As you will come to learn, I am a fan of libraries, but as a new mother it just takes me so long to finish a book that I can't do the re-new, re-checkout, re-new, re-checkout cycle I go through these days. So instead I go to used bookstores, thrift stores, the library withdrawn book sales and buy my books. Then I go through them on my own time. If I think I might ever want to read it again I put it into our book collection when I'm done, and if I don't care to again, then I donate it somewhere. The reason I am mentioning this is, given the option I choose to read the first book in a series. Often I find a book in the middle of series (mostly mystery series) read it, and if I enjoy it I will search out the first book and read the series starting there.
I have no idea where in the series of the Temperance Brennan series Monday Mourning falls. It was obvious that I picked up somewhere in the middle of her life as readers know it. There was so many details that I got the impression I had missed in a previous book. This effected my opinion of the book negatively . It made it really hard for me to get into the mystery itself. Reichs spends a lot of time focusing on the personal lives side stories of her characters. I enjoy the TV series Bones. But these characters are not the Bones and Booth characters I love on that series. I was okay with that. But going back to how I was effected negatively, the person lives drew my focus away from figuring out the mystery myself. It also made me less interested in finishing when I was reading parts about their lives. I think this was in part because I don't like the character that Tempe is dating in this book. He is a conceded jerk and even though Reichs tries to redeem his character in the end so you can like him again, I still thought he was a jerk and Tempe deserved better. Sorry to anyone if that is somehow a spoiler.
The mystery part of this story was well written. It had me thinking. When I was in those sections of the book I was drawn in, didn't want to put it down. That was until I reached a part focusing on their personal lives and then I had no problem.
Overall it was worth what I spent on it and it was worth the read. If you enjoy all the details about character's personal lives- then you'll love this book. If you're like me, go back to a Perry Mason novel and watch the TV series instead. I will be giving Kathy Reichs a second try. I found another one of her books at a thrift store. It also isn't the first in the series. But maybe this time it will be different. We'll see.
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