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Fatal Voyage
Fatal Voyage
Fatal Voyage
Audiobook11 hours

Fatal Voyage

Written by Kathy Reichs

Narrated by Kate Harper

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs takes forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan behind the scenes of a major commercial airliner crash in this pulse-pounding thriller.

“Buckle up and take this voyage,” says People. The journey begins with Temperance Brennan hearing shocking news on her car radio. An Air TransSouth flight has gone down in the mountains of western North Carolina, taking with it eighty-eight passengers and crew. As a forensic anthropologist and a member of the regional DMORT team, Tempe rushes to the scene to assist in body recovery and identification.

As bomb theories abound, Tempe soon discovers a jarring piece of evidence that raises dangerous questions—and gets her thrown from the DMORT team. Relentless in her pursuit of its significance, Tempe uncovers a shocking, multilayered tale of deceit and depravity as she probes her way into frightening territory—where someone wants her stopped in her tracks.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 14, 2012
ISBN9781442359109
Fatal Voyage
Author

Kathy Reichs

Kathy Reichs’s first novel Déjà Dead, published in 1997, won the Ellis Award for Best First Novel and was an international bestseller. Fire and Bones is Reichs’s twenty-third novel featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Reichs was also a producer of Fox Television’s longest running scripted drama, Bones, which was based on her work and her novels. One of very few forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, Reichs divides her time between Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina. Visit her at KathyReichs.com or follow her on Twitter @KathyReichs, Instagram @KathyReichs, or Facebook @KathyReichsBooks. 

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Reviews for Fatal Voyage

Rating: 3.849831220247469 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is my favorite of the Temperance Brennan novels thus far. Reichs gives us plenty of scientific detail, but weaves it gracefully into the storytelling rather than taking an abrupt "now it's time for class!" break as I've complained about in previous reviews.As usual, Brennan is in peril due to her involvement with an investigation, but this time the threat is professional. Early on, she is accused of unethical conduct, and it looks as if she is being set up as a scapegoat in the investigation of an airline crash in the Smoky Mountains. Familiar readers know that our Tempe is many things, but never unethical. This leads to some serious tension as her professional identity comes under threat.The fourth star in this four-star review is dedicated to Boyd, a chow whom Tempe finds herself unwillingly dogsitting throughout her sojourn in the mountains. Boyd turns out to be a rather skilled cadaver dog and bodyguard.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Better than some of the other Kathy Reichs books I've read. I like the NC woods settings and reading the plane crash description was genuinely scary at 25,000 feet. The ending felt a little contrived but I'm starting to feel that Kathy Reichs has trouble with endings much like John Grisham did for a long time. All in all, good book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The fourth installment with pathologist Tempe Brennan, piecing together body parts and mysteries. This time it all starts with a plane crash and a large number of casualties. Tempe stumbles quite literally over a foot (yes, just a foot…) that doesn’t seem to match the passenger list….Still very good, but starting to get very familiar and a bit set in its ways. Having said that, the ending was great and a real breath taker.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The book is excellent, it’s a Kathy Reichs after all! But the file is corrupted because the chapitres numbers listed didn’t correspond with the audio. Plus, it didn’t continue at the place it had stop last time you listened. And sometimes it skiped several chapters in the middle of one. You must be attentive.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The heroine of Fatal Voyage (fourth by Kathy Reichs) is Dr. Temperance “Tempe” Brennan, a forensic anthropologist with DMORT, the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team. In Fatal Voyage, her work brings her to the site of an airline crash in North Carolina. But it’s a disembodied foot – one Tempe suspects did not come from a crash victim -- on which this tale hangs. Her investigation of whom the foot belongs to leads Tempe to a series of suspicious events that go back years. Before she can complete her examination of the foot, Tempe is suspended from the DMORT team… she’s apparently not making friends among the powerful and connected of North Carolina. I can say nothing else without giving away too much of the story … some readers may believe I’ve said too much already. In Fatal Voyage, the airliner crash that brings Tempe to the crash site is a secondary plot. Where the story winds itself is much more disturbing – and evil. Fatal Voyage reminded me of early Patricia Cornwell mysteries featuring Dr. Kay Scarpetta – stories I really liked. I enjoyed Fatal Voyage even more. (Let squeamish readers be warned … the descriptions of bodies and body parts are quite graphic.) The author’s background (she’s holds a Ph.D., is a certified forensic anthropologist and university professor) is very similar to her heroine’s, so the reader has confidence the details about a forensic investigation are realistic. Kathy Reichs goes to great lengths to educate her readers about the intricacies of the various investigative agencies and their procedures – but doesn’t make it dry and lecture-like. The plot was engaging … but then I tend to enjoy mysteries that revolve around “old” crimes that require delving into the past to solve. If the investigator is rattling some cages along the way, the more the better.I don’t think most readers will even guess where this story is headed … but will enjoy every page getting there.Review based on publisher- or author-provided review copy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very good read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    3.5*** I have been fascinated by forensic pathology since I was in about 7th grade and read a biography of a famous French pathologist (whose name I cannot recall now). So I really want to like this series, and, basically, I do.Dr Temperance Brennan, PhD (Tempe) is a forensic anthropologist tasked with examining remains … sometimes ancient, sometimes crime-related, sometimes just an old animal bone found by an excited hunter. This book opens with a plane crash in the mountains of Eastern Tennessee or Western North Carolina. She happens to be in the neighborhood, so she’s asked to drop everything else and go to the site to begin recovery and identification of remains. As will happen with a plane crash, the wreckage is wide-spread and the woods are full of scavengers – bear, coyote, raccoons, fox, hawks, vultures, etc. When she spots a coyote with a foot in his mouth she manages to get it away from him and enter it in the log as part of the remains. The only problem is that it doesn’t seem to belong to any of the passengers or crew. So whose foot is it? Of course there are evil-doers in high places that try to thwart the investigation, and Tempe’s reputation and career are quickly on the line. Her emotions frequently are just on the verge of being out of control (her heart rate increases, her adrenaline is pumping, “hot tears line the inside of her eyelids”). But she is not without allies … and rescuers. And this is the source of my dissatisfaction. When she is clearly in danger she persists in going about without any protection, and behaving in a manner that gets her further into trouble. To her credit, she is resourceful and doesn’t rely entirely on “the big strong guy” to save her, so I didn’t really deduct much in my rating. Borowitz does an okay job of performing this audio book. Her delivery is somewhat flat for much of it … I suppose she is trying to make Tempe sound in control, calm and deliberate. By the 3rd disc I had gotten used to it … or perhaps as the story picked up steam, she put more emotion into her performance.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book is pretty good so far, I have not finished it yet. But I am appalled by the narrative, I feel if you are going to speak publicly in any capacity you should learn to correctly pronounce the vocabulary. Sevierville is pronounced "se-veer-ville", and samhain is pronounced "sow-in".

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I have a vague memory of picking up one of her other books and being put off by the writing style but I got myself hooked on this one fairly quickly. A good mystery.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The majority of this book takes place in the mountains of North Carolina. She paints an extremely vivid picture of how beautiful the western side of the state is. And don't worry. Ryan's there, as well, in only a way that Reichs can write and make you believe.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    People are mean to Tempe and unfairly accuse her of sabotaging evidence. I didn't like that part. I did like the setting in the mountains of North Carolina. The local sheriff who is working the case is also a nice addition. This was an enjoyable read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3 stars - became a bit bogged down in the technical detail which slowed down the mystery and suspense element.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Lots of twists and suspense. I was glad to see Brennan relying more on police and those she trusted for help rather than taking off on her own and getting into perilous situations (although those still did happen). I enjoy all of the research, science, and history that goes into each book of Reichs'. It makes for a more intellectual read beyond your typical mystery.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent again from Kathy Reichs. Her books are nothing like the TV show, Bones, but they are certainly better than the usual crime/detective fare being written today.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I like how scientific Kathy Reichs' books are. She writes a smart forensics mystery. I want to read them all.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This whole series is way better than the tv show. (as most are). I think it gives people the wrong idea when they see the show. The Temperance Brennan in the books is human flawed and emotional. HSe is not cold and clinical. Her cases take place in both Canada and the US. I love Reichs use of french words. We get to see her interactions with her daughter KAtie and see a real person.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoy these books because they are intelligent and engaging. The plot has two parallel tracks - the plane crash and other local discoveries - plus some additional doings that are a little distracting (namely the biker red herring), but the story remained tight and action-packed. Also of note: Birdie gets a new friend.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Love the forensic element of these books.

    I actually skipped through a few sections of this book. The political machinations left me well past caring and detracted from rather than added to the plot.

    This is one of the earlier books in the series, when Brennan is still married to Pete. There's a bit of navel-gazing on that front, but it moves the story.

    Not the strongest book in this series, but nevertheless an entertaining read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The strength of the plot carried me through the whole book, despite major technological info dumps and rehashes.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Sometimes you read a book by mistake. It might be that you are stuck somewhere and there is absolutely nothing else to read. There in a bottom drawer under a plie of old rags is a copy of Fatal Voyage: so you read it. It is absolute tripe but you go on reading it because you have nothing else. You can never get that time back.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Just a quick book review tonight because I'm supposed to be off to Red Cross in about five minutes. The next Kathy Reichs book in the series I'm reading was Fatal Voyage which involves a plane crash and Tempe Brennan's involvement in the investigation. Of course, with Tempe things can never be that simple, an unexplained foot turns up, Tempe is thrown off the investigation and that's just the beginning of the problems.I vaguely remembered bits of this story but I wasn't entirely sure which elements were from this book and which were from later ones in the series, as I went through this one, I remembered them but normally just as I got to them. It made it feel a lot more like reading a new book, which really added to my enjoyment of it.When I'm rereading these crime books, I like to have forgotten who the killer is. That way I can read it without wanting to scream at the characters because I know who did it and they're missing all the blantantly obvious clues telling them what I know.Obviously, I don't know that much about the American procedures for these sorts of disasters/events (come to think of it, I don't exactly know much about the UK procedures either), but I got the impression that Tempe's dismissal was a little bit far-fetched. I'm sure that they wouldn't have allowed her to continue to do what she did, even though there were many people who supported her. But I can't get too hung up on it really. I mean, these are good books which you can just lose yourself in. I imagine that (if things were a little bit stretched) it might have frustrated people who did know about those things, but for me, I'm not really bothered. I can overlook that.By this book I've found that Kathy Reichs has found a formula that works and sticks with it. Tempe is faced with a case (and a sub-case, which may or may not be related in some way, and if not related then one will influence the other at an important moment). She comes up against some problem, usually in the form of someone who doesn't agree with her/her way of working/her thoughts/etc. She continues to work on the case anyway, finding a huge breakthrough. Someone attacks her/tries to kill her/she is otherwise put out of action (usually around Chapter 30). Then the case is summed up afterwards with Tempe making the decision to make some change, embrace some moment or be a better person in some way.And I like it. It's predictable, but I don't mind. I like that you can kind of predict what will come, but it's always done in such a way that (when you're reading it for the first time at least) you're not always expecting things to go down in that way.It's just good that I've not read these ones further on in the series as often as the early ones, because I'm enjoying the surprises that I'm getting from the twists.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Temperance Brennan is called in to help identify victims at a plan crash, but is dragged into a bigger mystery when she finds a foot whose owner has passed on long before the plane ever departed. As usual with Reichs' books, there is an immense amount of forensic information, which I find interesting, but in this one we're also treated to endless lists of (acronyms of) government agencies who get involved in investigating accidents like this, and after being fed the list a third time, I was getting tired of it. The mystery part is also somewhat farfetched and, frankly, unlikely, and I must admit this was an installment I didn't enjoy as much as the others. Also, I'm not sure Reichs has ever encountered a Chow-Chow, because the one in this book acts more like a Labrador, but it's a symptom that I've seen in her other books as well - Reichs has an uncanny talent for putting strange bits in her books that could easily have been correct information had she bothered asking someone or looking up the topic in a book. Perhaps she concentrates so much on getting the forensic information right that everything else is forgotten, but that's not a great attitude to have when you write fiction, is it? Like I said, this is not my favorite installment, but since I really enjoyed the forensic parts, I'll continue to read the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really like that this book was surrounding a plane crash (not a spoiler that is on the first page) because it would be somewhat boring reading these books in order if Reichs left her in the lab and didn't change it up now and then. One of the things I like about Reichs writing is that TB isn't being stalked by a crazed killer over and over in the books. While she does seem to put herself in danger it's not the same scenario over and over. Without giving too much away about the story it is interesting how TB is involved and not involved at the same time. This one deepens the character by showing her tenacity in her work and also a little bit softer, more personal side to her in her personal life. This series is one of my favorites and I can't wait to start the next one. For Audible customers: I only wish they would do more of the Bones books in the unabridged audio format. This one doesn't seem to be missing anything but I didn't read it in the other format to know for sure. Usually I don't even purchase unabridged books but the other reviews suggested this one was done well.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Cannibals conspire to pervert the course of justice? Unlikely.A plane crash, a cabal of cannibals and a conspiracy are a little awkwardly and improbably woven together. Temperance Brennan is the main character and she appears in a number of Reichs thrillers. The personal life of the heroine is not very satisfyingly covered in this book but continuously referred to by the author. That exemplifies the risk of using the same character in a series of novels, relying upon backstory that readers have to bring along themselves. At times the technical depth is excessive and will have some people skipping pages.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Read this in 2011 after finding 3 of Reichs books at a thrift and buying then reading outof sequence I relized I had to read them all in order! I just love Kathy reichs books!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Tempe investigates a plane crash in the American South, and discovers murders along the way. Good fun, as this series usually is - some techie forensic detail, some soapie stuff about Tempe's personal life. (This character is very unlike the TV series version, be warned!)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I liked this book so much. For once it is played most in Charlotte than Montreal. Tempe follows her guts and solves misterious serial murders inspite of the creepy scene where everything starts: a plane crash in the mountains where several young people and a friend policeman find death because of a silly distraction. Lots of reflections here: the friendly relationship with her almost ex husband, the constant worries a mother carries with herself, trust and friendship in the workplace, how a furry friend can be the best one, Boyd the dog risks his life to save Tempe, and how true friends never let you down :Sheriff Crow and Ryan look for her when she gets kidnapped... A lot of action, thrilling, different feelings. Definitely to read and raccomend to friends.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Although still relying on several outlandish coincidences, Reichs has managed to keep her heroine from dashing headlong into obviously dangerous situations in this novel, for which I am quite grateful. Tempe is assigned to investigate a plane crash in Appalachia on which Jean Bertrand, Andrew Ryan's former partner just happens to be a passenger. But that, although the title significance would have you believe differently, is not the major mystery of this tale. Tempe finds a foot that may not belong to a crash victim and which causes her to be falsely accused of unethical behavior. Of course, she must investigate further in order to clear her name and ends up uncovering something truly bizarre and extremely fascinating. Tempe's relationship with Ryan continues to escalate by maddeningly slow degrees, and Reichs continues to pepper the novel with side characters who are hard to keep straight, but for the most part I found this novel much, much more enjoyable than the first three featuring these characters. Also, with almost all the action taking place in the United States, there was very little cause for random bursts of incomprehensible French.Others have complained about the very dry descriptions of forensic techniques in these novels, but I find them to be not terribly poorly worked into the narrative, and also quite informative. It was almost worth slogging through the previous books to get to this one.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is the fourth novel I read by Kathy Reichs. I don't believe that this is her best one. The thing I liked was the character development and I love the tension between Tempe and Ryan (and Pete on occasion). The reason why I didn't like it too much is because the story progressed rather slow in my opinion. Still, I've enjoyed it. So far, Reichs has never disappointed me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I still love this series. It's always such a fast-paced, easy read. And the subject matter while often depressing, never fails to be intriguing. The focus here is at first one a tragic airplane crash, and while I knew they have factions for disasters such as this, I don't think I ever fully realized just how organized it would be from the stand point of the 'identification' process.