Death du Jour (2) (A Temperance Brennan Novel) Mass Market Paperback – August 1, 2000

This was a pretty good book, not as thrilling as the first one, though, in my opinion. However, I do believe it is a big more graphic/gory than the first. Also, a TW would be talking about mutilated babies.

I purchased a new book, which turned out to be not only a new book but also a first edition. This book was a first edition dated 1998 including a dust jacket in perfect condition!! What a FIND for my collection1

The second book in the series was wonderful, somehow it was even better than the first which I found to be a bit long and overly wordy ( yet enjoyable never the less) this left me hungry for more, what better in a continuing story line than a hook line and sinker type of feeling, reading "Death du Jour" made me crave the next book right away. I almost never read a series one after another, I give myself a break because it's always better to crave the next than get stuck in a similar story and feel like I'm reading an eight hundred page book. That said I can't recommend Kathy Reichs enough, she knows what she's talking about and she engages the reader rather than making me feel like I'm standing on the site and observing, I couldn't wait for a free moment to sit and read, on the train, during lunch, before bed, you get the gist...Its winter time and Temperance finds herself working on a misplaced nun coffin, along the way she gets called to examine the victims of a fire, this of course is no ordinary accident, what fire victims after all have execution style bullet wounds in their head? Clues from her work place and a nearby university reveal that something foul is going on, as usual Tempe gets mixed up into a situation that puts her life in danger, her character is so well written that the reader feels her victories and her falls with great flair. I loved solving the mystery alongside of her, tracking strange disappearances and wondering what happened to the mutilated bodies, traveling and picking up clues and forming opinions of a bunch of zany characters, for those who love gristly deaths, mystery, clues, realistic characters and engaging dialogue this is a real treasure, I hope this series has thirty books in it by the time she's done because deep down I want to read them all. I liked the realistic element of danger, in the previous book her close friend meets with a deadly end so you never know when someone is going to exit the story, it keeps you on your toes! I also enjoyed the bit of romance developing, it made things a bit more interesting, and trust me, it's not nauseating, it adds to the depth of the book. This was another nice read from Reichs and I can't wait to dig right back in.- Kasia S.

I have decided to read the Tempe Brennan novels in order. The first in the series, "Deja Dead" was quite disappointing. Even after getting over the VAST differences between the TV and novel versions of Tempe, the book was unevenly written, tedious through the middle third, and predictable all the way to the end (almost from the start). In this book, Ms. Reichs seems to be hitting her stride.Although Tempe is still excessively emotional for my taste, in this book she "plays by the rules" and doesn't go off and do the "stupid" stuff that she does in the first book. Additionally, the character of Detective Andy Ryan (the "Booth" character, for "Bones" fans) is much more fleshed out, and the love/hate relationship between them begins. There is a lot more forensic science in this book, and much less tedious "case work". We are introduced to an entemologist and social psychologist who add their expertise to the scientific mix. The story is fast-paced throughout, and I was unable to put it down for the last third of the book.I DO have agree with some other reviewers that there is a bit too much coincidence driving the story line. There are three independent story lines: a house fire in Montreal, bodies discovered in North Carolina, and a visit by her sister that have a little too much in common to be completely believable (I'm being intentionally vague so as not to ruin the story for those who have not read it). Everything ties up nicely (if a bit predictably) in the end, but a lot of that is because of Tempe being in just the right place at the just right time. There is a completely independent "historical" mystery running parallel to the primary story that is interesting in it's own way, but ultimately not really needed.All and all, though, this was a very enjoyable read, and I am anxiously looking forward to the next book in the series.

They cheated you Kathy and Tempe too! There are so few similarities between these fabulous books and the TV series Bones that if I did not know for sure I wouldn't believe they came from the same concept and author. I confess I used to watch the aseries before I became bored with it and stopped watching.I have only started reading the books this last week ( October 2013 ) and I feel like I''ve made a new friend. I love this Tempe in a way I never felt for the other Tempe. I liked the TV Tempe because she was a strong female character in a male dominated field that also had an equally strong supporting female in an unheard field; one that most people could not even believe was realistic. Having read Isis Johansson's series about Eve Duncan ( I believe that is the name of her great character ), I could, just barly, wrap my mind around what Angie did. It helped that my foster daughter drew medical illustrations on a computer, so I knew some of what could be done.But I found they started getting to be so out in left field that I just lost interest and stopped watching after a while.But this new, different Tempe I am meeting now facinates me. I have a very strong feeling we are going to be friends for a long time. So keep up the good writing for a long, long time and I''ll keep buying and reading just as long.

I enjoyed this story which had Temp on two sites, one in the USA and the other in Canada. A dead family, in one location and bodies in the other, are seemingly unrelated. Temp also had the task of uncovering the past of a dead nun whose antecedents were patchy.Temp finds herself realising that her sister, Harry, is getting involved with a dubious sect. The dialogue is well written and brings Temp to life, much more than the Temp in the TV programme ' Bones'.

The bodies and mysteries stack-up in this thrilling second book in the Tempe Brennan series – 5 StarsWow! This has a really packed plot: Opening with the exhumation of a churchyard burial, life seems routine for forensic anthropologist Dr Tempe Brennan, but when she is called to investigate a house fire the gruesome homicides uncovered start a chain of events that draw her into the murky world of cults. Add to that the disappearance of a troubled student, sudden absence of her sister, and a most unwelcome parcel delivered with the aid of a brick through her window, and Tempe once again finds herself uncovering a dangerous web of deceit.It’s got to be difficult to follow-up a run-away bestseller, but Kathy Reichs has managed it with aplomb and, in many ways, I prefer this second book in the series to the first, ‘Deja Dead’. For a start, it’s a much more digestible four-hundred or so pages in length, yet the plot is even more complex. The writing is sharp, the forensic detail fascinating, and the storyline thoroughly entertaining.As with the first book in the series, I found the characters such a driving factor in both grabbing and holding my attention. Tempe Brennen is accomplished, intelligent, and remarkably brave and resilient. She’s also a recovering alcoholic, somewhat introverted, can be cavalier, and definitely doesn’t suffer fools gladly. It’s this blend of traits that make her such a compelling protagonist, and the secondary characters are well-drawn too.Overall: Great plot and a captivating protagonist combine to make this an excellent read.

Read a Lee Child short story Faking a Murder that he wrote with someone I had not come across before and eventually got Kathy Reichs first book out of the local library. As with this book she went into considerable detail using her day job experiences that could mean anything unless the reader is of a similar background or willing to do background reading. But enjoyed it enough to bulk buy 2-6 and have eventually started to work through them.This book is written in first person.Unless she is present at the scene we only get a summary of what goes on elsewhere which also means she is not one of those sleuths who is around to solve everything especially as she is not a police officer. Her ignorance of what is going on elsewhere does add an element of suspense. Her descriptions are extremely detailed even away from her specialist areas and that does appear to slow down the release of information during conversation. The format often used by writers to end a chapter with "cliffhanger" moment cannot work in her first person narrative so she resolves that by not telling the reader! And it works in a way as she seems to need some other event or conversation to verify that chapter lack of revelation. Particularly the background event that runs the length of the novel with her researching.

I have read a couple of Kathy's books in the past and enjoyed them, so decided to read the Temperance Brennan books in order. I like the way she sets up a murder plot and the dynamic that is emerging with Ryan. She also gives some uncannily current facts, (Deja Dead; big money in pharmaceutical, in this book it was cults/religions). I did find the ending a bit weak, as though Kathy had run out of ideas and did a 'then I woke up' like we used to at school! There was also the unbelievable bits like Temperance taking documents home and leaving them lying around for yet another intruder to break-in and get amongst. Also, again, her investigating and staking out suspects, only to get attacked, (again), because she was getting too close to the truth. In case the third book in the series turned out to be written using the same formula, I went back to a Michael Connelly.

I bought this becsuse I enjoy the tv series"Bones" which is based on these books.. Thankfully its not the characters from yhe show in the book. The stories are well wtitten and the characters, you get to know these more and more throughout her books as though the books dont carry on as such the main characters reappear. I like that throughout yhe books you get to know the main characters but it wont spoil the book if you haven't read the previous ones.The reason I give it4/5 is because though the story is very well written and has you hooked on the plot I find that after all the details and clues and her way of keeping you captivated throughout, the end seems to be a bit quick. Having said that it hasnt stopped me reading any more of her books (ive just finished the 7th in the series)All in all a worth while read that kept me wanting more.