How to Read the Body of Evidence Series
The Body of Evidence series follows a continuous timeline tracking protagonist Jenna Blake's personal growth, college relationships, and escalating forensic pathology expertise at Somerset University. For the best experience, you should read these books in their chronological publication order, beginning with Jenna's introduction to the medical examiner's office in Body Bags.
Body of Evidence Books in Order
- Body Bags (1999) – Jenna Blake begins her freshman year at Somerset University and takes a job at the local morgue, immediately finding herself in the middle of a mystery involving a lethal germ.
- Thief of Hearts (1999) – Jenna investigates a series of campus murders where the victims' hearts have been surgically removed.
- Soul Survivor (1999) – Jenna must deal with a mystery surrounding the sole survivor of a mass tragedy.
- Meets the Eye (2000) – Science and the bizarre collide when Jenna investigates crimes tied to seemingly resurrected corpses.
- Head Games (2000) – Jenna is pulled into a web of psychological suspense and academic conspiracy.
- Skin Deep (2000) – The first book co-authored with Rick Hautala, focusing on a dangerous killer obsessed with physical appearance.
- Burning Bones (2001) or Brain Trust (2001) – Note: Reading order databases swap these two titles. (See the order caveats below).
- Brain Trust (2001) or Burning Bones (2001)
- Last Breath (2004) – Jenna faces another high-stakes medical case with escalating danger.
- Throat Culture (2005) – The final book in the series, where Jenna investigates a deadly virus outbreak on campus.
Reading Order Caveats: Brain Trust vs. Burning Bones
Depending on which database or catalog you look at, the sequence of the seventh and eighth books fluctuates. The publisher's registry and some library catalogs list Brain Trust as book #7 and Burning Bones as book #8. However, popular community databases such as Goodreads and Fantastic Fiction list Burning Bones as #7 and Brain Trust as #8. Because both books were published in 2001 and don't rely heavily on each other's immediate plotlines, reading them in either order will not disrupt your understanding of the series.
The Season Omnibus Collections
If you prefer reading in bundles, the series was re-released in 2015 as two digital omnibus editions:
- Body of Evidence: Season 1 contains the first five books (from Body Bags through Head Games), written entirely by Christopher Golden.
- Body of Evidence: Season 2 contains the final five books (from Skin Deep through Throat Culture), co-authored by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala.