Monday, January 15, 2007

Mini-Review of “Break No Bones” by Dr. Kathy Reichs

I cannot recall how I acquired this book. I know that it has been sitting on my shelf for awhile, and seemed like good airplane reading, so I brought it with me to Europe. I am glad I did. I had not been aware of the author, Kathy Reichs. Her writing and her work as a forensic anthropologist is the basis for the TV series, Bones.”

The plot of this novel revolves around the discovery of a fresh skeleton among the bones being excavated at an ancient burial site near Charleston, South Carolina. The complex action of the story is told through the triangular relationship that exists among three individuals Dr. Brennan, a forensic anthropologist from Canada who is doing a summer stint leading a dig, her estranged husband and her current boyfriend – all of whom descend upon a luxurious summer cottage in South Carolina. Throw in a TV evangelist who runs a series of health clinics for the homeless, an international black market trade in stolen human transplant organs, and a few “good old boys” from the swamps of South Carolina – and let the fun begin!

Dr. Reich’s style of writing has a tone that I found fascinating and amusing. She manages to combine a sardonic sense of humor with classic southern Gothic style in a way that is both intriguing and enjoyable, especially in the way she constructs dialogue. I enjoyed this book enough that I am going to look for her debut novel, “Cross Bones.”

Enjoy!

Al

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