If you have read Patricia Cornwall books, this will seem fairly familiar. Patricia Cornwall writes stories surrounding Kay Scarpetta, the Chief Medical Examiner of Richmond, Virginia, and Kathy Reichs writes about Dr Temperance Brennan, the Director of Forensic Anthropology for Quebec in Canada. However, it seems that Ms. Reichs has tried to outdo her, by being a tad gorier. She also gives such an in-depth description of post mortems that you feel you might be in a biology class and that you should be taking notes.
Of course, the languages spoken in Quebec are a sort of English and French, and the characters tend to translate their French bits of conversation into English as they speak. Little gems like "I looked at the police report attached to the other form. 'Ossements trouvés dans un bois.' Bones in the woods. My most common case" A useful little phrase if you are holidaying in France next year!
This is not a book for the faint hearted. Lots of women go missing in the city and are found months later somewhat decomposed. Presumably, if they are found days later, the medical examiners take on the case, but if it is a long time after they are found than the forensic anthropologists step in. Anyway, our heroine thinks it is the work of a serial killer, but nobody seems to believe her. As usual with these sorts of books, she takes matters in to her own hands and puts herself into danger.
This is the author's first book and quite enjoyable if you read thrillers, so worth borrowing.
Happy reading - The Bradworthy Book Reviewer