by Kathy Reichs
Part of Temperance Brennan, book 1
First published 2007
Temperance Brennan has spent a year rebuilding her life in Quebec after leaving her troubled marriage in North Carolina. She dedicates herself to her work as a forensic anthropologist, seeking justice for victims who can no longer speak for themselves. Her weekend plans to explore her new city vanish when investigators discover a woman's body, carefully dismembered and packed into garbage bags. Brennan recognizes disturbing similarities to other cases and realizes a serial killer is operating in Montreal. She throws herself into tracking the murderer, determined to stop the violence. But her pursuit puts the people she loves most at risk. Her closest friend and her own daughter become targets as the killer grows desperate. Brennan must solve the case before those she cares about pay the ultimate price for her investigation.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-detective, determined-protagonist, personal-stakes
Setting: Montreal, North Carolina, Quebec
Period: contemporary
532 pages · Paperback · Pocket Books
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence, murder