Exciting and full of questions. Interesting story and strong characters. Neighbor was annoying and I expected a big reveal that didn’t come. Just another crazy. Good to be back with Tempe, Ryan, Katy, and Slidell.

This is the 21st in the forensic pathologist Temperance Brennan series; I have read all of them.

It is winter in North Carolina and Tempe’s daughter has returned home from the army; her partner, Ryan, now private detective, is in St. Martin on a case. A package containing an eyeball left on her back porch is the first of a series of puzzling events and murders. Are they all related? Why is Tempe being targeted? Does her daughter’s disappearance signal danger or does she merely need time on her own to work out her PTSD?

Kathy Reichs writing style is short, to the point, and objective. When reading her books, I am often reminded of the old TV series, Dragnet, and its terse “just the facts, mam”. Her descriptions can be pretty clinical and graphic. She has a clever way with words and a good sense of humor comes through.

Obviously, since I continue to read each new release in this series, I enjoy it. Usually I like the main character, but in this installment, she annoyed me a bit by taking some very careless, foolish steps putting herself in such apparent peril.

It’s difficult to put down one of Ms. Reichs' novels as her foreshadowing of events at the end of chapters keeps the intrigue going and prods the reader to go on for “just one more chapter.”

While this might not have been the strongest plot in the series, it still made for an engrossing read and I enjoyed visiting again with the old characters, including the irascible detective Skinny Slidell.

Thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for the DRC.

United States Publication Date: July 5, 2022

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Despite her best intentions, Brennan can't keep out of trouble. Her relief and excitement at welcoming Katy, her daughter, back to civilian life is tempered by the hand delivery of a fresh eyeball to her front door. It's certainly not the first body part gift Brennan has ever received but it turns out to be the most dangerous. Etched into the eyeball are coordinates that lead Tempe and Slidell to a decapitated body and from there the bodies begin to appear from all sorts of locations. Brennan can't help but think the bodies, and deaths, are linked even though external evidence seems to suggest otherwise. Nobody else is seeing things her way so she doggedly pursues her own side investigation while participating fully in the larger one. Soon it becomes clear that Brennan may be more right than wrong as Slidell begins to notice similarities in the bodies being uncovered. The deaths happening now are deaths that already occurred, in the past, and they are ones Brennan had investigated and solved. Someone is a copycat and what they are copying are some of Tempe's oldest and most gruesome cases. When the copycat starts targeting people Tempe knows and cares about things get very personal very quickly and when she can't locate Katy, Tempe fears the copycat has taken things one step too far. It becomes quite clear that the copycat has a message for Brennan but nobody can guess what it is or who might be behind it.

Reichs newest "Bones" offering draws on past cases of Tempe's to bring danger into the present. This particular story features Brennan, of course, and Slidell. Ryan and the other small cast of characters are off-page for the most part. Bringing Katy out of the Army and back into civilian life is an interesting storyline and I wonder if Reichs is going to flesh that out anymore or just leave it as she does by the end of this story. I read this book quickly and enjoyed every second of it but I maintain my previous statement after reading book 20, how many more storylines does Reichs actually have in her for Tempe Brennan? This title felt like it could have been a nice end to the series but I'm positive it isn't. And since I'm positive it isn't it ended up, while thoroughly enjoyable, feeling a bit like a stall tactic. Draw on past Brennan stories and create a newish story with them while trying to figure out fresh storylines for future titles. Yet, despite that seemingly negative critique I gave the book 4 stars and am looking forward to the next one...whenever it happens. *shrug* :)

I always enjoy Reichs’ books, this one did not disappoint. It was enjoyable getting to know Bones’ daughter better. I did not see the ending coming.

I received a free epub copy from NetGalley.

I hadn't read a Kathy Reichs book in a long time, but this was a good one to start back with. The story was engaging, the flashbacks to previous cases was smart and helped show Brennan's development. I enjoyed the characters and the mystery was a mystery till the end.

I liked how the pieces fell into place at just the right time to where I was never wanting the story to move faster.
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I’ve been meaning to pick up one of Kathy Reichs’ books for whole now. I was expecting it to be more like the tv series but I see now that they’re two different things. That’s not bad. I thoroughly enjoyed and was creeped out by the book.

The Cold, Cold Bones is the first Kathy Reaches novel that I have read. Like many others, I watched the television show, based on this series but never searched for the books. What I discovered is a series filled with interesting characters, whose lives are complicated and very often dangerous. Cold, Cold Bones is the 22nd novel ini this series.

Temperance Brennan is loosely based on Reichs own life, which perhaps suggests that real life is far more interesting than most fiction. In Cold, Cold Bones, the crimes are derived from mimicry, but that does not make them any less interesting. In fact, this novel is a book that I could barely put down. I have definitely discovered an author, whose work I will need to read. If I had one complaint, it has to do with the obnoxious neighbor, who desperately needed to be sent for serious longterm therapy. I am sure his story has not been completed.

I want to thank the author and Scribner for providing access to this ARC, in return for my honest review. My comments and opinion are my own honest response after reading Cold, Cold Bones, which I very much enjoyed. And thank you to NetGalley for introducing me to another terrific author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for the E-ARC to read and review.

“Cold, Cold Bones” by: Kathy Reichs tells the story of forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Temperance receives a package at her door sent by an unknown sender and it contains a human eyeball. This package begins the rapid unraveling of the mystery which carries you through the novel. “Cold, Cold Bones” is the 21st novel surrounding the character of Temperance Brennan; even with this being a long-standing series this book does not require the reader to have read the other novels in order to get enjoyment from this current installment.
“Cold, Cold Bones” is set in the dead of winter as a blizzard is roaring outside. The weather aspect of this novel adds a nice touch to the overall feeling of mystery as you venture through the novel.

The main character Temperance Brennan is sarcastic and snarky in the best possible way. Out of all of the characters in this novel, I felt as if I had the best feel for who Temperance was, and overall I really enjoyed her. The other characters in the novel did not feel as well fleshed out and I was unable to paint a clear picture of them in my mind which was a struggle, especially in a mystery/thriller. This was one of the main problems I struggled with in my reading of this novel; it is very hard for me to get fully invested in a story if I am not fully invested in all of the characters and I was just not able to get a good grasp on them aside from Temperance who was very well flushed out.

While I did struggle with the characters in “Cold, Cold Bones” the mystery itself was very enrapturing and pushed the novel along in a fast-paced manner. I did manage to solve the crime before the cast of characters did but I blame that on my many years of reading mysteries. The plot overall though is very interesting and intriguing and will keep the reader engaged until the end. There was also a good amount of suspense which is a must in any good mystery novel.

This was my first experience reading a Temperance Brennan novel which may have been where a majority of my struggles came from. I do believe that fans of the series will enjoy the latest installment in this series.

The cold has come to North Carolina, but Tempe isn’t concerned. Her daughter has returned to civilian life and she plans to use the time indoors to reconnect. During one of their nights in, Tempe receives a very odd package … a human eye with GPS coordinates etched on it. These coordinates lead to more remains and when a mummified body is found in the state park … Tempe starts to see a connection. On the surface, they don’t seem to be linked, but Tempe notices that they look like homicide cases she worked on early in her career. Are these bodies connected or is Tempe grasping at straws? Why is her daughter not available to spend time with her all of a sudden?

Cold, Cold Bones is the twenty-first book in the Temperance Brennan series. One of my favorite parts of this series is that I don’t need too many pages to remember the basics about each character. Since each book is its own mystery, I don’t need to remember specifics about the previous stories and can just relax and enjoy the one in front of me. Cold, Cold Bones was no exception. As the bodies piled up, I was thinking ahead and trying to figure out where the events would lead. I loved all the twists and turns and needed this escape from reality for a few hours.

Cold, Cold Bones is a fast-moving and engaging mystery which focuses on Tempe, a forensic anthropologist, who finds an eyeball with GPS coordinates that end up having ties to previous cases of hers. As Tempe attempts to understand the ties between these new grisly clues and her work, her daughter disappears. Kathy Reichs is a prolific mystery writer, and this book deftly adds to her work.

This is the 21st installment in the Temperance Brennan series, and I think I've read most of them. Kathy Reichs never fails to have new and interesting cases for readers to enjoy.

In this book, Tempe receives on her doorstep a human eyeball in a box which leads to a discovery of a series of killings that appear to be reenactments of some of Tempe's most gruesome earlier cases. During this investigation, Tempe is also trying to deal with her daughter's return from military service. Her daughter shows signs of suffering from PTSD and her behavior has become unpredictable.

This time the location is focused near Tempe's home in Charlotte, North Carolina. The suspense and tension builds through the book. Good plot and loved seeing so many regular characters again. I looks forward to the next installment of Tempe's adventures.

Thanks to Scribner through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on July 5, 2022.

This was a great installation of the Tempe Brennan series. As usual, Reichs keeps you guessing until the end.to solve this mystery.

Cold, Cold Bones is a Temperance Brennan Novel--the 21st one! And, as such, it is a familiar trope. But that is not a bad thing--not at all.

If you've read any of Reichs' novels, you will certainly enjoy Cold, Cold Bones. This case is related to several others Tempe has investigated, so having read some of them makes it interesting, although not necessary. Tempe's daughter is back. And Ryan makes an appearance.

I don't really have much more to say about Cold, Cold Bones, except Reichs is a master of drawing you in, leading you down several plausible paths, building up the tension, and then almost breaking you apart at the end.

If you haven't read any of the series, I highly recommend you start. I would begin with an earlier one, but you don't have to. I haven't read all of them, but I think I've read most. I always look forward to Tempe's adventures. If you've watched the TV series, Bones, it is based on this character. But, it isn't the same at all. Read the books.

This is a Suspense Mystery, and this is the 21st book in the Temperance Brennan series. I found the characters to be boring, and I really did not connect to them. The mystery was ok. I just wanted more from this book. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

I’ve seen every episode of Bones on television and sadly never read from the series. It’s always been a rule of mine to read the book first and this book had me regretting watching before reading. If you’ve seen the show and/or read the books, you know that the adventures of Temperance Brennan are never dull or predictable and this tale was no exception. When Temperance finds a box with an eyeball that inevitably leads too much more gruesome findings, it’s hard to believe the twists that this plot takes from additional murders, a possible copycat and more. I found myself guessing the ending over and over and being wrong up until the end. I’ll be making room in my reading schedule to go back and read this series from the start.

I was gifted an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is another great story from Kathy Reichs. Following the mystery to the end of the book was interesting and intriguing as usual.

I’ve been reading Kathy Reichs since her first book release 25 years ago. I’m a faithful Tempe fan, but this latest book fell flat for me. It’s so disappointing! I’ll blame the pandemic because I think it’s thrown us all off.

The book slogged through the snow for the first half of the book. I did not know that privy is a noun !! I know what it means to be privy to something, but a privy is an outhouse? 🤦🏻‍♀️
The word was used repetitively.

What disappointed me as a whole was how weak and wishy/washy Tempe’s character was throughout the entire book. A mother calls her daughter when she fears she is missing NO MATTER WHAT!! The timeline of Katy disappearing was difficult to discern. It was a cop out to learn she had been knocked out for a week by IV. Really?

The worst part was fully knowing who the killer was very early on. It ruins every book for me. Reichs left clues everywhere, however there was a disconnect as to motive. It was a letdown in the end.

Random question 🙋🏻‍♀️ why didn’t she use find my iPhone when it was gone?

I was sad she killed off a friend. It felt unnecessary but I was emotionally involved.

The book picks up 3/4 way to the end. The thrill of the chase was finally something to read. About ten pages from the end though, I wanted to DNF the book.

What I missed was the thrill of the chase to uncover the murderer. The serial killer profile doesn’t work here and we knew who it was early on.

What I like? The copycat murders were a test to my memory. Remembering the other books was a challenge, but I loved going back to them. I love that Katy & Ryan are solid in her life. Skinny? Still makes me laugh.
Finally, I love the forensics the most. It was what intrigued me 25 years ago and still does.

I do neee to stop eating while reading her books. Lol 😂, but I never learn to top visiting autopsies while eating lunch.

Thank you NetGalley for having this book available before publication. I hope some of these flaws have been smoothed out and people love it more than I did.

Kathy Reichs does it again! She had me hooked from the first line! What's more mysterious and unnerving than receiving a box containing an eyeball, at your door?

I love the plot, the forensics behind everything and how everything was played out. It got pretty tense for a while!

A solid and enjoyable investigative procedural – except for the ever-present chapter cliff-hangers…

I am a late-comer to the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs, having read only this book, and the book preceding this one in the series. (See my review of The Bone Code here.) Like the previous book, Cold Cold Bones was enjoyable, offering a solid forensics background, a good dose of investigation, and well-developed characters - although without a long history in the series, I occasionally got a little bit mixed up as to who was who, and the relationships between the various players.

Cold Cold Bones opens with a bang, when a package containing an eyeball is left on Temperance’s porch in Charlotte, NC. After readers get a mini-lesson on eyeballs (who knew that a layer of stuff called the tapetum lucidum is what makes some animals’ eyes reflect in the dark – and improves their night vision), Temperance figures out that the eyeball is human, and well preserved. But what is it doing on her doorstep, and more importantly, who did it belong to? And is the person who lost the eye really dead, as it seems they must be? As it turns out, this is the first in a series of somewhat odd-ball murders that start coming Temperance’s way, and eventually the nagging voice in her subconscious realizes that they all resemble old cases of hers. Working with Skinny Slidell, who is semi-retired, but still consults with Charlotte’s Cold Case unit, and worried about her fresh-out-of-the-army and now missing daughter, Katy, Temperance eventually puts the pieces together.

As with most procedurals, I really enjoyed the investigative and forensic elements of the story, and those kept me reading for most of a weekend. But I also had the same issue with Cold Cold Bones that I had with The Bone Code - that is to say, with Reichs’ habit of ending chapters on abrupt mini-cliff-hangers. (Examples: “My breath caught in my throat. My hand flew to my mouth.” Or “Her next words launched my stomach into a Simone Biles double-double.”) Doing this occasionally would be fine - that can add a bit of pace, making you want to read the next chapter even more. But doing it on 28 out of 40 chapters (I counted) was really annoying for me, and even more annoying because Reichs writes more than well enough to not need to do this!

Other than having to put in the actual mental effort to not be annoyed, though, Cold Cold Bones was a quick and enjoyable read. I don’t know whether long-term readers would recognize some of the previous cases or not, but even without having read much of the series, I liked the premise and the story. I did have a pretty strong inkling about who the culprit was, but sometimes I have that strong feeling and I’m wrong (!), so I still enjoyed reading the book. I tend to try to not give out too many five-star ratings, so for me, a four-star rating is still a “read this book” recommendation, and that’s what Cold Cold Bones gets. But, oh, I really really wish it didn’t have the chapter cliff-hangers…those almost bumped it down to three stars…

And finally, my thanks to the publishers, Scribner, and to NetGalley for the advance review copy!

Occasionally, a series has plenty of momentum to carry it forward with every new release. While others may lose their focus along the way.

I love a solid, long-running series and fortunate to have discovered so many over the years (and years). But this particular series always ends up being a hit or miss for me. Funny enough, I think it comes down to location.🤣 Let me explain.

Forensic Anthropologist Tempe Brennan is one of the best in both Canada and the US. As such, She’s in high demand, employed both in Quebec and North Carolina. The series alternates between the two depending on what case Tempe is presently working.

This latest is set in North Carolina, and that is the location I struggle with the most! Why? I have no idea! But I always find myself much more immersed in the read when Tempe stays north of the border. Maybe it's the Canadian in me?🍁

Presently, Tempe has more than usual on her plate. Her daughter Katy has PTSD from her time in the Army, and Tempe finds herself walking on eggshells trying to help but not overstep. When a box is left on Tempe’s doorstep with an actual human eye inside Tempe is hell-bent on finding who it belonged to…who sent it, and why was it sent to her!?💁🏻‍♀️

Will I keep reading this series? Absolutely! I’m in too deep to stop now! (This was book 21 after all). All I can hope for is the next read takes us back to Canada next year!

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner