Kathy Reichs Books in Order

Kathy Reichs is an American forensic anthropologist and New York Times bestselling author best known for her Temperance Brennan forensic thrillers, which also inspired the long-running TV series Bones. She also co-writes the Virals (Tory Brennan) young adult series with her son, Brendan Reichs.

Below you’ll find all the Kathy Reichs books in order, including the Temperance Brennan series, the Virals / Tory Brennan books and her standalone novels, organized primarily by publication order with notes on prequels, novellas and short-story collections where helpful.

Latest Kathy Reichs Books

Evil Bones
Evil Bones (Temperance Brennan #24), November 2025

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Temperance Brennan Series (Books in Order)

The Temperance Brennan series follows forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance “Tempe” Brennan, who works with law enforcement in Quebec and the Carolinas to identify human remains and help solve complex, often cold, murder cases.

Publication Order

  1. Deja Dead (#1), 1997
  2. Death Du Jour (#2), 1999
  3. Deadly Decisions (#3), 2000
  4. Fatal Voyage (#4), 2001
  5. Grave Secrets (#5), 2002
  6. Bare Bones (#6), 2003
  7. Monday Mourning (#7), 2004
  8. Cross Bones (#8), 2005
  9. Break No Bones (#9), 2006
  10. Bones to Ashes (#10), 2007
  11. Devil Bones (#11), 2008
  12. 206 Bones (#12), 2009
  13. Spider Bones (#13), 2010 (also titled Mortal Remains)
  14. Flash and Bones (#14), 2011
  15. Bones Are Forever (#15), 2012
  16. Bones In Her Pocket (#15.5), 2013
  17. Bones of the Lost (#16), 2013
  18. Swamp Bones (#16.5), 2014
  19. Bones Never Lie (#17), 2014
  20. Speaking in Bones (#18), 2015
  21. Bones on Ice (#17.5), 2015
  22. A Conspiracy of Bones (#19), 2020
  23. First Bones (#0.5), 2020
  24. The Bone Code (#20), 2021
  25. Cold, Cold Bones (#21), 2022
  26. The Bone Hacker (#22), 2023
  27. Fire and Bones (#23), 2024
  28. Evil Bones (#24), 2025

Reader notes: Alongside the main novels, the series also includes a prequel novella, First Bones, and several linked short stories later collected in The Bone Collection, which include earlier cases and side investigations in Tempe’s career.

Related Temperance Brennan Books

Virals (Tory Brennan) Series (Books in Order)

The Virals (Tory Brennan) series is a young adult spin-off series which following Tory Brennan, Temperance Brennan’s great-niece, and her friends on the South Carolina cost after they’ve been exposed to a mysterious virus that gave them heightened, wolf-like senses. Using their new abilities, the group investigate local crimes and long-buried secrets around the Loggerhead Island research facility.

Co-authored with Brendan Reichs.

Publication Order

  1. Virals, 2010
  2. Seizure, 2011
  3. Shift (#2.5), 2013
  4. Code, 2013
  5. Swipe (#3.5), 2013
  6. Exposure, 2014
  7. Terminal, 2015
  8. Shock, 2015 (#0.5)
  9. Trace Evidence, 2016 (collection)
  10. Spike (#5.5), 2016

Reader notes: The prequel novella, Shock, shows how Tory first arrives in the Lowcountry and meets the others. Additional stories like Shift, Swipe and Spike are collected in Trace Evidence.

Standalone Novels

Anthologies in Publication Order

Non-Fiction Books

Kathy Reichs Biography

Kathy Reichs books in order

Kathy Reichs is an American crime writer, forensic anthopologist and academic, and one of the few specialists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, who wrote the Temperance Brennan series.
Official website: kathyreichs.com

Kathy Reichs was born in 1950 in Chicago, Illinois. She studied anthropology at American University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology in 1971, followed by an MA and PhD in Forensic Anthropology from Northwestern University

She worked as an assistant professor at Northern Illinois University, where she is professor emerita, and has consulted for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in North Carolina and for law-enforcement agencies, including the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA, in both the United States and Canada.

Kathy Reichs published her debut novel, Déjà Dead, in 1997. It introduced forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan and it became a New York Times bestseller, which established her as a major voice in the forensic crime fiction. The novel was also the beginning of the Temperance Brennan series, which was followed by the Virals / Tory Brennan novels, co-authored with her son Brendan Reichs. She also published the standalone thriller Two Nights.

She also worked as a producer on the Fox TV drama Bones, which was inspired by her life and novels and features a version of Temperance Brennan on screen.

Kathy Reichs spends her time either at her South Carolina coastal retreat or her home in Charlotte, N.C.

Kathy Reichs Book Adaptations

  • Temperance Brennan series – adapted into the television series Bones (2005–2017

Kathy Reichs Awards and Nominations

Awards

  • Deja Dead – Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel (1997)
  • ASC Honors lifetime achievement award (Arts & Science Council, Charlotte) (2012)
  • Kathy Reichs received the 2023 Alumnae Award of Northwestern University

Nominations and Shortlists

  • Deja Dead – Dilys Award for Best Book (1998)
  • Virals – Agatha Award for Best Children/Young Adult Fiction (2010)
  • Virals – Golden Duck Awards, Hal Clement Award (Young Adult) (2011)
  • Seizure – Golden Duck Awards, Hal Clement Award (Young Adult) (2012)
  • Spider Bones – CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award (2011)

Edited by

Marika

Founder of Mystery Sequels, a reference site focused on listing mystery and thriller books in the correct reading order. I maintain and update the site’s bibliographies as new titles are released, ensuring accuracy and consistency across author and series pages.

Readers Also Like

10 Comments

  1. Kathy, you are an incredible author, and your books have me hooked! I was up until 3:10 last night reading Devil Bones, and what an ending! It took another two hours for me to go to sleep, LOL! I’ve only got a few of your books so far, so I’m not reading them in order… YET!! I intend to get all your books, and hopefully I can find BONES on dvd or blue ray! As long as you keep writing, I’ll keep reading!

  2. Hi Kathy and fans,
    Glad to see this article as our family was recommended watching the series. Don’t know if I’ll have access in any order from library but good to have this as a reference.
    BTW my 17yo has Arthrogryposis which is a musculoskeletal condition. More specifically amyoplasia. Dr. Riechs ever study or at least encounter a person with this? Would be interesting to look into it.

  3. I am also trying to find out why Two Nights is not available as an ebook. Will it ever be released as an ebook?

  4. Is there a reason Two Nights is not available on Kindle?

  5. Hi Miss Reichs, I’m sorry but I haven’t read any of ur books I’ve been watching bones for years and I just found out what ur name really is sorry I just didn’t have a computer but now I know and I’m going to try and see if they have any of ur books at the library I’m really looking forward to read one I just don’t have the money but I just wanted to tell u how much I really love the show bones and I’m so great full u have inspired so many people with ur work and books thank u so much

  6. Dear Kathy,

    I have just started reading your Temperance Brennan books in order I’m quite confused going from “Ashes to Bones ” to “Break No Bones”. Leaving “Asher to Bones” Brennan was left with Ryan returning to the Mother of his daughter. Pete was engaged. When starting Break No Bones, it appears to have no story line containing those events.
    What happened?

    ~Deirdre Morrison~

  8. Dear Kathy

    i watched Bones all the way thru, and the books are also great;
    i would like to see you write a series about cowboys or something leaning toward the westerns sort of mix.
    to dig up a Doc Holiday or a Sun Dance Kid, a wagon train series from James Town; or an Iron Horse series.
    Have a great new year.

    Papa Gonzo

  9. Dear Kathy,

    I have read all of your books. Did you write a book with ice in the name. you only have it in ebooks.

    My name is Judith Anderson, my address in Australia is 12 Locksley Road, Rye. 3941 Victoria

    I have had cancer 3 years ago and I am now on remission. I do a lot of sitting down and love your books.

    1. Hi Judith I quite agree with you Kathy’s books are quite riviting, I all so throughly enjoy the series & will be sorry to see it end. Virals is an excellent spin off which I hope run for a long time.

Comments are closed.