Book Review - Cross Bones (Kathy Reichs)

When Avram Ferris, a Jewish trader, is shot in Montreal, forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is given a photograph by a mysterious man who claims it holds the key to the murder. The photo is of a skeleton, and as Brennan searches for its identity, she fears she might stumble on a millenium-old secret that could cause worldwide chaos.

First things first, the story's not as melodramatic as I just made it sound. One of the most entertaining things about this story was thinking it was going down the Dan Brown route, only to wrongfoot the reader completely. Cross Bones is pretty innovative in that regard - “brave” is probably too strong a word, as it's not that the book really does anything to subvert expectations, rather it doesn't do a certain thing.

It teases that it's going to feature sinister, ancient conspiracies, with Jewish, Christian and Muslim groups all having a moment in the dark spotlight. Two iconic moments from Christian and Jewish heritage – Christ's crucifixion and the siege of Masada – play a central role in Brennan's investigations, implying that they're going to be central to the story's resolution. Before the story begins, Reichs gives us a detailed timeline of a real Israeli archaeological dig that happened in the 1960s, and the weird aftermath that would have any conspiracy nut in a lather. I won't say how the novel deals with all this, but I imagine some readers will be impressed by the unexpected turn, while others will be sorely disappointed.

But enough about intrigue, let's talk about the more concrete details. First of all, I really liked Reichs's prose. It's very efficient, with no time for purple prose, which is a big turn-off for me. In fact, there are times when the wording feels a little too clipped. Reichs also loves giving single sentences their own line, as if to show that they're really significant.

But she does this so much it loses its effect quickly.

It starts to look a bit melodramatic after a while.

She also loves to end chapters with thunderingly unsubtle teasers for the next chapter. Typically, someone will be explaining something to Brennan, and the chapter will end on something like “What he said next made my jaw drop” or words to that effect. Not only does this get excessive, but it comes off as really unnecessary given we can just turn the page to find out what exactly was said. It's not like we're getting each chapter in weekly installments and are being forced to wait in suspense for the next one.

All these are minor gripes thought. Honestly, I do love the writing in this book. Reichs has a very easy-going style and humour that made up for the slightly convoluted plot. There are number of skeletons involved in the story, and it can get a little confusing trying to remember who's who. At points, she loves to go into excruciating detail about how a skeleton is examined. This isn't surprising given how Reichs is basing this on her own work, but it made me skip over a few pages as I went.

Fortunately, Reichs's characterisation makes up for these dry moments. Brennan gives the profession a very human quality, and her frequent quips stop the book from taking itself too seriously, while also avoiding coming off as obnoxious. We find out a lot about Brennan's life and backstory through occasional tidbits, so she feels well-rounded without having to bury the reader under a tonne of exposition. I also liked her tongue-in-cheek relationship with Andrew Ryan. It's nice to read a crime novel where the protagonist's romance is playful instead of angsty.

Jake Drum was a bit of weak character in my opinion. He spends a lot of time grumbling and holding things back from Brennan, which starts to get a bit repetitive. That was one of my biggest gripes with the book and made the second half a bit of a slog as he features more prominently there.

That said, I still liked Cross Bones over all. It's fun and it has some great character-work, which is always good in a book, and it. I say pick up a copy if you get the chance.

TV Review - Better Call Saul S02E02 & S02E03 "Cobbler" & "Amarillo"

Apologies on the lateness of this review. College work has been sucking away all my energy over the past two weeks, but now I'm back to talk about the next two episodes of Better Call Saul. And to be honest, there isn't a whole lot to talk about. We're still at the stage where the foundations of the season's plot are being laid, before events really kick off.

The main thread so far is Jimmy trying to adjust to working in a large, professional law firm. From the way he carries himself in board meetings, it's clear why Jimmy would be such an attractive asset to them, given his magnetism and gift of the gab. We see it in slightly less scrupulous ways as well, like Jimmy ambushing a group of seniors in Texas, hoping to score more clients in Davis and Main's push against Sandpiper. We also get to see Jimmy's first major clash with the firm when he airs a commercial without their consent, adding the first nail to his coffin as a reputable lawyer.

Jimmy's most entertaining moment is undoubtedly where he's forced to explain away Warmolt's bizarre behaviour to the police. The show has a great way of forcing its characters into tight situations and getting them to come up with novel solutions; we saw it last season when Jimmy was kidnapped by Tuco, and again when he was forced to find the “abducted” Kettelmans. Here, Jimmy's explanation for Warmolt is hilarious in its sheer Would-I-lie-about-this? brazenness, while also ending on a more serious note when Kim lectures him on doctoring evidence. This is more a teaser for a major plot point than a plot point in itself, but like the Davis and Main commercial, it gives a credible explanation for how a lawyer as committed as Jimmy could end up getting kicked out of the firm.

It also causes some cracks in his relationship with Kim. I like how their relationship has become a lot more open since last season, with their romantic feelings becoming more overt as they get more comfortable with each other. Seeing how great the two work together obviously adds to to the tragedy of the whole thing, since the relationship can only end in disaster.

Chuck McGill (Michael McKean) returns, with a much frostier relationship with his little brother, understandably. While Chuck was characterised as the straight-laced brother back in Season 1, I couldn't help notice a slight change in his presence here. We first see Chuck struggling to occupy himself playing the piano in his darkened home. In the board meetings, he has to silently watch while Jimmy dominates proceedings. Maybe it's my imagination, but I wonder if Chuck is going to resort to more underhand techniques this season, not so much for the good of the firm, as out of resentment at watching his more reckless brother become more successful than him. It wouldn't surprise me – given how envy and bitterness was at the heart of Jimmy being forced to leave Cicero – if Gilligan and Gould decided to link the two brothers together thematically.

Mike's subplot also gets a bit more development here. Staking out his daughter's house to protect her and Kaylee from a gang is exactly the sort of compassion mixed with cold determination we've come to expect from him. It also links in again with Mike's disillusionment with the police; he does it himself since the Albuquerque cops don't seem that concerned. The “twist” where it's hinted that Stacey (Kerry Condon) may have imagined raises more questions: is she becoming paranoid? Is Mike going to have to become more involved with his family? How is he going to square his responsibilities to them with his further forays into the Albuquerque Underworld?

Episode 3 tantalisingly ends with Nacho offering Mike a job to “make someone disappear”. My first instinct was that it might be Tuco or even Gus Fring (just a little something to get viewers even more lathered up). But I guess if that were the case they would have shown just who Nacho wants bumped off – I suppose whoever it is is someone we haven't met before. It would also be a little too soon for Mike – who even in this episode is reluctant to get involved in anything too deep – would suddenly start playing politics by jumping from one crime lord to another.

I suppose Mike's plot at this stage, like Jimmy's, is not about linking Better Call Saul in with its parent show. Right now it seems more of a personal story, showing how Mike gets dragged down further into a life of crime. Unlike Jimmy, his weakness isn't recklessness, but his sense of duty to his family.

For the moment, the season is proceeding at a slow enough pace. But it's certainly not skimping on deepening and developing its characters.