From Goodreads: When Charlotte police discover the body of a teenage girl along a desolate stretch of two-lane highway, Temperance Brennan fears the worst. The girl’s body shows signs of foul play. Inside her purse police find the ID card of a prominent local businessman, John-Henry Story, who died in a horrific flea market fire months earlier. Was the girl an illegal immigrant turning tricks? Was she murdered?
The medical examiner has also asked Tempe to examine a bundle of Peruvian dog mummies confiscated by U.S. Customs. A Desert Storm veteran named Dominick Rockett stands accused of smuggling the objects into the country. Could there be some connection between the trafficking of antiquities and the trafficking of humans?
As the case deepens, Tempe must also grapple with personal turmoil. Her daughter Katy, grieving the death of her boyfriend in Afghanistan, impulsively enlists in the Army. Meanwhile, Katy’s father Pete is frustrated by Tempe’s reluctance to finalize their divorce. As pressure mounts from all corners, Tempe soon finds herself at the center of a conspiracy that extends all the way from South America, to Afghanistan, and right to the center of Charlotte.
Thoughts: I so wanted to love this, I really did. What is it with crime writers who feel the need to continue beyond the natural life of a character? The story was good, the science held together for me, but how many times can one character face the bad guys and get away with it - especially when they are not actually a law enforcement agent! If Reichs could simply let go of the Tempe Brennan character I would find this so much better. I must admit I am also over the tortured love story. Is there a single reoccuring crime novel character in a normal, happy, satisfying relationship - or no relationship at all and still happy? On top of that, the male cop in this, Slidell is a pure caricature. All the failings of this for me are character based. The stories are good, engaging, but the characters are starting to feel old and stale. Chances are I will read the next one, but I won't be pinning any great hopes on it.
