by Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2024
Publisher’s Blurb
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with a twisty, unputdownable thriller featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, who finds herself at the centre of a Washington, D.C., arson investigation that spawns deepening levels of mystery and, ultimately, violence.
It’s never easy working fire scenes.
Called to Washington, D.C. to examine the victims of a mysterious arson attack, Tempe quickly finds her misgivings justified. The fire site is in Foggy Bottom, a neighbourhood with a colourful history, and as the pieces start falling into place, the property’s ownership becomes more and more suspicious.
Sensing a good story, tele journalist Ivy Doyle approaches Tempe and the women become unlikely allies. Delving into the past, they learn that back in the thirties and forties the home was the hangout of a group of bootleggers and racketeers known as the Foggy Bottom Gang. Though interesting, this fact seems irrelevant – until the son of one of the gang members is shot dead at his farm in Virginia.
When another property linked to the Foggy Bottom Gang burns to the ground, claiming one more victim, what might have been coincidence starts to look more like targeted attacks. As she and Ivy dig deeper, Tempe’s instincts point towards the obvious: somehow, her every move since coming to Washington has been anticipated in advance. And every path forward brings with it a lethal threat.
Review
by Kath Truran
This book is the latest in a series by this author featuring Temperence Brennan, a forensic anthropologist whose expertise is frequently sought when a death is clouded by suspicious circumstances.
The setting of this book is a fire in a rundown multi-level building in suburban Washington DC in which four people have died. The building was being used as an illegal air BnB.
The intensity of the fire, believed to be arson is such that entire floors have collapsed, and bodies are buried beneath the debris making collection of evidence both difficult and dangerous for Brennan and her colleagues.
Brennan is depicted as a consummate scientist alert to the smallest clues provided by the crime scene with the ability to link them to provide a bigger picture of the cause of the blaze and injuries suffered by the victims. She is supported in this by Ivy Doyle, a tele journalist, but the reader may wonder how supportive Doyle is to Brennan’s work.
There are sub-plots within this story including links to the Prohibition Era from 1920-1933, the resulting corruption in law enforcement and emergence of crime syndicates. While this period did not impact strongly on the plot, as an avid crime reader I found myself researching the Prohibition era and this added to my enjoyment of Fire And Bones. It satisfied my curiosity about a time in history of which I knew very little.
It is easy to become involved with Brennans character and to care about her. My heart was in my mouth as I read the following:
Lippy took a step left, then right, gun steady on my chest, reptile eyes glued to mine. Then she centred herself in front of me.
“You’re making this up”, she said.
“I’m not”
“Why’s this old-timey murder your concern?”
“I’m a scientist. I’m looking for the truth.”
“You’re full of crap.” One bony finger slid from the pistol’s handle to curl around the trigger.
While this is a work of fiction, Reichs highlights important issues. She points to the lack of any safety measures in the building, no safety exits or fire alarms. We know of abandoned or derelict buildings in our own cities that are used by the homeless who face the same dangers and lack of safety measures.
I really enjoyed this book which I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted story full of twists and turns and keeps you wondering right to the end whether Brennan will solve the problem this time or be defeated by some very serious criminals