Temperance Brennan Books in Order
Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist, solves murders by examining skeletal evidence and works both with the FBI and a Montreal police department. Kathy Reichs' series grounds its procedural elements in actual forensic science while developing Brennan as a complex character.
Deja Dead
When Dr. Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist at the Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale in Montreal, finds remains that may be linked to a serial killer, she's convinced a pattern exists. But police detective Luc Claudel dismisses her theory, even as more bodies surface.
Working against official opposition, Tempe pieces together evidence from crime scenes across the city. The killer is methodical, intelligent, and has been active for years. As Tempe gets closer to the truth, she realizes the murderer has become aware of her—and she may become the next victim. Arthur Ellis Award winner for Best First Novel.
Published: 1997
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Death du Jour
When Temperance Brennan is called to investigate the charred remains of an elderly nun, she uncovers links to a series of deaths spanning decades. Meanwhile, a devastating fire at a remote monastery reveals more bodies, and Tempe suspects the deaths are connected to a dangerous cult.
Her investigation takes her from Montreal to the Carolinas, where she must infiltrate a secretive religious group that may be responsible for multiple murders. As the body count rises, Tempe realizes she's dealing with true believers who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets.
Published: 1999
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Deadly Decisions
A brutal biker gang war erupts in Montreal when a young girl is killed in the crossfire. Temperance Brennan is drawn into the investigation, but her involvement becomes personal when her nephew Kit falls in with the wrong crowd.
As Tempe examines the remains of gang victims and uncovers the scope of the violence, she must navigate the dangerous world of outlaw motorcycle clubs. The gangs are everywhere—and they're watching her. One wrong move could cost Tempe and Kit their lives.
Published: 2000
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Fatal Voyage
A commercial airliner crashes in the mountains of North Carolina, and Temperance Brennan is called to the horrific scene to help identify the victims. But among the wreckage, she finds a foot that doesn't belong to any passenger on the manifest.
Her discovery leads to an old house with a grisly secret buried beneath its foundation. Someone powerful wants Tempe to stop digging, and when she refuses, she finds herself accused of evidence tampering. With her career and freedom at stake, Tempe must uncover the truth behind both tragedies.
Published: 2001
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Grave Secrets
Temperance Brennan travels to Guatemala to assist in excavating a mass grave—the victims of a decades-old massacre. But when a fresh body turns up in a septic tank at a nearby hotel, Tempe is drawn into a modern murder investigation.
The victim is a young woman, and evidence suggests she may have been trafficked. As Tempe investigates, she uncovers a connection between the historical atrocities and contemporary crimes. Powerful forces want the past to stay buried, and they'll kill anyone who threatens to expose the truth.
Published: 2002
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Bare Bones
A small plane crashes in North Carolina, and among the wreckage Temperance Brennan finds bones that are clearly not from the crash—they're decades old. Meanwhile, a dog brings home a human bone, and a farmer reports finding remains on his property.
Three separate discoveries lead Tempe to a pattern of disappearances connected to a local family with dark secrets. When bear poachers are found murdered, the cases begin to converge. Tempe must piece together the bones of the dead before the killer strikes again.
Published: 2003
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Monday Mourning
During renovations in a Montreal pizza parlor, three skeletons are found in the basement. Temperance Brennan's analysis suggests the victims were teenage girls who died decades ago, but the case may not be as cold as it appears.
As Tempe investigates the historical murders, she's simultaneously drawn into a missing persons case—young women are disappearing in Montreal, and the circumstances echo the cold case. Past and present collide as Tempe races to find a connection before another girl vanishes forever.
Published: 2004
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Cross Bones
A skeleton surfaces in Israel, and someone believes it could be the most significant archaeological find in history—the bones of Jesus Christ. When the man who discovered the remains is murdered, Temperance Brennan is asked to authenticate the bones.
Tempe travels to Israel, where she becomes entangled in a web of religious politics, archaeological fraud, and ancient secrets. Someone is willing to kill to protect the truth about these bones. As the body count rises, Tempe must separate fact from faith.
Published: 2005
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Break No Bones
While supervising a forensic dig in South Carolina, Temperance Brennan uncovers a fresh skeleton with a bullet hole in its skull. The victim was a middle-aged man, and evidence suggests he was murdered within the past year.
Tempe's investigation reveals a pattern of disappearances along the coast—homeless people and drifters who won't be missed. As she digs deeper, she uncovers a conspiracy involving black market organ trafficking. The criminals are well-organized and ruthless, and Tempe may have already gotten too close.
Published: 2006
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Bones to Ashes
A skeleton surfaces in Acadia, and Temperance Brennan becomes obsessed with the possibility that it might be her childhood friend Evangeline, who disappeared decades ago. The case reopens old wounds and forces Tempe to confront her past.
As she investigates, Tempe discovers other girls have gone missing in the region over the years. A killer has been operating for decades, and the pattern suggests he may still be active. To find the truth about Evangeline, Tempe must catch a predator who has escaped justice for far too long.
Published: 2007
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Devil Bones
A plumber discovers a cellar beneath a Charlotte house containing human remains and evidence of ritualistic activity. The media screams satanic cult, but Temperance Brennan suspects the truth is more complicated.
As Tempe examines the bones, she identifies multiple victims spanning years. Someone has been conducting dark rituals, but are they truly devil worship or something else entirely? When a headless body is found, Tempe realizes the killer may still be practicing—and may be targeting her.
Published: 2008
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206 Bones
Temperance Brennan regains consciousness to find herself in a small, dark, enclosed space—buried alive. As she struggles to survive, she pieces together how she got there and who put her there.
The story unfolds in flashbacks as Tempe recalls a case involving an elderly woman whose skeleton was found in a remote area. Her investigation pointed to foul play, but someone powerful wanted the case closed. Now Tempe must escape her tomb and expose the person who tried to bury her and the truth.
Published: 2009
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Spider Bones
When a body surfaces in a Montreal pond, Temperance Brennan's identification creates an impossible situation: the victim is John Lowery, a Vietnam veteran who supposedly died in 1968. But if these are Lowery's remains, whose body came home from the war decades ago?
Tempe travels to Hawaii to investigate, working with the military to unravel a mystery that spans decades. The truth lies buried in the jungles of Vietnam, and someone from the past is willing to kill to keep it hidden.
Published: 2010
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Flash and Bones
As NASCAR fans descend on Charlotte for race week, a body is discovered in a barrel of asphalt near the speedway. Temperance Brennan's investigation reveals the victim has been dead for over a decade—and may be connected to a notorious crime.
Twelve years ago, a bomb killed several members of a white supremacist group. The FBI believed one conspirator escaped. Now Tempe must determine if the barrel victim is the missing bomber or another casualty of that violent time.
Published: 2011
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Bones Are Forever
Three dead babies are discovered in Montreal, and Temperance Brennan identifies them as belonging to the same mother. The trail leads to a young woman connected to Edmonton's diamond industry and the dangerous world of northern Canada.
Tempe travels to Yellowknife, where she uncovers a story of exploitation, addiction, and murder in the diamond mines. Someone is killing to protect secrets worth millions, and Tempe must navigate a frozen wilderness where the next body could be her own.
Published: 2012
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Bones of the Lost
A teenage girl is struck by a car in Charlotte, and her body reveals evidence of abuse and trafficking. Temperance Brennan investigates, but powerful forces want the case to disappear.
Meanwhile, a Marine asks Tempe to examine bones recovered from Afghanistan—bones that may prove war crimes were committed. Both cases involve exploitation of the vulnerable, and both lead to people who will kill to protect their interests. Tempe must pursue justice on two fronts while watching her back.
Published: 2013
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Bones Never Lie
Years ago, Temperance Brennan helped capture Anique Pomerleau, a serial killer responsible for multiple deaths. But Pomerleau escaped custody and vanished. Now teenage girls are going missing in Charlotte, and the M.O. is chillingly familiar.
Tempe teams up with her ex-boyfriend Ryan to hunt Pomerleau, but the killer is always one step ahead. As the body count rises, Tempe realizes Pomerleau may be targeting her personally. To stop the killings, Tempe must enter the mind of a monster.
Published: 2014
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Speaking in Bones
An amateur detective contacts Temperance Brennan about remains she's found in North Carolina's Appalachian Mountains. Tempe is skeptical, but the bones are real—and they may belong to a missing girl whose disappearance was never explained.
The investigation leads Tempe into a world of religious extremism and ritualistic violence. An isolated community holds dark secrets, and they don't welcome outsiders. As Tempe gets closer to the truth, she discovers the missing girl may be just one of many victims.
Published: 2015
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A Conspiracy of Bones
Temperance Brennan receives a photo of a faceless body, and she becomes convinced it's connected to a case she's been obsessing over. But no one believes her—not the police, not her colleagues, and not even her friends.
Recovering from a brain aneurysm that has affected her judgment, Tempe struggles to trust her own perceptions. Is she seeing patterns that don't exist, or is she the only one who can see the truth? The answer lies in a conspiracy that reaches higher than she ever imagined.
Published: 2020
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The Bone Code
Hurricane Ida hits South Carolina, and in the aftermath, a container washes ashore containing two decomposed bodies. Temperance Brennan's analysis reveals the victims were alive when they were sealed inside—and they may be connected to a cold case from years ago.
As Tempe investigates, she discovers similarities to deaths that occurred in other coastal cities. A killer has been operating for years, using natural disasters to cover their crimes. Now Tempe must find the pattern before the next storm provides another opportunity.
Published: 2021
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Cold, Cold Bones
An eyeball arrives on Temperance Brennan's doorstep, and it's just the beginning. Someone is recreating crimes from Tempe's past cases—murders she solved years ago.
Each new body mirrors an old killing, with details that only the original killer could know. But those criminals are dead or imprisoned. Either there's a copycat with impossible knowledge, or someone from Tempe's past has returned. The clues lead back through her entire career, and the pattern points to one inevitable target: Tempe herself.
Published: 2022
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Fire and Bones
A catastrophic fire destroys a historic property in Washington D.C., and among the ashes Temperance Brennan finds the remains of multiple victims. The official story is that squatters were caught in an accidental blaze, but the evidence tells a different tale.
As Tempe investigates, she uncovers a conspiracy involving political power players and long-buried secrets. Someone set this fire deliberately, and the victims were targeted. With powerful enemies closing in, Tempe must expose the truth before she becomes the next casualty.
Published: 2024
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