I am afraid I stopped reading this book at 30%.?I found it very boring and long winded. A shame as I usually enjoy Kathy Reichs books but not this one.

I do like Kathy Reichs - she is one of my favourite writers. Her first books had a bone-squelching noir that no other books had, making her unique as a writer (and a pretty twisted mind to come up with some of the plots.

However, whilst I did enjoy this book, I felt that it had become a bit of a parody of what Kathy Reichs is as a writer. It was nice, for a change, to have the main character in trouble at work, but it all works out perfectly in the end, with her nemesis getting whats deserved - would possibly have been better if there was more ambiguity in the end, rather than wrapping everything up as a perfect example.

And also starting to get annoyed of the "Tempe works out exactly whats going on, so she dashes off to solve the world and leaves the reader hanging..." - too many times. Its a formula that Kathy over-relies on now.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an advance copy of A Conspiracy of Bones, the nineteenth novel to feature forensic anthropologist Dr Temperance Brennan.

A conspiracy of Bones is the 19th outing for Temperance Brennan and the outing is just as good as the rest of the Temperance Brennan adventures.

It’s sweltering in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Temperance Brennan, still recovering from neurosurgery following an aneurysm, is battling nightmares, migraines, and what she thinks might be hallucinations when she receives a series of mysterious text messages, each containing a new picture of a corpse that is missing its face and hands. Immediately, she’s anxious to know who the dead man is, and why the images were sent to her.

A Conspiracy of Bones is a fast paced book that keeps you guessing and has lots of twits and turns. It was good to catch up with Temperance, Ryan and of course Birdie (whom I always worry about in every book)

A Conspiracy of Bones contains some difficult subject matter that can make for some tough reading.

Overall another excellent book by the queen of crime, Kathy Reichs.

Kathy Reich writes a great addition to her forensic anthropologist Dr Temperance Brennan series, set in Charlotte, North Carolina, that has her facing a challenging set of circumstances whilst grieving the loss of her boss, Dr Larabee, the Chief Medical Examiner. The appointment of the self aggrandising Margo 'Dr Morgue' Heavner is a disaster for Tempe, they have clashed before and Heavner's hatred ensures that Tempe is no longer wanted in the department. Tempe has good reasons to be unhappy, Heavner seeks fame and the media spotlight, is unethical and lacking integrity, with no qualms about endangering justice in the interviews she gives. Additionally, Tempe is all over the place, thanks to the consequences of her aneurysm, which has her questioning her abilities and experiencing migraine induced hallucinations, unable to know what is real, leaving her struggling to sleep, frustrated and paranoid.

Tempe receives mystery texts that show photographs of a faceless corpse that rouses her curiosity but she has to go rogue to investigate, relying on leaks, illicitly taken photographs and smuggling out evidence. The victim has been eaten by feral hogs, leaving him faceless and difficult to identify, missing hands, clothes with no labels, making it difficult to discern whether he was murdered or had committed suicide. Tempe is aided by retired detective, Erskine 'Skinny' Slidell, now working cold cases at the Charlotte-Mecklenberg PD that has the two of them identifying the man eventually but faced with little information on him. Who is he? Is he a spy, a child abductor, or a paedophile or worse? Tempe finds herself coming across and delving into the rabbit hole that is the elusive Nick Body, a provocateur spewing countless conspiracy theories with millions of followers, having to reconstruct case notes after the loss of her laptop and mobile phone, as she pulls at numerous threads where so little makes sense.

One of the reasons that this is such a good series is that Kathy Reich herself is an accomplished forensic anthropologist herself, so invests Tempe with an authenticity and professional knowledge that draws on cutting edge developments in the field and real life cases. Here, Reich strips Tempe of all that she normally relies on, her professional abilities, her memories, shut out of her job and normal resources, along with the loss of all her records, photographs and evidence. Tempe is in a place where she is unable to discern reality from illusion, mirroring the territory of the conspiracy theorists peddling their fake news and bombarding their suspect views on a people unable to separate fact from fiction. This is a fabulous addition to a wonderful series. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster UK for an ARC.

A Conspiracy of Bones – Kathy Reichs

Kathy Reichs is back with another Temperance Brennan novel. I’ve read quite a few of these books (though not all of them) and I’m pretty certain I’ve read them out of sequence, which has never harmed my enjoyment: Kathy Reichs fills in the necessary back story, so each can be enjoyed in isolation from its library-mates. I was delighted to have been forwarded a copy in advance of publication, because I’ve enjoyed Dr Brennan’s company every time we’ve met.

'A Conspiracy of Bones' did not disappoint. I was pretty sure I knew what to expect; Temperance Brennan using her skills, experiences, and expertise – and pulling in favours across departments and disciplines – to solve a grisly murder or two. I got what I expected, and then some. I thought I knew the ‘formula’ when I settled down to read the book. I was pleasantly surprised, however. Yes, there was a body. Yes there were grisly details, and Dr Brennan used all she had – including her relationships with law enforcement, and other professionals – to bring us answers about who the body was, and how, and why, it ended up where it did. There were, however, quite a few surprises that I felt were brave choices for the writer.

I enjoyed how Reichs gives us information about the technicalities of law enforcement, forensic anthropology, and the Dark Web without being patronising. The details are woven into the narrative naturally, and fairly seamlessly. That said, I found the presentation of the back-story a bit clunky and confusing. I’ve read authors do similar with a lighter touch – Patricia Cornwell’s 'Scarpetta' books, for example.

The 'Bones' series treads the thin line between being suitably detailed, and gratuitously gruesome, which I appreciate: I like to read books written by people who assume that their readers have some basic knowledge (and know how to look up what we’re unsure of). Kathy Reichs is a wonderful writer, with many gems such as ‘Unger was built along the lines of dental floss – tall and skeletal, with skin the color of a toilet bowl…’ littered thoughout the text. I will admit, however, that her penchant for eschewing full sentences during the narrative – as opposed to in direct speech – irks me.

What annoyed me even more, however, was the blatant product placement. At first, I thought it might be essential to the plot - that there was something germane to the story that could only be accounted for by a particular type of phone, or laptop. I was wrong. There was no good reason why a certain type of tech was referred to so many times. And - 'a Starbucks'? Really? Anyone I know who drinks the stuff just refers to it as 'coffee'.

Finally, when the loose ends have been tied up and we have a resolution, and we think the book is finished, there is more. In a poignant afterward, Kathy Reichs shares some of her own recent, personal history that has informed and shaped some of the challenges faced by Dr Brennan in ‘A Conspiracy of Bones’. There is a delicate intimacy to this sharing which made this reader feel oddly privileged. The final brave choice by the writer in this novel.

The last Temp Brennan story I read was No 12 "206 Bones" so I'm a few years behind and Temp has certainly had some changes thrust upon her. She has an aneurism which may be the cause of her severe headaches/migraines and occasional blackouts, she's based back in Carolina with a new and unpleasant boss and Ryan remains in Canada but retired and now working as a private investigator. She's sent some photos of a body with most of the face missing and goes full-out to try to determine who he was and the rest of his sorry story. The story is as complex as I would expect but there is far too little of forensic work and far too much police procedural stuff for me. This does not feel right for Temp especially as she goes rogue at times with little thought about lines of evidence and all that. Ryan pops up now and then but mainly for a bit of 'nooky' and contributes little to the story. The main problem I had was with the stilted, staccato narrative which felt more like '30s gangster-speke than Temp. I tried hard to believe that this written to emphasise her illness and frame of mind but, I'm sorry, it just didn't seem 'right', besides the too many colloquialisms of the Deep South and which were totally baffling to me (I really can't be bothered to go and web search for their meanings!). I shall certainly read my missing volumes in Temp's stories but do not believe that that will improve my thoughts about "A Conspiracy of Bones". Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

5* It's in the details, details, details, and Tempe's doggedness. Excellent.

I've not read a TB tale for some years now, stopping where Ryan and Tempe seemed more on than off and when the tales had started to seem more angsty than mystery-thriller. Picking this up was like walking back in time, but to a happier time where Ryan and Tempe are a firm couple on a compromise of their needs/wants, etc. I liked that. I didn't need to pick up any other books to be able to jump back into the series, and there were sufficient tidbits that I clocked that Tempe had been ill and Ryan had retired and both were getting used to a new life together. I loved seeing Birdie still alive and well and on his high horse, lol!

As to the tale: EXCELLENT in every way. I loved the detail, the dovetailing, the eureka moments that Tempe's frankly brilliant brain has and her interactions with the various friends and colleagues that make all the pieces of the story come together. There were times when I thought Tempe should slow down, take a timeout and think about where she was about to tread where no doubt angels would fear, but that would have been out of character for her.

I can't fault this tale in any way. Well, at the end it sounded like Tempe was back in favour job-wise (will have to check out what happened there) and was back in Quebec, but what of Birdie? No doubt he was being looked after by the trusty neighbour, but didn't he use to get bundled up into the cat carrier and taken travelling? And, what about Boyd? Maybe there we're meant to read between the lines. Sob.

ARC courtesy of Simon and Schuster UK and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this.
I had read Kathy Reichs books for many years then slightly changed my reading genre to more UK based police books. Thought this book might draw me back but I was somewhat disappointed. Although all the old much loved characters are there the rest of the book failed miserably to entice me. I think the overall setting of the book did little for my imagination and the subject matter was not one that interested me at all. Not one for me I'm afraid to say.

Although I am a huge fan of Bones - the tv series - it’s the first time I’m actually reading one of Kathy Reichs’ books.
The premise got me completely interested. A faceless body with Dr. Brennan’s number. She is goons through a difficult time both in her personal and professional life. It didn’t disappoint! I really enjoyed it despite being a bit of a slow burner in the beginning.
Kathy Reichs really didn’t disappoint! Well written, with plenty of twists to keep the readers second guessing everything, even with Dr. Brennan not being on top of her game, this book was really good!
I felt she takes a bit more on a investigative role rather than her normal forensics role but it really did suit the book. Although there is a bit of scientific information in the book, it is easy to follow, and I personally love it because it makes it even more realistic.
I have to say I highly recommend it and my only regret is not having read the previous books. As I mentioned before, it is a bit slow at the beginning but definitely worth it in the end!
Thank you to #netgalley and #sumonandschusteruk for the opportunity to read this book prior to its publishing date in exchange for an honest review

Another amazing book by Kathy Reichs although I’d expect nothing less from her , Characters as real as if I knew them and as likeable as friends . Storyline , modern and relevant to today’s world with a gripping believable plot . Highly recommended.

I’m a long term fan of Tempe Brennan and have read most of the series. I must confess I’ve missed the last few so I was wondering if I’d missed to much. As it turns out all the components I love were in place and ready to greet me. I think Tempe has actually got sassier as she has aged, her comments actually made me laugh out load in a couple of places. The storyline is bang up to date; conspiracy theorists, missing children and dubious medical treatments. It romped along in a slightly predictable way and I did notice the lack of genuine twists. However, a thoroughly enjoyable read which has definitely got me back on side. I think I’ll go and track down the ones I missed now! @simonschusterUK

As a long time fan of Kathy Reichs and 'Tempe', I've been waiting for her latest novel to arrive and it was with a feeling of delight that I discovered, the author was now feel-enough to continue her work and the long-awaited, 'A Conspiracy of Bones' was published.

In previous novels, Dr. Tempe Brennan has travelled back and forth between Carolina and Quebec but for this outing, she remained in the South, working with 'Skinny' Sidell and her lab colleagues. One of the aspects that I enjoy about a 'Tempe' novel, is that, whether you are a long standing fan, or a new-comer, Reichs always provides a few lines of backstory for each character. This serves as both a welcome reminder for fans and also an introduction for new comers - it eliminates that confusing sense of 'Who is this person...? and why does she react ....?"

As always, Reichs keeps the story interesting with a mix of scientific fact and this time a dash of conspiracy. And at this point, I must congratulate the author for a (in my opinion) brave move. Reichs has been battling a neurological illness and she writes about Tempe dealing with the same illness - the treatment, the pains, the side-effects etc. As the author is only too familiar with Tempe's situation herself, I found that this added an authentic tone to that aspect of the storyline.

'Mama' returned in this novel to assist Tempe and as always provided some much needed comic relief. Though I would have loved to see more interaction between Pete/Tempe and Ryan/Tempe as their relationships are wonderfully written and generally a highlight of the novel as Tempe learns to battle with her emotions, scars and to trust her instincts - not to mention their advice!

Overall, 'A Conspiracy of Bones', is not my favourite of the Dr. Brennan books but I think that this is due less to the storyline - which is a wonderful mix of science, conspiracy and crime, but rather seeing my favorite heroine hampered in such a manner. We need Brennan back to full health and in charge! However, it is well-worth a read and certainly a welcome return to have Reichs writing again.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I’ve read some of the earlier Kathy Reichs books and found them accessible as standalone reads. Unfortunately I felt this one was not. I didn’t feel I knew enough about the characters and relationships were not well explained.

I’m used to the central character, Temperance Brennan, being a forensic anthropologist yet in this book she seemed more of a police operative- very little took place in the lab.

The story was interesting enough, but I found it a bit of a slog as I just wasn’t invested.

I’m certain fans will adore this book, and if I ever get chance to read the books I’ve missed, in certain it will be a great re-read in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

This is the latest in the Temperance Brennan series and a welcome back indeed !

Temp is back , although not fully recovered from her Neurosurgery and with a new boss determined to side line her .
But Temp is not to be side lined and when she receives a series of mysterious texts including pictures of half eaten faces she is determined to investigate - who is the dead man and who sent her the texts ??
The storyline is quite complex and convoluted - mixing conspiracy theories, child kidnappings ...….

Temp does very little actual forensic work in this book and acts more as a police expert which was a little out of character . The involvement of Ryan was almost non-existent which I also found disappointing .
All that being said I did enjoy Tempe's return and look forward to the next book by the Author .

I was given an arc of this book by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for my honest review .

#AConspiracyOfBones #NetGalley
A good read.
It’s sweltering in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Temperance Brennan, still recovering from neurosurgery following an aneurysm, is battling nightmares, migraines, and what she thinks might be hallucinations when she receives a series of mysterious text messages, each containing a new picture of a corpse that is missing its face and hands. Immediately, she’s anxious to know who the dead man is, and why the images were sent to her.
An identified corpse soon turns up, only partly answering her questions. What happened next? Read this book to know more.
Narration of the story is good.
Characters are ok.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Schuster for giving me an advance copy of this book.

Tempe is back, having had (like Reichs herself) health problems that have left her shaken and less confident than usual. This is not helped by having a new boss, who dislikes her and is sidelining her from any of the usual case work.

However this begins to change when she is anonymously sent photos of the most recent discovery under investigation- the bones of a man which have been partly consumed by wild hogs.

The story moves on and as ever Reichs’ research covers a wide range, this time we have the dark web, underground living, shipwrecks, conspiracy theorists and missing children in the mix. I was pleased to see that Ryan is around, though only tangentially this time as he’s pursuing his own career as a PI.

I enjoyed this novel.

Another excellent page-turner from Kathy Reichs. A mixture of science, procedural and delving into the lower depths of the Dark Web, this is one of those books that will keep you saying - just another chapter, just another page. Having been ill, geographically separated from Ryan, ostracised by the new medical examiner - a very unpleasant, publicity seeking newcomer - Tempe receives some photos that lead into a new unpleasant case. I don't want to say more at the risk of an inadvertent spoiler!!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an advance copy.

What a dark twisted read!! If you’re into crime and forensics, this is the book for you. Will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish,

I’ve read pretty much all of Reichs’ Temperance Brennan series (and I watched a lot of Bones as a student) so I was really excited to get my hands on a review copy of her latest crime novel and it came through. I didn’t at all guess where this mystery was going, starting with a man partially eaten by pigs and getting to the resolution via internet crime, so it was definitely engaging on that front. My only criticism of Reichs’ writing is that I find the really technical scientific explanations quite hard to follow (or just not needed) so I tend to skim through those bits.

A badly mutilated corpse destroyed by pigs, a boss with a limited knowledge and a dislike for Brennan and recovery from surgery make for an interesting read.

Recommended for all fans of Kathy Reichs favourite anthropologist