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)

Pay attention! This story is as straightforward as a bowl of spaghetti

Story started as the straightforward Tempe Brennan yarn...... And it got more complicated every two or three pages. At one point I was tempted to do what she did at one time: Make a list of all the names and try to figure out who connected with whom and which one or ones connected with what incident or crime. Face it, if Dr Brennan has to do that, I would certainly be allowed to!
To the reader: the story is convoluted; if you are good with names, go for it! If not, like me, I suggest a method of recording names and relationships and events.... Your eyes might cross, and your brain might crash otherwise!!
Enjoy!!!

Yet another great Reichs novel!

i absolutely loved it! I'm currently hooked in this series. this particular book was quite good. definitely read or listen to the previous books in the series before listening to this one. you don't have to read the previous books but I'd personally recommend it. This is exactly what you expect from a Temperance Brennan novel: mystery, suspense, forensic science, and well written imagery. i also really liked Michele Pawk's performance of the novel. I quite liked her narration style and voice. This is definitely worth a listen.

Please keep the same voice actor.

Please keep the same voice actor along the series. Book was enjoyable and interesting. Recommend.

Another great Brennan book

I have been enjoying the Brennan series and this is exactly what you would expect if you have listened to any of the others.
For new listeners to the series, the forensics are accurate but are not overblown, they take a second seat to plot and character. The books are classic detective tales with a fully fleshed out female lead. Internal dialog adds depth to the character.
All in all very much worth listening to.

why?

this is the first unabridged recording of one of her books i have listened to. it will be the last. i had no problems with the reader. i am from the south and am quite used to listening to sad efforts. if only readers and actors could understand that southerners speak all their words with an accent, not just some of the words, some of the time. but, alas, that was not my problem with this book.

there was no history involved in the crime, it was too modern and uninteresting. i also found the descriptions of cruelty to animals a bit over the top. how many times did we have to hear what happened to these poor bears? i applaud her efforts to bring to greater light this horrifying reality, but i am a reader who bought her book, not the enemy.

i also have to say that the love interest, Ryan, came off as creepy as Slidell, the ignorant cop. both of them had smart mouths and were two sides of the same coin. the doc comes off looking a bit worse in this book. if i want to read about women "in heat" (her words, not mine) i do not want it in a book about endless death.

bring on the abridged...

Temperance Brennan -- always a good read

Good story, even though it was a bit tedious. The narrators were excellent but I found the author's excessive use of profanity unnecessary.

Finally a narrator I can tolerate

If you have been struggling with the last several narrators, this one is finally tolerable. If you skipped previous novels in the series, you will not miss much. Anything relevant is covered.

One of the better stories!

Bare Bones is one of Kathys better books. It starts slow at first, but it picks up and is easier to follow. This recording doesn't indicate when its reading the next chapter!

Good book but, the narrator

I have listened to this book several times now. I enjoy the story.

However, the narrator mispronounces a few words and it really bugs me. I grew up in Southeastern VA and Eastern NC. No one from those areas would pronounce these words the way the narrator does. I get engulfed in the story but when these words are spoken wrong it brings me out of it and just kind of ruins it.

A great read

Gordon put it down Didn't think the series would be so suspenseful But it is