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Kathy Reichs

b. 1948

2 series 26 books in order

Dr. Kathleen Joan Reichs (née Toelle, born July 7, 1948) is an American crime writer, academic, and forensic anthropologist. She works for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of North Carolina, and for the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale for the province of Quebec. She is one of only fifty forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and is on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. A professor of anthropology at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, she is a native of Chicago and received her Ph.D. from Northwestern University. She divides her time between Charlotte and Montreal and serves as a frequent expert witness in criminal trials. She is known for inspiring the television series Bones. As of January 2019, she has written 23 novels, 20 of which are part of the "Temperance Brennan" series. Her first novel, Déjà Dead, won the 1997 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel. The fictional character Temperance "Tempe" Brennan is a forensic anthropologist who mirrors aspects of Reichs' life, though there are differences in their personal experiences. Reichs has also co-written the young adult series Virals with her son Brendan. She has written a stand-alone novel titled Two Nights.

Born
1948
Known for
Temperance Brennan, Virals

Where to start with Kathy Reichs

Start with Deadly Decisions, the first book in the Temperance Brennan series. It introduces Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist who works with law enforcement to solve crimes. The series follows her investigations in a publication order that matches the timeline of the books. Continue reading the series in publication order to experience the full arc of her professional and personal life. The Temperance Brennan series spans 23 books, beginning in 1998 and concluding in 2022. For a different experience, begin with Virals, the first book in the Virals series, which follows a group of teenagers with genetic mutations who solve crimes. The Virals series consists of four books published between 2010 and 2014.

Series by Kathy Reichs

Temperance Brennan

23 books in order · 1997–2025

  1. Cover of Déjà Dead

    Déjà Dead

    1997 · Kathy Reichs

    In a Montreal summer, a dismembered woman's body arrives at the provincial police forensic lab. Dr. Temperance Brennan is assigned to perform the…

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  2. Cover of Cross Bones

    Cross Bones

    1998 · Kathy Reichs

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  3. Cover of Death du jour

    Death du jour

    1999 · Kathy Reichs

    Forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan digs for a corpse in Montreal where Sister Elisabeth Nicolet, dead over a century and a candidate for…

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  4. Cover of Fatal Voyage

    Fatal Voyage

    2001 · Kathy Reichs

    Tempe Brennan finds a shocking, multilayered tale of deceit and depravity, along with a disembodied foot that could not have been involved in the…

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  5. Cover of Grave Secrets

    Grave Secrets

    2002 · Kathy Reichs

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  6. Cover of Bare bones

    Bare bones

    2003 · Kathy Reichs

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  7. Cover of Monday Mourning

    Monday Mourning

    2004 · Kathy Reichs

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  8. Cover of Break No Bones

    Break No Bones

    2006 · Kathy Reichs

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  9. Cover of Bones to Ashes

    Bones to Ashes

    2007 · Kathy Reichs

    Tempe Brennan discovers the skeleton of a young girl in the neighborhood of a childhood best friend who had gone missing thirty years earlier. She…

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  10. Cover of Bones buried deep

    Bones buried deep

    2007 · Max Allan Collins

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Show all 23 Temperance Brennan books in order →

Virals

4 books in order · 2010–2014

  1. Virals

    2010 · Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs

    Virals is the first novel in the Virals series, written by Kathy Reichs and her son Brendan Reichs. The book is aimed at young adult readers and…

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  2. Seizure

    2011 · Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs

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  3. Code

    2013 · Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs

    Code is the third book in the Virals series, a young adult mystery series written by Kathy Reichs and her son Brendan Reichs. The story follows Tory…

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  4. Exposure

    2014 · Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs

    Exposure is the fourth novel in the Virals series of young adult novels, written by American forensic anthropologist and crime writer Kathy Reichs…

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Frequently asked questions

How many books has Kathy Reichs written?

We list 26 books by Kathy Reichs across 2 series, published between 1997–2025 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Kathy Reichs's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “Deadly Decisions.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy Kathy Reichs's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.