Audiobook--Devil Bones

Devil Bones
by Kathy Reichs
Read by Linda Emond

In this latest entry in Kathy Reichs’ Temperance Brennan series, Tempe deals with a variety of “fringe” religions in her attempts to track down a murderer.

The discovery of a human skull in a ceremonial tableau in a cellar, combined with a headless body washing up from a North Carolina lake, brings Tempe and her fellow investigators to suspect a religious cult connection to the deaths. A third body, marked with Satanic symbols, adds fuel to the fire. With local politicians calling for a witch-hunt—literally—Tempe finds herself facing practitioners of Santeria, Voodoo, and Wicca in an attempt to find the killer.

The various religious traditions are presented in an even-handed and educational way—too educational, in some cases, as one of the main suspect’s explanations of Wicca seem more like a reference book entry than realistic dialogue. Overall, this book seems a bit more driven by the info dump than earlier installments in the series. Also, the final solution of the case hinges on Tempe overlooking a detail that seems like something she wouldn’t overlook—I figured out what was going on long before she did, and that always puts me off a bit. After all, I’m not a forensic anthropologist.

Linda Emond, as usual, gives a solid reading.