The final episode of hit TV crime drama Bones was broadcast in the United States last week, rounding off 12 seasons of adventures featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.
The character, who shares the writer’s original occupation, was created by bestselling author Kathy Reichs for her series of “Tempe” novels, the 19th volume of which is in the works.
The series, which has sold six million copies to date, began with Déjà Dead in 1997. She wrote the crime story on the side while working as an academic, to raise extra cash to help put her children through college.
We caught up with the 68-year-old author at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature last month, when she told us about death threats, saying goodbye to the TV series – on which she was a producer – and writing her first non-Bones book.
It must be an emotional time in the Bones TV camp.
It was hard – I was there for the final shoot and the wrap party, and all the regulars and a lot of the guest stars we’ve had over the years were there. Lots of speeches, lots of selfies, lots of tears – it was emotional. We’ve been a family for 13 years, and with that final cut that’s it – we’re done, we’re through.
Would you have liked it to have gone on longer?
I would and I think a lot of the on-screen talent would, too – but it was time. We’re the longest-running scripted drama in the history of Fox TV network. So 246 shows, it’s a lot. You want to go out on top.
With the TV show over, can you imagine the Bones books ending?
Yes – and when I end it, I’ll give it a proper wrap-up. There will be a time to end the series.
Your next book, Two Nights, is your first that is not part of the Brennan series, and introduces a new character. Where did the inspiration come from?
My publisher. I wasn’t really thinking about that – I was just going to write another Temperance Brennan book – and I said, “Y’know what, it might be a refreshing stimulus.” The more I thought about it, the more I realised how much I was thinking about it.
You were a full-time university professor when you wrote the first book. What were your expectations for it?
I just hoped it would get published, and maybe someone would read it, and they might like it. When I created the character I did do it with the idea it would be a series, not a one-off. But I didn’t expect 19 volumes in 37 languages, and a TV show in every foreign territory in the world. It’s been a global phenomenon.
Yet you had no background in fiction writing.
I avoided literature classes as an undergraduate – I have no training in writing. I had done scientific articles and textbooks, and I didn’t want to do another one of those. I’d just worked a serial-murder case which had some interesting elements.
I had a colleague who was writing some straight-to-paperback romance novels, making a little extra money on the side, and I had three children heading to university – colleges are expensive – so I thought I could make a little extra money. All of that came together.
The character of Tempe is always described as being “loosely inspired” by your forensic anthropology career. What piece of advice would you give her as a scientist?
She tends to a be a little intense – I’d say, “Just relax, you’re OK.” But then, usually there’s someone trying to kill her – and that’s really not happened to me.
You never had death threats?
I have. One time when testifying in a murder trial – he’d killed his girlfriend and dismembered her; she actually floated ashore in two jurisdictions – the prosecutor said, “Come wait in my office, the defendant says he’s going to kill you.
And he has in fact killed his girlfriend and cut her up, so if he comes at you, just stay in the witness box”. And I’m thinking, if he comes at me I know exactly what I’m doing – I’m going to dive behind the judge.
• Two Nights will be published on July 11
rgarratt@thenational.ae
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The%20specs
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The five pillars of Islam
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Company%20Profile
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North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
england euro squad
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Man Utd), Sam Johnstone (West Brom), Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Defenders: John Stones (Man City), Luke Shaw (Man Utd), Harry Maguire (Man Utd), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Man City), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Reece James (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid)
Midfielders: Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), Raheem Sterling (Man City), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Phil Foden (Man City), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Results
3pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m, Winner: Lancienegaboulevard, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Fawzi Nass (trainer).
3.35pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner: Al Mukhtar Star, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
4.10pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.45pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Speedy Move, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar.
5.20pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Moqarrar, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy.
5.55pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Dolman, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
