Cornwell vs. Reichs

I decided to read Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs mysteries back to back and compare.

Cornwell, Patricia
Port Mortuary
9/18/11
Kaye Scarpetti is working at Dover AFB on bodies returned from Afghanistan.  She returns to her regular job to get involved in a murder involving military technology, theft thereof, and malfeasance by her second at the lab she is in charge of but has been away from for 6 months.  Very tight time frame - the first half of the book covers about 24 hours, and the rest not much longer.  What is a Port Mortuary and what is its significance to the plot -- never explained.

Reichs, Kathy
Spider Bones
9/20/11
Tempe Brennan is called in to investigate a body found under water in Canada.  Fingerprints identify the body as a soldier reported KIA in Vietnam.  Investigating takes her to NC then to Hawaii where she untangles the lives and deaths of three or four young men tangled up in the Vietnam war and misidentified bodies.  Throw in gang members and a medical mystery.

Reichs vs. Cornwell
9/20/11
Both Tempe and Kaye are mixed up with the military - Kaye is a reserve Col. activated to work at Dover, and Tempe is consultant to and former employee of JPAC, commission to recover and identify remains from Asia/Pacific military operations.  Kaye is concerned with her 20 something daughter,  Tempe with her 20 something niece whom she raised.  Kaye is married to exFBI and the marriage is happy but requires lots of patience.  Tempe is involved with Ryan who is either FBI or exFBI.  Kaye is very self-absorbed, Tempe less so.  Both books are strictly first person, Cornwell present tense, Reichs past tense.