A Conspiracy of Bones

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with an “edgy, eerie, irresistible” (Sandra Brown) novel with “plenty of twists” (The New York Times Book Review) featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, who must use her skills to discover the identity of a faceless corpse, its connection to a decade-old missing child case, and why the dead man had her cell phone number.

It’s sweltering in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Temperance Brennan, still recovering from neurosurgery following an aneurysm, is battling nightmares, migraines, and what she thinks might be hallucinations when she receives a series of mysterious text messages, each containing a new picture of a corpse that is missing its face and hands. Immediately, she’s anxious to know who the dead man is, and why the images were sent to her.

An identified corpse soon turns up, only partly answering her questions.

To win answers to the others, including the man’s identity, she must go rogue, working mostly outside the system. That’s because Tempe’s new boss holds a fierce grudge against her and is determined to keep her out of the case. Tempe bulls forward anyway, even as she begins questioning her instincts. But the clues she discovers are disturbing and confusing. Was the faceless man a spy? A trafficker? A target for assassination by the government? And why was he carrying the name of a child missing for almost a decade?

With help from law enforcement associates including her Montreal beau Andrew Ryan and the quick-witted, ex-homicide investigator Skinny Slidell, and utilizing new cutting-edge forensic methods, Tempe draws closer to the astonishing truth. “A complete success” (Booklist, starred review), “this is Kathy Reichs as you’ve never read her before” (David Baldacci).


Genre: Mystery

"This is Kathy Reichs as you've never read her before. The story starts like a pistol shot and fires nonstop through over three hundred layered pages. The twists are meticulously planned and thrown like bamboozling curves on the edge of the plate. But you will see new layers to the brilliant Tempe Brennan that may surprise you. Read this book. It was created by a master of the genre who knocks it out of the park." - David Baldacci

"Tempe Brennan is back, dealing with health issues, career setbacks, and the nagging--and driving--fear of inadequacy that is the flipside of her talent. Reichs's fast-paced, tightly-constructed, and very contemporary story dives underground here, both literally and virtually, as she follows the thinnest of threads deeper and deeper into a shocking conspiracy. You will find it hard to put down." - Mark Bowden

"Kathy Reichs pits the indomitable Temperance Brennan against straight-from-today's-headlines terror to create a story that launches at maximum velocity and never lets up. Edgy. Eerie. Irresistible. Don't miss this one." - Sandra Brown

"Nobody writes a more imaginative thriller than Kathy Reichs or crafts a better sentence. Her latest forensic investigation, A Conspiracy of Bones, rivets with its non-stop pursuit of some of the vilest villains ever." - Clive Cussler

"One of the absolute best thrillers of the year! Both Temperance Brennan and Kathy Reichs are at the top of their games in this brilliant rollercoaster of a tale. I can't recall when this many twists have been so masterfully woven into a novel. But, of course, it's not all about plot. The characters, too--good, bad and in between--come breathtakingly alive with heart-gripping effect. A great series has just gotten greater." - Jeffery Deaver

"Sinister and chilling. In Tempe Brennan's riveting return to the investigative trail, she suddenly finds herself caught in a tangled web. Who can she trust? Maybe not even herself. Bones is back and better than ever." - Lisa Gardner

"No face, no hands, and a ton of breathtaking questions. I dare you to figure out all the red herrings. So utterly good! This is Kathy Reichs doing what she does best: sorting through the bones until the shocking end." - Brad Meltzer

"It's a pleasure to see Temperance returning to what she does best, peeling back the layers and using her forensic brilliance to expose a shocking cover-up... A Conspiracy of Bones offers page-turning proof that Kathy Reichs won't be giving up her forensic-anthropologist-in-distress throne anytime soon." - David Morrell

"A Conspiracy of Bones shows off Kathy Reichs' dazzling new level of plotting mastery. A thrilling read from one of my favorite writers." - Karin Slaughter

"Don't miss this one! The corpse is ghastly. The investigation is intense. So many pulse-pounding twists and surprises--it kept me guessing till the end!" - R L Stine