by Kathy Reichs
Part of Temperance Brennan, book 11
First published 2008
A plumber renovating an old house breaks through to a hidden cellar. Inside he finds a makeshift shrine: a headless chicken, scattered animal bones, cauldrons filled with beads and feathers. At the center sits a teenage girl's skull. Days later, a dog walker discovers a headless teenage boy on a nearby lakeshore. Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan arrives to examine the remains. A preacher turned politician whips up public fear, blaming devil worshippers and Wiccans for the deaths. Citizen vigilantes form hunting parties, seeking their own justice. Brennan must navigate the hysteria while piecing together the truth behind the killings. The investigation pulls her into a world where voodoo, Santería, and devil worship intersect. As the witch hunt intensifies, Brennan races to solve the case before more innocent people become targets of mob violence.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, investigation
Setting: United States
Period: 21st-century
310 pages · Hardcover · Scribner Book Company
Content warnings: murder, violence