This 24th installment in the Dr. Temperance Brennan series finds the forensic anthropologist in Charlotte, North Caroline where she works for the MCME due to her expertise in the human skeleton. She’s asked to consult when a grim series of animal mutilations is discovered. Alongside her old ally, semi-retired homicide detective Skinny Slidell, Tempe quickly finds that the perpetrator is escalating and possibly signaling a dangerous rehearsal for a human victim.
While there is some forensic detail, most of the story is focused on the discovery of the corpses that are missing a part, the letters PE etched onto the bodies, and with Tempe and Skinny talking to people who might be suspects. In addition, Reichs injects a dose of psychological discourse on the nature of evil and those who perpetrate it. Although there are lots of possible bad actors, the case seems to ricochet from one discovery of death and murder to another. The core mystery is meant to be about finding out who is killing these animals and humans and dressing up their bodies in a macabre collection of feathers and paint, but it digresses often to unrelated things such as Tempe’s boyfriend and the antics of a teenaged great niece staying with her daughter, Katy.
The killer is bad and with no shortage of possible suspects — bam, out of nowhere, a crazy twist that is not normally found in the template for this kind of thriller. The payoff is undermined by a deeply unsatisfying resolution and ending. Yes, a nonsensical and ambiguous final chapter. Although I’ve read all the books in this series from the beginning, this one just didn’t meet my expectations. Hopefully the next book will be more like all the previous stories.
I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Linda Emond, did a great job of voicing all the characters giving them unique accents and vocal identity. She does great with shifts in register and emotion using excellent pacing and tonal nuance. Her performance definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book.
This is the 24th in a series that is best read in order.
Genre and tags: crime thriller, anthropology, BONES television series, murder, animal mutilation
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