Cold, Cold Bones: 'Kathy Reichs has written her masterpiece' (Michael Connelly)

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Someone is playing a dangerous game with Tempe.�� And they won’t stop until they have taken everything from her . . .

GPS coordinates etched into the eyeball lead to a Benedictine monastery where an equally macabre discovery awaits. Soon after, Tempe examines a mummified corpse in a state park, and her anxiety deepens. There seems to be no pattern to the subsequent killings uncovered, except that each mimics in some way a homicide that a younger Tempe had been called in to analyse. Who or what is targeting her, and why?

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If the previous twenty books in the series are a bit intimidating, you can definitely start here. It’s refreshing to follow a protagonist in a thriller who has aged and has an adult daughter who is a big part of her life. As always, this is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat read, one you are sure to race through as Tempe tries to get to the bottom of the copycat killings.

This leads Tempe to embark on a wild adventure which causes her to discover that someone is copycatting some of her old cases. Will Tempe be able to figure out who it is before she loses someone she loves? There seems to be no pattern to these random killings, except that each mimics in some way a killing that a younger Tempe witnessed, analyzed, or barely escaped. Who or what is targeting her, and why? A thing of clever beauty – smart, scary, complicated, and engrossing from the first sentence' MICHAEL CONNELLY One of the absolute best thrillers of the year! I can’t recall when this many twists have been so masterfully woven into a novel.' JEFFERY DEAVER Over the course of twenty books, Kathy Reichs and Tempe Brennan have thrilled readers with pacey, mazey tales . . . We readers are truly grateful' IAN RANKINHelping Tempe search for answers is detective Erskine “Skinny” Slidell, retired but still volunteering with the CMPD cold case unit – and still displaying his gallows humour. Also pulled into the mystery: Andrew Ryan, Tempe’s Montreal-based beau, now working as a private detective. Cold Cold Bones is also perfect for anyone with a short attention span. The prose is non-pretentious and is not overly flowery. It has short chapters with short paragraphs and sentences. It all starts when Dr Temperance Brennan finds a box on her porch. Inside is a fresh human eyeball with GPS coordinates etched into it. They lead her to a macabre discovery in a Benedictine Monastery, and soon after she discovers a mummified corpse in a state park. Cold, Cold Bones is yet another unmissable thriller from Reichs, perfect for both new and longtime readers of this incredibly enduring series. Reichs, skilfully using the conventions of the mystery novel, forces the reader to face up to the obscene realities of death time and time again. At work and a play she gets under your skin’ THE TIMES

Cold Cold Bones by Kathy Reichs was published in Australia by Simon & Schuster and is now available. Unconnected until Tempe realizes what they all have in common: a resemblance to her own previous cases. Tempe is at a loss to establish what is going on . . . and then her daughter disappears.Katy decides to volunteer at a local shelter for unhoused veterans while looking for some community. Tempe is wary of the veterans there and suspects them first when Katy begins to act erratically and doesn’t answer her phone. What first arouses her suspicions? How do Tempe’s feelings color the audience’s perception of the shelter? How might Tempe’s reaction to Katy’s decision reflect the attitudes of the rest of their community? The book opens with Tempe helping her daughter, Katy, move into her new home after recently finishing a career in the military, which included episodes of combat. What do you notice about the ways that Katy and Tempe treat each other? How does their relationship affect the course of the book? Someone is playing a dangerous game with Tempe. And they won’t stop until they have taken everything from her . . . Overall, Cold Cold Bones is a highly entertaining book for those with strong stomachs who love murder mystery. Perfect for fans of Bones, Rizzoli & Isles, Temperance Brennan, or those looking for strong female characters doing important work. A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy.

Cold, Cold Bones is a story of vengeance against Tempe for mistakes she’d made in the past. Despite not being an investigator or an officer of any kind, Tempe has a great deal of influence. In the course of investigating this case, how many people does Tempe suspect? How many people does she involve incidentally in a serial killer investigation? Tempe handles a great deal of violence on a regular basis. Do some research about the number of medical professionals who are later diagnosed with PTSD, the same condition that Katy suffers from. Why do you think Tempe is unwilling to link her condition with that of her daughter? In what ways is the justice system in the United States like a warzone? There seems to be no pattern to these killings, except that each mimics a killing connected to something a younger Tempe experienced, or barely escaped. Someone is targeting her, and she needs to figure out why before they strike again.Helping Tempe search for answers is detective Erskine “Skinny” Slidell, retired but still volunteering with the CMPD cold case unit—and still displaying his gallows humor. Also pulled into the mystery: Andrew Ryan, Tempe’s Montreal-based beau, now working as a private detective. Cold, Cold Bones alludes to many of Tempe’s prior cases. Try reading past Temperance Brennan adventures like Bones Never Lie, Break No Bones, and Bones of the Lost. How are the mysteries in these books reprised in some form in Cold, Cold Bones? Electrifying, heart-stopping and compulsive, this is Tempe’s most personal and dangerous case yet . . . Tempe’s phone is both a lifeline and a source of fear and suspense. Ryan is often unreachable because of cell service and bad weather, Charlie sends a few cryptic messages before he dies, and Katy begins refusing phone calls. How does each situation erode Tempe’s sense of safety? How does Tempe’s being cut off from others serve the killer’s motives?