Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs

Uncover the truth with the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs, the internationally bestselling forensic crime novels that inspired the hit TV show Bones. Featuring Dr. Temperance “Tempe” Brennan, a brilliant forensic anthropologist, these gripping thrillers blend forensic science, tense investigations, and shocking twists to deliver page-turning suspense.

Set across North America and beyond, the series follows Brennan as she works with law enforcement to solve complex cases, from cold-blooded murders to long-buried secrets. Reichs’ own expertise as a forensic anthropologist brings authentic detail and scientific accuracy, making these novels stand out in the world of crime fiction.

Perfect for fans of Patricia Cornwell, Tess Gerritsen, and medical thrillers, the Temperance Brennan novels are essential reading for anyone who loves fast-paced mysteries, forensic detail, and strong female leads.

Temperance Brennan by Kathy Reichs — Complete Series (24 Books)

Follow Dr. Temperance “Tempe” Brennan, forensic anthropologist for the province of Quebec, as she investigates human remains at crime scenes too degraded for standard autopsy. From the streets of Montreal to the swamps of the Carolinas, Tempe uses bones to speak for the dead while navigating complex relationships with detective Andrew Ryan and her own turbulent past.

📖 The Montreal Beginnings (Books 1-5)

The essential first cases establishing Tempe as North America’s foremost forensic anthropologist:

• The Series Debut: Déjà Dead (1997) — A dismembered body in Montreal points to a serial killer; Tempe’s first case puts her best friend and daughter in danger.
• Arson & Cults: Death du Jour (1999) — Exhuming a nun in Montreal while investigating a deadly arson that kills a family in North Carolina.
• Biker Gangs: Deadly Décisions (2000) — A nine-year-old girl killed in crossfire leads Tempe into the dangerous world of outlaw motorcycle gangs.
• Plane Crashes: Fatal Voyage (2001) — A severed foot far from a plane crash site in the Smoky Mountains suggests a conspiracy of silence.
• Guatemala Horrors: Grave Secrets (2002) — Four missing girls in Guatemala City and a skeleton at a rundown hotel test Tempe’s expertise and courage.

🦴 The Skeleton Years: Early 2000s (Books 6-12) — Click to expand

• Bare Bones (2003) — A newborn’s bones in a wood stove, a mysterious plane crash, and a cache of bones on a family picnic.
• Monday Mourning (2004) — Three skeletons in a Montreal basement that suggest recent murder, not ancient history.
• Cross Bones (2005) — A bullet wound victim and a mysterious skeleton photograph lead to biblical-era remains in Israel.
• Break No Bones (2006) — Teaching at an archaeology field school in Charleston when a fresh body appears in ancient graves.
• Bones to Ashes (2007) — A skeleton in Acadia reawakens Tempe’s childhood trauma—could it be her missing friend Évangéline?
• Devil Bones (2008) — A ritualistic cellar display with a skull and cauldron leads to a headless corpse with Satanic symbols.
• 206 Bones (2009) — Tempe is accused of mishandling an autopsy while three elderly women are found murdered in Montreal.

🔬 The “Bones” Era: Continued Investigations (Books 13-18) — Click to expand

• Spider Bones (2010) — AKA Mortal Remains — A body identified as a soldier killed in Vietnam in 1968, but who is buried in his grave?
• Flash and Bones (2011) — A hand reaching from a barrel of asphalt at a NASCAR track; the FBI confiscates the body.
• Bones Are Forever (2012) — Three dead babies in a Montreal apartment lead Tempe to the diamond mines of Yellowknife.
• Bones of the Lost (2013) — A teenage girl on a desolate highway connected to a Gulf War veteran accused of smuggling artifacts.
• Bones Never Lie (2014) — A killer of young women returns after a decade, feeding on fear and coming for Tempe.
• Speaking in Bones (2015) — An amateur detective matches unidentified remains to a name, leading to a horrifying case.

🧠 The Modern Return: Recent Cases (Books 19-24) — Click to expand

Following a 5-year gap, Tempe returns with new cutting-edge forensic methods

• A Conspiracy of Bones (2020) — Recovering from neurosurgery, Tempe receives mysterious texts with photos of faceless corpses.
• The Bone Code (2021) — A hurricane uncovers two bodies matching a 15-year-old Quebec cold case, plus a flesh-eating bacterium outbreak.
• Cold, Cold Bones (2022) — A box containing a human eyeball with GPS coordinates arrives on Tempe’s porch; her daughter Katy disappears.
• The Bone Hacker (2023) — Young male tourists disappearing in Turks and Caicos; Tempe investigates amid gang violence.
• Fire and Bones (2024) — Washington DC building fire reveals connections to 1930s bootleggers called the Foggy Bottom Gang.
• Evil Bones (2025) — Tempe faces her most personal and dangerous case yet.

📚 Novellas & Collections — Click to expand

Short fiction featuring Tempe Brennan

• The Bone Collection (2016) — Four novellas: First Bones (Tempe’s first case), Bones in Her Pocket, Swamp Bones, and Bones on Ice.
• Faking a Murderer — Short story where Tempe investigates with author Lee Child.

Note: All 24 novels are listed above. The series spans from 1997 to 2025 and inspired the Fox television series Bones starring Emily Deschanel. While the TV show is loosely based on the books, the novel Tempe works primarily in Montreal and Charlotte, North Carolina, and is one of only 82 board-certified forensic anthropologists in North America. Alternative title: Spider Bones was published as Mortal Remains in the UK.