MORTAL REMAINS

TITLE: MORTAL REMAINS
AUTHOR: KATHY REICHS
Pages: 302
Date: 26/11/2010
Grade: 4+
Details: no. 13 Temperance Brennan
            Title in USA: SPIDER BONES
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I love this series by Reichs and have done so from the very first book. The fact that a lot of the science in the books goes completely over my head doesn't interfere with my enjoyment at all. However, this one disappointed me a bit. 
There were too many unidentified remains in this book for me. I wasn't far into the book before I lost track of who was who and how they were or weren't connected. I wasn't completely convinced by the way the two story lines were pulled together either.
Having said that, I loved the insight this book gave me into all the work the US military puts into finding and identifying the remains of service men lost in combat. I also enjoyed the fact that Ryan was really involved in the story and that both his and Tempe's daughters were in the story.
This book starts with Tempe being called to a lake where a drowning victim has been recovered. The drowning itself is a bit macabre, but things get really confusing when the man is identified as "Spider" Lowery, who is supposed to have died 40 years earlier in Vietnam.
Tempe is asked to travel to Hawaii to a centre where the US military works on identifying the remains of unknown service men who have died. She's only there a few days when she finds herself facing three sets of remains, who could all be Lowery.
While in Hawaii with her daughter Kathy, Tempe is also asked to assist a local medical examiner who is trying to identify body parts which have been recovered from the sea.
Ryan and his troubled daughter Lily also travel to Hawaii adding extra tension to the situation.
When the Lowery case appears to be connected to the Hawaiian case, things get really confusing. And not just for Tempe.
If you've never read a book in this series, I would not start with this one. If, like me, you are a fan of this series though, you'd be a fool to miss this one, even if it has a few minor "faults".