Post by Charlynn on Feb 14, 2013 10:59:46 GMT -5
Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs
It's race week at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and thunderheads are threatening when Temperance Brennan is called out to the track. Next to the famed venue, there is a landfill – a landfill that just so happens to have a set of remains recently unearthed from one of its mountains of rubbish. Based upon the body's location, it is presumed that the barrel containing the victim has been buried for at least ten years, but there's nothing cold about this case. It connects back to three missing persons – two of which have also been unseen for more than a decade, a disgraced former cop, the FBI, an extremist militia group, and, of course, racing. Due to the body's proximity to the track and its possible connection to the sport, the case quickly speeds out of control, pulling forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan along for the ride.
In this series' fourteenth novel, Reichs slowly eases her heroine in a new and different direction. Although Andrew Ryan's presence is still felt, it's distant, fleeting. A phone call here, an email there, and a few passing thoughts about the detective are all eclipsed by the introduction of a potential new love interest for Brennan. While neither acts upon their attraction, it is certainly there, along with charisma and an intriguing back story on the part of the rookie character, perhaps setting him up to be the North Carolina sidekick to Ryan's Montreal status.
Apart from this development, however, what is perhaps the most interesting aspect of Flash and Bones is its setting: smack dab in the center of the NASCAR craze. A sport predicated on tradition, it is often associated with a very conservative fanbase, and Reichs harshly (justifiably) exposes and explicates this. For those who are not fans of auto racing (such as myself), the novel's social, political, economic, and psychological commentary on the sport will appeal. However, at the same time, through Brennan, Reichs also shows an appropriate amount of respect for NASCAR, so that followers of the pastime will be entertained as well. The author achieves a healthy balance in her portrayal of racing. What is not so balanced is Reichs' writing style. Very staccato in nature, the book features choppy sentence structures, abbreviated thoughts in the form of short fragments, and far too many melodramatic, chapter-ending cliffhangers. These things are fine – desirable even – in moderation, but, unfortunately, Reichs did not show temperance in Flash and Bones. The work is thoroughly entertaining but certainly not her finest offering.
Three out of Five Stars
It's race week at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and thunderheads are threatening when Temperance Brennan is called out to the track. Next to the famed venue, there is a landfill – a landfill that just so happens to have a set of remains recently unearthed from one of its mountains of rubbish. Based upon the body's location, it is presumed that the barrel containing the victim has been buried for at least ten years, but there's nothing cold about this case. It connects back to three missing persons – two of which have also been unseen for more than a decade, a disgraced former cop, the FBI, an extremist militia group, and, of course, racing. Due to the body's proximity to the track and its possible connection to the sport, the case quickly speeds out of control, pulling forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan along for the ride.
In this series' fourteenth novel, Reichs slowly eases her heroine in a new and different direction. Although Andrew Ryan's presence is still felt, it's distant, fleeting. A phone call here, an email there, and a few passing thoughts about the detective are all eclipsed by the introduction of a potential new love interest for Brennan. While neither acts upon their attraction, it is certainly there, along with charisma and an intriguing back story on the part of the rookie character, perhaps setting him up to be the North Carolina sidekick to Ryan's Montreal status.
Apart from this development, however, what is perhaps the most interesting aspect of Flash and Bones is its setting: smack dab in the center of the NASCAR craze. A sport predicated on tradition, it is often associated with a very conservative fanbase, and Reichs harshly (justifiably) exposes and explicates this. For those who are not fans of auto racing (such as myself), the novel's social, political, economic, and psychological commentary on the sport will appeal. However, at the same time, through Brennan, Reichs also shows an appropriate amount of respect for NASCAR, so that followers of the pastime will be entertained as well. The author achieves a healthy balance in her portrayal of racing. What is not so balanced is Reichs' writing style. Very staccato in nature, the book features choppy sentence structures, abbreviated thoughts in the form of short fragments, and far too many melodramatic, chapter-ending cliffhangers. These things are fine – desirable even – in moderation, but, unfortunately, Reichs did not show temperance in Flash and Bones. The work is thoroughly entertaining but certainly not her finest offering.
Three out of Five Stars