Death du Jour

A Temperance Brennan Novel, Book 2

By: Kathy Reichs

Narrated by: Bonnie Hurren

Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Assaulted by the bitter cold of a Montreal winter, the American-born Dr. Temperance Brennan, Forensic Anthropologist for the Province of Quebec, digs for a corpse where Sister Elisabeth Nicolet, dead for over a century and now a candidate for sainthood, should be lying in her grave. A strange, small coffin, buried in the recesses of a decaying church, holds the first clue to the cloistered nun's fate.

The puzzle surrounding Sister Elisabeth Nicolet's life and death provides a welcome contrast to discoveries at a burning chalet, where scorched and twisted bodies await Tempe's professional expertise. Who were these people? What brought them to this gruesome fate? And where are the children?

Homicide Detective Andrew Ryan, with whom Tempe has a combustive history, joins her in the arson investigation. From the fire scene they are drawn into the worlds of an enigmatic and controversial sociologist, a mysterious commune, and a primate colony on a Carolina island.

Featuring the kind of forensic detail that only Kathy Reichs can provide - from skeletal reconstruction to insect analysis - Death du Jour takes the listener on a riveting journey from the morgue to the lab to the crime scene, from the warmth of a barrier island to the frigid cold of a deadly ice storm. With this poignant and powerful work, Kathy Reichs confirms her status as a brilliant new crime-writing star.

©1999 Kathy Reichs (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Atmospheric, suspensefully paced.... a delectable tale of corpus delicti... bone-chilling prime crime." ( People)

Good book but ...

This was a great book but I was not impressed with the narrator. Love kathy reichs and her bones series.

i could have done without the love scene

love scenes are not my cup of tea. it was really embarrassing since i listen in the kitchen while cooking... my whole family could hear the graphic details.

Books vs Audiobooks

The story was great, a perfect sequel to the first book. My issue lies with the narrator who makes everything seem flat and monotoned or uses some cheesy character voice. I will continue to read the series, but missed the narration of this Barbra Rosenblate from the first book.

Wrong narrator

I love this series and for years I rented them from my local library so I have finally decided to purchase them but the narrator for this book makes it so hard to listen to after the narrator from the first book did such a wonderful job.

A bit anticlimactic & terrible accent

First time every disappointed with the author. Maybe it would have been better with different narration. The accents & often shrill delivery made it hard to get through. Will try the author again, but will avoid this narrator.

new to this author

I loved this book. am new to the author & have already ordered more! stories are interesting, they move along well , have nice scientific descriptions that make sense, & I like the narration :)

Good story, poor excution

What made the experience of listening to Death du Jour the most enjoyable?

Although I liked the story, Bonnie Hurren managed to mispronounce at least 100- words. That is always so distracting for me.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

sometimes it kept me on the edge of my seat and at others it was a yawn and others it was all the suspense I could handle.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Bonnie Hurren?

Lorelie King

Great Story, terrible narration

I loved the story but the narration is horrible! Audible should have it redone, the reader does the southern states accent in a shrill voice, her pronunciation of many words were incorrect I finally gave up listening and read the rest of the book. Save your money on the audible version of this book !

Looking for TV series Bones? Don't read this...

Realizing that movies and tv may be "inspired" by written stories but not necessarily stick to the original works, this Tempe is nothing like the quirky by likable Tempe from the television show. In fact, this Tempe is sort of unlikable. This story, and other Brennan series that I've read are really good for the most part. However, I've not liked any of the narrators as they all seem to speak in monotone and devoid of much voice inflection or emotion. Additionally, I am now well aware that Ms. Reichs is anti-NRA/guns and also thinks Christians who don't believe in the use of embryonic stem cells are "zealots". That's enough for me. I don't have to know nor agree with a writers political or social beliefs, but I also don't need them to sneak their opinions into the narrative so shamefully.
So, basically good stories, well written, poor narrations.

Enjoyable Story, Distracting Narrator

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I bought this audiobook along with the first of the series because I've been a longtime fan of Bones and wanted to explore the book version of one of my favorite characters. While I've enjoyed both books, I would have absolutely chosen a different narrator for this one.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Death du Jour?

The narrator pronounced a little boy's name as Carly throughout the book. I truly wish I had a hard copy of the book, because I desperately want to know how the child's name was spelled! I imagine his name was Carle? I'll never hear the name the same again.

Would you be willing to try another one of Bonnie Hurren’s performances?

I feel bad saying it, but probably not.

Was Death du Jour worth the listening time?

Once I grew accustomed to the narrator's often bizarre (and changing) accents, it did get easier to listen. I found myself able to focus on and enjoy the story, only being drawn out of Dr. Brennan's world by the occasional mispronunciation. I did enjoy the story, and am glad I got to hear it.

Any additional comments?

This is the first time I've been truly disappointed by a narrator when using audible.
If you're one to get truly frustrated by mispronunciations and weird accents, I'd find a hard copy of the book instead.