Winter has come to North Carolina and, with it, a drop in crime. Freed from a heavy work schedule, Tempe Brennan is content to dote on her daughter Katy, finally returned to civilian life from the army. But when mother and daughter meet at Tempe’s place one night, they find a box on the back porch. Inside: a very fresh human eyeball.
GPS coordinates etched into the eyeball lead to a Benedictine monastery where an equally macabre discovery awaits. Soon after, Tempe examines a mummified corpse in a state park, and her anxiety deepens.
There seems to be no pattern to the subsequent killings uncovered, except that each mimics in some way a homicide that a younger Tempe had been called in to analyze. Who or what is targeting her, and why?
Helping Tempe search for answers is detective Erskine “Skinny” Slidell, retired but still volunteering with the CMPD cold case unit—and still displaying his gallows humor. Also pulled into the mystery: Andrew Ryan, Tempe’s Montreal-based beau, now working as a private detective.
Could this elaborately staged skein of mayhem be the prelude to a twist that is even more shocking? Tempe is at a loss to establish the motive for what is going on…and then her daughter disappears.
At its core, Cold, Cold Bones is a novel of revenge—one in which revisiting the past may prove the only way to unravel the present. (Goodreads synopsis)
I have been waiting for this particular plot in a long time. Normally, Tempe’s career is attacked or someone she works with doesn’t like her. Those prevalent themes have become repetitive in mystery thrillers. I am glad that now we see how Tempe’s career, and how she conducted herself, may have put her in danger.
The one thing I have to ask is what is going on with Ryan and Tempe? I thought he lived with her now, but he appears to be traveling far away. I thought I heard once that Hathy doesn’t want the romance to overwhelm Tempe’s story, but isn’t that a part of Tempe’s story? It feels so flip-floppy. I would like them to go back to the partnership they had before Ryan became a father and a PI. Have them romantic partners as well as law enforcement partners. That seemed to work well.
The other issue I have is how no one ever seems to answer their phones. If Slidell was concerned for her, then why doesn’t he ever answer his phone? But on that score, if someone is stalking Tempe then why does everyone dismiss her thoughts and feelings regarding Katy? I probably would have lost it on Skinny Slidell at some point towards the end of the novel, if it were my child, PTSD or not.
Overall I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.
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