In Devil Bones, forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan is called to a basement where a hidden chamber reveals a disturbing collection of skulls, bones, and ritual objects. The eerie discovery points to possible occult practices or ritualistic killings, stirring up fear and speculation in the community. When a teenage girl is later found murdered under similar circumstances, the pressure mounts on Brennan and Detective Erskine “Skinny” Slidell to uncover whether the crimes are linked—or if someone is exploiting superstition to cover darker motives.
As Brennan sifts through the forensic evidence, she must also confront the swirl of public panic and media sensationalism surrounding the case. The deeper she digs, the more she uncovers a tangle of cultural misunderstandings, religious prejudice, and the dangerous intersection of belief and crime. Alongside her professional challenges, Brennan struggles with personal strains, balancing the emotional toll of her work with the complexities of her own life.
Rich in forensic detail and suspense, Devil Bones explores themes of fear, faith, manipulation, and the search for truth beneath sensationalized narratives, delivering another gripping chapter in Kathy Reichs’s acclaimed Temperance Brennan series.