Rating: 
Summary: A Good Read... Once You Get Past The Title!
Review: I recently heard Kathy Reichs explain on a local talk radio program that the titles of her books always include some form of the word "dead" and some commonly known French word; "Deja Dead," "Death Du Jour," and "Deadly Decisions." While there is some logic to this, since the books are set largely in Montreal and involve a forensic anthropologist, in practice it makes for some really, really silly titles. In the course of reading "Deja Dead" I had no fewer than three total strangers comment on the title, and not in a flattering way. Once past the title, however, Reich's writing evokes the obvious comparisons to her "sister" in forensic writing, Patricia Cornwell. While there are technical and character differences in Reichs' Tempe Brennan and Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta, there are also enough similarities to ensure that Cornwell fans are likely to find Reichs a reasonable "substitute" read. While the somewhat "standard" serial-killer plot of Deja Dead doesn't live up to the complexity and depth of Cornwell's "Body Farm" or "All That Remains," neither does it sink into the moroseness of Cornwell's latest works. In short, if you have the stomach for this kind of very graphic crime writing, and you know if you do or not, give Reichs a try. -Pike-
Rating:
Summary: ...unexpected...
Review: I decided to read this novel after it appeared several times in my Amazon.com recommendations. I wasn't entirely sure how I would feel about a book that gave the appearance of being a Patricia Cornwell copy cat. I regret ever having had that first impression. There are indeed some similarities to Patricia Cornwell's much beloved Kay Scarpetta, however, the character of Tempe Brennan was a definite breath of fresh air with her own set of problems and dilemmas. The plot was a rather interesting one and there were many unexpected plot twists which kept me guessing. I was initially put off by Reichs' emphasis on the technical aspects regarding forensic anthropology, but it would have been a rather glaring oversight on Reichs' part to omit such an integral part of the story. Not only does it give the reader a better understanding of the plot, but it gives an even deeper understanding of the main character as well. It is unfortunate that Kathy Reichs and her alter ego Tempe Brennan will be consistently compared to Cornwell and Scarpetta. They both deserve to stand alone.
Rating:
Summary: Murder, Mayhem and Dismemberment
Review: Tempe Brennan has more lives than her cat, Birdie, it seems. If she's not getting smacked in the face, or shoved into the pavement, her day is not complete. Tempe is short for Temperance, a former alcoholic who has traded the bottle for unhealthy doses of adrenaline. Deja Dead is Kathy Reichs' first foray into the world of forensic fiction. Our heroine, Tempe, is a forensic anthropologist who splits her time between her academic career in Charlotte, N.C. and her professional career as a forensic anthropologist attached to the Laboratoire de Médec--- the Coroner's Office, in Montreal. Her job is to establish the identity of a victim from clues she gleans from its skeletal remains -- to put a face on the usually faceless corpses which are her clientele. When readers meet her, she is a recent divorcee living in Montreal with Birdie. She is well-respected by her colleagues but her intuitive abilities are at odds with the sometimes stereotypically sexist police detectives who insist on hard evidence. Tempe laments her nonexistent love-life. She appreciates a detective's tight butt silently. She perceives the sexual implications of eye-contact but demurs. What she thinks she might be compromising, we can't tell, and of course, her analyst won't talk. We want her to give in, have a good time, just sleep with the guy! And for heaven's sake, don't feel bad about it in the morning! If you've read Patricia Cornwell, the comparisons will be inevitable and natural. Kathy Reichs is a real-life forensic anthropologist; her art imitates her life. Patricia Cornwell is a journalist who observed autopsies; her art has become lifeless. Tempe is a more sympathetic and likable character than Kay Scarpetta. Tempe drinks Diet Cokes and eats frozen burritos. Kay cooks a 3 course meal and picks the perfect wine. Both women are overly critical of themselves. Must be that analytical nature. Reichs has joined the ranks of Cornwell, Grafton and Paretsky and Trocheck in creating a memorable female character. Can't wait to read Death DuJour next.
Rating: 
Summary: We need more writers in mystery, less "experts"
Review: The trend to promote fiction by "experts" in their field makes for a marketing hook, but too often leaves readers wanting for expert storytelling... reading Reichs I was left seriously wanting for plot and momentum between the forensic set pieces. Please, publishers, above all else, give us books with great storytelling first -- J. Kellerman, Le Carre, Atwood, and encourage those "experts" to spend as much time studying writing and storytelling before they are served up to us as pre-pushed "bestsellers".
Rating:
Summary: Second-rate Cornwell; Third-rate mystery
Review: Those who are looking for the next book by Patricia Cornwell can relax for awhile with Deja Dead. Those who have been put off by Cornwell's rising angst in each subsequent installment can refresh themselves with Kathy Reichs' debut novel. Her Temperance Brennan is a separated single woman, a recovering alcoholic and an American working amidst chauvinistic (both against Americans and women) detectives in Montreal. While all three can be enough to drive any woman to drink, even on her worst days, she is not as depressing as Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta. Call her Cornwell Lite. She even has her own serial killer to contend with; a creep who has already stalked and dismembered at least two women by the time the book opens during the summer of 1994, just before the province votes on the question of separation from Canada. Brennan's problem, however, is that the police don't buy her story, even after they raid a suspect's apartment and discover, amid the rotting food, piles of porn and newspaper clippings, a map of the city with Xs marking the sites of the victims. Brennan is an appealing character, and Reichs is a fine writer, but "Deja Dead" has serious plot holes that will leave you scratching your head and flipping the pages to see if a vital point was missed. Subplots are underdeveloped, such as the Quebec referendum and Brennan's estrangement form her husband, and Reichs cripples the story by forcing one character to withhold vital clues without apparent reason. As a forensic anthropologist who has worked for the police in Quebec, Reichs has the professional background to tell Brennan's story. Like Cornwell, she doesn't hold back when revealing the grisly details (not "grizzly," as she writes). But while Reichs has the meat of a popular bestseller here, she failed to provide the ligaments that will hold it together after the covers are closed.
Rating:
Summary: This book is worth your time.
Review: I'm glad I got a copy of _Deja Dead_. Reichs's book stands on its own, despite the numerous comparisons to Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series. Reichs's main character, Brennan, works in a police lab in Canada (lots of French sprinkled througout book), and she studies the bones of murder victims to identify them and find clues. Unlike the rather snooty Kay Scarpetta in Cornwell's books, the realistic Brennan mixes with common people, lives in a small apartment, eats in local eateries, drives an average car, and so on. Some of the best scenes are those describing crime scenes and bone/body analysis: These really make the book. One aspect that I found annoying is Brennan's holier-and-smarter-than-thou attitude toward men. All the men in the book are abnormally insulting or mean or stupid, and none of them do their jobs well, especially Claudel, the officer in charge. Brennan is presented as the smart one and the men are the ones who can't connect the dots. This portryal is too extreme to believe, and it just comes across as someone's having a vendetta against the male gender. I would also like it if this character, who is otherwise so realistic, gains a little weight. She eats junk food and drinks sodas and coffee all day, but she bemoans the fact that her weight has soared to 120 lbs. (this coming from a woman in her 40s). Please! A few token visits to the gym (mainly the steam room) does not produce a thin, 120-lb. body when the diet is so heavy. And since when is 120 something to moan about? I would rather this character have a real weight or simply not talk about it--leave the "I'm skinny but think I'm overweight" thing to the romance novelists! Overall, this book is a good read, and I recommend it to all mystery/suspense fans. I will read the rest of the series because, even with her annoyances, Brennan is a great character!
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad
Review: This is the first book of Kathy Reichs I have read and I thought it was not bad, I read Patricia Cornwall as well and I found these very similar. I read while I am walking to work so I found this a bit hard to get into because it was so detailed, I didn't get into the book until about halfway through, then I really enjoyed it. I thought the characters lacked details, she doesn't seem to really explain all her characters enough, I like to really get a picture of what they look like, their background etc and she doesn't really write like this so you don't really get attached to any of the characters. Will read her next one Death Du Jour though, I wish she would stop using so much french though, it's fine if she explains what she is saying but often she does not. Worth a read.
Rating: 
Summary: Most suspenseful book ever!
Review: The is the first book that tempted me to play hooky from work just so that I could finish it! The author's experience as a forensic anthropologist brought a great amount of reality to the story. You won't ever want to put this book down. You will be on the edge of your seat because it seems so real. This was the most suspensful book I've ever read. The author's vocabulary and detail show this book was well thought out.
Rating:
Summary: Deja Dead
Review: Dr. Temperance Brennen, (Tempe for short) moves from North Carolina, leaving behind a shaky marriage and bad memories for Quebec to be the Director of Forensic Anthropology. When an unidentified female corpse is discovered meticulously dismembered and stashed in plastic trash bags, Tempe remembers a case that was very much like this one in North Carolina, but she cannot convince the police department so she must investigate on her own, which puts her life and some of her loved ones in danger, Can she solve the case before this happens? This is one of the most gripping thrillers that I have ever read. I was always a big Patricia Cornwell fan, but Kathy Reichs' heroine, Dr. Tempe Brennen, has more depth and personality to her than Dr. Kay Scarpetta. When Kathy Reichs describes scenes, they are amazing in detail, especially in the forensic anthropology area. There are many surprising twists and turn throughout the book, and the ending is the real shocker. Move over Patricia Cornwell you have been replaced by Dr. Kathy Reichs as far as I am concerned.
Rating:
Summary: A good read but bordering on formulaic
Review: As with many books in this genre, I bought this book to serve as "commuter-train" fare - something I could pick up and put down every evening on the ride to and work that would make the time fly nonetheless. This book concerns an American female forensic anthropolgist who spends a good deal of time in Montreal and who eventually stumbles upon the work of a vicious serial killer. All the time, she is forced to deal with police officers who think that she is overstepping the limits of her own authority and, in the process, becoming overly paranoid. As a Canadian, it was good seeing a Canadian locale making a presence in mainstream fiction and that added to my enjoyment of the book. Nevertheless, I spent far too much time thinking I was reading something very similar to the standard fae produced by Patricia Cornwell in her Kay Scarpetta novels. The dscriptions of medical processes are all sufficiently gory, the heroine is equally impetuous and plot similarly interesting. Nevertheless, one could not help but feel the author was merely plugging all of the same variables into the same formula and, in the end, producing the same result. The book is still, nonetheless, a good choice for light reading. However, if you're looking for new and innovative reading and you've already exhausted the Patricia Cornwell library, you're likely to be slightly disappointed.
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