Book Review: Fatal Voyage

Reviewed By: Luke Croll - RAM

Fatal Voyage     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon UK PB Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Kathy Reichs
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Forensics   Woman Main Character
Series: Dr. Temperance Brennan # 4
Heinemann; 2001; £16.99; 363pp
Classification: Adult fiction (thriller)

When a plane crashes in the North Carolinian mountains, it is down to forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan to identify the victims. However, when she finds a severed foot not linked to the crash and has her professional standing threatened, she knows that there is something serious going on.

Kathy Reichs has often suffered from the problem of including much too much forensic detail in her novels. However, this is not the case here, as Reichs has taken Brennan out of her natural environment, where she no longer has the upper hand. In fact, she also only makes one visit to Quebec in the entire novel, staying in the USA for the rest of the time. This makes a refreshing change, as the constant forensic explanations can start to grind. That is not to say that this does play a role, but it is a heavily reduced role.

The plot is interesting and when Reichs finally tied all the plot strands together, I still really had no idea what was going on. From time to time, the book did become mildly confusing as Reichs introduced a lot of characters and many names, so it became hard to judge who was who.

Other than that, the book was a good and intriguing read and is better than 'Deadly Decisions'. It could be argued that the solution to the main puzzle is somewhat unbelievable, but Reichs creates such a good sense of place that one can believe that anything can go on in the mountains. If you have liked her other works, there is nothing to complain about here.

Luke Croll - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

Luke Croll - Conference interpreter and translator
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