| | |  | | Home » 206 Bones (Temperance Brennan) | | | | | | | Description: | | There are 206 bones in the human body. And one shattering secret hidden among them. . . . Cold and alone, bound hands to feet, Tempe Brennan regains consciousness locked in a dark cell—or is she buried alive in a tomb?—and begins to reconstruct the twisted chain of events that led her to this terrifying place. Tempe and Lieutenant Ryan had recently accompanied the remains of a missing heiress from Montreal to the Chicago morgue, and suddenly Tempe is accused of mishandling the autopsy. After an incriminating phone call and another shocking death, Tempe’s unseen enemy closes in—even as the corpse of a second, and then a third, elderly woman turns up in the woods of Montreal. Who wants Tempe dead, or at least out of the way, and why? Who would resort to sabotage to destroy the secrets hidden in the bones? Only Tempe can uncover the truth—if she can escape the deadly fate someone has designed for her. | | | Product Details: | | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 128 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 128 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 52 found the following review helpful:
Here Come the LatviansAug 26, 2009
By Renate Schneider
Being a Chicagoan, I very much enjoyed all the references to my city at the beginning of this novel.After several books that provided some background on Tempe (her sister, Harry; her family background)it was fun to read about her estranged husband's family, a lively bunch of Latvians!I found that this book, like the others, pulls me in, and what I anticipate will be "just a chapter or two" of reading invariably ends hours later, when I have finished the book, and the day is gone.The plots move quickly, and I just have to know what happens next, much to the detriment of my plans for the day. There have already been several reviews that discuss the plot; I see no point in belaboring that, except to say that there is always new knowledge to be gained, but the story line is fast paced and never preachy.I like that the author's passion for her profession comes through. It is still my fervent hope that Tempe ends up with Claudel and not Ryan, and I eagerly await the next book in hopes that Tempe's fascination with Ryan's blue eyes will be replaced by appreciation of Claudel's sartorial splendor!
89 of 105 found the following review helpful:
 "Something's very wrong."Jul 28, 2009
By E. Bukowsky
"booklover10"
"206 Bones," by Kathy Reichs, opens with Tempe Brennan realizing, to her horror, that she has been handcuffed and buried in some sort of underground crypt. She does not remember how she got there, but is understandably terrified. The author then traces the complicated series of events that led up to Tempe's abduction and entombment.
For the uninitiated, Temperance Brennan is a renowned forensic anthropologist who divides her time between laboratories in Montreal and the North Carolina. Her pal and partner in detection is the hunky Lieutenant-détective Andrew Ryan, who works for the Sûreté du Québec. The two have an on-again, off-again romance that is currently off, although they remain good friends. Tempe and Ryan have their hands full probing several convoluted mysteries, including the deaths of three elderly females as well as that of a fifty-nine year old woman whose body was found thirty months after she disappeared in Quebec. As a favor to a friend, they also try to learn the fate of a young man who fell or was thrown into a quarry. Ryan spends many hours tracking down potential witnesses and searching for physical evidence, while Tempe follows up leads of her own and carefully studies skeletal remains.
Reichs' strength lies in her encyclopedic knowledge of forensic anthropology. When Tempe talks bones, we listen. In addition, the author skillfully captures the bleakness of a harsh Montreal winter, with its icy temperatures, slick roads, and heavy snowfall. The bitter weather is a fitting counterpoint to Tempe's mood. She is indignant that some of her colleagues are challenging her competence, especially an ambitious newcomer named Marie-Andréa Briel. The reader suffers, as well, because Tempe's inquiries are not all that interesting. They lack the suspense and nail-biting tension that we have come to expect from this talented author. This is a talky novel with too much cutesy dialogue, and the author telegraphs the identity of the villains far too soon. When the bad guys are unmasked, few will be surprised. Another annoying element is Ryan and Tempe's silly banter; these two act more like lovesick teenagers than mature adults. "206 Bones" offers little suspense, a drawn-out and dull plot, and almost no character development. This series may be close to running its course.
25 of 27 found the following review helpful:
Fast, entertaining readAug 29, 2009
By Skunk Tabby
I read this in an afternoon--always a good sign. While I haven't read all of Kathy Reichs' books, I have really enjoyed the ones that I have. If you're a fan, you'll enjoy this one--a good mix of the familiar and the new. If you're a fan of the TV series, try not to think of the books as having any relation to the show--they're completely different in tone, style, and depth. I always prefer the books set in Montreal, as this one is, because I enjoy reading about its rich history. The book does serve up plenty of that. I don't want to get into plot-specifics because it is a mystery and why spoil the fun? But the characters, both main and supporting, are well-drawn and realistic, if not relatable.
The book loses a star for a blindingly obvious suspect that went unnoticed until the end and tangents that serve only to slow down the reader and show off the author's researching and/or trivia skills. Also, the very, very end devolves into what feels like a self-serving (although probably justifiable) tirade about qualifications to be a forensic anthropologist. While she may have a point, it was about a subtle as an anvil to the forehead and brought the book to a screeching halt. Granted, it was the last page so halting is to be expected, but the tone just didn't fit in with the overall book. But since I enjoyed the book, I'll let it go. This time.
14 of 16 found the following review helpful:
 I wanted to love it!Aug 30, 2009
By Tina
"Tina"
I have read everything by Kathy Reichs, in part because I love the fact that many of her stories are based in Montreal and its fun to read about your town as part of the storyline.
I really, really wanted to like 206 Bones, but I just could not get into it. Yes, I did manage to finish it, but I have to say that it felt as though I had been reading this one for weeks and weeks, even though I did manage to get through it in a few days.
We find Tempe and Lieutenant Ryan in Chicago - someone is accusing Tempe of having deliberately misled people on a former case. It turns out that there is someone out there who is trying to get to Tempe and this sets off a series of events - which sees Tempe and Ryan flying back to Montreal and going back and forth and back and forth.
This novel is so slow moving, that I found myself wanting to skip pages and pages and would still have been able to follow the storyline. On the other hand, there were so many characters involved, not to mention subplots scattered between the US and Montreal that I found myself not caring enough to really follow the cast of characters.
This story felt confusing, but more importantly boring to me. I know that, in my experience, most authors cannot always write a winner and this is definitely not a winner for Reichs, in my opinion.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
"Hard words break no bones." 17th Century SayingDec 04, 2009
By michael a. draper
4 1/2 stars.
Officials ask anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan to help with the body of a missing heiress, Rose Jermain. Temp finds that the woman died of hypothermia and that there didn't appear to be a crime involved.
However, an anonymous phone call is received by the dead woman's father, alleging that Temp deliberately falsified the autopsy report. When Temp explains her findings, she's told that she has an enemy and it would be to her benefit to find out who.
The plot driven story weaves between Temp's current status where she is bound and locked in a small space, while attempting to figure out how she got there and how to escape and the events that led up to her predicament.
The earlier events include being back at the lab where bodies of a number of elderly women had been found. Temp and Lt. Ryan wonder if they are dealing with a serial killer of these aged women.
Complicating the situation is that as Temp is attempting to help the police find the killer of these women, someone seems to be sabotaging her work.
Kathy Reich expands the story line with Brennan in her novels and with the TV show,"Bones." She presents enjoyable plots and situations for her heroine to resolve. Brennan is such a real character that the reader agonizes with her as her superior informs her that she missed a vital clue and a junior member of the team found it and was praised for her effort.
There also a nice chemistry between Temp and Lt. Ryan. I enjoyed this work and continue to appreciate the excellent writing of the author.
See all 128 customer reviews on Amazon.com
| | |
|
