Not only is the title The Bone Hacker scary, but so is the book itself. This novel is the 22nd one in the Temperance Brennan series, written by Kathy Reichs. Wait until you see just how easy it is to be hacked in such a way as to cause death.
Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is called in to examine the remains of what seems to be a lightening victim. Tempe discovers an unusual tattoo on the victim and traces it to its source, which eventually leads her to the islands of Turks and Caicos. She soon finds that young men have been disappearing from the islands. The first victim was found seven years ago with his left hand hacked off.
Tempe teams up with TCI Royal Police Force Detective Tiersa Musgrove. As usual, Tempe gets involved beyond the autopsies, eventually finding herself in a web of encrypted communications, hacking, spyware, and cybersecurity. She becomes entangled in several plots which all come together at the end. But not before she and Musgrove are victims of violence themselves.
Tempe is an intriguing character with staying power. Reichs combines forensics with contemporary research to craft a well-thought-out story. Her secondary characters are fleshed out convincingly. Her plot lines move forward well, grabbing the readers and keeping them turning the pages.
What scares me about the book is the plot line that centers around the hacking of navigation systems that we use every day—on boats, in cars, in air flight, etc. One could say the title of the book points to that kind of hacking or to the sort where a bone is hacked off. Either way, this is a good read whether you are new to the series or already vested in it. Enjoy!
