Speaking in Bones: A Novel (Temperance Brennan Book 18)

Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist, balances her professional expertise with personal uncertainty when detective Andrew Ryan proposes marriage. Her attention shifts when Hazel "Lucky" Strike, an amateur detective who investigates cold cases online, brings her a tape recording of an unknown girl being held prisoner. Strike believes the voice belongs to eighteen-year-old Cora Teague, missing for over three years, and that her remains may be in Brennan's lab. Skeptical of working with an amateur websleuth, Brennan reconsiders when the evidence aligns. She travels to remote backwoods where the recording was discovered, only to uncover more questions and evidence of additional deaths. Local stories reference eerie nocturnal events and satanic cults, but Brennan focuses on a secretive religious sect operating in the area. As Brennan works to identify the truth and find a killer, she navigates a dangerous landscape where distinguishing between the innocent and guilty becomes increasingly difficult.