Along with many others, I've found Kathy Reichs' Temperance Brennan series a bit hit or miss in the last few years. Speaking in Bones was somewhere in between for me--I enjoyed it, but not as much as many of the earlier books.
Most interesting to me in this latest installment is the idea of web sleuths--something I'd never heard of before. Web sleuthing is a fascinating phenomenon, and sure enough, there are plenty of articles on line about these web detectives. From Websleuths: Dozens of experts, including doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, teachers and prison officers, have joined Websleuths. They can post as such if their credentials are verified by site owner Tricia Griffith, who bought it in 2004 for $US1500. "We're seeing an influx of professionals," she tells Fairfax via Skype.
And there is much more online about web sleuthing--articles, podcasts, a Facebook page, and different forums.
Even if I find Reichs' novels sometimes more, sometimes less fascinating, I don't think there has been a single one in which I didn't learn something new. Past books have been based on the archaeological excavation on Masada, the leper colony in New Brunswick, endangered wildlife, the importance of board qualifications for forensic pathologists/anthropologists, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, just to name a few interesting and informative themes taken from real life developments.
Another reader of the Temperance Brennan series mentioned that she preferred those set in Montreal. I had not thought of it that way, but on consideration, I agree. While I like the fact that the books always have an educational element (even though I have to do some research to find out more), it does seem the best-developed mysteries are set in Canada.
read in April; blog post scheduled for June 29, 2015
NetGalley/Random House
Mystery. July 21, 2015. Print length: 320 pages.
I've never tried any of her books. Back when I read Patricia Cornwell, I had more of an interest in reading Reichs, but after I gave up on Cornwell my interest in Reichs went away. I know that's unfair, but it seemed to be the way things went. I may give her a try at some point. I know her books are well liked.
ReplyDeleteI gave up on Cornwell long ago, but Reichs has continued to hold my interest. Sometimes, though, a series goes on for so long that it is difficult to keep coming up with compelling developments in the lives of the characters.
DeleteI don't think I've read any book by this author. Perhaps there are too many mystery or thriller authors out there that I tend to miss out a few, and Kathy Reichs is one of them. Perhaps I'll try to read her books in the near future.
ReplyDelete:) You are right--there are so many mystery/thriller/police procedurals out there that it is impossible to read or keep up with them all!
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