Death Du Jour by Kathy Reichs

I hate it when someone ruins a movie or a book for me... especially a book, because that's a bigger investment of time and imagination. So I'll tell you a little about Kathy Reichs's Death Du Jour, but I won't ruin it for you.

First, you need to know that this is her second book. Deja Dead from 1997 was a great ride, taking the reader into the world of anthropological forensics and shining a bright light on a murder investigation from a new point of view.

Tempe Brennan is the main character in both books and she mirrors Reichs's own life in a way: Both shuttle between the US and Canada working as forensic anthropologists. The intrigue of a new angle, excellent writing, and a series of distinct voices of the characters make this a tough book to put down.

Reichs takes Tempe into the jaw-clenching cold of a Montreal winter to dig up the bones of a nun. You want to wrap your blanket a little tighter, because the descriptions of the climate and the delicate work of digging for graves is precise and puts the reader right there.

Soon, she's off to a burnt-up house to sort out the remains of the inhabitants. The descriptions are both gruesome and fascinating. She describes the process of putting the pieces together and is just clinical enough for you to feel that you've stepped away from the horror, yet you still have the sense of loss. I look at it as a good way to learn about things second-hand. Reichs is, after all, an expert and a responsible writer.

Tempe's commitments, both personal and professional, keep piling up yet she keeps her sharp sense of humor. This is why I like the character so much. She overextends herself, and then things just keep happening to add to her already full plate. She keeps going while she loses sleep over the nine thousand things going on in her life. She mentions a dream where she has to take an exam but never attended the class. I have that dream. This woman is my personal hero.

She encounters a cult and its odd members, debates with herself about the merits of having or not having a relationship with a homicide detective, and uncovers links between seemingly unrelated events. She even gets a crash course in primate behavior and the nature of insects acting on corpses.

Reichs is very talented. She offers up a great plot and believable characters. The writing is clean and entertaining. Think Patricia Cornwell without the know-it-allness. I mentioned in a previous review that my friend the Lieutenant dislikes Cornwell for that reason. Well, I think he'll dig this book.

Go To Page: 1

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic