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Order of Kathy Reichs Books
If there’s one woman who’s proven that the line between science and storytelling isn’t just thin—it’s practically made of bone—it’s Kathy Reichs. Born on July 7, 1948, in Chicago, Illinois, Reichs is a name that echoes through crime labs and thriller shelves alike. She didn’t just create a character who solves crimes using forensic anthropology. She is that character.
Before she became the literary legend behind the bestselling Temperance Brennan series, Reichs was—and still is—a forensic anthropologist. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from Northwestern University, and long before she picked up a pen, she was busy piecing together human remains for real criminal investigations. That’s right—before writing fiction that sends chills down readers’ spines, Reichs was identifying decomposed bodies, plane crash victims, and murder cases for law enforcement across North America.
She became one of only a hundred or so board-certified forensic anthropologists in the United States, working with the FBI, UN, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in North Carolina. Her work often took her into war zones, mass graves, and even to Guatemala, where she helped identify the victims of civil war atrocities. Her academic contributions weren’t light either—Reichs taught as a professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, publishing scholarly articles long before her first fictional murder ever hit the page.
Then, in 1997, she threw the literary world into a frenzy with her debut novel, Déjà Dead, which won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel. The star? Dr. Temperance "Tempe" Brennan, a brilliant, haunted forensic anthropologist modeled after Reichs herself. What followed was nothing short of explosive. Book after book climbed the bestseller charts, each more intricately plotted and sharply written than the last. Her work—steeped in technical authenticity—isn’t just engaging, it’s unsettlingly real.
And if the name Temperance Brennan sounds familiar beyond the page, you're not imagining things. Reichs also co-produced the hit TV series “Bones,” which ran for 12 seasons and was loosely based on her life and work. It’s a delicious meta loop—Reichs, a real forensic anthropologist, writes a fictional one based on herself, then that character becomes the inspiration for a TV show... whose protagonist also writes forensic thrillers. It’s genius with a twist of irony.
Despite all her literary and television fame, Reichs has remained deeply connected to her scientific roots. Even while juggling deadlines, book tours, and Hollywood meetings, she continued consulting on real forensic cases. A novelist by passion, a scientist by profession, and a trailblazer by nature.
She’s not just writing whodunits—she’s showing you how the bones tell the truth. And just when you think you know her style, she’ll twist the scalpel. Her books don’t just thrill. They educate, fascinate, and unsettle—because when Reichs describes a body, you better believe it’s from experience.
As of now, Kathy Reichs is alive and thriving, continuing to write, lecture, and investigate. But don't be surprised if her next book sends you diving for a blanket—because behind every page is a real woman who has stared death in the face and come back with a story. Or twenty.
Stay tuned—because when Reichs is at the bone table, the dead never stay silent for long.
Publication Order of Series Books
Publication Order of A Virals Adventure (with Brendan Reichs)
| Title | Year | Amazon Links |
|---|---|---|
| Shock | 2009 | Amazon |
| Virals | 2010 | Amazon |
| Seizure | 2011 | Amazon |
| Shift | 2013 | Amazon |
| Code | 2013 | Amazon |
| Swipe | 2013 | Amazon |
| Exposure | 2014 | Amazon |
| Terminal | 2015 | Amazon |
| Spike | 2016 | Amazon |
| Trace Evidence | 2016 | Amazon |
Publication Order of Temperance Brennan
| Title | Year | Amazon Links |
|---|---|---|
| Déjà Dead | 1997 | Amazon |
| Death du Jour | 1999 | Amazon |
| Deadly Decisions | 2000 | Amazon |
| Fatal Voyage | 2001 | Amazon |
| Grave Secrets | 2002 | Amazon |
| Bare Bones | 2003 | Amazon |
| Monday Mourning | 2004 | Amazon |
| Cross Bones | 2005 | Amazon |
| Break No Bones | 2006 | Amazon |
| Bones to Ashes | 2007 | Amazon |
| Devil Bones | 2008 | Amazon |
| 206 Bones | 2009 | Amazon |
| Spider Bones | 2010 | Amazon |
| Flash and Bones | 2011 | Amazon |
| Bones Are Forever | 2012 | Amazon |
| Bones of the Lost | 2013 | Amazon |
| Swamp Bones | 2014 | Amazon |
| Bones Never Lie | 2014 | Amazon |
| Bones on Ice | 2015 | Amazon |
| Speaking in Bones | 2015 | Amazon |
| The Bone Code | 2021 | Amazon |
| Cold, Cold Bones | 2022 | Amazon |
| The Bone Hacker | 2023 | Amazon |
| Fire and Bones | 2024 | Amazon |
| Evil Bones | 2025 | Amazon |