Devil Bones

June 9, 2008
Dr. Temperance Brennan’s quest to identify two corpses pits her against citizen vigilantes intent on a witch-hunt in bestseller Reichs’s exciting 11th thriller to feature the forensic anthropologist (after 2007’s Bones to Ashes
). While working in Charlotte, N.C., Brennan investigates remains unearthed during a housing renovation and discovers disturbing clues possibly pointing to voodoo or Santeria. She must determine if the bones, including the skull of a teenage girl, are linked to an unidentified headless torso found in a nearby lake. Intent on using the deaths as the cornerstone of his crusade against immorality, fundamentalist preacher turned politician Boyce Lingo claims that the bodies bear the mark of devil worshippers. With the help of Det. Erskine “Skinny” Slidell, Brennan unearths a tangled web of dirty politics, religious persecution and male prostitution. Reichs, whose work inspired the hit TV series Bones
, once again expertly blends science and complex character development.

Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is once again called upon to analyze the remains of various murder victims. The listener learns about Wicca, voodoo, Santeria, and various other alternative religions as over-the-top characters with seemingly shady motives weave in and out of the plot. Barbara Rosenblat competently handles multiple characters of varied backgrounds, doing a particularly good job with the male voices. However, her portrayal of Brennan occasionally becomes shrill, and the sharp contrast in tone makes these shifts especially jarring. The plot is contrived in parts, making it difficult for even the most talented narrator to tell a plausible story. M.H.N. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine