Kathy Reichs Popular Books

Kathy Reichs Biography & Facts

Kathleen Joan Reichs (née Toelle, born July 7, 1948) is an American crime writer, forensic anthropologist and academic. She is an adjunct professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is well known for inspiring the television series Bones. Early life and education Kathleen Joan Toelle was born in 1948 in Chicago, Illinois.She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in anthropology from American University in 1971. In 1972, she completed her Master of Arts in physical anthropology at Northwestern University, where, in 1975, she completed her PhD, also in physical anthropology. Academia and anthropology Since 1975, Reichs has taught at Northern Illinois University, University of Pittsburgh, Concordia University, and McGill University, and currently holds a position as adjunct professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In the past, Kathy Reichs has consulted for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in North Carolina.Reichs has appeared in Tanzania to testify at the United Nations's International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. She has assisted Clyde Snow and the Foundation for Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology in an exhumation in the area of Lake Atitlan in the highlands of southwest Guatemala. She was a member of the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team assigned to assist at the World Trade Center disaster.She is one of 100 anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and is on the board of directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. She is also affiliated with the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale for the province of Quebec. Fiction In addition to technical books, as of January 2019, Reichs has written 21 novels, which have been translated into 30 languages. 20 of those novels constitute the "Temperance Brennan" series. Her first novel, Déjà Dead, won the 1997 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel.The fictional heroine in her novels, Temperance "Tempe" Brennan, is also a forensic anthropologist. Her lifestyle closely mimics that of her creator, with Reichs stating that Brennan and she "have the same CV" and that "Some of Tempe's personality traits are also mine," but there are differences in their personal lives, such as the character's alcoholism. A good portion of the novels are based on real life science, and Reichs has stated that she is "fastidiously conscientious about getting the science right." She has used experience from her career in her novels and said about Déjà Dead that "Everything I describe in the book, I actually did." In the novel Grave Secrets, she uses her experience from her visit to Guatemala.She has also co-written (with her son Brendan) the young adult novels series named Virals, centered on Tempe's great-niece, Tory Brennan, and a pack of her friends, Ben, Hiram, Shelton, and wolfdog Cooper. A stand-alone novel, Two Nights, published July 11, 2017, features Sunday Night, a tough-talking, scarred heroine. Television The 2005 Fox television series Bones is inspired by Reichs' life and novels. The series borrows the name of her books' heroine, Temperance "Bones" Brennan. As in the books, Brennan (Emily Deschanel) is a forensic anthropologist; however, there are many differences: the television character is younger, more socially awkward, and is based in the Jeffersonian, a fictionalized version of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Additionally, the TV-Brennan moonlights as an author, writing about a fictional forensic anthropologist named Kathy Reichs. Aside from the character's name and occupation, there are few similarities between the TV show and the novels. Reichs works as a producer on the show to "keep the science honest". She appeared in the second-season episode "Judas on a Pole", playing Professor Constance Wright, a forensic anthropologist on the Jeffersonian's board of trustees who conducts Zack Addy's dissertation defense.Reichs wrote the season five episode, "The Witch in the Wardrobe," the season nine episode, "The Dude in the Dam," and wrote the season eleven episode, "The Stiff in the Cliff" with her daughter Kerry. Casey Anthony murder trial In 2011, Reichs was an expert witness in the Casey Anthony murder trial. Reichs was reluctant to get involved, but later agreed and performed a full skeletal analysis of Anthony's daughter, Caylee, but could not determine a cause of death. She concluded that there was no evidence of abuse and that the child appeared to be well-nourished. Personal life Reichs has two daughters, Kerry and Courtney, and a son, Brendan. Selected works Academic papers Reichs, Kathleen J. (October 1993). "Quantified comparison of frontal sinus patterns by means of computed tomography". Forensic Science International. 61 (2–3): 141–68. doi:10.1016/0379-0738(93)90222-v. PMID 8307523. Grynpas, Marc D.; Huckell, C.B.; Reichs, K.J.; Derousseau, C.J.; Greenwood, C.; Kessler, M.J. (August 1993). "Effect of age and osteoarthritis on bone mineral in rhesus monkey vertebrae". Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. 8 (8): 909–17. doi:10.1002/jbmr.5650080803. PMID 8213253. S2CID 21510646. Reichs, Kathleen J. (June 1992). "Forensic anthropology in the 1990s". The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. 13 (2): 146–53. doi:10.1097/00000433-199206000-00014. PMID 1510066. Reichs, Kathleen J. (July 1989). "Treponematosis: a possible case from the late prehistoric of North Carolina". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 79 (3): 289–303. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330790305. PMID 2669501. Reichs, K. J. (January 1989). "Cranial suture eccentricities: a case in which precocious closure complicated determination of sex and commingling". Journal of Forensic Sciences. 34 (1): 263–73. doi:10.1520/JFS12632J. PMID 2918285. DeRousseau, CJ; Reichs, KJ (July 1987). "Ontogenetic plasticity in nonhuman primates: I. Secular trends in the Cayo Santiago macaques". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 73 (3): 279–87. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330730302. PMID 3618758.Academic books Forensic Osteology: Advances in the Identification of Human Remains (1st ed.). Springfield: Charles C. Thomas. 1986. ISBN 9780398068042. Reichs, Kathy, ed. (1983). Hominid Origins: Inquiries Past and Present. University Press of America. ISBN 9780819128645.Temperance Brennan series Stand-alone books Virals series This series was co-authored by Reich's son, Brendan Reichs. Tory Brennan, the great niece of Temperance Brennan, is the titular character of this series.Novellas Reichs has released six downloadable short stories: References External links Official website Kathy Reichs at IMDb  Kathy Reichs: Turning a lifelong career into writing success at Jarrah Loh.com Kathy Reichs Interview Shots Ezine October 2012 EBc-KReichs Kathy Reichs in Encyclopedia Britannica. Discover the Kathy Reichs popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Kathy Reichs books.

Best Seller Kathy Reichs Books of 2023

  • Watch Him Die synopsis, comments

    Watch Him Die

    Craig Robertson

    NOMINATED FOR THE McILVANNEY PRIZE 2020 FOR SCOTTISH CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Truly difficult to put down’ Daily Mail  'Highconcept plot keeps the 'tecs and the ...

  • Gravity synopsis, comments

    Gravity

    Tess Gerritsen

    In this propulsive, “nonstop read” (USA TODAY) from the New York Times bestselling author of The Shape of Night, a NASA doctor is in a deadly race against time to destroy a lethal ...

  • Scorched synopsis, comments

    Scorched

    Laura Griffin

    The sixth thrilling Tracers novel from bestselling and awardwinning author Laura Griffin features a forensic anthropologist and a Navy Seal who work together to find a killer befor...

  • Wycliffe and the Beales synopsis, comments

    Wycliffe and the Beales

    W.J. Burley

    A mysterious death ... an eccentric family living on the edge of Dartmoor ... And Chief Superintendent Wycliffe has one of his most complex cases to date.The Cornish Detective seri...

  • Denial synopsis, comments

    Denial

    Peter James

    Introducing policeman Glenn Branson...When actress Gloria Lamark takes her own life, her devoted son, Thomas, is heartbroken. Something must be wrong with a world in which such a t...

  • Bones of the Lost synopsis, comments

    Bones of the Lost

    Kathy Reichs

    #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with her sixteenth riveting novel featuring forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan, whose examination of a young girl kille...

  • Found Her synopsis, comments

    Found Her

    NJ Mackay

    The most gripping, emotional and redemptive psychological thriller of 2021 for fans of Erin Kinsley, Lisa Jewell, Louise Jensen, Phoebe Morgan, CL Taylor, Cara Hunter and KL Slate...

  • Truth or Dare synopsis, comments

    Truth or Dare

    M. J. Arlidge

    EVERY CRIME IS CONNECTED.BUT WHO IS PULLING THE STRINGS?THE CHILLING THRILLER FROM THE MIND OF MILLIONCOPY BESTSELLER M. J. ARLIDGEA crimewave sweeps through the city and noone is ...

  • The Sea Detective synopsis, comments

    The Sea Detective

    Mark Douglas-Home

    Discover the chilling first mystery in a truly unique crime series you won't be able to put down'There comes a time when a novel raises the bar for a particular genre, and The Sea ...

  • Girl 4 synopsis, comments

    Girl 4

    Will Carver

    Detective Inspector January David has always put his professional before his private life, but the two worlds are about to clash horrifically as he visits his latest crime scene. H...

  • Faking a Murderer synopsis, comments

    Faking a Murderer

    Kathy Reichs & Lee Child

    Jack Reacher walked out of the Baltimore bust depot into a world of frozen streets and dirty snow…In this short story from the thrilling anthology MatchUp, bestselling authors Kath...

  • Like Mother, Like Daughter synopsis, comments

    Like Mother, Like Daughter

    Elle Croft

    'Utterly absorbing and thoughtprovoking' Caz Frear'What a premise, and packed with suspense' Victoria Selman'A dark, delicious triumph' Niki MackayIf what they said was true, then ...

  • Lost Immunity synopsis, comments

    Lost Immunity

    Daniel Kalla

    Instant National BestsellerIn this explosive new thriller from international bestselling author Daniel Kalla, an experimental vaccine is deployed to battle a lethal outbreakuntil p...

  • Wycliffe and the Four Jacks synopsis, comments

    Wycliffe and the Four Jacks

    W.J. Burley

    A murder committed in the night of dead. It's all a game for Detective Wycliffe to solve in a puzzling case.Writer David Cleeve lived exactly the way a bestselling novelist should ...

  • The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook synopsis, comments

    The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook

    Kate White, Harlan Coben, Gillian Flynn, Mary Higgins Clark & Brad Meltzer

    Hardboiled breakfasts, thrilling entrees, cozy desserts, and morethis illustrated cookbook features more than 100 recipes from legendary mystery authors like Sue Grafton, Louise Pe...

  • Wycliffe and the Winsor Blue synopsis, comments

    Wycliffe and the Winsor Blue

    W.J. Burley

    A mysterious death in the Cornish art world and a murder investigation for Chief Superintendent Wycliffe...When Edwin Garland dies of a heart attack, no one outside the expectant ...

  • The Last High synopsis, comments

    The Last High

    Daniel Kalla

    INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLERIn this riveting novel from international bestselling author Daniel Kalla, a Vancouver doctor and a detective face the deadly consequences of the opioid ...

  • The Unwanted Dead synopsis, comments

    The Unwanted Dead

    Chris Lloyd

    'A gripping murder mystery and a vivid recreation of Paris under German Occupation.' ANDREW TAYLORWINNER OF THE HWA GOLD CROWN AWARD FOR BEST HISTORICAL FICTIONSHORTLISTED FOR THE ...

  • Cat And Mouse synopsis, comments

    Cat And Mouse

    M. J. Arlidge

    IF YOU THINK YOU'RE ALONE:THINK AGAIN A scratching at the window.A tap on the door.What if, this time, someone is out there? A silent killer stalks the city, targeting those home ...

  • Deadly Decisions synopsis, comments

    Deadly Decisions

    Kathy Reichs

    When innocent blood is spilled, forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan deciphers the shattering truth it holds in this exciting thriller from New York Times bestselling author ...

  • Beyond Reach synopsis, comments

    Beyond Reach

    Graham Hurley

    'There is no one writing better police procedurals today.' Daily TelegraphA brutal hitandrun killing opens the path to a 25yearold crime...Past midnight, a horribly mutilated body ...

  • What You Wish For synopsis, comments

    What You Wish For

    Kerry Reichs

    If what you wish for is a delightfully bittersweet novel filled with endearing, eccentric characters and situations in the vein of Jennifer Weiner, Jane Green, Marian Keyes, and Me...

  • Finding You synopsis, comments

    Finding You

    Carla Neggers

    The New York Times bestselling author of Harbor Island delivers nonstop suspense and pulsepounding romance in this thrilling mystery that “proves once and for all that opposites no...

  • Exposure synopsis, comments

    Exposure

    Kathy Reichs & Brendan Reichs

    “If you like the TV show Bones (I do) or Maximum Ride, you’ll love Virals.”James Patterson Another thrilling Virals adventure from New York Times bestsellers Kathy and Br...

  • Exposed synopsis, comments

    Exposed

    Laura Griffin

    The seventh thrilling novel in the Tracers series from an author who “excels at detailing the mystery and the chase” (Publishers Weekly) features a forensic photographer and an FBI...

  • Bare Bones synopsis, comments

    Bare Bones

    Kathy Reichs

    “Fans of TV’s CSI: Crime Scene Investigation should be in heaven” (People) stepping into the world of forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennanshe works with the dead, but she...

  • Wycliffe and How to Kill A Cat synopsis, comments

    Wycliffe and How to Kill A Cat

    W.J. Burley

    Another classic crime novel featuring Cornwall's Superintendent Wycliffe.The girl was young, with auburn hair arranged on the pillow. Wycliffe could almost believe she was asleep ...

  • Odd Partners synopsis, comments

    Odd Partners

    Mystery Writers of America, Anne Perry, Allison Brennan, Jeffery Deaver & William Kent Krueger

    Unlikely pairs join forces to crack a slew of intriguing cases in an anthology edited by New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry, featuring original stories by Jacqueline Wins...

  • Greenwich Park synopsis, comments

    Greenwich Park

    Katherine Faulkner

    “A twisty, fastpaced” (The Sunday Times, London) debut thriller, as electrifying as the #1 New York Times bestseller The Girl on the Train, about impending motherhood, unreliable f...

  • The First Lie synopsis, comments

    The First Lie

    A. J. Park

    The most gripping psychological thriller you'll read this year perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Mark Edwards, Claire McGowan, TM Logan and KL Slater...'This is a real page turner....

  • Virals synopsis, comments

    Virals

    Kathy Reichs

    Adventure is in Tory Brennan's blood. After all, she’s the grandniece of worldfamous forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Always up for a challenge, Tory and her sciencegeek...

  • Harvest synopsis, comments

    Harvest

    Tess Gerritsen

    In this classic medical thriller filled with harrowing suspense and brilliantly crafted plot twists, Tess Gerritsenthe author of the acclaimed Rizzoli & Isles series that inspi...

  • Denial synopsis, comments

    Denial

    Beverley McLachlin

    CityLine Book Club Pick for SeptemberFrom the former Chief Justice of Canada and #1 bestselling author of Full Disclosure comes a taut new thriller starring toughasnails defense at...

  • Written in Bone synopsis, comments

    Written in Bone

    Sue Black

    Winner of the Crime Writers’ Association ALCS Gold Dagger for Nonfiction A tour through the human skeleton and the secrets our bones reveal, from the author of All That R...

  • Books to Die For synopsis, comments

    Books to Die For

    John Connolly & Declan Burke

    The world’s most beloved mystery writers celebrate their favorite mystery novels in this gorgeously wrought collection, featuring essays by Michael Connelly, Kathy Reichs, Ian Rank...

  • Death Du Jour synopsis, comments

    Death Du Jour

    Kathy Reichs

    When a recent skeleton among ancient bones raises questionsand dangerforensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is the only one who can solve the case in this “triumphant second ap...

  • A Conspiracy of Bones synopsis, comments

    A Conspiracy of Bones

    Kathy Reichs

    #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with an “edgy, eerie, irresistible” (Sandra Brown) novel with “plenty of twists” (The New York Times Book Review) featurin...

  • Wycliffe and the Dead Flautist synopsis, comments

    Wycliffe and the Dead Flautist

    W.J. Burley

    Classic crime featuring the everpopular Chief Superintendent Wycliffe 'Another must for collectors' Sunday Times.On the peaceful and secluded estate of Lord and Lady Bottrell, th...

  • MatchUp synopsis, comments

    MatchUp

    Lee Child

    This “highly recommended” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) collection edited by New York Times bestselling author Lee Child pairs the beloved characters of twentytwo internation...

  • The Two synopsis, comments

    The Two

    Will Carver

    They Kill Without Mercy. Disappear Without Trace.They are The Two.And now the stakes are raised once more for Detective January David. 5 lie dead, brutally murdered the first take...

  • The Darkness in the Light synopsis, comments

    The Darkness in the Light

    Daniel Kalla

    A psychiatrist’s patients are dyingare they suicides related to a new antidepressant, or is there something even more sinister going on in the northernmost town in the US? A riveti...

  • All That Remains synopsis, comments

    All That Remains

    Sue Black

    Book of the Year, 2018 Saltire Literary AwardsA CrimeReads Best True Crime Book of the MonthFor fans of Caitlin Doughty, Mary Roach, Kathy Reichs, and CSI shows, a renowned forensi...

  • What Lies Buried synopsis, comments

    What Lies Buried

    Margaret Kirk

    'Shadow Man is a harrowing and horrific game of consequences' Val McDermid THE BRILLIANTLY COMPELLING SECOND NOVEL IN THE DI LUKAS MAHLER SERIESA missing child. A seventyyearold mu...

  • Bones Are Forever synopsis, comments

    Bones Are Forever

    Kathy Reichs

    #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs, a producer of the Fox hit show Bones, is back with her fifteenth “pulsepounding” (Publishers Weekly) novel featuring North Americ...

  • Western Approaches synopsis, comments

    Western Approaches

    Graham Hurley

    A body. A policeman. Over the edge...The launch of a stunning crime series from the author of LAST FLIGHT TO STALINGRADNo one liked Jake Kinsey. A rich man, he turned up out of now...

  • Full Disclosure synopsis, comments

    Full Disclosure

    Beverley McLachlin

    #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE ARTHUR ELLIS AWARDSFrom the former Chief Justice of Canada comes a riveting thriller starring Jilly Truitt, a rising, young defense attor...