Kathy Reichs

Kathy: I'm not writing great literature. I'm writing commercial fiction for people to enjoy the stories and to like the characters. Hopefully it's well written and hopefully people learn something. I'm fastidiously conscientious about getting the science right - unlike some authors.

Kathy: One of the surprising things I hadn't expected when I decided to write crime fiction is how much you are expected to be out in front of the public. Some writers aren't comfortable with that. I don't have a problem with that. I was a university professor, I could talk on and on and on. Give me a podium and you have to drag me off with a hook.

Kathy: Some of Tempe's personality traits are also mine. Friends who have read the book tell me that her dialogue sounds like me. She can be a bit of a smartass at times. She can be a bit abrasive. But in terms of her personal life, it's fiction. And while I do go out to exhumations if we get a tip, I would never pursue the investigation in the way that she does. I stay in the lab.