Fatal Voyage: Volume 4

by Kathy Reichs

Book Overview

#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...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671028375
• ISBN13: 9780671028374
• Release Date: July 2002
• Publisher: Pocket Star
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Most Satisfactory!

'Deadly Decisions,' the predecessor to 'Fatal Voyage' was something of a disappointment when compared to Kathy Reichs' first two novels about Temperance Brennan. Too much attention was paid to family and emotional problems, too much of a 'pity me' attitude, and, to be blunt, a very monotonic plot. Reichs' writing carried the book through, but if the stories would have continued in that pattern the series would have suffered greatly. One Patricia Cornwell is enough.This tale, which starts out with Tempe's arrival at a horrific plane crash in the mountains of North Carolina, is something else again. Not only is she writing much more like her old style, Reichs has also picked up the pace and cleaned up some of her characterization considerably. Tempe's involvement in the crash site as a forensic anthropologist assigned to the gruesome task of piecing together the remains of 88 victims is a fascinating study. Many of the victims are college soccer players, and the loss of life brings an almost overwhelming sense of grim tragedy to the tale. To add to the mystery, one of Tempe's walks around the crash site precipitates her into a confrontation with coyotes over a human foot. Tempe is rescued by her old friend, and almost lover, Montreal detective Andrew Ryan. Ryan is in North Carolina because his partner, Jean Bertrand, was on the flight escorting a criminal back to Canada. Surrounded by tragedy Tempe and Det. Ryan find themselves thrown together in an uncomfortable intimacy. One which provides most of the humor in this macabre story. The foot, in the meantime, has it's own mystery - it seems to belong to no one who was on the plane.Unexpectedly, Tempe finds herself being hounded by Parker Davenport, the Lt. Governor, and Larke Tyrell, the medical examiner. Soon her only friends at the site are Ryan, a FBI agent, and Sheriff Lucy Crowe, who has no affection for Davenport and a great deal of savvy on her own. Investigations into the origin of the 'extra' foot trigger a reaction that verges on attempted character assassination. Finally, Tempe is banned from the crash site. Rather than simply go home, Tempe decides to fight back, and launches her own investigation. With amazing results.The interplay between the techniques used in solving the plane crash and the knowledge that Temperance brings to bear on the solitary limb is fascinating. For those who read forensic mysteries because they love the details, 'Fatal Voyage' is a great treat. The gradual unfolding of the rest of the plot, with its historical and political themes is done seamlessly, without introducing any unnecessary complication. And the rich characterization is a surprise bonus, as Tempe confronts some of her own issues head on, pointing to further developments. We can expect Andrew Ryan to reappear, and I have to hope that Sheriff Crowe also becomes a regular. Reichs has outdone herself.

Brilliant Writing, Gripping Plot

This was the first Kathy Reichs novel I'd read ... and I promptly went out and bought all the rest. The night the book arrived, I stayed up until 12:15 AM finishing it - I literally could not put it down.Like the author herself, Reich's protagonist (Tempe Brennan) is a forensic anthropologist. As this is my major, that was the first thing that was what attracted me to purchase the book in the first place.The book starts off with a bang - Brennan is investigating an airplane crash ... and finds a body part that doesn't match up with anyone on the flight's manifest. This discovery leads her into some very complex situations, many of them life-threatening.It's been *years* since I stayed up to finish a book the same day I obtained it ... and even more since I enjoyed an author's work so much that I went out and obtained the rest of his or her catalogue the next day. If you enjoy investigation/police procedure books, mysteries and the like, Reichs' work is definitely for you.

A RIVETING READING OF THE NEW REICHS

Versatile is the word for accomplished actress Katharine Borowitz who brings a wealth of film, TV, and stage experience to her book readings. She gives pitch perfect voice to the telling of this spellbinder. Reprising Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist, Kathy Reichs presents her fourth riveting thriller. Once again her story is grounded in authenticity which only serves to validate this shocking tale. When Tempe Brennan hears on her car radio that a plane with 88 passengers is down in the North Carolina mountains, she heads for the scene. That in itself is tragedy enough but missing body parts and cannibalism make Reichs's plot boil. As Tempe sifts through the grisly debris she comes upon a foot that doesn't seem to belong to any of the dead. She pursues this conundrum only to find herself ousted from her job by a conniving politico who has much to hide. To save herself and her reputation Tempe has a major life endangering mystery to solve.

grisly side of forensics

The plane crash in the back wooded mountains of Swain County North Carolina is brutal as body parts are severed and tossed everywhere and with all eighty-eight people on board dead. The first non-sheriff department person to arrive at the grisly scene is Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist working for the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team. Tempe has worked several nasty scenarios, but this one may be the worst yet as the nightmare turns potentially personal. She learns that the TransSouth Air plane carried the University of Georgia men and women soccer teams and some fans, which could include her daughter visiting a player. However, she soon finds out that her daughter is not on the deceased list. As Tempe works along with other Feds, state and local officials, she finds a leg that does not belong at the site. She begins to investigate the extra body part, but soon is fired for "officiously" showing her interest in the limb. Desiring to regain her reputation shattered by the spin-doctors, Tempe continues her investigation in spite of pressures from high officials in the state and threats to her life. FATAL VOYAGE, the fourth Brennan tale, is a powerful story that brings to life the grisly side of forensics at a disastrous crash site without allowing the details to overwhelm a strong plot. The story line is exciting, but the tale belongs to the heroine whose feelings run the gamut of human emotion during the novel. Kathy Reichs has written a terrific novel that will send the audience seeking the previous Brennan stories that are also well written, but not quite as great as this one is....

Fine Thiller

As a mystery author with my initial novel in current release, I genuinely enjoy the works of Kathy Reichs. In FATAL VOYAGE,Tempe Brennan, a forensic anthropologist, is serving as a member of an investigating team searching through the remains of a plane crash. Complications arise. No signs of two passengers can be found, and an extra body seems to be at the crash site. Tempe finds her professional reputation challenged, and she finds herself involved in crimes stretching back decades. Ms. Reichs keeps her plot moving swiftly, and her characters are interesting and vividly drawn. FATAL VOYAGE is another terrific book written by Kathy Reichs.