Fatal Voyage
By Kathy Reichs
Scribner, $25
ISBN 0684859726

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Periodically, the thriller genre spawns subgenres, which reflect the reading public's current curiosity or pique its collective interest. In recent years, after a decade of thrillers featuring serial killers and criminal profilers, a new subgenre has appeared that features forensic pathologists in the role of the detective. One of the most promising practitioners in this category is a young writer named Kathy Reichs who also happens to be a practicing forensic pathologist. The latest entry in her series, featuring North Carolina forensic pathologist Temperance "Tempe" Brennan, is Fatal Voyage.

Forensic pathology is the science of seeking solutions to crimes in the remains of deceased victims. In Fatal Voyage, Tempe Brennan is faced with death on a grand scale; an airliner has crashed in her jurisdiction, killing more than 100 passengers. With a Canadian cop and an extradited drug dealer on the passenger list, sabotage is a strong possibility.

As she investigates, Tempe finds herself drawn into a bureaucratic thicket. The various investigating agencies fight for primacy in the case and politicians insert themselves into the proceedings for even more cynical reasons. As Tempe struggles to solve the mystery of the crash, she uncovers evidence of earthbound murders which seem to stretch back more than half a century into the past. The clues to solving both crimes lie in the ruins strewn across the North Carolina landscape. Tempe Brennan is sure she can find them, if only she can get out of the line of bureaucratic fire long enough to do some serious investigating.

Reichs is a canny storyteller and the major plot elements she has assembled -- an air crash investigation and forensic scienceówill resonate with most thriller readers. She is also a gifted writer, who carefully balances the scientific details with the elements of a complex plot, never letting either one get away from her. She has both a good eye and a good ear, as she sketches the landscape of rural western North Carolina and its people with loving detail and respect. For this fourth entry in the series, Tempe Brennan's back-story is seamlessly woven into the fabric of the novel. Both newcomers to this series and devoted fans of Tempe Brennan can dive right into this novel and be rewarded with a fascinating read.

Michael Grollman is a freelance writer in New Jersey.