by Kathy Reichs
Part of Temperance Brennan, book 8
First published 2016
Temperance Brennan expects routine work when she examines decomposed remains. But this case starts differently. An Orthodox Jewish man lies shot dead in Montreal, and the body shows strange damage that points beyond ordinary murder. A mysterious stranger hands Tempe a photograph of ancient skeletal remains from an archaeological dig. The image connects the Montreal victim to buried secrets in Israeli soil. Tempe teams with Detective Andrew Ryan to follow leads that stretch from Canada to the Middle East. Their investigation centers on claims that archaeologists have found the actual tomb of Jesus Christ. Each discovery brings new questions about the authenticity of the find. Someone may be orchestrating an elaborate deception to fool Tempe and the world. Or the controversial discovery might rewrite two millennia of religious history. Tempe faces enemies determined to silence her permanently before she can reveal the truth about the ancient mystery.
Genres: adventure, suspense, mystery, crime, archaeology, thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, conspiracy-theory, enemies-to-lovers
Setting: Canada, Israel, Middle East, Montreal
Period: 21st-century
353 pages · Paperback · Pocket Books