Marianne

Bones on Ice is a novella in the Temperance Brennan series by popular American author, Kathy Reichs. The well-connected Hallis family matriarch insists that Tempe conduct the post mortem on her daughter, whose remains are uncovered after the Nepal earthquake. Brighton Hallis died whilst scaling Mt… more Everest some three years previously, and her remains were unrecoverable at the time. Tempe finds many things she would expect after three years of exposure to freezing temperatures. But she also finds the unexpected, and her contact with Bright’s climbing companions raises more questions than it answers. In amongst the suspense and intrigue, Reichs manages to include lots of interesting facts about deaths on Everest, hypothermia and the bizarre associated behaviours, the effects of altitude and temperature on decay and preservation of a corpse, obtaining prints from dehydrated fingers and the effects of freezing on dentition. With its preview of the next book, Speaking in Bones, this is an excellent small dose of Tempe Brennan. less