A gripping Temperance Brennan novel from world-class forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs, the international no. 1 bestselling crime thriller writer and the inspiration behind the hit TV series Bones.

When Dr Temperance Brennan is accused of mishandling the autopsy of a missing heiress, a routine case swiftly turns sinister. But before Tempe can get to the one man with the information she needs, he turns up dead.

In Montreal, three elderly women are found murdered, their bodies brutally discarded. Even though the clues do not add up, Tempe is certain of a link between their deaths and that of the heiress.

Has Tempe made grave errors, or is she being sabotaged by an unseen enemy? What is frighteningly clear is that more than just Tempe's career is at stake. Her life is also at risk.

An underground chamber is exposed in a seedy, dilapidated house. In the dark cellar, a ritualistic display is revealed: a human skull rests on a cauldron, surrounded by slain chickens and bizarre figurines.

Called to the scene is forensic anthropologist Dr Temperance Brennan. She determines that the skull is that of a young, black female. But how and when did she die? Just as Tempe is closing in on answers, another body is discovered: a headless corpse carved with Satanic symbols.

As local vigilantes begin a witch-hunt, Tempe struggles to contain her emotions. But the eventual truth proves more shocking than even she could have imagined.
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Many of the world's greatest thriller writers are huge fans of her work:

'Kathy Reichs writes smart – no, make that brilliant – mysteries that are as realistic as nonfiction and as fast-paced as the best thrillers about Jack Reacher, or Alex Cross' JAMES PATTERSON

'One of my favourite writers' KARIN SLAUGHTER

'I love Kathy Reichs – always scary, always suspenseful, and I always learn something' LEE CHILD

'Nobody does forensics thrillers like Kathy Reichs. She's the real deal' DAVID BALDACCI

'Each book in Kathy Reichs’s fantastic Temperance Brennan series is better than the last. They are filled with riveting twists and turns – and no matter how many books she writes, I just cannot get enough!' LISA SCOTTOLINE

'Nobody writes a more imaginative thriller than Kathy Reichs!' CLIVE CUSSLER