Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I got this book from my Grandmother quite awhile ago (along with many other books). So, I didn’t have the first book in the series. It was interesting to read this story without having read the first book.

It is a typical murder mystery book, though, and so the characters don’t really grow or change much. Mainly, I missed out on her adventures (I have hints of them because of some flashbacks).

Setting: The author did a good job of contrasting the feeling of being in Canada and then in the South. Her descriptions were quite visual and enticing. They also played into the storyline.

Plot: There are a few different plot lines that are at least tangentially related and interwoven. The first revolved around the identity of a long-deceased nun who is destined for sainthood. The second is the search for the murderers of several people who turn out to be part of a cult. The third line deals with her love life.

Conflict: This is the weakest part of the story. Partly because the author attempts false suspense and partly because she gives hints of the future that indicate the heroine will be okay. There is plenty of potential conflict here though.

Character: The main character seems a lot like the author in terms of jobs and knowledge (writing what you know is perfectly acceptable), but the character is at least conflicted and has some quirks. The other characters feel a little wooden and Mary Jane-ish. This is especially true for the cult members. It was pretty obvious who the leader of the cult was (I guessed it from the moment we are introduced to the person).

Text: The false suspense was understandable, if annoying. The hints of "if I’d only known then what I know now" really threw me out of the story and the present (really past) action. Still the writing was competent and the story interesting – I love learning more about forensic science.

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