COLD COLD BONES

4 stars out of 5

It's always a treat to learn there's a new Bones back in town - not only do I love the books (this is the 21st), but it's one of few book series that, IMHO, translated well to the small screen. I don't think I've missed a single book, and I'm pretty sure I didn't miss an episode of the TV series either, which, according to sources I checked, aired 246 episodes over 12 seasons.

Anyhow, this book brings forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan back between the pages, and she's wintering at home in North Carolina, helping her daughter Katy get settled in after a stint in the military. Suffice it to say, then, that they're both a bit unsettled when a box turns up on her porch that contains a human eyeball. Say what? Then, she gets a call from her sweetie Andrew Ryan's private eye partner, "Skinny" Slidell, and off they go to find a body that appears to be missing an eyeball - except that the remains are on the well-seasoned side while the eyeball is, well, fresh.

As still other strange things happen - like a running feud with a neighbor who's convinced Tempe is trying to scare his son to death and at least one more body - suspicions arise that what's happening now may be mirroring some of her old cases. But she can't seem to connect the dots, nor convince Skinny of that possibility. Meantime, Katy - who's having some trouble readjusting to civilian life - is struggling but doesn't want mom's help. And then she goes missing.

If I have a complaint, it's that Tempe goes off on her own a little too often despite advice from her police and P.I. friends, and she's usually too intelligent and sensible to do that (although I'll give her a bit of a pass because she's frantically trying to find her daughter). All the goings-on are unsettling, after all, but things start to come together especially well after Andrew returns from the case he's been working on and tries to help. But can they figure out what's really going on before it's too late to save Tempe? Or Katy? Well, you'll just have to read the book to find out. As for me, I'll just thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review another good one.

Cold Cold Bones by Kathy Reichs (Scribner, July 2022); 348 pp.