With this breakthrough novel, Bones mystery writer Kathy Reichs begins an offshoot sci-fi series for teens. In this launch volume, set on a secluded South Carolina island, Bones' niece Tory Brennan and her friends catch a virus that almost miraculously enhances their reflexes and senses, enabling them to literally catch a killer's scent. A fascinating concept artfully applied. Bones, the television show based on Reichs' adult series, continues to be successful in its sixth season.

Reichs makes a solid YA debut with this spinoff of her Bones series, following 14-year-old Tory Brennan--niece of famed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan--and her friends as they uncover a decades-old murder and a contemporary scientific conspiracy. Along with friends Hi, Shelton, and Ben, Tory--who lives largely unsupervised with her newfound father on an island off the coast of Charleston, S.C.--discovers a secret laboratory and rescues a dog. When an experimental parvovirus from the canine transfers to the teenagers, they are imbued with superhuman physical and mental powers and become the target of a group of killers. This intertwines with the story of a long-buried body, as well as teen drama surrounding the local debutante scene, into which Tory has been unwillingly thrust. Reichs juggles the large cast and layered story well, although the revelations at the end get a little silly. Still, the action en route is exciting, and the forensic science and research is as vital as in Reichs's adult novels, even in the more science-fictional setting. Ages 12–up. (Nov.)

Gr 6–10—Tory Brennan, 14, lives on an island off the coast of South Carolina. Her newly discovered father works in science research for the University of Charleston, which is why she and her friends with similar pedigrees attend the ritzy prep school in town with the local aristocracy. Tory and her three friends, all boys, are science geeks and love to explore the outer islands where monkeys and other wildlife abound. While exploring a supposedly deserted lab complex, they discover the caged offspring of a wolf and German shepherd that has been diagnosed with parvovirus. Tory's concern leads the group to rescue the pup with the notion of curing and saving it from science experiments. Tory knows that parvo cannot infect humans, but once the treatment begins the four teens start to experience symptoms that make them doubt her initial belief. Along the way, they also stumble upon a murder mystery dating back to the Vietnam War era that quickly becomes linked to the mysterious science experiments that are being kept hidden on the islands. What starts as a science mystery thriller takes a sharp right turn into the realm of science fiction with genetically altered DNA and superhuman senses that may cause more savvy readers to scoff. However, the fast-paced thrills, cool science, and great characters will create a flood of fans waiting for the next installment.—Jake Pettit, Thompson Valley High School, Loveland, CO

From the opening sentence to the last word, readers will be absorbed in Tory Brennan's world. Tory (the niece of Temperance Brennan, the star of the author's Bones series for adults) has just moved in with the father she never knew she had. It isn't easy adjusting, but Tory's "sci-phile" friends provide plenty of support. They swim, fish, pal around and explore the islands just off the coast of Charleston, S.C. When Tory finds a dog tag that's been buried for decades, it triggers an adventure that leads to hidden experiments, a stolen wolf-dog hybrid puppy and a long-unsolved murder. But Tory can't give up—not even after she and her friends succumb to a mysterious infection that twists their senses and gives them uncontrollable new talents. When the only doctor who might cure them is murdered, they are on their own. Reichs has found a pitch-perfect voice for Tory that will ring true with today's teens, capturing an entirely new audience. Do we really have to wait until summer of 2011 for the next one? (Science fiction/thriller. 12 & up)