(3.5 stars)
"Immediately after death, regardless if the deceased is an egret or an emperor, nature sets to work recycling the atoms composing the organism, returning its energy and matter to the universe. That process is accomplished via one of two processes: putrefaction or mummification." While this was my first Kathy Reichs book, Cold, Cold Bones is her twenty-first book in Temperance Brennan’s serial adventures in forensic anthropology. As you'd expect with such a prolific author, the writing is competent. The interconnections between books are barely noticeable and you don't feel compelled to go back and catch-up in order to enjoy this particular story.

There's plenty of death and plenty of disparate crimes to solve, all wrapped up in a coherent uniting story based around an interesting female protagonist and her demanding feline overlord. Reichs is clearly a cat owner who understands cats. I chortled at: "Birdie started nudging me well before seven. I kept my eyes closed, my body still, pretending sleep. The cat didn't buy it. Or didn't care. By seven-thirty the head-butts had grown aggressive." Tempe has a brusque, no-nonsense persona and favours science over religion or spirituality, making her quite likeable to me: "I dream frequently but very uncreatively. Most of my nighttime visitations are just reworked gibberish from my daytime intake."

My only complaint was the end of the novel felt rushed (the old 'writer has hit the word count' chestnut), and the faster pacing meant I didn't enjoy the last quarter of the book as much as the first three.

My honest review of this new Tempe installment is that it is one of Reichs better novels in a few years.
It drew me in, held my attention and kept me wanting to keep reading well into the night, a feeling that I haven’t had lately.
Well written and the storyline flows smoothly.
Tempe is in danger again, and this time her daughter Katy is now living close by and could be caught up in what Tempe is dealing with - crazy neighbour, body parts at her door, dead bodies and more.
Definitely a five plus stars. I do hope the next one is as great as this one.
Thankyou Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book. Highly recommended.

The 21st book in the Temperance Brennan series on which the TV show Bones was based and like all the predecessors this is a fast paced suspense story that you think you have all worked out and then with a twist everything you thought you knew unravels

Tempe and her daughter Katy find a box containing a human eye on her front verandah when they return home only to later be called to a crime scene where the head that the eye belongs to is found Soon more cases land on her desk and it takes a while but she soon realises that someone is copycatting a lot of her old cases. Can Tempe solve the case with the help of people from her past and we hat is the problem with Katy You will have to read to find out.

Great story, took a little while to get going, but once it did, developed into an other great read by the author. A few interesting twists to keep the story going, I enjoyed the book.

Reichs always delivers a great read and this is no exception. Brennan has lost none of her appeal and it is gratifying to follow the growth of other characters such as her daughter. The plot itself is not one of the most complex Reichs has ever presented but the technical details make it fascinating to read.