The first Temperance Brennan book. TB is asked to look at some human remains which have taken so long to be discovered that her skills as a forensic anthropologist are required. She suspects that there may be a link between the body she's looking at and other murder victims - in fact, maybe a serial killer's responsible... but the police don't want to know.

I'd read Fatal Voyage some time ago and I thought it was OK-ish I think. This one felt a bit more immature (or maybe that's just because I know it's her first): she seemed to try and fit too much into this story, and a lot of it was cliched. E.g.

1. the police don't believe her
2. when the police don't believe her, she goes and does some digging herself, getting involved in some rather unsavoury situations
3. she manages to become part of the police investigation anyway
4. she goes along with the police when they go to arrest potential suspects, and uncovers info that the police miss
5. the killer targets her personally, and ends up in her apartment with a knife at her throat
6. she's got issues with her ex-husband and her estranged daughter

I think she'd be better off (and maybe this is what she does in the later books) sticking to the forensic anthropologist line rather than trying to make out she's Kinsey Milhone as well.

Completed : 06-Mar-2010