Kathy Reichs

Bestselling crime writer opens up about keeping characters fresh, and hopes for a Bones reboot

- With CASEY COOPER-FISKE

When Kathy Reichs sat down to write the 24th instalment in her Temperance Brennan series, she had a killer question in mind. What does evil look like? And as usual, science played a key part in getting to the answer.

"I wanted to address the question of evil. What is evil? How do different societies define evil differently? And how do they deal with evil acts?" says Reichs, 77, about her new book.

Evil Bones starts with the discovery of several mutilated animals but turns into an even grimmer scenario as the killer moves on to bigger targets.

Forensic anthropologist Temperance, known as Tempe, is joined on the trail with her niece Ruthie and retired detective Erskine “Skinny” Slidell.

And you can rely on Reichs for accuracy - she spent years working as a forensic anthropologist. The hit TV series Bones - which she wrote and produced - was based on her work and her books.

Over the course of her life, Reichs has taught FBI agents, helped identify human remains from 9/11, the Second World War and the Korean War, and travelled to Rwanda to testify at the UN tribunal on genocide.

"I am a forensic anthropologist. I have worked in forensic crime, and medical, legal and crime labs. I'm retired now, but I did that for years and years," the American author says.

"So I have a lot of colleagues I can go to for advice when I'm constructing the villain or laying the path for the clues.