Death du Jour

Rating:
Summary: It's in the bones....
Review: Once again, Kathy Reichs has brought us a great novel. Her strong writing and knowledge of procedure have helped to make her novels very realistic. Tempe Brennan is back in Kathy's second thriller. Tempe is a forensic anthropologist, which means she studies bones to determine characteristics of the individual and sometimes their cause of death.

For Tempe, who lives both down south in Charlotte and way up North in Montreal - her lives cross during, what seems to be a simple excavation and vacation with her daughter. Tempe is asked to unearth the skeleton of a nun and study it so that the former nun can be submitted for possible sainthood. During this investigation, Tempe's sister arrives to take a spiritual class and things seem to heat up between the sister's and Detective Ryan, Tempe's buddy on the force.

Once Tempe returns home to her classroom and her daughter things begin to go awry. Ryan's investigation takes him to Charlotte while Tempe's life as well as that of her sister's may be in very real danger.

One of the things that makes Ms. Reichs' books so interesting is the detail that she provides not only when discussing a dig but when writing the interaction between characters. You almost want to reach into the book and offer Tempe some advice. The other thing that makes her novels so fun are the twists and turns and the unexpected. I highly suggest beginning with Deja Dead as this is the second in the series but first time readers won't feel left out if they choose to start with Death Du Jour.

Rating:
Summary: An author to discover...
Review: Somebody recommended me Kathy Reichs saying she was entertaining and that her stories happened in Montreal, Quebec.

I was intrigued and decided to read it. Wow! Her stories are interesting and you learn a lot from the studies of bones. I've read her first one and liked it but not as much as this one, it's really fast-paced and the characters are very interesting.

I read in one of the other reviews that it was too coincidental, I tought so too, but again Reichs could have decided that some part of the stories happened somewhere else...it would have probably become too confusing.

Being from Montreal, I really enjoyed the descriptions of the city in the books. You can tell she really likes Montreal and who can blame her... I live here no? ;)

Seriously, it's a good story and you'll learn a lot so buy it and why not take a trip up here... hey we've got POUTINE! ;)

Rating:
Summary: Predictable, Re-cycled Plot & Characters...A Disappointment
Review: This was my first Kathy Reichs book...anyone who was compared to (hopefully early) Patricia Cornwell was worth a try! Plus, the author's occupation of forensic anthropologist had visions of fantastic story lines dancing in my head. Unfortunately, my expectations were never met. Tempe's (female protagonist) family tree and business relationships kept reminding me of those of Kay Scarpetta, and most everything about DEATH DU JOUR felt too familiar. I think Ms. Reichs missed a golden opportunity by spending so little time on the part of her book dealing with the exhumation of Sister Elisabeth Nicolet's remains. The nun's potential sainthood, linked somehow with the present-day cult activities found in the book, would have made for some fascinating plot twists indeed! The author's writing style is good; a little work on more original character interactions and more unpredictable plot lines should make her even better.

Rating:
Summary: Don't bother reading this book.
Review: Having greatly enjoyed "Deja Dead," I really looked to Death Du Jour. Unfortunately it is a complete disappointment. I found the story overy contrived and coincidental. The characters were wooden. Frankly, the whole thing seemed like a bad movie where no one had the courage to ask "why, this story." In summary, don't bother with this lousy novel.

Rating:
Summary: Watch Out for Those Bones
Review: Forensic pathologist Temp Brennan spends part of each year in North Carolina and part of it in Quebec -- investigating death. Usually her investigations find her examining bodies and bones of historical deaths or of recent deaths where normal means of pathological investigation aren't effective. Author Kathy Reichs clearly knows her pathology. Herself a practitioner, she makes her field exciting for the reader to learn about. In addition her character Temp Brennan finds herself in the midst of people who's deaths have been quite mysterious. Death Du Jour travels from uncovering the hundred year old remains of a nun who is believed to be a Saint to the sleaziness of a cult who might just be killing people as part of their worship. Temp Brennan isn't just a laboratory investigator. She is indeed one solid pathologist who is not particularly willing to let a case close without getting to the bottom of it. A fascinating world and a well told mystery.

Rating:
Summary: Not as Good as Cornwall
Review: I really enjoy reading Patricia Cornwalls books, and have read them all, so I was looking for something along the same lines. There are a few similarities (job description), but the writing styles are completely different. Cornwall's stories suck you in within the first chapter, and you feel a real affinity with the characters; Cornwall knows how to bring them to life.

Reich's characters are flat. You do not feel as if you get to know them very well. They story line is not as exciting as Cornwall's either. with a little more character development and more suspenseful story lines, this author may have promise.

Rating:
Summary: Exciting, so don't start reading it before bedtime.
Review: A different kind of professional female sleuth with the feel of non-fiction fiction. The author is a real-life forensic anthropologist for the State of North Carolina, and is also a professor at The University of North Carolina. The author's character has been divorced, has a 'wacky' sister and a grown-up daughter,is working for the Province of Quebec and teaches at university as well. Dr. Temperance Brennan, the first person narrator, has co-workers who hate her and a male detective who irritates and attracts her. Real excitement is constantly being created because the distractions caused by her personal life interfere with her sleuthing, which the reader can figure out by a few minutes. Despite the University credentials of both character and author, the book is very readable and fast. If bone science doesn't give you the creeps, I suggest taking this book with you on summer vacation. (There is a lot of snowing in the book,a mental boost if the sun is getting too much.)

Rating:
Summary: a thrilling read
Review: Wow, this is definitely my thriller of this summer, forget Stephen King - this one will give you the creeps. Wonderful authentic and good researched - a definite page turner.

Rating:
Summary: Good book but slow start
Review: The book was extremely good with its careful detail to scientific facts. I think the story got off to a very slow start and it took the author quite a while of pages to explain what she wanted from the readers in the beginning but after that the story ran smooth like water and I just couldnt put it down. I would really recommend this book but beware for the light hearted the description of deaths etc is not to nice

Rating:
Summary: CHILLING READ!
Review: Wonderful novel! I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel. The author's desciptions were so vivid I felt the climate change as the character traveled between Montreal and Carolina. Tightly written, good character development with plenty of twists and turns. It is a bit gruesome. A good summer read if you like this sort of thing (which I do). Check out: "A Tourist in the Yucatan" interesting thriller/mystery.