Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs

Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs

2010, Scribner

Series: Book 13 of Temperance Brennan

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Synopsis: John Lowery was declared dead in 1968—the victim of a Huey crash in Vietnam, his body buried long ago in North Carolina. Four decades later, Temperance Brennan is called to the scene of a drowning in Hemmingford, Quebec. The victim appears to have died while in the midst of a bizarre sexual practice. The corpse is later identified as John Lowery. But how could Lowery have died twice, and how did an American soldier end up in Canada?

Tempe sets off for the answer, exhuming Lowery’s grave in North Carolina and taking the remains to Hawaii for reanalysis—to the headquarters of JPAC, the U.S. military’s Joint POW/ MIA Accounting Command, which strives to recover Americans who have died in past conflicts. In Hawaii, Tempe is joined by her colleague and ex-lover Detective Andrew Ryan (how “ex” is he?) and by her daughter, who is recovering from her own tragic loss. Soon another set of remains is located, with Lowery’s dog tags tangled among them. Three bodies—all identified as Lowery.

And then Tempe is contacted by Hadley Perry, Honolulu’s flamboyant medical examiner, who needs help identifying the remains of an adolescent boy found offshore. Was he the victim of a shark attack? Or something much more sinister?

Why read: Love the series

What impressed me: I loved Tempe in Hawaii. I loved her vacationing with her daughter and I loved seeing her work in a new place with a different group of people. I absolutely loved Tempe and Ryan spending time together, with their respective kids, and not having everything be sort of overwhelmed by work as it usually is. The mystery was completely unforeseeable. I thought I had it figured out a couple of times, but was always proven wrong.

What disappointed me: I'm sort of getting sick of Tempe constantly being in danger. At the rate she's going, you'd expect her to have a constant security detail.

Recommended: Yes. Series fans will love the great balance between mystery and Tempe's personal life.

Continue series: Definitely. However long the series lasts, I'm sticking with it.