Rating: 
Summary: Where Are You, Dr. Reichs?
Review: Perhaps responding to earlier comments that her works were a tad too academic, brilliant forensic anthropologist/writer Kathy Reichs went the other way in this latest addition to her collection of novels. And the result is a mixed bag.In a complete change of tone from her earlier books, Reichs spikes this fast-moving tale with one-liners, groaners, bon mots, and some hard-bitten detective talk straight out of "The Maltese Falcon." It certainly moves the plot along, but I miss the ultra-serious, and yes, sometimes boring Tempe Brennan, the forensic-anthropologist heroine of Reichs' mysteries. In this outing, Brennan is in Guatemala to help a human-rights team unearth and account for the horribly massacred bodies in a mass grave--legacy of the last junta. That in itself is fascinating, but the plot suddenly widens to include a possible serial killer who is murdering the twenty-something daughters of the Guatemalan affluent. The Canadian ambassador to Guatemala is somehow mixed into the plot via his wayward teenaged daughter, and there are enough characters, plots, and subplots in the two parallel stories (mass graves and serial killer) to seriously confuse the reader if one is not paying close attention. Tempe's love interest, Canadian cop Andrew Ryan, has some competition in the form of sexy Special Crimes investigator Bartolome Galiano, who just happens to be a former college roommate of Ryan's. But Tempe has no time for sex, what with her nauseatingly described foray into a teeming cesspool to find human body parts, and her dangerous and probably illegal trip into Guatemala's underbelly to unearth the killer or killers. The ends all tied together nicely, but there was quite a bit of information to digest, and this reader, for one, was left in a slight muddle. No matter. The book is still worth four stars for the sheer energy and intelligence of the writing. I'm hoping the next book in the series brings back the didactic and frustrating Tempe Brennan her fans have come to know and love.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but not as solid as first four Tempe stories
Review: We eagerly dived into this fifth book about forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, having thoroughly enjoyed the earlier four stories about her crime solving from a rather different perspective. From the study of bones, sometimes long buried skeletons, Tempe, as in real life does author Dr. Kathy Reichs, is usually able to determine age, race, and gender of the victim; often the means and manner of death; and sometimes even enough clues to pursue the perpetrator. While reminiscent of Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta, the Montreal, North Carolina, and sometimes other settings, coupled with supporting characters in each location, plus the somewhat unique challenges of the analysis involved, lead to entertaining stories and characters we have come to enjoy. In Grave Secrets, Tempe is stationed on assignment in Guatemala, where much of the book is devoted to first her unearthing, then her aiding in the identifying, of two dozen remains of executions of women and children from during the long, 34-year Guatemalan civil war. The atrocities described to us during that period darkened the whole book; presuming this is mostly if not completely fact based, surely a depressing recounting of human cruelty and suffering. Meanwhile, two other stories compete for Tempe's (and our) attention: the case of a skeleton found in a septic tank, and all the interesting technical feats involved in ID'ing the victim; and the disappearance of four missing young women. Pursuing and resolving these cases involved the participation of two leading men in the story - detective Galiano, whom Tempe comes to like, of the Guatemalen PD; and long-time Canadian associate and romantic interest Andrew Ryan, who just "happens" to be old buddies with Galiano and is apparently free to run back and forth to Canada with little restraint. That one of the missing women is the Canadian ambassador's daughter opens the rationale for much of the goings-on as well as much of the suspense. The book concludes with a bedtime cliffhanger in the style of Janet Evanovich, which we weren't sure we really appreciated, but will certainly help sell Book 6! To get to the point, we're not as enthused about this fifth book as Reich's earlier work. We felt much of the chasing around had little or nothing to do with Tempe's skills (let alone her job per se); and too many sub-plots required too many (relatively shallowly developed) characters to populate them adequately. Each successive story element only seemed to subtract from the strength of the novel; and when we were all done, we wound up with a living room dusted and vacuumed, but still cluttered beyond good taste. While Reichs credits her publishers with helping making her book compelling, to us the editors should have carved much of the detail at several points, simplified the story lines, axed some situations that did nothing for the cause, and in general tightened up the whole convoluted tale. We think her other books are better, and urge a little more caution for her next outing, which still we will no doubt anxiously await.
Rating:
Summary: Yawn
Review: It probably would have been a good story had they picked someone better to read it.
Rating: 
Summary: AN A-ONE READING OF REICHS
Review: With numerous film, television and stage appearances to her credit veteran actress Katherine Borowitz knows how to deliver - and deliver she does in her reading of
Kathy Reichs's fifth novel featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. This time out we find Tempe in Guatemala where she is assisting in exhuming a mass grave, the final resting place of women and children who were raped and slain by soldiers during a 1982 attack on their village. No one knows for certain who is in the grave; no records were kept. To the families of those missing their loved ones have simply disappeared. Meanwhile, in Guatemala City, where four young women have been reported missing recently, remains are found in a septic tank. Could those remains be the Canadian Ambassador's daughter? Tempe is asked for help by the Guatemalan police. But as she investigates further she finds herself almost trapped in a web of crime and coverup. As always, Reichs, who is a forensic anthropologist herself, laces her suspenseful tale with authentic medical description. The author's expertise simply makes her stories more shudderingly real. Reichs tops the list in her genre. - Gail Cooke
Rating: 
Summary: Annoying dialogue
Review: I bought this book in Dubai, U.A.E., because I'd finished Dan Brown's excellent book, "Digital Fortress", and needed reading material for the airplane trip. What drew me in to "Grave Secrets", was the intriguing storyline. However, after the first couple of chapters, the "so-called police humor/witty repartee" became utterly annoying. "Number One Bestseller". Yes, I bought it. What a sucker.
Rating:
Summary: A little misguided
Review: This is the first and only book of this author/series I have read and this is what I like about the book: -The locations, moving from Guatemala to Montreal is very interesting.
-The character of Tempe Brennan is not the typical self obsessed character Ihave found in Patricia Cornwell novels. Things I don't like about it:
-The descriptions of forensic work seem more like a study guide. It is as if the author is out to prove she knows her business. The knowledge is impressive but it would be better if it were written more as a part of the story rather than a sudden departure into a textbook.
-The story tends to lose focus and several of the characters and diversions are a bit pointless. Overall, it was a decent story but not very engaging.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful, thrilling book!
Review: Kathy Reichs is fast becoming one of my very favorite authors and this book is no exception. Usually her main character, Tempe Brennan, a forensic anthropologist, stays in the USA or in Canada within each book, but this time she is in Guatemala in a village called Chupan Ya, where a terrible incident happened in 1982. Soldiers invaded the village, raping the women, then killing them and the children there. Although this was a well-known incident, no records were kept and Tempe joins up with the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation to uncover the graves and recover the bones of the dead. Things get off to a bang when the team is packing up for the day and get a satellite phone call from two of their colleagues, who are driving towards the city. While talking, Tempe hears other voices, screams, shots, then nothing. The man is dead, but the woman is rushed to the hospital and goes into a coma. Dealing with this is bad enough, then Tempe is asked by the Guatemalan police to help with a case they've been working on - four well-to-do young women have mysteriously vanished from Guatemala City in recent months and none of their bodies have been found, nor have any of them turned up alive. One of the woman is the daughter of the Canadian ambassador, which is why Tempe thinks she's been asked to help. But it's the discovery of a body in a septic tank that is the real reason - Tempe had worked on a case before involving a body found in a septic tank. She reluctantly agrees to assist and finds some cat hairs and fetal bones in the tank among a young woman's remains. For whatever reason, she tucks some of the cat hair and fetal bones in her pocket and it's a good thing she did, because the remains are suddenly whisked away from further investigation Frustrated, but not about to give up, Tempe sends the hair off to a colleague who knows cat hairs, asks questions of the families of the missing young women and begins to realize there just might be a connection to the Chupan Ya massacre and these current disappearances. Plus, the ambush of her colleagues in the car may not have been meant for them, but for her instead. There are plenty of twists and turns in this book, and Katherine Borowitz, who has read almost all of Kathy Reich's other books, does an outstanding job of putting you right in the middle of this must-read (or must-hear) thriller.
Rating:
Summary: Guaranteed to Give you Nightmares
Review: Tempe is in Guatemala, helping to unearth the bodies of 28 villagers disappeared (killed by the govt.) during the civil war there. Two of her colleagues are attacked, one dies. Tempe has to be careful, as there could still be people in the government that were involved in the massacre. Then she gets involved with the disappearance of four girls, one of them the daughter of the Canadian ambassador and all of a sudden the authorities that were so eager for her help with the decomposing bodies of the villagers want her out of Dodge. To add to the plot there is a Latin love interest who just happened to go to school with old flame Ryan who comes to Guatemala because one of the four missing girls is the daughter of the Canadian Ambassador. This book seemed somehow different than Reichs' previous four. That's not bad, an author should change and grow. Tempe seems to have a little more punch. Also this book starts off on a dark note that lasts throughout, but with Reich's detailed description of the death pit, how could it not be dark. A word of caution, don't read this five star thriller before dinner, especially the secptic tank part, because it'll definitely throw you off your feed. Don't read it before bed either, because if you do, nightmares are guaranteed. Read it on a rainy day, then watch an episode of the Honeymooners to get it out of your system. Review submitted by Katie Osborne
Rating:
Summary: Kathy will have you Gagging for More
Review: Tempe is in Guatemala to help identify some of the bodies of the disappeared, a result of the civil war. The bodies were found in a mass grave. On the way to the site two other forensic scientists are attacked and one dies. Is Tempe on the list? Not long after her arrival the local police seek her help in the disappearance of four girls, one the daughter of the Canadian Ambassador. Ah, the Canadian connection, a vehicle to get old flame, Montreal cop Ryan into the story, only it doesn't seem contrived, it works actually. And as always, Reichs is in top form description wise, she does a scene about a body in a septic tank that'll have you running for the receptacle of your own septic tank. As usual her descriptions in this five star thriller are right on. She takes you right out of your life and firmly places you in Guatemala. Scary the way she does that. She's good. Reviewed by Vesta Irene
Rating:
Summary: Not her best effort!
Review: Dr. Tempe Brennan helps identify remains of villagers in Guatemala that "have been disappeared" in the early 1980's. Friends of hers get shot on the very first pages and she is called to consult on the deaths of recently missing young women. The massacre and the deaths of the young woman seem to lead to a serial killer and even the Canadian ambassador to Gustemala seems to be involved. Brass first makes Tempe consult, then obstructs investigations (bodies get confiscated or are being cremated after a very short period of time). As usual forensics is gruesomely, nail-bitingly wrapped up but I couldn't have cared less about the lenghty explanations regarding the Guatemaltecan judiciary system. As Ryan put it: "Give me the five minutes version", which she unfortunately did not. Relations and connections between several people in this book seem a bit far-fetched to me, political enmeshment a tad too piled on for the sake of the story (okay, okay...one wouldn't have been possible without the other).The Guatemaltecan cop investigating the deaths of the young women happens to be a college buddy of Andrew Ryan, now isn't that a convenient thread to get Ryan involved in the story (apart from having amorous interests in him)? Naturally she encounters dangerous situations in this book, but I still wonder how that Diet Coke could have been tampered with (and while we are at it: where did she get Victoria's Secret lingerie from all of a sudden? Does she wear that when excavating victims of a massacre? Or does G-City happen to have a Victoria's Secret Store???). She even seems to keep her short temper under control, more or less. Why is that? Different climate? Due to being sick? Go ahead and read this book, if you have read the previous novels, but don't start with this book as the first one in the series, because you won't read the others then. I hope that Keithy Reichs brings back the real Dr. Temperance Brennan in her next book and that she won't digress into lengthy unnerving explanations on political systems again. This book is definitely not a competition for one of the Dr. Kay Scarpetta books by Patrcia Cornwell Daniels.
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