Status
Available
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Pocket Books (2012), Edition: Reprint, 400 pages
Description
"A body is found in a barrel of asphalt next to Lowes Motor Speedway near Charlotte just as 200,000 fans are pouring into town for race week. The next day, a NASCAR crew member shares with Tempe a devastating story. Twelve years earlier his sister, Cyndi Gamble, then a high school senior who wanted to be a professional racecar driver, disappeared along with her boyfriend, Cale Lovette. Lovette kept company with a group of right wing extremists known as the Patriot Posse. Is the body Cyndi's? Or Cale's? At the time of their disappearance, the FBI joined the investigation, but the search was quickly terminated. As Tempe is considering multiple theories, including an FBI cover-up, a surprising, secret substance is found with the body, leaving Tempe to wonder what exactly the government was up to..."--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member DanieXJ
A body is found in a landfill that just happens to be next to a NASCAR race track in Charlotte. (And, according to the Q&A in the back of the book, apparently the landfill actually exists too). Brennan gets called in because, well, who else would you call if you have a body stuck in asphalt. Of
NASCAR and Temperance Brennan. It makes sense since about half of the books that Brennan are in take place in North Carolina, and NC is nothing if not a haven for NASCAR and its enthusiasts. I was sure what I was getting myself into when I saw that NASCAR was going to somehow play into the story. Sometimes authors can take it way too far when they integrate something real like sports into a fictional world. How much realism do you have, or expect your reader to know, or explain to the reader.
For the most part I think that Reichs did an okay job balancing the NASCAR side of the story. I'm a fan of all sports so I already knew a lot of the names, terms, etc., but for those who didn't there was enough explanation that the reader wasn't totally lost, but not too much so that those who love NASCAR would be bored out of their heads.
The writing was its usual solid self. Nothing flashy or different, but nothing horrible that would take away from the flow of the story either.
Unfortunately the plot wasn't exactly mind blowing. Although Reichs has never done the plot specifically before, reading it, as well as all of Brennan's 'relationship' issues just sorta took me back to some of the recent novels in the series. The novel as a whole was a little repetitive.
It's a solid read, especially if you keep up with the Brennan series, but it's more of a 'take out of the library and return' than a 'buy, buy, buy and keep for the rest of your natural life' sorta read. A good read, solid read, just not a make room on your personal shelves for it read.
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course, that one body unleashes a torrent of bodies, old and new, a torrent of suspects, and a lot of interesting connections between the bodies and the suspects. Oh, and there's also a bridezilla in the novel, but I won't spoil that delightful (one of the more fun and funny parts of the novel) sub-plot too much.NASCAR and Temperance Brennan. It makes sense since about half of the books that Brennan are in take place in North Carolina, and NC is nothing if not a haven for NASCAR and its enthusiasts. I was sure what I was getting myself into when I saw that NASCAR was going to somehow play into the story. Sometimes authors can take it way too far when they integrate something real like sports into a fictional world. How much realism do you have, or expect your reader to know, or explain to the reader.
For the most part I think that Reichs did an okay job balancing the NASCAR side of the story. I'm a fan of all sports so I already knew a lot of the names, terms, etc., but for those who didn't there was enough explanation that the reader wasn't totally lost, but not too much so that those who love NASCAR would be bored out of their heads.
The writing was its usual solid self. Nothing flashy or different, but nothing horrible that would take away from the flow of the story either.
Unfortunately the plot wasn't exactly mind blowing. Although Reichs has never done the plot specifically before, reading it, as well as all of Brennan's 'relationship' issues just sorta took me back to some of the recent novels in the series. The novel as a whole was a little repetitive.
It's a solid read, especially if you keep up with the Brennan series, but it's more of a 'take out of the library and return' than a 'buy, buy, buy and keep for the rest of your natural life' sorta read. A good read, solid read, just not a make room on your personal shelves for it read.
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LibraryThing member gypsysmom
I've been reading the Temperance Brennan books since Deja Dead was published. I've noticed that I always prefer the books where Temperance is in Canada at least part of the book. In this book Tempe stays put in Charlotte which is inundated with car racing fans for the NASCAR race. A drum filled
Dr. Brennan ends up spending a lot of time at the race track and we are treated to lots of information about car racing. Maybe if I was more interested in NASCAR I would have found this riveting but it seemed like it was just added in for filler.
Hopefully Tempe will be back in Montreal soon and get back in the groove with Detective Ryan.
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with asphalt and a body turns up just outside the race track and Tempe has to identify the body. A crew member wants to know if it could be his sister who disappeared years ago and has never been heard from since.Dr. Brennan ends up spending a lot of time at the race track and we are treated to lots of information about car racing. Maybe if I was more interested in NASCAR I would have found this riveting but it seemed like it was just added in for filler.
Hopefully Tempe will be back in Montreal soon and get back in the groove with Detective Ryan.
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LibraryThing member redheadish
I was hoping for more scientific stuff in this book again but looked a bit short on the science and definately short on romance!
LibraryThing member riverwillow
An OK addition to the series and, for me a fast read, but one that ultimately feels as if she's marking time, especially as there is a small reference to Tempe's great niece who is the focus of her new young adult series. The investigation was OK and it was interesting to learn how you remove a
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body from a barrel full of asphalt. But as I really don't have any interest in NASCAR, I found some of the sections at the track quite tedious. On the personal side, I miss Tempe's relationship with Ryan, who hardly appears in the book, and found the interludes with her husband and his fiancé frankly ridiculous. I do hope she continues to write the series but am hoping that the next one brings a return to Canada and a resumption of the sparring with Ryan. Show Less
LibraryThing member Pam1960ca
Another good Kathy Reichs book. Love Temperance. Keep them coming Kathy.
LibraryThing member britbrarian
Temperance Brennan is back in full effect. When a body is found in a barrel, filled with concrete at a dump near the Charlotte Motor Speedway, our favorite forensic anthropologist is brought in to consult. Soon after the media gets wind of the story, Wayne Gamble, an employee of one of the NASCAR
Flash and Bones features the return of Officer "Skinny" Slydell and Tempe's soon-to-be-ex-husband Pete, and we finally get to meet Pete's intellectually-challenged fiancée, Summer. We're also introduced to the story behind Kathy Reichs's YA series, Virals. (I have reviewed the first book of the Virals series on my LibraryThing page as well as on my blog.)
This installment of the Bones series has not been given stellar reviews. While not the best book she's ever written, I felt that it was a worthy addition to the series, and I was just as engulfed in it as I have been all of her other books. I truly enjoyed it.
While the narrator did a great job, her gravelly voice, while lovely, made Tempe sound much older than I imagine her to be. I wish they would have stuck with Linda Emond, whose voice has much more of a chronological range.
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racing teams, visits Tempe to ask if the body found might be that of his sister, who vanished along with her white supremacist boyfriend twelve years earlier. Just as Tempe and her boss start to find answers, things start to get weird. The FBI shows up and the body disappears. Flash and Bones features the return of Officer "Skinny" Slydell and Tempe's soon-to-be-ex-husband Pete, and we finally get to meet Pete's intellectually-challenged fiancée, Summer. We're also introduced to the story behind Kathy Reichs's YA series, Virals. (I have reviewed the first book of the Virals series on my LibraryThing page as well as on my blog.)
This installment of the Bones series has not been given stellar reviews. While not the best book she's ever written, I felt that it was a worthy addition to the series, and I was just as engulfed in it as I have been all of her other books. I truly enjoyed it.
While the narrator did a great job, her gravelly voice, while lovely, made Tempe sound much older than I imagine her to be. I wish they would have stuck with Linda Emond, whose voice has much more of a chronological range.
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LibraryThing member Romonko
I have been reading Temperance Brennan books since the first one came out, and I have truly enjoyed them. I did notice that the last two or so, although good, were not up to what I had come to expect from this series. This book is more like the Tempe Brennan that I have to come to love. The book is
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fast-paced and there are lots of twists and turns in the story. The book is set entirely in North Carolina this time, and all around NASAR racing which is huge in that state. There are lots of bodies turning up in various locations, and lots of threats and terrors for Tempe to deal with as she tries to unravel the mysteries. I love the character of Tempe Brennan and I love the forensic expertise that comes out so often in these books. Ms. Reichs is a wonderful author. True escapism for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kingray
Kathy makes me glad that I live in Charlotte, NC and the heart of NASCAR country. One of her best novels.
LibraryThing member readinggeek451
A body in a landfill, mysterious disappearances, obstructive FBI agents, and NASCAR all tie in to the latest Temperance Brennan book. This series is losing steam; I may not keep reading much longer.
LibraryThing member LDVoorberg
I don't think this audiobook was abridged, though it never said "unabridged". It seems that Kathy Reichs has been listening to her fan base, though: this book moved a long better than some of the others of late, and there was almost no ridiculous soap opera relationship issues with Det Andrew.
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Still a lot of rhetorical questions, but more of the science and mystery that makes the books interesting. Too bad Brennan was a bit daft at figuring this one out, because the reader gets it long before she does. Show Less
LibraryThing member ct.bergeron
I have been reading every Kathy Reichs. For the past few years, I feel a bit disappointed as her style is always the same. Give all the "clues" and the let eveything fall into place in the last 10 pages. The story is entertaining, in this book we are completely immerse in the world of NASCAR when a
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body is found in a Oil drum close to the speed way. The setting of this book is completely in Charlotte and Tempe's life is again in jeopardy when she gets too close to the truth. Show Less
LibraryThing member phyllis2779
This is the 2nd Reichs book that I've read. They are very well-written. Factual. Good dialog. Not one of those mysteries where everything is explained as the killer is just about to kill the detective who is rescued at the last moment. In this book, the police figure out the killer in the nick of
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time and save Brennan. I would read another one in the series if I came across it but the book wasn't so wonderful that I'm rushing out to look for the rest in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member terran
This was not my favorite book by Reichs. Temperance Brennan investigates the death of a man who is found near a NASCAR race track. Does the body belong to a high school girl who disappeared with her boyfriend 12 years ago? Was a right wing hate group involved in the murder? Is the FBI involved in
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some kind of cover-up of the case? What is the mysterious substance found with the body? Will Tempe's ex-husband find happiness with his fiancee, Summer? Is she ever going to have a stable relationship? There is a lot of action and details, but somehow it just didn't gel for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member LizARees
Temperance Brennan continues to be among the few of these long-running series that maintains a level of good writing and interest.
An entertaining read, though a bit too much explanation of the NASCAR background and the scientific attributes of ricin and abrin, that could surely have emerged through
Nevertheless I'm looking forward to the next volume.
An entertaining read, though a bit too much explanation of the NASCAR background and the scientific attributes of ricin and abrin, that could surely have emerged through
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the narrative without the didactic passages.Nevertheless I'm looking forward to the next volume.
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LibraryThing member alicemeg
This was a good book overall. Like the others in the series, it was well-written and interesting. The author creates new and interesting scenarios rather than recycling the old ones. Unfortunately she has fallen into a bit of a pattern of having heroine get kidnapped and/or attacked by the villain
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at the end of the book. So in that sense it was a bit predictable. Show Less
LibraryThing member dragonflydee1
Kathy Reichs gives Tempe such a great sense of humor in such creepy circumstances--this read was short and sweet!
LibraryThing member cmeilink
I admit it...I'm a forensic science fan, and Kathy Reichs' books are always a favorite of mine. This book, Flash and Bones, does not disappoint.
Set in Temperance's (Ms. Reichs') town of Charlotte, the story begins with the discovery of a body in a steel drum filled with asphalt next to the
With some unusual causes of death discovered and connections with a right-wing extremist group uncovered, this is one enjoyable and quick read.
Recommended.
Set in Temperance's (Ms. Reichs') town of Charlotte, the story begins with the discovery of a body in a steel drum filled with asphalt next to the
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Charlotte Motor Speedway. Is the body in the drum tied to the case of two teenagers that went missing years ago? Is it a man that was just recently reported missing? OR, is it someone else?With some unusual causes of death discovered and connections with a right-wing extremist group uncovered, this is one enjoyable and quick read.
Recommended.
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LibraryThing member bksgoddess
Typical Kathy Reichs--fast paced thriller. I've always enjoyed her books!
LibraryThing member mccsyuma
After a body's discovered in a barrel of asphalt next to Lowes Motor Speedway, authorities scramble to remove it since 200,000 fans are expected for an upcoming race. The next day, a NASCAR crew member confides to Tempe that he fears the body could be that of his sister, Cyndi, who disappeared 12
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years earlier. Could Tempe solve a case that the FBI had been unable to? Show Less
LibraryThing member Carol420
I love the TV series `Bones' which is based on her books, yet hardly anything like the characters in the books. This is a series for everyone to read and enjoy. I missed Ryan a bit in this book, he was there but not for much time. In Spider Bones he played a much larger part. If you like police
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procedural and mysteries you will love this author. Great writing, good flow and a mystery to keep you guessing. Show Less
LibraryThing member jepeters333
Just as 200,000 fans are pouring into town for Race Week, a bodies found in a barrel of asphalt next to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The next day, a NASCAR crew member comes to Temperance Brennan's office at the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner to share a devastating story. Twelve years
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earlier, Wayne Gamble's sister Cindi, then a high school senior and aspiring racer, disappeared along with her boyfriend, Cale Lovette. Love kept company with a group of right-wing extremists known as the Patriot Posse. Could the body be Cindi's? Or Cale's? At the time of their disappearance, the FBI joined the investigation, only to terminate it weeks later. Was there a cover-up? As Tempe juggles multiple theories, the discovery of a strange, deadly substance in the barrel alongside the body throws everything into question. Then an employee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention goes missing during Race Week. Tempe can't overlook the coincidence. Show Less
LibraryThing member AKMamma
TO be honest not the strongest of the Temperance series. Again, LOVE Bones but I think that writing the TV show has taken away the magic of this character for me. Bones is SO much MORE on TV then here. I like her in the books better, as a person, but it went from dated (her early novels) to a
She talks about having three elements in her comments in the back but the love aspect was wishy washy at best. I kept thinking, what are you doing? Petting the cat again huh? It was another book, nothing to scream about or give a 5 star review. Glad she has her other project with the YA books because Temperance has gotten boring!
Still a fun read but just eh...
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rushed presentation.She talks about having three elements in her comments in the back but the love aspect was wishy washy at best. I kept thinking, what are you doing? Petting the cat again huh? It was another book, nothing to scream about or give a 5 star review. Glad she has her other project with the YA books because Temperance has gotten boring!
Still a fun read but just eh...
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LibraryThing member annbury
Tempe is just as usual in this novel, but not in her best form -- or even her tenth best. In her Temperance Brennan series, Kathy Reichs has been providing good, reliable forensic thrillers for a long time now. That's what her readers want, and it is certainly reassuring to move into Tempe's world
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for a while: we know the characters, we know the likely dangers, and we know that it will all be resolved in the end. But sometimes the formula doesn't work all that well, and this, for me, was one of those times. Maybe it was the setting in the world of NASCAR racing, maybe it's the fact that I like her Montreal novels better, or maybe it's the somewhat nervous-making love (or lust) interest, or maybe it's the fact that Reich's writerly mannerisms seem to be getting more marked. I certainly won't stop reading this series, but I do hope the next one is more engrossing. Show Less
LibraryThing member PatienceFortitude
A Temperance Brennan mystery about NASCAR racing. Decent fun, low calorie read.
LibraryThing member PatienceFortitude
A Temperance Brennan mystery about NASCAR racing. Decent fun, low calorie read.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2011
Physical description
6.75 inches
ISBN
9781451646696