Review: Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

First line: I wasn’t thinking about the man who’d blown himself up.

From the back cover: Her life is devoted to justice – for those she never even knew.

In the year since Temperance Brennan left behind a shaky marriage in North Carolina, work has often preempted her weekend plans to explore Quebec. When a female corpse is discovered meticulously dismembered and stashed in trash bags, Tempe detects an alarming pattern – and she plunges into a harrowing search for a killer. But her investigation is about to place those closest to her – her best friend and her own daughter – in mortal danger…

My thoughts: I have been watching the television show, Bones, for a few years now and I love it, so I decided I would read the series that the show is based on. Deja Dead is the first book (of 14!) in Kathy Reichs’ Temperance Brennan series.The first thing I noticed is that television Tempe and literary Tempe are quite different – and I think this is what is going to help me in keeping the two separate as I definitely plan on reading the rest of the series and continuing to watch the television show.  Writing what she knows (Kathy Reichs IS after all a forensic anthropologist who has lived and worked in the South and in Montreal), the character of Tempe is well-developed and the details of her work are rich and detailed. In this debut novel of the series, Dr. Brennan is on the trail of a serial killer with the help of homicide detectives, forensic dentist, autopsy technician and an FBI profiler. An endlessly suspenseful and incredibly smart thriller, the plot is complex and unpredictable, fast-paced, and layered with detail. Once I started reading it, I had a hard time putting it down. I can’t wait to continue reading this series!


(I purchased this book.)

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6 Comments

  1. Shirley
    April 28, 2011 / 12:14 am

    I really enjoy the tv series Bones so I ought to read these books! There's something about forensics that fascinates me as a reader but not as a career. Glad to know you enjoyed this novel.

  2. Julie P
    April 28, 2011 / 6:00 am

    I didn't know this series was the inspiration for Bones. My older son loves that tv show! Glad you enjoyed this….

  3. Kristin
    April 28, 2011 / 12:12 pm

    @ Shirley: I love learning about forensic anthropology – so interesting!!!

    @ Julie: I'm not sure which I like better – the tv show or the books – they are different enough that they each have their good points!

  4. Bonnie
    April 28, 2011 / 2:11 pm

    I didn't know that Bones was based on a book series – lucky for you there are 14 book! That should keep you reading for a little while.

  5. Trish @ Between My Lines
    April 22, 2020 / 9:31 am

    Sounds so good, and I had no idea Bones was based on this series!

    • Kristin
      April 22, 2020 / 11:29 am

      Yes…though it's different enough that if you've watched the tv show, you won't feel as if they are spoilers.