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.
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. 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. 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" 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."
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, 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."
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 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
{| class="wikitable" style="width:99%;"
!No.
!Title
!Published
!ISBNs
!Notes
|-
|1
|Déjà Dead
|1997
|Paperback: <br />Audio CD:
|New York Times Best Seller
Won the 1997 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel
1997 Library Journal – starred review
|
|-
|17
|Bones Never Lie
|2014
|Hardback: <br />Paperback:
|
|-
|18
|Speaking in Bones
| 2015
|Hardback:
|2015 LibraryReads – starred review
|-
|20
| A Conspiracy of Bones
| 2020
|Hardback:
|2020 Booklist – starred review
2020 Publishers Weekly – starred review
|-
|22
| Cold, Cold Bones
|July 2022
|Hardback:
|-
|23
| The Bone Hacker
|August 2023
|Hardback:
|-
|24
| Fire and Bones
|August 2024
|Hardback:
|-
|25
| Evil Bones
|November 2025
|Hardback:
|}
Stand-alone books
{| class="wikitable" style="width:99%;"
!No.
!Title
!Published
!ISBNs
!Notes
|-
|1
| Two Nights
|2017
| Hardback: <br />Paperback:
| Stand-alone, "off-series" novel with new characters.
|}
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.