Kathleen Joan Reichs (née Toelle, born July 7, 1948) is an American crime writer, forensic anthropologist and academic. She is a professor emerita 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 professor emerita 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 23 novels, which have been translated into 30 languages. 20 of those novels constitute the "Temperance Brennan" series.Kathy Reichs book suppliers . Personal website. Retrieved 1/11/09. Her first novel, Déjà Dead, won the 1997 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel.Arthur Ellis Award – list of past winners . Crime Writers of Canada. Retrieved 1/11/09.
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.Bones Show Info 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 Brennan character in the TV series 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 worked 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.Bones episode Judas on a Pole at IMDb.com
Reichs wrote the season five episode, "The Witch in the Wardrobe,"Full credits for Bones episode "The Witch in the Wardrobe" at IMDb.com 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 was, however, able to conclude that there was no evidence of abuse and that the child appeared to be well-nourished.
Personal life Reichs has two daughters and a son.
Selected works
Academic papers
Academic books
Temperance Brennan series No.TitlePublishedISBNsNotes1Déjà Dead1997Paperback: Audio CD: New York Times Best Seller Won the 1997 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel
1997 Kirkus Reviews – starred review
1997 Library Journal – starred review
1997 Publishers Weekly – starred review
1998 Dilys Award – Mystery Novel (Nominee)2Death du Jour1999Paperback: Hardcover: Audio CD: 3Deadly Décisions2000Paperback: Hardback: 4Fatal Voyage2001Paperback: Audio CD: 5Grave Secrets2002Paperback: Audio CD: 6Bare Bones2003Paperback: 7Monday Mourning2004Paperback: 8Cross Bones2005Paperback: Hardback: Audio CD: 9Break No Bones2006Hardback: Paperback: 10Bones to Ashes2007Hardback: Paperback: 2007 Publishers Weekly – starred review11Devil Bones2008Hardback: Paperback: Audio CD: 12206 Bones2009Hardback: Paperback: 13Spider Bones 2010Hardback: Paperback: Released as Mortal Remains in UK and Australia in hardback, reverted to Spider Bones for paperback release.14Flash and Bones201115Bones are Forever201216Bones of the Lost201317Bones Never Lie2014Hardback: Paperback: 18Speaking in Bones 2015Hardback: 2015 LibraryReads – starred review19 The Bone Collection 2016Hardback: Paperback: A short story collection including First Bones (a prequel to Déjà Dead), Bones in her Pocket, Swamp Bones and Bones on Ice. These books have been numbered as 0.5, 15.5, 16.5, 17.5, respectively.GoodReads. GoodReads. Retrieved 2016/12/23.20 A Conspiracy of Bones 2020Hardback: 2020 Booklist – starred review 2020 Publishers Weekly – starred review21 The Bone Code July 2021Hardback:
Paperback:2021 LibraryReads – starred review22 Cold, Cold BonesJuly 2022Hardback:23 The Bone HackerAugust 2023Hardback:24 Fire and BonesAugust 2024Hardback:25 Evil BonesNovember 2025Hardback:
Stand-alone books No.TitlePublishedISBNsNotes1 Two Nights2017 Hardback: Paperback: Stand-alone, "off-series" novel with new characters.Twitter. Twitter. Retrieved 2016/12/23.Website. Website. Retrieved 2016/12/23.
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. TitlePublishedISBNNotesVirals2010Seizure2011Code2013Exposure2014Terminal2015Trace Evidence2016 a short story collection including Shock, Shift, Swipe and Spike (a new story set after the events of Terminal).
Novellas Reichs has released six downloadable short stories:
TitlePublishedNotesShift2013 Set in the Virals country, but featuring both the Virals characters and Temperance Brennan.Bones In Her Pocket2013 A Temperance Brennan story giving details of a case briefly mentioned in Bones of the Lost.Swipe2013 A Virals story, also featuring Temperance Brennan, set at Comic-Con in San Diego.Swamp Bones2014 A Temperance Brennan story set in the Florida Everglades.Shock2015 A Virals story telling how they first meet.Bones On Ice2015 A Temperance Brennan story of how she gets wrapped up in the ultimate cold case: a death on Mount Everest.
References
External links
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