Fatal Voyage

By: Kathy Reichs

Narrated by: Kate Harper

Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's Summary

Temperance Brennan hears the news on her car radio. An Air TransSouth flight has gone down in the mountains of western North Carolina, taking with it 88 passengers and crew.

An a forensic anthropologist and a member of the regional DMORT team, Tempe rushes to the scene to assist in body recovery and identification. She finds a field of carnage: torsos in trees, limbs strewn among bursting suitcases, and smoldering debris. Many of the dead are members of a university soccer team. Is Tempe's daughter, Katy, among them?

Frantic with worry, Tempe joins colleagues from the FBI, the NTSB, and other agencies to search for explanations. Was the plane brought down by a bomb or simple mechanical failure? And what about the prisoner on the plane who was being extradited to Canada? Did someone want him silenced forever? And why are certain people eager to stop Tempe's investigation? Is she learning too much? Coming too close?

With help from Montreal detective Andrew Ryan - and from a very special dog named Boyd - Tempe uncovers a shocking, multilayered tale of deceit and depravity.

Written with the riveting authenticity that only world-class forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs can provide, Fatal Voyage pairs witty, elegant prose with pulse-pounding storytelling in a tour de force worthy of crime writing's new superstar.

©2001 Kathy Reichs (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

Critic Reviews

"[Dr. Temperance Brennan is] ...the lab lady most likely to dethrone Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta." ( USA Today)

"The plot moves with electric force." ( Publishers Weekly)

Annoying narrator with a good story

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Kathy Reichs is best when she describes the science but her general writing can be cliched and trite. Too many hyperbolic similes and exaggerated descriptions "loud enough to be heard in Buenos Aires". Really? Brennan is a scientist and such a description is just stupic.

Would you ever listen to anything by Kathy Reichs again?

yes

Would you be willing to try another one of Kate Harper’s performances?

NO! At many points she screeches and whines making me dislike the characters.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Did not care for reader.

Reader was not very good. Story was fare. Hope she doesn't read more books. Thanks

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Good, but a bit tedious in places

What made the experience of listening to Fatal Voyage the most enjoyable?

It was a good and complex plot, characters well-developed and believable. but sometimes (just a few) I felt my eyes glazing over, trying to get through explanations of the scientific evidence. But that's just me. I'm pretty sure those were parts my husband really enjoyed. So obviously, that goes to personal taste.

It's actually a pretty good book. Found myself looking forward to the next listen. The narrator had a great challenge, because it was a large set of characters. She was much better with the womens' voices than with the mens'.

I'd recommend the series. But this one book could be difficult for some people to listen to due to the sensitive nature of much of the story having to do with a plane crash, one that had been carrying a lot of kids on board. That would be my only caveat.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Better version than the abridged version I had.

I could only get the abridged version when I purchased this audio version. Always felt cheated so went for the unabridged version. Very glad I did. I have never been a fan of abridged books. Prefer to pick what to skip on my own.

Loved this listen. What I a discovering is that I prefer the stories that take place up north over the ones that take place in the south.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Not the best

This book wasn't as exciting as the others in the series. I did not care for the narrators rendition of the voices either. It felt child-like and simple.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Fatal Voyage

This is not really my favorite topic, and I've been trying to steer away from murder mysteries to other types of adventure. Nevertheless the book presented some interesting moments and some gruesome scenes. All-in-all those who are into this type of genre will most likely find this worth their credit. Also there is profanity sprinkled throughout but not to the point of distraction.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

The best so far

Maybe I am getting used to the highly technical nature of these books, and the first-person style in but this book has a great mystery and more twists in both plot and relationships.

Kate Harper is also a better performer for Kathy Reichs' style, and she kept the characters different and entertaining. I was disappointed to see that she is not narrating other books in this series.

The only detraction was that the characters took a little too long to catch up to the reader. It is always good to let the reader come to conclusions a moment before the main characters -- that helps the suspension of disbelief, but at times this story takes it a tiny bit too far.

Over all very entertaining. If you are a fan of the series, definitely don't skip this one.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Such a boring narration

I will struggle to finish this book. I wish there was a first day return policy so I can return it and get my credit back to get a different book.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Horrible narrator

I read this series a few years ago and thought that I would enjoy listening to the books on my hour long drive to work. Up until this book I was quite happy with the narrators. The narrator for Fatal Voyage was AWFUL! She almost turned me off from the rest of the books (I checked, and she doesn't read any more), and lost the story somewhere in all of her dramatic reading.

I felt like she spent to much time in drama/theatrics and ended up killing the story. She screeches, shouts, and even barks like a dog at one point. Brennan comes off as a winey little girl that can't take care of herself- which we all know she is not. All of the voices were lacking, and it would have been better off being read by a child.

I will continue listening to the rest of the series, and I sincerely hope they consider redoing this book with a new narrator.

Great Kathy Reichs story; the narrator not right

What did you like best about this story?

Another creative and technically instructive story from KR

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The inflections and what seemed to be a pseudo southern accent were inappropriate for the character.

amazing story

I loved this book just like all Kathys books it was an amazing read/listen iv read the book but the story is brought to life when you listen to it on audiobook

Not the best of CR novels...

...but very far from bad. Read beautifully and thoroughly entertaining. I always enjoy these books but I guessed the main plot very early.

Another great story.

This was another good book by Kathy Reichs, solid and informative. Always a pleasure to add the stories of Temperance Brennan to the library.