A Conspiracy of Bones

By Kathy Reichs

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with her nineteenth novel featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, who must use all her tradecraft to discover the identity of a faceless corpse, its connection to a decade-old missing child case, and why the dead man had her cellphone number.

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 unidentified corpse soon turns up, only partly answering her questions.

To win answers to the others, including the man’s identity, she must go rogue, working mostly outside the system. That’s because Tempe’s new boss holds a fierce grudge against her and is determined to keep her off the case. Tempe bulls forward anyway, even as she begins questioning her instincts. But the clues she discovers are disturbing and confusing. Was the faceless man a spy? A trafficker? A target for assassination by the government? And why was he carrying the name of a child missing for almost a decade?

With help from a number of law enforcement associates including her Montreal beau Andrew Ryan and the always-ready-with-a-smart-quip, ex-homicide investigator Skinny Slidell, and utilizing new cutting-edge forensic methods, Tempe draws closer to the astonishing truth.

But the more she uncovers, the darker and more twisted the picture becomes...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Release date: Mar 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781982139360

Kathy Reichs

Kathy Reichs’s first novel Déjà Dead, published in 1997, won the Ellis Award for Best First Novel and was an international bestseller. Fire and Bones is Reichs’s twenty-third novel featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Reichs was also a producer of Fox Television’s longest running scripted drama, Bones, which was based on her work and her novels. One of very few forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, Reichs divides her time between Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina. Visit her at KathyReichs.com or follow her on X @KathyReichs, Instagram @KathyReichs, or Facebook @KathyReichsBooks. 

Reviews for A Conspiracy of Bones

[pgchuis · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.I have read many of these over the years, and in lots of ways this was very familiar: Tempe acts with utter disregard for her personal safety; chapters end with dramatic hooks (e.g. "Life was about to go from bad to pure hell."); there are several sections where a character recites what is obviously the fruits of the author's research to another in a big info dump.This one was a little different though: Tempe does no work in Quebec, and, having been frozen out by her boss in Charlotte, does no work at all there either for the whole of the period of the book, despite fretting about money, so we never get to see her excel at her job. Instead she is entirely free to go around putting her life in danger as previously discussed, investigating a case that she thinks her boss should have asked her to consult on.After a slightly mystifying opening chapter, which didn't really grab me and make me want to keep reading, things picked up and the plot did carry me along until the final third, where Tempe has some sort of out of body experience, which is never fully explained. After that the bad guys are identified, but then the book drags on for a few chapters, in what is probably a very realistic depiction of what police work is like, but which destroyed all the momentum of the story and made me impatient for it to end.Not enough Montreal and not enough Ryan. Disappointing.

[vesper1931 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Pictures of a faceless corpse have been sent to Temperance Brennan's phone. Why and who is he? But with a new boss at work, one that she is in conflict with, Brennan's search for the truth results in an unofficial investigation with the help of retired detective, Slidell.
I finished the book but I just could not get my interest involved in the story and at times I felt that there was too much indepth pointless information.
A NetGalley Book

[twink_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kathy Reichs has just released A Conspiracy of Bones - the 19th entry in her long running Temperance Brennan series.I was a few books behind but it was easy to catch up in the opening chapter. A quick recap of what's going on in Tempe's life had me up to speed - and ready to see what was next in store for this forensic anthropologist. A lot, as it turns out....An unidentified corpse missing many parts - but has Tempe's phone number in his pocket, a new boss who despises Tempe (the feeling is mutual), missing children, conspiracists and their theories, the dark web and more. And on top of it all, she's been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm.The book starts out strong and I was caught up from the opening pages. And it only gets better as it progresses. Honestly, there was no way to predict where the plot was going to go. I actually stopped listening at one point to go online and see if some of the plot devices actually happened. Frighteningly, the answer was yes - MKUltra is a fact. Each new piece of evidence and every revelation only intrigued me more. And just when I thought I had the ending figured out - there were three or four additional chapters that changed the outcome I had predicted. I really enjoy being surprised.I've always liked Tempe as a character. She comes across as believable. Love interest Ryan makes an appearance as well - another long running character and relationship that adds another layer to the books. I also like Tempe's mom - her bawdy one liners make me laugh and I picked up some computer knowledge from her explanations. But the supporting player I really like is ex-homicide investigator Skinny Slidell. He's irreverent, loud and a bit obnoxious. But he's a dogged investigator and he and Tempe make a formidable team. He too has some great lines.As I mentioned, I chose to listen to A Conspiracy of Bones. Having read physical copies of the previous books, I noticed a big difference. I really, really enjoyed the audio version! The reader was Linda Emond and she was fantastic. She has a very versatile voice. Her voice has movement, rising and falling as she narrates. I've never watched the television show Bones, so I didn't have a preconceived notion of what Tempe's voice should sound like. Emond's voice was perfect and will for me always be the voice of Tempe. (I hope she reads forthcoming books) The voice for Slidell was spot on as well - loud, with a down home accent that was just right. When they're talking, you could believe there are two people speaking. She did a good job with Ryan's French accent as well. I found by listening to this one, I took in more. I heard the humor in Reich's writing. Yes, there are lots of funny lines in such a 'deadly' book. Her voice is pleasant to listen to and easy to understand. And as I always say, I feel more drawn in to a tale when I listen. PS - make sure you listen to the author's notes at the end!

[rowingrabbit · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a series I’ve dipped in & out of over the years & it’s been a while. But one thing obviously hasn’t changed. Tempe still has a gift for getting in over her head.This instalment finds her on shaky ground, personally & professionally. She recently had brain surgery & is ready to return to work as a consultant for the medical examiner’s office. Unfortunately there’s a new ME in town & they have some history. Tempe’s made it known she views Dr. Margot Heavner as a glory seeking publicity hound. So it’s no surprise when Heavner lets Tempe know her services are no longer required.But when a faceless corpse ends up in the morgue, it’s clear someone wants her involved. Tempe receives anonymous photos of the body. And that’s just the beginning. Cryptic texts, weird messages on the dark web, missing kids, night time prowlers…..hmmm. Only one thing to do really. ID the body & figure out how he got so dead. And if she shows up Heavner in the process, well that’s just a bonus. Tempe begins her own investigation & ropes in a couple of accomplices including Skinny Slidell, a grouchy PI with an interest in the case. They may bicker like siblings but a grduging mutual respect means he has her back.Initially there are a lot of separate threads to the story. Strange things are happening & it feels like Tempe is being lured down a dark rabbit hole. But because of her fragile state, we’re not even sure how much of it is real. Turns out neither is she. Personal issues, stress & too much time on her hands result in erratic behaviour & questionable decisions. And long hours spent with conspiracy theorists on the dark web certainly don’t help.I think I would have enjoyed this more if I’d kept up with the series. My bad. At times I felt like I was missing some crucial background info that would have helped me understand her character better. We spend a lot of time in Tempe’s head as she grapples with doubt & paranoia. She veers from endless speculation about the case to acting on rash decisions that put her in danger.When an author gets to book #19 in a series, you know they’re doing something right & I really believe this will appeal to faithful fans. The mystery behind the body in the morgue is clever & intricate but I think you’ll get more out of the story as a whole if you’ve been following along.

[lostinalibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When a new corpse arrives at the morgue, it has, unfortunately, been badly damaged by feral pigs making it almost impossible to identify. Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is intrigued and determined to discover the identity despite having been frozen out of the lab by her new boss. Still, she won't let that stop her and immediately sets out to investigate with a little (actually a lot) of help from Erskine 'Skinny' Slidell, a long-time and old school detective with the Charlotte police department. But even he can't keep Tempe from getting herself in several dangerous situations.It seems like lately I've been revisiting series that I had not visited in a very long time and I'm not sure if it's my memory or the series but they haven't lived up to my expectations. This is true of A Conspiracy of Bones, the latest book by Kathy Reichs. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it well enough. perhaps it was that, outside the lab, Brennan seemed less professional but no less reckless than what I remember from those past books. Or maybe it's just that, despite few references to books I haven't read, I felt somewhat disoriented and it took me a while to find the pace. Regardless, the story did keep me reading if not completely immersed for the most part. There is one section where she makes a record of what has already happened that seemed closer to how real forensic anthropology is likely done that I found interesting. However, I have read some reviews that seemed to find it tedious. Anyway, overall, I'd recommend it mainly to fans of the series if purchasing. For anyone else, I suggest the library.One caveat: I would recommend, for anyone averse to cruelty to animals as I am, you might want to skip ahead a few paragraphs at the word 'kitten' Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

[daniexj · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was eagerly awaiting this, since it's been awhile since the previous book in the series was published. (And yikes to that story, glad that the author is okay).The mysteries were interesting. Tempe is on the outs with the new ME in North Carolina. And then when she doesn't get called in on a case (where the dead guy is a John Doe) she finds herself on the case anyway when someone sends her some photos of the deceased anyway. So, she enlists the help of the Detective Slidell (Skinny), as well as Ryan just a little bit. And, is on the case. Although, sometimes it seems as though maybe the whole case is just in her head.I was of two minds about this book. IT was much more character driven than some of Reichs' plot/mystery driven ones. Tempe is in her head a lot, not to mention she really goes outside of the usual legal system that she works in during the other books (and that's saying something).It was a fun read, but, it was also a really slow read and I wish I'd been able to like it more.I was given this ARC by Netgalley on behalf of Scribner.

[fredreeca · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Tempe is on the outs with her new boss. When she receives some strange text messages about an unidentifiable corpse. She oversteps in more ways than one.It has been quite a while since I have read a book by this author. Years ago she was a favorite. But, as the years have passed other authors have worked their way in. So, I took advantage when this came up for me.I will be honest, this was just a so-so read for me. I did not feel like the story really went anywhere. It was a slow start and just never really grabbed me. Plus, I hated Tempe’s boss! You will have to read this to discover what that witch…ugh..excuse me…woman was up to. But, I still found it intriguing in places. Especially the mystery around the child’s disappearance and the unidentifiable body. I did wonder how Tempe was going to link all the clues together. It is a fast moving, quick read. I just think there are other books by Kathy Reichs which are much more captivating.I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

[jetangen4571 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

serial-killer, series, forensics, suspense, thriller*****I think that everyone is somewhat familiar with Dr Temperance Brennan after over 20 years of books and the spinoff TV series of a number of years. Obviously I've missed a few of the books, because the murder of her boss and the stenting of a cerebral aneurysm in her own brain were total news to me!About reviewing the book. Hard for me to do because it has a lot about serial killer and child abduction/torture/murder. The story is well written and always has a spate of snarkiness just when the awfulness is getting to me. Lots of interesting learning opportunities as well: the darkweb/tor, conspiracy obsessives, and changes in DNA recovery. The secondary thread is the unwise behaviors and animosity from the new boss as well as backstory regarding Temperance's mother and some other characters from earlier books. Bottom line is that the material is something that I find distressing but the writing remains on target.I requested and received a free ebook copy from Scribner via NetGalley. Thank you!

[juju2cat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Something was a little off about the book. Maybe because the author is "ageing" Tempe which I always dislike but is the natural way of things. There was a lot of action and a great deal of information on the dark web which hopefully I'll never need to use! Overall a good book.

[diana.hauser · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A CONSPIRACY OF BONES is author Kathy Reichs newest addition (2020) to her Temperance Brennan series.Temperance Brennan is a forensic anthropologist dividing her ‘work time’ between Charlotte, North Carolina and Montreal, Quebec, Canada.We open with Tempe (in Charlotte) recovering from very serious neurosurgery. Out of the blue, she receives a series of text messages, each containing a picture of a mutilated corpse. (This is confusing, as these messages drive the plot and are only very briefly explained on the last pages of the book. Who sent them? Why?)Tempe ramps up an investigation involving ex-homicide investigator, Skinny Slidell. (This is confusing, also, as Slidell is retired yet seems to have full access to police information and facilities.)Tempe is like a deranged 90 year old Nancy Drew tanked up on Red Bull and a cocaine overdose. Her behavior is unprofessional, uninteresting, blatantly irresponsible and dangerous, extremely disorienting.I enjoy (usually) this character very much - her intellect, her expertise, her professionalism, but this title leaves me baffled as to Tempe’s current state of mind.I disliked the book from the start - the confusing plot; an array of nutty characters; Tempe’s very repulsive treatment of everyone she comes into contact with. By her own admission, she is haggard (worn-out, exhausted, gaunt), resentful, and outraged. There is little interaction with Ryan and even less time in Montreal.Many readers have said they disliked the book because of the author’s political bias (read that as anti-republican and condemning of conspiracy theories and corruption). I would say that is the ONLY aspect of the book that I did like. That, and the section, ‘From the Forensic Files of Doctor Kathy Reichs’. She describes her writing process and her own diagnosis of an unruptured cerebral aneurysm.