BARE BONES

Too many plots and too many suspects overwhelm this sixth episode of the Temperance Brennan series. Our heroine is stalked, attacked, imprisoned, and snake bit. The forensic anthropologist is working on several difficult cases at once, dog-sitting her ex's "best friend," enjoying her daughter, and trying to dally with a handsome Canadian. Sadly, a series of weak set-ups is used to get the science across. "Refresh my memory about..." or "Ever heard of...?" signals a lecture. Moving from forensics to drugs to exotic animal smuggling, Michele Pawk's performance keeps things lively, although her delivery of data sounds like data, not the conversation of professionals. Mixed metaphors and a melodramatic story line won't matter to Tempe's many fans, and Pawk's reading does put some meat on mostly bare bones. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 03]