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Half the book before the story picked up. Normally love Kathy Reich's books, but this was a real slog. Way TMI about Charlotte, and too much excruciating forensic detail. Her normal wit and humor are almost totally absent, and the plot had an unbelievable number of coincidences to wind up the story. Hope her next book is back to her old standards.
The book did not have a cover and showcased a price tag of 0.50 on it.First of all, this is not what I read or expected the condition to be. In fact, this particular book description stated it had a cover that was worn.next, I was not charged 0.50 for my purchase; although based on the surprising and disappointing quality that is all it was worth. On a positive note, the delivery was received a bit quicker than expected
The final resolution speaks more to the incompetence of the police than to the cunning of the killer. Crossing swords with a fundamentalist politician, she loses her objectivity which results in severe career consequences. Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is called to investigate a grotesque altar complete with human and animal bones, in the basement of a renovated house. Tempe herself has morphed into a whiny, weak, liberal harpy.
Convinced that there is a link, she delves into voodoo, santeria, wicca and satanism while accompanying the police on rather pedestrian interviews and investigations. While this novel is an acceptable time killer, it is, unfortunately nothing more than that. The secondary characters are annoying and Brennan seems off her game forensically. Still mooning over Canadian ex-lover Ryan and her ex husband,and bickering with her moronic daughter she winds up in bed with another lover who jilted her when a teenager and falls into the bottle when the stress gets too much. The investigation leads to male prostitution, the murder of one of the detectives,grave robbing, teenage pregnancy and a rather ridiculous resolution.
This is not to say the book is bad.it is adeptly written albeit preachy in parts (the religious right, homosexuality, acceptance of "fringe" religions) and term paperish in others, (history of voodoo, santeria, wicca etc) However it marks the continued decline in once what was an intelligent and fun series. Moreover, she seems to think she is a police officer, inserting herself in the nuts and bolts investigation. Subsequently a decapitated body with a pentagram carved in the chest is found on a beach. She forfeits both her professionalism and her objectivity by engaging in political rants with the cartoonish Christian politician ( apparently you can be a fine person and a wiccan, brujera or pagan but Christians are classified as ignorant, insensitive, hypocritical hate mongers unworthy of a modicum of respect. I consider a mystery novel to be most successful when I am surprised by the perpetrator's identity and/or motivation.
Neither the killer nor his incentive was particularly logical. I dare her to try that with an Islamic character). Sadly, there was too little mystery and too much soap opera.
This was the slowest, dullest, and most boring stories I've read. The slowness of the book annoyed me. There was no climatic build up. I was so bored by this story I quit reading 3/4 of the way through. I kept thinking, "Get to the point." There was no action, suspense, nothing gripping. If you want to read a good book read Echo Park by Michael Connelly.
Maybe I've watched a little too much Bones, but I knew exactly the circumstances that created the confusion regarding the second body as soon as they found it. Not having any experience beyond what I've read, I didn't think it was all that easy; Reichs made it out to be like flipping a switch ~perhaps my only real criticism of this book).I guess it is a testament to how much I love this series, that I really want to see Tempe get her love life back together. Reichs takes on the myths surrounding non mainstream religions and the fear mongering of politicians and religious zealots that can lead to chaos and destruction.I was, however, slightly disappointed with Tempe (not Reichs) in that it took her a long time to decipher the perplexity regarding the second body. I found the subject matter of the latest installment of Temperance Brennan far more satisfying than the last, at least for me. Another highly enjoyable novel by Reichs -her writing became so accessible after her first novel. Whatever they are, I look forward to reading about them in the next novel. (I was actually a little shocked at how quickly she could jump back on the wagon. Hounded by the media and coping with death, motherhood, and lost love, Temperance falls off the sobriety wagon.
Reichs has opened some options for Temperance and while I will still be routing for a rugged, handsome detective, Temperance (uh, I mean Reichs.). The last book turned Tempe's love life upside down. She really has found a rhythm. Aimless twenty-something daughters and ex-husbands will always be difficult, but Tempe should at least be allowed to win in love. But, to be fair, Tempe was having some personal issues here. This book is continuing to deal with the fallout four months later. will make her own choices. [.].
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