Dr. Temperance Brennan is a forensic anthropologist from North Carolina but now in Montreal, an ex-alchoholic (of course!), a recent divorcee and mother of Katy who wants to quit her course at a college back in the States. Tempe is on the trail of a serial killer but surrounded by infuriating doubting-Thomas male investigators. It's hard to put this book down. Gripping scientific stuff, plenty of gallows humour amongst the confreres of the department, but our Tempe needs to do a gourmet cooking course; she eats far too much rubbish. And if she's going to last the distance, she also needs to find a bit of inner peace. Gardening? 
 There is a smattering of French throughout which adds to the flavour of Montreal without testing foreign language ability too much. 
 Reichs's first book and a bobby dazzler, I'll read the rest. Leaves Patricia Cornwell for dead.