Dr. Temperance Brennan
Written: Dec 18 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Interesting main character, forensic anthropology
Cons: too many characters, not enough red herrings, abrupt ending
The Bottom Line: Enjoyable to see how crimes are solved from the lab
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| Rocketgirl's Full Review: Kathy Reichs - Break No Bones Books |
Fans of the TV series “Bones” on Fox will enjoy this book. That is because this is the series that the TV show is based on. Kathy Reichs, herself a forensic anthropologist, created the character of Dr. Temperance Brennan. Through this series of books, Dr. Brennan’s specialty is in big demand in the world of crime solving. But the resemblance to the TV show and the book begins and ends with the character’s name. They are really nothing alike. In some respects that’s good and some it’s not. Let me explain.
In this particular book, written in 2006, Dr. Brennan is leading an archaeological expedition in South Carolina. One of the student comes across a corpse that has been buried much more recently than one would expect at a dig of ancient remains. Dr. Brennan, who consults with her friend Emma, the local coroner, is called in for her expertise on when and how the person died.
With her to help solve the crime is her ex-husband Pete, who is also visiting the area. He is an attorney hired to investigate the disappearance of a detective who was looking into a possible money laundering scheme being conducted by a local evangelical group. Also helping is her friend Ryan, her current boyfriend and police officer, who is visiting from Ontario.
Pete’s investigation ultimately crosses paths with the corpse found at the archaeological site. It becomes obvious when another body is found hanging from a tree and another one is found dead in the surf stuck inside a 55-gallon drum. All of these people seemed to have had a connection to a free clinic, operated by the evangelical group. What is the connection? Who killed them and why? Or are they really random deaths? Dr. Brennan must find out with the aid of Pete and Ryan, her friend Emma, who is dying of cancer, and Sheriff Gullet, who is suspicious of outsiders in his small town but knows an expert when he sees one.
Now if you’re a fan of the TV show first and come to read any of the books second, you’re bound to be disappointed. Especially if this type of book isn’t your typical reading material. The reason I say this is because the story line is so different from the TV series. Dr. Brennan does NOT consult with the FBI in the book. She works for the University of North Carolina and consults for some agency in Montreal. Unlike the TV show, in which she works for the Jeffersonian Institute, a think tank in D.C. Hodgins, Zack, and Booth are not part of the books. For the most part there are no recurring characters other than the boyfriend. In the books, she has been married and has a kid, but not on TV. In the book, her character is much more emotional and tender, whereas her character on TV is very clinical and totally out of touch with modern music, pop culture, etc. In other words, there’s not much resemblance other than the main character’s name and profession.
Not that the books are bad, just different. I like them because I like crime solving stories and for the puzzles that are solved in finding the bad guy. Because of the TV series I know what to expect. I know that some aspects might be a little gruesome. But at least I don’t have to visualize it, unlike watching the series when the gruesome parts are RIGHT THERE for you to see.
I like the fact that this story was not set in a big anonymous city, but instead was in a small city. It made the setting more relevant to the story and to the resolution of some of the clues. The ocean shore in particular comes into play.
There were several characters either part of the “A” team, victims, and potential bad guys. I did get a little lost at times trying to figure out what relevance the different victims had, particularly those whose deaths were not investigated. It became clear by the end, but was a bit confusing midway through the book.
As far as identifying the culprit, I felt this could have been done with a bit more finesse. Dr. Brennan fixates on one person and sets out to prove him the bad guy. Though that is what you would do in real life, it doesn’t make for very interesting reading when you don’t even try to throw in some red herrings. So the suspense was a little lacking from that aspect. His scheme was rather original though and the resolution of everything was a bit more complex. So I was fairly happy with how everything was explained.
What’s missing, though, is the humor that is in the TV series. No banter between characters, no comraderie, no dealing with the pressures of daily life. And of course some of that isn’t going to be possible with no recurring characters. Sarcasm is difficult to get across in print, but it still can be done. And its just not there, like it is on the TV show. So the book feels more somber and depressing than the TV show, which feels more fun and entertaining.
The book is mostly done with dialogue, so all the white space does make for a fairly fast read. That, and the frequent scene changes, also make the pace of reading go by faster than you realize. It was never boring and it did spur me on to reach the conclusion. As I mentioned, it can be a bit gruesome, describing the autopsy process, but nothing that isn’t necessary to the diagnostic process. There is very little in the way of profanity or sexual innuendo, though she occasionally describes her feelings for both her ex and her current boyfriend. The action starts right away and never lets up until the end, so the pacing of the story is well done. The ending is a bit abrupt but is at least complete and ties up all the loose ends. But the book still did feel like something of a let down after seeing the TV series. This is one time where I don’t feel like the book is better, like I do with many movie adaptations of books.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Rocketgirl
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Member: Beth
Location: Tri-Cities, WA
Reviews written: 398
Trusted by: 224 members
About Me:
So many books, so little time.
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