Monday With Kaye: "Bones of the Lost" by Kathy Reichs (Reviewed by Kaye George)

The first Monday of June brings (theoretically at least) a promise of drier weather here in North Texas as well as another “Monday With Kaye” segment. This week she reviews Bones of the Lost by Kathy Reichs. This is the sixteenth book in her long running  “Tempe Brennan” series which began with Deja Dead in May 1999. While I have never read the books, Sandi and I watch the TV show based on her books Bones and enjoy it. Though sometimes they do get a little bit too gross and graphic for us.

“Bones of the Lost” by Kathy Reichs

Forensic anthropologist, Tempe Brennan, is having an awful day when the novel begins. However, her day isn’t nearly as bad as the one the young North Carolina girl had when she was killed by a hit

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and run.

It soon becomes apparent that her death may not have been a simple accident. In fact, her body shows signs of acute trauma. The girl was carrying the business card of John Henry Story, who died in a fire recently. Tempe knows there’s a connection, but it’s not an easy one to make.

Tempe is also summoned to examine some smuggled Peruvian dog mummies that were confiscated by Customs. A former soldier seems to be implicated in the antiquities smuggling.

While Tempe is trying to tie threads together for her investigations, part of her is unraveling; her daughter enlists in the Army after the death of her boyfriend in Afghanistan. Also Pete, who is still her husband, is pushing her to finalize the papers for their divorce. This is something that Tempe is putting off as long as she can.

These interwoven plots, stretching to South America and Afghanistan, deal with a tough subject, as many of Reichs’ books do. This one is human trafficking. If the subject matter isn’t too difficult for you, this is a highly recommended read     .

Reviewed by Kaye George, author of Death in the Time of Ice for Suspense Magazine