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All of Kathy Reichs’s Books in Order!
Who is Kathy Reichs?
Dr. Kathleen Joan Toelle Reichs—also simply known as Kathy Reichs—is a forensic anthropologist and an academic, but she is best known for being an American crime writer, especially for the Temperance Brennan series adapted for television under the title “Bones.”
In fact, Reichs was a producer on the show which was loosely based on her novels, which are inspired by her life (except for the alcoholism and other details in her private life in fact). She works hard to get the science right.
She also wrote a young adult series called Virals with her son Brendan, and she recently started to write stand-alone novels too.
She is also affiliated with the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale for the province of Quebec and is one of 100 anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology–and she is on the board of directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
Reading The Kathy Reichs Book Series: A Guide
Bones aka the Temperance Brennan Series
Usually, forensic anthropologist Temperance Deassee Brennan is called to investigate human remains at crime scenes where the flesh is too degraded for a coroner to obtain evidence. She also works at the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale for the province of Quebec in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and teaches at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte … when she’s not occupied with crime scenes.
The series starts with “Deja Dead,” published in 1997. The novels follow Brennan as she uses her expertise in skeletal analysis to solve complex crimes and bring perpetrators to justice. The series is notable for its attention to detail and scientific accuracy, as Reichs draws on her own experience as a forensic anthropologist to provide a realistic portrayal of crime scene investigation.
Throughout the series, Brennan deals with a variety of cases, including murders, disappearances, and international crimes. Her investigations take her from Montreal to North Carolina, and even to Afghanistan and Guatemala. Along the way, she faces personal challenges, including health issues and struggles with her relationships with family and colleagues.
For more information about the Temperance Brennan series, go to the dedicated reading order.
- ‘First Bones’ – Short story collected in The Bone Collection.
- Déjà Dead (1997)
- Death du Jour (1999)
- Deadly Décisions (2000)
- Fatal Voyage (2001)
- Grave Secrets (2002)
- Bare Bones (2003)
- Monday Mourning (2004)
- Cross Bones (2005)
- Break No Bones (2006)
- Bones to Ashes (2007)
- Devil Bones (2008)
- 206 Bones (2009)
- Spider Bones (2010)
- Flash and Bones (2011)
- Bones are Forever (2012)
- ‘Bones in her Pocket’ – Short story collected in The Bone Collection.
- Bones of the Lost (2013)
- ‘Swamp Bones’ – Short story collected in The Bone Collection.
- Bones Never Lie (2014)
- ‘Bones on Ice’ – Short story collected in The Bone Collection.
- Speaking in Bones (2015)
- A Conspiracy of Bones (2020)
- The Bone Code (2021)
- Cold, Cold Bones (2022)
The Virals Series
Virals is a young adult series written by Kathy Reichs and her son Brendan about Tory Brennan, the great-niece of Temperance Brennan.
Tory and her friends, Ben, Hi, and Shelton, live on Loggerhead Island in South Carolina, where they stumble upon an old military dog tag that leads them to a secret laboratory. While investigating the lab, they are exposed to a virus that gives them enhanced senses and other abilities, which they use to solve mysteries and crimes.
Throughout the series, the Virals team solves a variety of mysteries, including a murder on a private island, a kidnapping, and a mysterious outbreak of illness at their high school. Along the way, they must also protect their secret from the authorities and those who want to capture and study them.
- “Shock” (2015) – A prequel novella collected in Trace Evidence.
- Virals (2010)
- Seizure (2011)
- “Shift” (2013) – Short Story collected in Trace Evidence.
- Code (2013)
- “Swipe” (2013) – Short Story collected in Trace Evidence.
- Exposure (2014
- Terminal (2015)
- “Spike” (2016) – Short Story collected in Trace Evidence.
What follows is a listing of the novels from the series with a brief synopsis:
Virals (2010) – Always up for a challenge, Tory Brennan and her science-geek friends spend their time exploring the marshlands of Loggerhead Island, home to the very off-limits Loggerhead Island Research Institute, where something strange is going on. After rescuing a stray wolfdog pup from a top-secret lab, Tory and her friends are exposed to a rare strain of canine parvovirus, changing them–and their DNA–forever. Now they are more than friends. They are a pack. They are Virals. And they’re dangerous to the core. But are they unstoppable enough to catch a cold-blooded murderer?
Seizure (2011) – Rumour has it that notorious pirate Anne Bonny hid her treasure somewhere in Charleston in 1720. No-one knows where, but Tory Brennan is certain that the Virals can work out Bonny’s cryptic clues. It isn’t long before the Virals are on the right track. But they aren’t the only ones searching for the treasure. Someone is following them and will stop at nothing to get their hands on it. Dead bodies litter the trail. Time is running out before the island will be sold.
Code (2013) – Life appears peaceful on Loggerhead Island – rescued from financial disaster, the research institute is flourishing once more. But the tranquility is quickly shattered when Tory Brennan and her technophile gang discover a mysterious box buried in the ground. A seemingly innocent treasure hunt soon turns into a nightmarish game of puzzles, as it becomes clear that one false move will lead to terrible, explosive consequences. The clock is ticking. Can Tory and the Virals crack the code in time to save the city – and their own lives?
Exposure (2014) – When twin classmates are abducted from Bolton Prep, Tory and the Virals decide there’s no one better equipped than them to investigate. But the gang has other problems to face. Their powers are growing wilder, and becoming harder to control. Chance Claybourne is investigating the disastrous medical experiment that twisted their DNA. The bonds that unite them are weakening, threatening the future of the pack itself. The Virals must decipher the clues and track down a ruthless criminal before he strikes again, all while protecting their secret from prying eyes. And everyone seems to be watching.
Terminal (2015) – The Virals are back—but they’re not the only pack in town anymore. Terminal finds Tory Brennan and the rest of the Morris Island gang tracking a pack of rogue Virals who call themselves the Trinity. The new pack was infected by a strain of supervirus created by Tory’s nemesis and sometimes-crush, Chance Clayborne, who accidentally infected himself, too. These red-eyed Virals have openly challenged Tory’s pack for domination of Charleston, and they’ll stop at nothing to bring their rivals down.
- “Spike” (2016) – Short Story collected in Trace Evidence.
The Stand-alone Kathy Reichs Book
Two Nights (2017) – Sunnie has spent years running from her past, burying secrets and building a life in which she needs no one and feels nothing. But a girl has gone missing, lost in the chaos of a bomb explosion, and the family needs Sunnie’s help.
Is the girl dead? Did someone take her? If she is out there, why doesn’t she want to be found? It’s time for Sunnie to face her own demons—because they just might lead her to the truth about what really happened all those years ago.
What to read if you like Kathy Reichs’ book?
If you like Kathy Reich’s novels, especially the Temperance Brennan series, books that mix mystery and forensic science, you may want to take a look at Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series, M. R. Hall’s Jenny Cooper series, Aaron Elkins’s Gideon Oliver series, Iris Johansen’s Eve Duncan series or Jefferson Bass’s books.