Nationality American Spouse Paul Reichs (m. 1968) Name Kathy Reichs | ||
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Occupation Forensic AnthropologistNovelistProfessor Role Crime writer · kathyreichs.com Children Kerry Reichs, Courtney Reichs, Brendan Reichs Books Deja Dead, Speaking in Bones, Bones Never Lie, Grave Secrets, Death du Jour Similar People Emily Deschanel, Hart Hanson, Patricia Cornwell, David Boreanaz, Max Allan Collins Profiles | ||
Meet kathy reichs
Kathleen Joan Toelle Reichs (; born July 7, 1948) is an American crime writer, forensic anthropologist and academic. She is an adjunct professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte; as of 2016 she is on indefinite leave. She is also affiliated with the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale for the province of Quebec. 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. Her schedule also involves a number of speaking engagements around the world. Reichs has been a producer for the TV series Bones, which is loosely based on her novels, which in turn, are inspired by her life. She has two daughters, Kerry and Courtney, and one son, Brendan.
Contents
- Meet kathy reichs
- Bones of the lost by kathy reichs
- Academic career
- Academic papers
- Academic books
- Novels
- Novellas
- Television
- Casey Anthony murder trial
- References
Bones of the lost by kathy reichs
Academic career
Reichs 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 from Northwestern University, and in 1975 she completed her Ph.D. in physical anthropology from Northwestern University. Since then, Reichs has taught at Northern Illinois University, University of Pittsburgh, Concordia University, and McGill University, and is currently on leave from a position as adjunct professor 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 Dr. 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.
Academic papers
Academic books
Novels
In addition to technical books, Reichs has written 19 novels to date, which have been translated into 30 languages. 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" 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 written 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.
Her latest novel, Two Nights, published July 11, 2017 and features Sunday Night, a tough-talking, scarred heroine.
Novellas
Reichs has released six downloadable short stories -
Television
The 2005 Fox television series Bones is inspired by Reichs' life and writing. The series borrows the name of the 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 a fictionalized version of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Additionally, the TV-Brennan moonlights as an author, writing about a fictional forensic anthropologist named Kathy Reichs. Aside from the character name and occupation, there are few tie-ins between the TV show and the books.
Reichs works as a producer on the show to "keep the science honest" and has appeared in the episode "Judas on a Pole" from the second season, in which she played Professor Constance Wright, a forensic anthropologist on the board conducting Zack Addy's dissertation defense. Additionally, she wrote the Season Five episode "The Witch in the Wardrobe" and the Season Nine episode "The Dude in the Dam" and 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. After initially refusing to be a part of Anthony's defense, she cited biased media coverage as the reason she changed her mind. “Initially, I said no, and then I started seeing media coverage and it made me angry. This woman needed to be tried in court, not in the press.” Reichs did a full skeletal analysis of Anthony's daughter, Caylee, but could not determine a cause of death. She concluded that there was no evidence of abuse and that the child appeared to be well-nourished.