Bare Bones

By: Kathy Reichs

Narrated by: Michele Pawk

Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

It's a summer of sizzling heat in Charlotte where Dr. Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist for the North Carolina medical examiner, looks forward to her first vacation in years. A romantic vacation. She's almost out the door when the bones start appearing.

A newborn's charred remains turn up in a woodstove. A small plane crashes in a North Carolina cornfield on a sunny afternoon. Both pilot and passenger are burned beyond recognition. And what is the mysterious black substance covering the bodies? Most puzzling of all are the bones discovered at a remote farm outside Charlotte. The remains seem to be of animal origin, but Tempe is shocked when she gets them to her lab.

With help from a special detective friend, Tempe must investigate a poignant and terrifying case that comes at the worst possible moment. Daughter Katy has a new boyfriend who Tempe fears may have something to hide. And important personal decisions face Tempe. Is it time for emotional commitment? Will she have the chance to find out?

Everything must wait on the bones. Why are the X rays and DNA so perplexing? Who is trying to keep Tempe from the answers? Someone is following her, and must be stopped before it's too late.

Don't miss any of Tempe Brennan's investigations.

©2003 Temperance Brennan, L.P. (P)2003 Simon & Schuster Inc. All Rights Reserved. AUDIOWORKS. is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster Inc.

Critic reviews

"...the science is fascinating, and every minute in the morgue with Tempe is golden." (The New York Times)

Don't miss this one

I almost skipped this one because I red a few bad reviews. I am so glad I didn't!

To say why without spoilers is difficult. Let it go as this book has key character developement points that you do not want to miss.

As I write this I have yet to read the next book, but I expect that if I had skipped this installment I would be exchaiming an old military term, "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" and going back to read this anyway.

Of course the style is very technical and somewhat over explanitory, but that is the style of the series.

Overall I give an overall rating higher than either the writing or performance alone because this is one book in the series that youshould not miss.

Patricia Cornwell Fans

Kathy Reichs reminds me very much of Patricia Cornwell's mysteries. I've been through all of the Cornwell books and this is my first novel by Reichs. It's entertaining and easy listening and I enjoy the narration by Michele Pawk. I'm looking forward to reading more of Reich's mysteries in the future. I'm giving this 4 stars, not because it's one of the best books ever but, because it's easy, guilty entertainment. If you enjoy Patricia Cornwell, I think you'll also enjoy this mystery. I'll be reviewing more of Reich's novels in the near future. Mystery, murder, a little romance, interesting characters... check it out.

I also enjoy that Reich's has chosen a storyline involving protected species of animals. She clearly wants to do her part in educating people as well as entertaining them. Thank you Kathy Reichs!

I often listen to audible books when I'm suffering from insomnia. They're like bedtime stories for adults.

Another hit!

It has the usual crime storyline but definitely goes more in depth with her personal relationships. Don’t skip this one!

Bear bones terrific!

Tempe investigates when a body of a baby is found in a stove, but whilst on a trip with her daughter, her dog Boyd discovers bear bones. This leads to an investigation of illegal animal poaching and trafficking. Well narrated by Michele Pawk, Bare Bones is a great listen and just so darn, bear bones terrific. Kathy Reichs never lets her readers down.

Not my favorite of the series

I had a hard time following all the good old boys and keeping them straight.

Gill

Great book!! They' all interesting & make U not want to put the book down (stop listening). I enjoy all she has written.

Not great, but good!

Not the best so far, but still held my interest till the very end. The love story alone is worth listening to this one.

Bare Bones: Hard to Follow in Abridged Format

I became a fan of Kathy Reichs after reading Grave Secrets, which I also downloaded from audible.com. So, I was anxious to read Bare Bones when it became available. The story line is quite good, but I found it somewhat hard to follow, and had to listen to some sections a couple of times. When I got to the end, I realized that I had erroneously downloaded the abridged version. As a matter of policy, I NEVER read the abridged version because important elements of the story have been removed. I realize that it was hard to follow because essential portions of the story line were omitted. Thus, my error caused me to waste five hours of valuable reading time, and resulted in an unsatisfying experience. My suggestion: stick with unabridged books in all cases.

Not quite the book as some of her others

But a good listen (read) nevertheless.

Not as good

I am a fan of Kathy Reich and have read all her books and listened to all available too but this was a disappontment. No real suspense, the science was nothing new and the romance was boring.
I also dislike this new narrator. She does not have the same kanck for accents that the previous narrator Kateherine Borowitz does.