Bones : Puzzle macabre

by Max Allan Collins

Tempe's work at the Jeffersonian Institute is put on hold when Special Agent Seeley Booth, stalled on a case deposing a Chicago mob family, calls her in to assist with a bizarre discovery: a plastic bag of skeletal remainsmdash;and a chilling note—left on the steps of a federal building. Tempe determines the bones are from different corpses, suggesting a serial killer's handiwork. A suspect is quickly taken into custody, but Tempe senses the case is far from closed. And as Booth's Mafia case heats up with violent twists and bloody discoveries, including ties to one of Chicago's most gruesome and notorious killers, Tempe must unravel the story of the bones, where the truth lies buried—in order to stay alive.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Media Tie In, Mystery Thriller

Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 2006.

He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.

Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black

Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bones the tv show is very different from the books that Kathy Reichs wrote, but the series of 12 seasons did very well to attract an audience that was faithful and remained for a long time. This book is a lonely attempt at writing the characters as they were in the show Bones. The story takes place early in the cooperation between Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan, they have yet to establish their routine and relax in their roles.
I am not sure why this book remained alone in its attempt to cash in on the popularity of the TV Show and this attempt was actually quite enjoyable reading.

Seeley Booth is working hard to get a Maffia family into the court when his Star witness disappears and he is left with nothing. One thing he is sure about is who took his witness and he is trying his best to find out how. When somebody leaves a complete skeleton in front of a federal office. There is only one person Booth knows to tell him more about the grisly remains. And when Tempe looks into the case she finds the the skeleton is made up from several people. Booth gets put in charge of this serial killer who is taunting the police and FBI, and gets to know his partner Bones a lot better.
Of course Booth & Bones get their culprit and it promises a lot for the future.

An nice early story from the Bones tv show timeline, I am sure hardline fans like my daughter has a lot to say, me as an average person enjoying this show and not completely caught up in the show found it recognizable and an enjoyable read.

[Ana9_8 · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of the show? Sure, it’s an enjoyable read. Otherwise just choose a better criminal mystery.

[Juli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thrilled when I initially found this book because I thought, Hooray, another way to read my favorite Forensic Doc. Sadly for me, the Temperance Brennen of this book doesn’t have the same temperament of the one I’ve come to love from the Kathy Reichs novels. I was able to get over my problems when I just made a mental decision to myself to treat this “new” Tempe Brennen as tho she were an entirely different person.
While the personality of “Bones” is different, I do like her. I like her independence, I like her quirkiness and I like that she knows virtually nothing about pop culture. All of these things together make her endearing… oh yeah, and she can fight like a tough martial arts girl.
The story was interesting, the plot lines were multiple, but they all ended up without loose ends and I was please to learn that I did guess some things right. This is a book I’d put into my “summer fun” reading… it’s easy to read, moves quickly, doesn’t require a lot of thought and is entertaining.

[Mainon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I'd recommend this book to fans of the Bones TV series who aren't motivated to go back and read the original series the TV show was based on. This reads pretty much like fan fiction, and gets some of the voices right (Angela Montenegro's few lines in the book fit the voice of her TV show character perfectly) but I don't think Mr Collins gets Dr Brennan right. His character was a strange mix of the TV show character (completely unable to get pop-culture references) and the pre-existing Kathy Reichs novels (there's a reference to Dr Brennan's ex-husband Pete, likely to confuse those who haven't read the novels). But Kathy Reichs has, if I recall correctly, always posited that the TV show is sortof based on what could be the earlier life of the character in her novels -- that is, the TV show Dr Brennan goes on to become the Dr Brennan of the novels. This book, though, turns that on its head a little, since as I mentioned, there's a reference to the ex-husband Pete. The character in this book is also not credibly faithful to the Reichs novels' Dr Brennan: for instance, in this book, Dr Brennan sits down at a restaurant and calmly has a couple of glasses of chardonnay. Anyone familiar with the Reichs novels would recall a fairly significant trait of Dr Brennan is that she is a recovering alcoholic, so drinking is not something she does casually (and for some reason, I seem to recall that she actually prefers red wine).

Okay so maybe I'm a little nitpicky, but I love both the Reichs novels and the TV show, and have made room for both of them and accommodated their differences, but this book doesn't seem to fit into either area well (and it wasn't good enough to make me WANT it to, really, either).

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started reading the Brennan books, I wanted to be a forensic anthropologist. I was seriously considering that field for myself. I loved how Reichs explained what was going on, getting into the details without giving things away. When Bones first aired, I was somewhat skeptical they'd be able to properly illustrate Brennan and the work she does. I admit, I first started watching because of David Boreanaz, but have really grown to love the show. Everybody just works right - Brennan and Booth solving crimes, the squints (Hodgins, Addy, etc) solving their particular areas, and Angela's ability with a computer.

Thing is...this book tried but just didn't get there. Everybody felt "off" somehow. It was a good book, but if you're wanting the characters to act like the ones we watch on TV, you'll have to be flexible in your reading. Tempe is still Tempe, but it's almost like the author tries too hard to make her be herself. You have the out of touch with current events aspect of her, but then she'll do or say something completely out of character. It's possible that Emily Deschanel does an excellent job of conveying a lot through her mannerisms, voice, etc, but I still found it really hard to read this book as if I were watching the show.

That being said, I did enjoy the read. It was fun being in Chicago, having them go around an area that I was familiar with and diving into the underbelly that is Chicago's history. Like others have mentioned, it reads a bit more like fan fiction, which is fine. The author does a good enough job portraying the characters in a way that is believable. Story line's easy to follow, with just enough action to make it exciting.

[Noran Miss Pumkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fourth star for being set in Chicago, and especially the Field Museum. It also mentions the Indiana dunes too. There is NO Cheesecake Factory In Oakbrook,IL-when this book was written. I just do not understand this, when They got other landmarks and locations accurately. As far as I can find out, this is the only book from the TV series. I wish there was more of them.

I enjoyed the morning have soup outdoors at the local Panera, with a nice breeze. Everyone else was indoors. It was so lovely, especially with the temps heading up and up and up!

[Camilla P. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ho ricevuto questo libro in regalo, attraverso un giochino su Anobii. Dubito che l’avrei letto altrimenti; la serie TV Bones mi piace molto, fa parte di quel filone investigativo in cui anche le vite dei personaggi principali hanno molto screen time (quasi al livello di un cozy mystery, se chiedete la mia) che mi piace guardare quando cerco divertimento e relax, ma non sono appassionata a livelli tali da procurarmi un libro coi suoi personaggi – anche perché la serie di per sé è tratta liberamente dalla serie di libri di Kathy Reichs, e quindi nella mia mente si creava un cortocircuito metaletterario-televisivo non indifferente.
Tuttavia, dato che ormai era sui miei scaffali, e occupava spazio, ho deciso di leggerlo. E ho scoperto, nonostante mi aspettassi poco, che avrei potuto tranquillamente farne a meno.
Non solo non è un buon giallo/thriller, ma non è nemmeno una buona lettura per chi è un fan della serie: il che lo rende essenzialmente inutile.
Se avesse avuto una trama con uno svolgimento accattivante, sospetti ambigui, uno sviluppo in grado di creare dubbi sull’effettiva identità del colpevole, questo si sarebbe potuto definire un giallo: invece, una volta messe in tavola le carte, l’assassino è subito identificabile, ovvio in maniera fastidiosa, e le investigazioni di Bones e Booth sembrano annacquate, come se si fosse allungato il brodo per aggiungere pagine. Già questo è molto fastidioso; ma ero disposta a essere magnanima (d’altronde, neanche la serie TV è nota per delitti particolarmente machiavellici). Tuttavia, anche la caratterizzazione dei personaggi è, per quanto mi riguarda, totalmente sbagliata: e questo – in un titolo che nasce quasi come “fanfiction ufficiale” – è assolutamente inaccettabile. L’autore non è riuscito a rendere il rapporto che c’era agli inizi tra Bones e Booth (è ambientato in quella che potrebbe essere la prima, massimo la seconda stagione di Bones), non ha dato la giusta voce a Hodgins e Zack Addy, non ha reso, insomma, quello che per me è il motivo fondamentale di riuscita dello show: i personaggi e i loro rapporti.
La scrittura, perlomeno, è scorrevole; senza infamia e senza lode. Fosse stato diversamente, non credo sarei riuscita a finire questo libro.
Insomma, questo è uno di quei casi in cui la stella singola è, purtroppo, necessaria.

[Zooey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so one would think that after a car accident, I would use the recovery time to read a lot of books, right? Well, no... I had them all packed in boxes, so I couldn't get to them afterwards! So basically, I only read two in these one and a half months, one of which turned out to be Bones: Buried Deep.

I am one of the Bones fans that watches loyally every week, although this season not as much, because I don't like where it is going. Anyway, I know the series and its characters, so like several people wrote below, I found some inconsistencies. For example: since when does Booth AKA David Boreanaz have blue eyes? Blue eyes, I tell you! And did you know that it was actually Brennan who is so aware of the sexual tension between the two, instead of Booth?

This book is about forensic anthroplogist Temperance Brennan and her FBI partner Seeley Booth teaming up together to solve crimes with entire skeletons popping up out of nowhere, while Booth is actually on another mission that has to do with the mafia. Throughout the book, the case and angst develops, ultimatley coming to a solid conclusion. I have to admit that the tension seems to pause for a bit in the middle of the books. There are some pages where nothing is happening. At all. But eventually, it moves forward again.

I still give it four stars, although I'd rather choose 3,5. It's worthy of it, because the character development is outstanding. Brennan is out of character in comparison to the woman we see on television every week, but she is less robotic and much more human. She has feelings and attractions that we don't get to see there. I like how she is in the book, still stubborn but slightly more aware of the sizzling relationship that she and Booth have got going on. I found myself waiting again, looking forward to something happening between them and that healthy anxiety is what I'm currently losing for the television show.

But dear Max, one advice: do you homework better next time. Brennan embraced 'Bones' as her nickname already after three episodes or so. And though I love her in your book, on television she is actually much more of a guarded and heartbroken person.

~Zooey Iding

[Chiara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Comprato giusto perché lo scorso anno ho iniziato a vedere la serie televisiva e mi sono un tantino fissata; fatto sta che la storia non è niente di eccezionale e anche i personaggi lijo trovati abbastanza OOC.

[Samuel Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The day that fiction ate itself is when a TV tie-in book is written about a show that was based on a book. That’s right ‘Bone: Buried Deep’ is a tie in novel to the bastardisation of the characters developed by Kathy Reichs. Anyone who has read one of the books and also seen the show will be well aware that they are poles apart. However, this is not necessary a bad thing as Max Allan Collins is a specialist in adapting TV shows and he has recreated the breezy and light nature of the programme.

Agent Booth is in need of Dr Brennan (Bones) once again when a skeleton is left in the lobby of his building. If that was not odd enough, this is a skeleton made up to look like a medical skeleton you would find in a classroom, but made from several different people. The case will see Bones and Booth investigating what appears to be a serial killer, whilst also trying to fight off the aggressions of a leading Mafia family.

‘Buried Deep’ is a breeze of a book that can be enjoyed in one sitting. The story is simply told and does feel like an average episode of the show and I do mean average. ‘Bones’ has never been as cerebral as the Reich’s books, but ‘Buried Deep’ is plain hokum in places. The interaction between the two leads is in keeping with the earlier episodes and is great fun, but there is little exposure for the rest of the squints and they are essentially side-lined in the story. The crime development itself is ok, but a little fantastical. If you are a fan of the show and want a quick read, this will certainly do the job. If you are looking for a deep and meaningful crime novel however, best to avoid.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the plot of this book - it was so easy to read and kept you guessing with a few sharp surprises along the way BUT the author has obviously not watched the programme as the characters were waaaaaay out! The whole premise of Bones the TV series is based around the interaction of the characters and their personalities are very obvious when you watch it and it annoyed me a little during the reading of it when the characters spoke or interacted wrongly. What is also wierd is that fair enough the TV series is based on Temperance Brennan in Kathy Reich's series and she is a totally different character on TV but why base a book on a TV series - have the characters on the front of the book then change their appearance in the story!!!
Worth a read as a thriller on it's own but if you are a huge Booth/Brennan fan like i am it will annoy you totally!!!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Common knowledge tells us not to expect much from authors who write novels based on tv shows. Max Allan Collins is happily one of the few exceptions that prove the rule. Collins has been writing detective fiction for a long time, and it's obvious from the story's get-go that the reader is in capable hands here. Collins' writing style is so economically fluid and precise that it's almost like the book was written by a machine, were it not for the surprisingly sophisticated sense of humor. I would have liked to see Booth contribute a little more to the overall investigation, and the ending could have used more action--but other than that, I thought this was a great addition to the Bones universe.

[Jennifer Langer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fan fiction, I'd definitely agree with that description. As a continuation of the TV series the book isn't bad, but it's NOT a Kathy Reichs bones novel. I could actually SEE the TV characters while reading this one, so I guess it is actually very well written, but I'm not impressed. I wanted to read about my friend Tempe, the alcoholic who DOESN'T drink chardonnay without DIRE consequences. After I got over the change of format and the fact that the proof reader didn't catch the paragraph where a local police officer's named changed from Pratt to Platt and back again.. well it's just those kinds of things that really bug me about books.

Over all it wasn't actually a bad novel, but I won't be rushing out to buy his other books. I hope Kathy Reichs writes again

[Helen Pridham · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is based on the TV series, based on the books by Kathy Reichs.
I thought the Reichs books were formulaic (even though I enjoyed them) but they are so well written and constructed compared to this.
I will read, watch or lick anything that has David Boreanez on it though, which is how it's earned it's one star.

[Lucia Alocchi "LucyOwlArt" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romanzo breve e di veloce lettura. Mi ha tenuto incollata alle pagine fino alla fine. Non ho mai seguito la serie televisiva "Bones" ma nonostante ciò non ho avuto difficoltà con i personaggi. 

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I'm finally going through my tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.

I'm only adding one book per series etc. I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)

First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Brigitte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een erg vlot weglezend verhaal waar ik vanaf het begin al gelijk in zat.
Het verhaal begint met een proloog over de maffia en het is leuk om te lezen hoe dit later in het verhaal terugkomt. In het begin van het heden zit Booth namelijk achter mafiosa aan.

Doordat er botten worden gevonden voor het FBI-gebouw in Chicago wordt Booths maffiazaak tijdelijk stilgelegd en moet hij gaan samenwerken met Temperance Brennan aka Bones aan "de bonenzaak".
Het is leuk om de interactie tussen de twee te lezen en ik zag ook zo een aflevering uit Bones de tv-serie voor me.

Er wordt goed beschreven hoe de botten onderzocht worden en het is erg goed door de auteur uitgedokterd hoe hij het verhaal naar een verdachte kon brengen. Maar hoorde de verdachte wel echt bij "de bottenzaak"? Temperance gaat zelfs mee in de zoektocht naar de waarheid hierover, ook al is dat niet haar vakgebied.

Het boek krijgt van mij 3,5 ster omdat ik het echt een leuk boek vond waar ik graag naar terugkeerde als ik even moest stoppen, maar er zaten wel wat voorspelbare stukjes tussen.

Al met al zal ik dit boek zeker aanraden als luchtiger crime verhaal tussen zwaardere boeken door. Of als je van crime en vlotte boeken houdt. Ook als je Bones nooit gezien hebt.

[Andreas Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apprezzabile
Per essere un "tie-in" di una serie televisiva, è un buon romanzo poliziesco. Con una storia tutto sommato godibile anche per chi non è fanatico della già citata serie tv. Gli unici difetti riscontrati (visto che mi pongo in maniera acritica nei confronti della trama), sono i dialoghi. A volte sono troppo lunghi, perché l'azione che di lì a poco seguirà è più rapida, più veloce (dubito che se qualcuno sta per spararti, aspetti che tu finisca la frase epica); a volte sono fin troppo inverosimili per pensare che possa essere una persona "reale" quella che li pronuncia. Non una pietra miliare, ma dubito che sia nelle intenzioni (se non altro, per come mi è stato consegnato questo romanzo da parte della Mondadori).

[Kai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Keichy Reichs and Bones the TV series no way I could pass this book.

Just when Agent Seeley Booth is about to nail down the mobster father and son until his witness has suddenly vanished. Not only that there's a serial killer who may or may not killed his witness as he sent some bones to the Federal. Now he calls for help which is none other than Doctor Temperance Brennan or Bones.

The mystery was quite exciting yet scary still I could not help get curious who is behind the killing, whether these two cases are related or not. In the end I was surprised how the story end.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saw this at the Friends bookstore - how could I pass up a novelization of a favorite show? It was pretty good, season 1 era, Brennan & Booth were in Chicago so the squints were only present via phone. I notice there were no more written, I guess it's overkill to write books based on a show that is in turn based on a book series?

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the Bones TV series and was happy to find this book. This is a great, page turning mystery, and true to the series characters. A shame that this was the only book and didn’t turn into a series. So nice to be in the Bones world again and especially nice to have the Chicago setting for this lifelong Chicagoan! It even took us to the burbs!

[Christopher Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bones Buried Deep was what I would call an Okay read. I am a fan of the tv show and also Kathy Reichs work but found that this book didn't pull me in the way Reichs work did. Also if you have watched the show it's hard to get the humor nd the timing from the show translated to the written word. But all in all it was an ok read to pass the time.

[Lauriek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely not a Kathy Reichs book or a copy of the tv show. But if you love Dr. Brennan and miss the characters, it is worth the read. Particularly if you'd like Seeley's perspective Seems rushed, has at least 3 typos b4 page 100 and has character history mixed up. Dr. Brennan was younger in "Bones" yet here she is divorced from Pete. Which is from the Kathy Reichs books. Everything else matches the tv series as far as characters and setting.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

>> My ITALIAN Review

[Teresa Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a fan of the show there are some small areas that will stand out as not correct. Such as calling the machine Angela uses the Angelator instead of the Angeletron for one. The ending seemed rushed and a bit of a let down to me. Overall I enjoyed the book though.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. Pretty much the same as the show (early seasons?) but clearly different from the regular Bones books.
I’d read others in the series if I came across them.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good story and keeps true to the characters we know in the TV series.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seely Booth, FBI agent, is in Chicago to try and convict a mobster. A skeleton is found and Dr Brennan is called to try and identify.

[Robert Velasco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, not much of a mystery. No surprises or anything like that.

[Christina Mages · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good. I enjoyed it. I was surprised a couples times.