The Mystery Starts Here

When I saw the latest Linda Fairstein novel, “Silent Mercy” on the new book shelf at the library, I grabbed it. I’ve read all of her books but have noticed their getting worse and worse as she goes along with the series. “Silent Mercy” is book number thirteen and I think it’s time for Fairstein to hang it up or start a new series. This one is WAY past it’s prime.

The book started with promise. A headless burning corpse of a woman is found in front of a church in Manhattan. Alex Cooper and Mike Chapman go to the crime scene – which is written in great detail – almost too much. Right away Mike starts with a history lesson about Manhattan churches. Fairstein does her homework and I usually find the New York city history interesting. This time, not so much. When a second body is found, this one missing her tongue, things start going south. Mike and Alex go to the church in his old Alma Mater, Fordham College, and unbelievable find the tongue! Huh?

In the midst of all this running around, Alex has to go to court to prosecute a pedophile priest. A mysterious man walks into the courtroom and then, disappears. It’s NEVER explained why the man was there. Also, that thread just evaporates – only mentioned in passing a couple of times. As usual, the D.A. is angry with Alex but I’m not sure why. There’s a LOT of filler in this book and quite frankly I’m still not sure what the plot was about. Something about strong religious women. Alex, Mike and Mercer are still wagering on Final Jeopardy. I don’t get it – we know Alex is wealthy, she tells us in every book, so I can see her plopping down a twenty every night but….Mercer is married and has a child. Does he REALLY make that much money working for the NYPD? And speaking of the wealthy Alex, tells us in every book how lucky she is to be living in a secure high rise on the 20th floor, yet in almost every book, someone manages to get up to her apartment to menace her.

I usually read several books a week. That’s why I use the library – I couldn’t possible afford to buy all the books I read and eat! Anyhow, I picked this book up, read a bit, put it down….I just never did get into it. Toward the end, we’re on a train  with the Barnum and Bailey Circus chugging up the coast to Rhode Island! I was scratching my head and going, WTF?”

When the leprosy came into play, I closed the book and quit. Seriously. I only had about 25 pages to read but I just couldn’t finish! No more Linda Fairstein books for me.

I reserved Kathy Reichs latest novel, “Flash and Bone” at the library with some trepidation. Her last few books have not been up to par and she is obviously running out of plot ideas. I really disliked her last book, “Spider Bones” and vowed then never to read another Tempe Brennan book but I decided to try her one more time. Once again Tempe is working in Charlotte, South Carolina. I kind of miss the Montreal setting. That said I’ve got to tell you, this novel was worse than the last one!

For one thing, there is little forensic information in this book. When Reichs started the series, there was far too much forensic information. I remember skipping large sections of text because my eyes were glazing over – way too much detail. Over the course of the series, there has been less and less on bones and more on relationships. Ryan shows up in “Flash and Bone” briefly, and I’m glad. I’m sooooo tired of that relationship. Make up your minds, already! In this book, once again, Tempe finds a hottie and he’s attracted to her too. Come on…the woman has to be near 50 and is usually dirty and disheveled from grubbing in the dirt looking at body parts. How attractive can she be?

There are so many characters in the book that I never could keep them straight. And, two of the main characters were named Gamble and Galimore! Come on Kathy, that’s an amateur’s mistake. A lot of the dialogue is very unbelievable  and far too many of the characters talk in the same “voice” which just adds to the confusion.

What was the plot, you ask? Beats me. In the beginning a body is found stuffed in a barrel and covered with asphalt near the track during NASCAR race week. Besides all the NASCAR stuff, we have the FBI, CDC and I think the kitchen sink. Reichs does a lot of research for her books and unfortunately she puts ALL of it in the books! She actually had one of her characters say, and I paraphrase, “Most people don’t even know this but in…..!”  Basically Tempe is helping Skinny Slidell solve the mystery. Why? She is not a cop and has zero business running around questioning people! I was tempted several times to stop reading but I persisted. I finished and….I still am not sure what the book was about! It was confusing and boring and this time, I swear, I’ll never read another of Reichs’ books again. NEVER!