my flight from Africa. The joy of these novels, is not just the familiar characters, but the obvious expertise of the author.

Having some one mimic old crimes was great, and I was only sorry when the book was done. Bravo, and excited about the next one.

Cold, Cold Bones was a good book with lots of suspense. The main character, Temperance Brennan is a forensic anthropologist whose daughter, Katy has just retired from the military and has bought a house close to her mother in Charlotte, VA. They find a box on Tempe's front porch which contains a human eyeball. Tempe and retired detective, Erskine Sliddell (Skinny) are called out to Belmont Abbey College where they find a bag in a hole of an outhouse. They open the bag and find a head of a woman who had her left eye removed. The police are called and the head and eye are are sent to MCME. The reader is taken on a suspenseful trip as other bodies are found. Tempe realizes that all the bodies are copycats of past people that she had worked on in the past.. Tempe is concerned as Katiy seems restless and disappears... The story builds up to an exciting climax when the person who is doing all of this to Tempe is discovered.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.

Cold, Cold Bones by Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Scribner
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers
Published: July 5, 2022

Cold, Cold Bones is the 21st book in the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs. This book is easily read as a standalone book. I was hooked from the start and could not put it down!

Cold, Cold Bones was such a great book! It is fast paced and filled with so many twists and turns. I really enjoyed the story, as well as solving the mystery! This book was captivating and so intense!

I thought this book was incredible! I loved the story line. There was so much going on and I loved how fast paced this was! I was truly on the edge of my seat and I could not put it down!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Well, I blew through this book in one afternoon so it was very engrossing and sucked and kept me in the story! Given how long the series has been running, it’s always exciting when that happens.

I really like the way the central mystery came together, the engagement with Tempe and the usual suspects (Ryan and Slidell) and just showing the impact of the years on all of them. (The running thing with the neighbor is just weird though).

I received an advance copy from the publisher and Netgalley to review.

Temperance Brennan is once again caught up in mysterious deaths which are mimicking some of her previous cases from years ago. This time, the killer is making these deaths personal to Temperance and luring her into playing detective as well as forensic anthropologist. When her daughter, newly discharged from the Army disappears, Temperance doesn't know if it is PTSD, kidnapping, murder or just a need to be alone to sort out her feelings about returning to civilian life. But as the days drag on without a word from her daughter, Temperance has a feeling that the killer has the perfect victim to destroy her. With a psychotic neighbor and a newly transplanted rookie detective to deal with, Temperance must reach out to sources she never thought she'd rely on. The story moves quickly but is missing the great connection between Ryan (former RCMP and Temperance's love interest) who is shuttled from the Caribbean to Montreal with barely a stop in between. Astute readers who have come to look for the clues in the Temperance novels will guess who is the murderer long before the identity is revealed, a bit of a let down for those expecting a surprise ending.

Another thriller from Kathy Reich that showcases our favorite forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan!
Tempe is at home reconnecting with her veteran daughter, Katy, and finds that she and Katy are having trouble finding their past closeness. While visiting together, an unusual package shows up on Tempe’s doorstep - a human eyeball with GPS coordinates carved into it. Tempe enlists retired detective Skinny Slidell to follow the coordinates with her, and an even more gruesome situation is discovered. One case leads to another, and Tempe struggles to find a pattern. The cases all seem to be copycats of cases she worked previously. The cases are also personal, and Tempe find herself threatened in her own home. But why? And who?
While the investigations are ongoing, Katy has gone off the grid after working a few shifts at a homeless shelter. Tempe finds this unusual, and worries that her daughter is suffering from PTSD after her military service. It Katy has also expressed a desire for time to decompress, and initially there is no evidence that anything is wrong.
As time goes on, and more murders mimic cases Tempe has worked in the past, Tempe and Skinny struggle to find a link, and a motive.

The character development is superb - whether the reader has read several books featuring Temperance (Bones) Brennan, or just this one, one quickly determines Tempe to be brilliant and tenacious, but with a very human side, particularly as a mother. Daughter Katy appears anxious to reintegrate into the civilian world after military service, yet is struggling for purpose. Skinny Slidell is a grumpy retired investigator who keeps his thoughts to himself, but is a pro digging up clues, details, and making connections. And he’s very protective of Tempe.
The pace of the plot is lightening speed, and it’s hard to put the book down. The author skillfully weaves together seemingly unrelated details to formulate a believable series of events that are related in a macabre way. Each copycat case becomes more daring, and blatant, and involve Tempe more personally each time. She feels targeted, and indeed she is. When the pieces are finally connected, time is of the essence to capture the mastermind, and it leads to the shocking conclusion. If you love fast paced thrillers, this is your next read. This was my first time reading a book about Bones, and I’m now planning to read them all

I received an electronic ARC from Netgalley. My review is my own opinion.

Kathy Reichs is back - I really enjoyed this book. Her last few were not as compelling to read. It's late winter and Temperance Brennan is in Charlotte NC. She's working again with "Skinny" Slidell of Homicide and they make a great team. It's deju vu - corpses and body parts are landing in the morgue similar to cases from years ago. Clues are dropped that cause Skinny and Tempe to look for a serial killer. Meanwhile, Tempe's daughter Katy disappears, is she suffering from PSTD and wanting to be alone or is some more sinister responsible for her disappearance. Love interest Andrew Ryan appears briefly to remind readers of the Canadian connection. All in all this one can be digested in an afternoon or long eveing.

I’m a long time fan of Kathy Reichs and her Temperance Brennan books. the details of her investigations are intriguing yet not over the top gory as they could tend to be. Hard to avoid spoilers so I will stick to the basics of this book…Temperance starts to feel she is being targeted somehow and searches for the reasons why. She is aided by “Skinny” , a frequent character in her books, and her Canadian beau.
My one issue is that Temperance is clearly a highly intelligent woman yet she continues to put herself into dangerous situations. She doesn’t call for backup…she opens doors that should stay closed…c’mon Temperance…show some common sense and we will read the next 10 books!
Keep them coming…

I was obsessed with the TV show Bones. So when I seen I was approved for Reichs newest novel Cold, Cold Bones I immediately opened this baby up.

My first Temperance Brennan book #20 did not disappoint.
Kathy's writing is a force to be reckon with.
She draws the reader in with her captivating storytelling and interesting characters.
This is a masterfully written crime mystery novel.
The mystery is great, engaging and very entertaining.
A thrilling case with dark secrets, twists and turns that you will never see coming and it will leave you breathless when you are done.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Scribner,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and ScribnerBooks to preview! Thank you!

Body parts and bodies begin to pile up with seemingly no connection, but forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan’s id keeps telling her otherwise. She figures out these recent killings are similar to previous cases she’s worked on, and there’s a serial killer on the loose who’s out for revenge, and Tempe’s in their crosshairs. She’s in a race not only to identify these victims but to figure out who the killer is and stop them before they kill again. On top of everything, her daughter Katy has gone missing, and Tempe doesn’t know whether she is in trouble or just taking a break.

I enjoyed Cold, Cold Bones because of the complexity and interconnection between the old and new cases. I also enjoyed Katy being a true character in the story, instead of the invisible character she usually is. Tempe seemed a bit more scattered in this book than in the past, and if you’re a long-time reader you will pick up on this. It was never brought up in this book but remember she did have that brain issue and surgery previously, so I wonder if something is going on with her in that regard. Or maybe her age is beginning to show. I wonder if this was intentional or something I read into on my own. Either way, I look forward to the next installment!

I've been reading Kathy Reichs' Temperance Brennan mysteries since way back—the first was released in 1997. (I'm just realizing this means she's writing them at a pace of about one every fourteen months!) In this title, Brennan faces an increasingly violent and personal series of crimes. Clearly, someone in her past wants revenge and is taking their time about it. They're committing murders that mirror old cases she worked on: a very creepy trip down memory lane.

Just like Brennan, at first readers have difficulty seeing the pattern, but it becomes increasingly glaring—even when pieces of the puzzle are still missing. Those familiar with the series will be glad to know that Ryan makes a (mostly long distance) appearance, and her daughter Katy has left the army and is wrestling with the challenging return to civilian life.

If you aren't familiar with this series, I'd suggest reading a few others first to help fill in the back story. But once you start reading the series, I'm pretty sure you'll work your way through all twenty-one volumes, just as I've done.

I received a free electronic ARC of this title for review purposes from the publisher via NetGally; the opinions are my own.

Enjoy this page turner, Kathy Reichs, never lets us down.

Cold bones, cold cases cold hard detectives owning the cold existence of loss, love and revenge that will make evil of all things known.

Reichs weaves all these into one suspenseful novel that you will piece together for days after reading. You might read twice to get all the details aligned with the true killer as the story reveals it. No red herrings in this book all hard details you savor till conclusion.

Put your mittens on this winter tale will take you to the very depth of the dark woods with a body at every turn.

Excellent book. I have enjoyed this series. I did figure out the bad guy but not the motive. I recommend this book and the entire series.

Another great installment in the Bones series. I loved that this was kind of a mystery in a mystery where we were trying to figure out who the current serial killer was, but also the fun of trying to match the current cases to Brennan's old cases. I was constantly going, was there a case like that? Do I remember that book? It was fun for a long-time reader. I could have done without the Covid references, but I do appreciate that they were at least kept to a minimum so I didn't feel like there was a constant reminder. Can't wait to see what Brennan gets up to next!

Dr. Temperance Brennan the forensic scientist and her daughter Katy are at their best in Kathy Reich's Cold Cold Bones. New cases that are copycats of previous cases keep twists and turns arriving constantly to confuse and complex the suspense in this riveting novel. Never a dull moment for Tempe and the detectives and readers.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e ARC of this book.
Truly a disappointment. I was excited to see a new Temperance book but this did not meet my expectations. Drags up old cases with matching new ones but not very interesting with too much blood and gore. Characters are flat and not as interesting as usual. Hope the real Kathy Reichs returns next novel.

The latest Bones book is a walk down memory lane for Tempe Brennan, albeit, a creepy one. Cases keep coming across her autopsy table that seem strangely familiar. To complicate matters, her daughter has returned from her army service and is exhibiting symptoms of PTSD. The book is classic Brennan, but the antagonist is all too easy to discern (perhaps Tempe's neurological disorder has dulled her wits somewhat?). All in all, worth a read, especially if you've been missing the antics of this determined forensic anthropologist!

Thanks to Scribner for access to a digital ARC on NetGalley.

“It began with an eyeball.”

With that first sentence, you know you are not going to put down this latest by Kathy Reichs. Temperance Brennan is back in Charlotte, celebrating her daughter Katy’s return from the military. Missing their earlier closeness, Tempe finds their relationship to be prickly and worries about Katy’s sudden mood swings. Then they find the eyeball.

It’s well preserved and someone has taken the trouble to mark it with a GPS location. While she and Skinny Slidell, back from retirement, are trying to understand what twisted ideas are behind the engraved eyeball, bodies begin to pile up in the morgue. Most seem to be suicides but Tempe sees a terrible link between them… a link that will lead a killer bent on revenge to her.

While Cold, Cold Bones is a quick read with many twists and turns, I am rating it with 4 stars instead of the usual Kathy Reichs 5. Katy tells her mother that she thinks someone is stalking her then disappears for days. Shouldn’t Tempe have reported this? Instead, she continues working on the case and writes off the disappearance as Katy’s (undiagnosed) PTSD. When a character is first introduced, I knew from the description that he/she was the killer. No spoilers but I thought it was obvious. Still, I’m glad Tempe is back. 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Scribner and Kathy Reichs for this ARC.

I haven't read a Kathy Reichs book in some time and this was the perfect book to get me back into it.