Virals, By Kathy Reichs

The contagion has mutated! Be still, my pumping heart

David Evans
Monday 24 October 2011 18:04 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Kathy Reichs's "Bones" novels seem to proliferate like malevolent bacteria, and now we have a new strain to contend with. Virals is the first in a spin-off series based on the adventures of Tory Brennan, the 15-year-old niece of the Bones heroine.

Set amid the bayous of South Carolina, the book follows Tory as she investigates a conspiracy involving murderous land barons and telekinetic wolves. This is evidently an attempt to corner the lucrative "young-adult fiction" market, but surely even teenagers will tire of Reichs' lifeless prose, built as it is out of prefab phrases: eyes "widen", hearts "pound", adrenaline "pumps". The reader just groans.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in