GoodRead - Flash And Bones

I feel I should explain how I managed to get my hands on an ARC of Kathy Reichs' new novel, Flash and Bones, as I'm a little surprised about this myself (though this seems to be the way I get ARCs now, by the sounds of it). I listened to the audiobook No Rest For The Dead, and commented on Twitter how the two chapters Kathy Reichs wrote were my favourites and reminded me why she's my fave crime writer. After that, I tweeted (half jokingly, not expecting a reply) something along the lines of "Would it be very cheeky of me to ask the publisher if I could have an Arc of Kathy's new novel?". Now, I expected nothing from this. I swear. But, within the hour, the UK publisher of the paperbacks (and sister to the publisher of the hardbacks) tweeted me back, saying "Sure! Give us your address and we'll send it to you." And they sent it to me. I did a happy dance in my kitchen when I received it.

So, what does Temperance Brennan investigate on this, her fourteen outing? Charlotte is getting ready for the biggest NASCAR week of the year. And it looks like Tempe isn't going to enjoy the hype or buzz as she is called to a landfill site near the speedway. A body has been discovered in a barrel of asphalt, a hand poking through the top…

With the country's media on Charlotte, Tempe has her work cut out to identify the body. Could it be the sister of a young man who went missing with her boyfriend ten years ago? As Tempe slowly begins to investigate, she slowly finds herself involved in the FBI and touching on one of America's largest fascist organisations. But before she can truly identify the body, the FBI confiscate the body and destroy it… By accident? Or are the FBI hiding something?

Now, I am sure that some of you lot who are Kathy Reichs readers are shouting at this blog, going "She's doing the same outline again! She gets a body, tries to identify it, the media goes into a frenzy, she tries to solve it and, when she does, her life is in danger". But, it works for Kathy and, if it aren't broke, don't fix it. And it was interesting to see how we got to the point where her life is in danger. And when you start a book which has the line "In the end, Summer saved my life", how could you not. It's almost like 206 Bones, where she awoke in a underground catacombs, and you have to read through the mystery to get to this point though you get some "flashforwards" of how Tempe got out of the catacombs, so you read two stories that, at the end, began one.

But this is very Kathy Reichs. She holds you with the mystery and then she gives you the science. I know that there are a few people who will say that all the science and NASCAR talk is a tad confusing and I suffered that a bit at the end but I was reading quite fast so it might have been me. But yes, I can understand that point.

I have also read one or two reviews, saying Kathy's later books don't have the same impact as her earlier novels. Now, seeing as it has been afew years since I read her debut novel and its sequel, Deja Dead and Death Du Jour, I can't possible say. But I am have got a copy of a 2-in-1 volume of Deadly Decisions and Fatale Voyage and I have been thinking of reading one of them in the future. Not sure when but seeing as this is fresh in my mind, I can compare and come back to you guys on that one.

But, Kathy is still my fave crime writer and she knows how to tell a good, twisty tale that holds my attention and kept me guessing, and I can only speak for myself. And, because of this, her YA novel, Virals (which I've had for quite a while but never seem to find the time to read) has gone up in my To Be Read pile and, seeing as I might read an early Tempe mystery, it looks like I might got on a reading binge in the near future…

PS - for those of you who are hoping that Tempe and Andrew Ryan to get their act together and get back together again, I think that ship has sailed. We don't see Ryan at all in this story! We hear him on the phone once or twice and have an email from him once or two…

GoodRead - Devil Bones

As you guys must have suspected, I am a bit of a Kathy Reichs nut. And, with work allowing iPods to be used (I love my temp job for this reason!), I listen to audiobooks that I haven't listened to.

Devil Bones was one I started but never finished. I forgot I was listening to it, I think. And then I accidently dropped my iPod into a bucket of water (the mini-heartattack I had when that happened…) meant I lost my place and had to start from the beginning.

Doctor Temperance Brennan is called to a basement of a house that held a secret room. A secret room filled with signs of the occult. Pagan statues. Two cauldrons filled with dirt. A saracified chicken. A human skull. As Tempe begins to investigate, a headless body washes up on the shores of a lake. Carved into the dead body's chest is a penagram and the number 666. Are the two connected? Is this linked to the dark side to a regilion people know very little about? Or is something darker going on? As the media go into a frenzy and an ouspoken religious policitian makes his views heard, Tempe is pushed to her limit. One false move and her career will be over. One false move and her life might be over…

Not sure where to start with this write up. It's not one of fans faves (the worst for them is Bare Bones - a book I haven't read or listen to so I can't comment on that), and I can understand why. It's a lot to get your head round. Tempe has to research and understand a regilion/s that she (and we) don't understand. And, at the same time as that, we are trying to figure out what happened to the skull and the headless body. Almost, we have to worry about Tempe's lovelife (don't ask) and people's reactions to the outspoken policitian who is stirring up trouble for her and her case. It's just a LOT to take on board!

I kinda liked the idea of Tempe trying to understand non-mainstream religions. Even though I can't remember half the names, I found that interesting and I sense Kathy Reichs must have enjoyed researching and writing about the religions she touches on in Devil Bones. When she was asked to write an episode for BONES (a TV show which was inspired by her books and that she is Executive Producer of), she wrote using this as a starting point. The episode in question is "The Witch In The Wardrobe".

Another thing I felt was done right was the media. As Tempe said, if we don't understand it, we fear it. And the media hypers up the fear and the outspoken policitian (a horrible person, in my honest opinion) speaks his views which hypers up the media more and that, in turn, scares its viewers. We seen that happen in real life over the past few years, in both good and bad events. Swine Flu, Bird Flu, terrorism, Prince William and Catherine Middleton's wedding, etc. The list is endless.

But I can kinda see the problem with some fans. It feels very tried-and-tested. Although there was new elements to this story, you kinda got the feeling that it was repeating itself. Tempe gets a case that mysterifies her. She works through it. Get results. Gets it wrong. Gets it right. Her life is in danger. She's saved and the case is solved. The pattern is there - it just feels a tad samey in places.

But you can turn that round and go "The series is a successful because of that. If it aren't broke, don't fix it.". And that's probably why Moral Remains feels refreshing. It's the same pattern, but there was something different in the mix. Her life wasn't in danger at the end of the book, but someone she cared about…

I love the reader of the audiobook - Linda Edmond. She just seems to gets Tempe's humour. And that probably one of the reasons I enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The reader seemed to enjoy reading the book. I have come across a few audiobooks where the reader doesn't really care about the book and, because of that, the listener doesn't enjoy the story.

Now, what to listen to now: Another audiobook that I listened to AGES ago (like "Break No Bones", "Sabriel", "Priestess of the White" or "Fallen" to name a few), start listening to an audiobook I started but never finished ("Dead To The World") or to snoop on iTunes and Audible to hunt out new (and hopefully, exciting) audiobooks? Decisions, decisions…

GoodRead - Mortal Remains (Audiobook)

In my previous blog post (when I talked about the unabridged audiobook of Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell), I states how much I like Kathy Reichs and how I would stick with her in future crime books.

Well, I discovered about an hour or so after finishing Port Mortuary that I had an abridged version of Kathy Reichs latest audiobook, Moral Remains (aka Spider Bones if you live in the US or in the UK when its released in paperback - cover designs in next post to UK hardback/paperback). And, seeing as I was going to read the book (got it SUPER CHEAP in a sale!), I decided to listen to the audiobook and read one of Kathy Reichs earlier works (either Deadly Decisions or Fatal Voyage) later this year. I am planning to read one of her novels this year and listen to another audiobook by her [I haven't listen to Devil Bones. I started, but never finished…]. So, in other words, am going to go on a Kathy Reichs binge later in the year. Am planning for September time, me thinks…

Anyway, Moral Remains (aka Spider Bones. Whatever you want to call it). Dr Temperance Brennan is called into case where a body is found in a lake. Nothing out of the ordinary, you would think. Expect, the body in the lake has the fingerprints of a young solider who died in Vietnam forty years ago. A solider called John "Spider" Lowery. So, if this guy in the lake is the real Lowery, then who was buried in Lowery's grave? Finding no answers, Tempe goes to the heart of the American military for answers, and finds the case more confusing when she finds Lowery's dogtags with a unknown skeleton… But someone doesn’t want her digging around. And if Tempe isn't careful, her life and those of the people she cares deeply about could be in danger…

Now, one of the huge thing I like about Tempe is her dark humour. With Scarpetta, she's very clinical. No sense of humour whatsoever. With Tempe, she has a sense of humour. It's dark (a bit like my humour if rumours are lead to be believed) and, actually, come to think about it, Tempe has had a life. And she's not perfect like Scarpetta. Tempe has had a failed marriage, a daughter she adores, a sister is flighty, and the man she has feelings for… well, his life is just as screwed up as hers.

But its Tempe's voice and humour that carries the story along at a nice pace for me. There is some action scenes (not many though - that's unusual for a Temperance Brennan novel. Usually, Kathy reichs puts loads in!) and there was a few scene with her and her daughter, Katie. Which was nice. With the stories I've read/listen to, you don't see much interaction from Tempe with her sister, Harry, or her daughter, Katie, so it makes a nice change to see the Mother/Daughter relationship (although you didn't get to see much of it, due to the fact this was an abridged audiobook [again, if you want an audiobook, GET UNABRIDGED!]).

Not sure if the reader - Linda Edmond - got Katie right for my taste. Whenever the reader had to do Katie and Lily, Andrew Ryan's daughter, she always sounded bored. But she nailled Tempe's voice, which is the main thing for me. If the reader of an audiobook doesn't make you believe that they are that character, then you have no connection to the story…!

Now, the story itself. It was an interesting story. It wasn't mind blowing, but when explained, it was one of those "Oh! I've heard that in real life -" (how I have no idea!) "- but doesn't that come out of nowhere?". And once it was all explained, I was part "I KNEW IT!" and part "Ooooooh!".

I know that some fans of Kathy Reichs and Temperance Brennan saying that the books that come later in the series aren't exactly up to the standard of the books that started the series - Deja Dead and Death Du Jour. But I like it. It was better than Port Mortuary, so am stick round with Kathy Reichs and Temperance Brennan for a few more cases…

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As I was trying to find pictures, I discovered that when Mortal Remains will be published in the UK in paperback, it will change its name to SPIDER BONES. Just found the covers designs. Hope you like.

GoodRead - Bloody Valentine

Before I go anywhere with this quicky of a review, I want to state something about James Patterson and me. I kinda have a love/hate relationship with him. I used to really like this books. I read several of his Women's Murder Club and one or two of his Alex Cross books. But, after I read Mary Mary for a quick holiday read, I fell out of favour with him. I began to find his books very repetitive (if it aren't broke, don't fix it), and I was always questioning how much James Patterson wrote when he co-authored a book with someone (who would always appear on the book cover in a much smaller font). Then, I read Cross and I couldn't even get halfway through. It was such hard work!

So, when I saw Bloody Valentine in my local WHSmiths and read the back, I thought I would give him another try...

So, the story. Jack Barnes and his second wife, Zee, are very much in love. However, their Valentine Day's plans are torn apart by a violent, possible evil, murder. Who would do something so evil? And why? Is it someone who lives in the block of flats Jack's own? Is the murderer one of Jack's relative? And whoever it is, why would they do such an evil, twisted act?

This is very much a James Patterson novel. It doesn't require much thinking over – it's very much crime-lit for the brain. The chapters aare short and they always end of a cliffhanger. And for a short story, it's ok.

But it's very much a James Patterson story in my eyes. There was no substance to it and I didn't relate to any of the characters. And as for the murder/s themselves, I have some doubts over that myself. If it was the reason that I read, then why do go to the extremes they did? Just kill the person, not do what they did to the person body...! IT MAKES NO SENSE!

So, if you want a fast crime-lit book, this might be for you. As for me, it looks like I might still be in my “Love/Hate” relationship with James Patterson. Sorry.