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Temperance Brennan #18.5
Faking a Murderer
An original short story from iconic thriller collection Match Up, featuring international bestsellers Lee Child and Kathy Reichs and their popular series characters Jack Reacher and Temperance Brennan.
When speaking at a conference in Washington D. C., the last thing forensic expert Dr Temperance Brennan expects is to become a suspect in a murder investigation. When ex-military nomad Jack Reacher hears of Brennan's predicament he comes to her aid. This unstoppable pair team up for the time ever to clear Brennan's name and find the real killer.
For more exciting short story pairings, don't miss all eleven short stories in Match Up!
48 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 13, 2017
897 people are currently reading
4708 people want to read
About the author
Kathy Reichs
150 books17.3k followersKathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of North Carolina, and for the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale for the province of Quebec. She is one of only fifty forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and is on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. A professor of anthropology at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Dr. Reichs is a native of Chicago, where she received her Ph.D. at Northwestern. She now divides her time between Charlotte and Montreal and is a frequent expert witness in criminal trials.
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best First Novel (1998): Deja Dead
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best First Novel (1998): Deja Dead
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
December 31, 2018
Not as good as l had hoped.
A mixture of the two leads l found made this book a little slow and heavy.
Jack Reacher in action is always great. This plot is a little muddled slow and heavy.
As Jack Reached is in the right place at the right time to help Temperance Brennan.
Psychological. A great promotion for Uber in this book.
Three stars
A mixture of the two leads l found made this book a little slow and heavy.
Jack Reacher in action is always great. This plot is a little muddled slow and heavy.
As Jack Reached is in the right place at the right time to help Temperance Brennan.
Psychological. A great promotion for Uber in this book.
Three stars
June 10, 2021
3.5 Stars
Faking a Murderer was an intriguing blend of two mystery thriller series with two wildly different protagonists.
Temperance Brennan has just given a speech at a forensics conference in D.C. when she is approached by two federal agents and accused of murder. Jack Reacher is just passing through when he hears a report on the radio regarding the murder. Reacher knows some of the players involved and heads to D.C. to assist Tempe.
Reacher and Tempe are such different characters that I was curious how the authors would manage to get these two to work together. Oddly enough their differing styles pair well together and I liked how they approached the murder from different angles. Tempe is logical and trusts the facts whereas Reacher is all gut instinct and brute force. I am much more familiar with Reacher than I am Tempe, but I feel like this story fits both of their characters well. The plot is fast-paced and there are a few interesting twists along the way.
Overall Faking a Murderer was an entertaining read and I would recommend it for fans of both series.
Faking a Murderer was an intriguing blend of two mystery thriller series with two wildly different protagonists.
Temperance Brennan has just given a speech at a forensics conference in D.C. when she is approached by two federal agents and accused of murder. Jack Reacher is just passing through when he hears a report on the radio regarding the murder. Reacher knows some of the players involved and heads to D.C. to assist Tempe.
Reacher and Tempe are such different characters that I was curious how the authors would manage to get these two to work together. Oddly enough their differing styles pair well together and I liked how they approached the murder from different angles. Tempe is logical and trusts the facts whereas Reacher is all gut instinct and brute force. I am much more familiar with Reacher than I am Tempe, but I feel like this story fits both of their characters well. The plot is fast-paced and there are a few interesting twists along the way.
Overall Faking a Murderer was an entertaining read and I would recommend it for fans of both series.
February 4, 2021
Great short story. Rapidly escalating narrative, in true Jack Reacher style - a semi political/army based problem, Reacher involves himself, works out the protagonist, bangs some heads together, sleeps with the girl and moves on. It’s a tried and trusted formula that works exceptionally well in this novella. Even better considering it was written by two authors with slightly differing styles. Worth picking up.
July 6, 2018
I have never read any Temperance Brennan books, but I love Jack Reacher. A great short story - I have now got the Match Up collection from our local library so can read the other 10 stories
April 25, 2019
This short story appears in the anthology Match Up: The Battle of the Sexes Just Got Thrilling edited by Lee Child. In some markets it is published as a stand-alone short story. The eBook comes in at 51 pages, and it is a great little read. I have been a fan of the Bones Tv Series for years and was finally able to watch all the episodes. Over the last few months I have read and reviewed 8 novels and other Reacher books. I have yet to read any of the books by Reichs but that is about to change.
This was a very interesting story to read. Especially as my knowledge of all things Reacher is expanding. Based on the subtitle of Temperance Brennan VS Jack Reacher I was expecting a very different story than the one that was delivered. In the introduction to the story in the anthology Lee Child states:
“I was first published in1997 when Killing Floor introduced the world to a quiet wanderer named Jack Reacher. Kathy Reichs also came along in 1997 when Déjà Dead brought us forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.”
It is an interesting fact. He also states:
“In creating our story, Kathy and I both agreed on the rough outline, then we wrote in turns. She likes things all planned out. I prefer to wander. But we found a happy medium in which to work. … but we discovered that our actual writing styles are somewhat similar. This sometimes happens with collaborations. It helped that we’ve both written screenplays. Kathy with the television series Bones, which is based on her characters, and myself with my daughter. There’s a process to fashioning a screenplay that’s different from crafting a novel. Much more give-and-take is there between the various contributors, since rarely is a screenplay written by only one person. Luckily, we were both comfortable with that process.”
And what a wonderful story they have produced. To be honest this story is an excellent mash up. The characters of Bones and Reacher blend together well. The story begins with Reacher hitchhiking south for the winter when he hears a news story about an event from his past and Temperance. At that same time Temperance is giving into introductory remarks at a convention. Right after her talk she is approached by two officers who want her to accompany them for questioning. And thus, begins a great story.
But reading this have left me in a dilemma, I already have plans to read all the Reacher novels in a year. I already had the Murdoch Mystery novels by Maureen Jennings on my list to read next. And now I need to slot in the Kathy Reichs novels as well. If you are unfamiliar with either character this is still a great story. If you are a fan of either Reacher or Bones this is a must read. An excellent short story.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Lee Child and soon Kathy Reichs.
This was a very interesting story to read. Especially as my knowledge of all things Reacher is expanding. Based on the subtitle of Temperance Brennan VS Jack Reacher I was expecting a very different story than the one that was delivered. In the introduction to the story in the anthology Lee Child states:
“I was first published in1997 when Killing Floor introduced the world to a quiet wanderer named Jack Reacher. Kathy Reichs also came along in 1997 when Déjà Dead brought us forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.”
It is an interesting fact. He also states:
“In creating our story, Kathy and I both agreed on the rough outline, then we wrote in turns. She likes things all planned out. I prefer to wander. But we found a happy medium in which to work. … but we discovered that our actual writing styles are somewhat similar. This sometimes happens with collaborations. It helped that we’ve both written screenplays. Kathy with the television series Bones, which is based on her characters, and myself with my daughter. There’s a process to fashioning a screenplay that’s different from crafting a novel. Much more give-and-take is there between the various contributors, since rarely is a screenplay written by only one person. Luckily, we were both comfortable with that process.”
And what a wonderful story they have produced. To be honest this story is an excellent mash up. The characters of Bones and Reacher blend together well. The story begins with Reacher hitchhiking south for the winter when he hears a news story about an event from his past and Temperance. At that same time Temperance is giving into introductory remarks at a convention. Right after her talk she is approached by two officers who want her to accompany them for questioning. And thus, begins a great story.
But reading this have left me in a dilemma, I already have plans to read all the Reacher novels in a year. I already had the Murdoch Mystery novels by Maureen Jennings on my list to read next. And now I need to slot in the Kathy Reichs novels as well. If you are unfamiliar with either character this is still a great story. If you are a fan of either Reacher or Bones this is a must read. An excellent short story.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Lee Child and soon Kathy Reichs.
February 27, 2021
The dialogue is short and choppy between the two protagonists when they converse but the style fits the tapestry of this short story thriller.
January 8, 2023
I like both of the television shows based on these characters a lot but haven't had the chance to read either of the book series before. I thought a quick short story might give me the sort of introduction that would entice me to read the series. The thing is while there's nothing wrong with this story, it didn't really grab me either. I mean I guess it's an interesting premise I didn't feel particularly connected to either of these famous characters while reading this which doesn't leave me all that interested in pursuing more in either series. It's not poorly written or anything like that, I think it's just written in a style that doesn't appeal to me personally as a reader.
August 30, 2018
I am probably biased since I loved the TV show Bones, but I seriously liked this story in the Match Up anthology. I never read the books that tells TV show was based off of, but I liked this.
January 6, 2021
Easy read short story where two of my favourite fictional characters meet.....Jack Reacher and Temperance Brennan.
January 6, 2025
Short, sweet, and very well written
September 28, 2024
Overall, I would give this story a 3.5.
This is a short story involving Reich's Temperance Brennan and Lee Child's Reacher. These are two very different types of protagonists. Overall, this is more of a Temperance Brennan story with Reacher guest starring. The story involves Brennan providing research on a past suicide that requires her expertise. The deceased is a former military officer. The authors did a good job incorporating this to have a rationale for Reacher to be in the story.
It is a quick read and well paced. However, it does have it flaws. I find it hard to believe that Brennan would just open her door to someone of Reacher's appearance, whom she has never met, just because he said he was there to help. Additionally, the antagonists exposition at the end is a James Bond villain cliche.
Note: based on how many times it was used during the short story, I wonder if Uber paid a promotional consideration to be included in the story.
This is a short story involving Reich's Temperance Brennan and Lee Child's Reacher. These are two very different types of protagonists. Overall, this is more of a Temperance Brennan story with Reacher guest starring. The story involves Brennan providing research on a past suicide that requires her expertise. The deceased is a former military officer. The authors did a good job incorporating this to have a rationale for Reacher to be in the story.
It is a quick read and well paced. However, it does have it flaws. I find it hard to believe that Brennan would just open her door to someone of Reacher's appearance, whom she has never met, just because he said he was there to help. Additionally, the antagonists exposition at the end is a James Bond villain cliche.
Note: based on how many times it was used during the short story, I wonder if Uber paid a promotional consideration to be included in the story.
August 16, 2020
Quick read....and what does that ending mean? Tsk Tsk Brennan!!
July 24, 2021
fantastic short story i cant believe reacher teamed up with the lead character from the tv show bones , by turn finding out that bones is based on a novel series
August 15, 2023
As soon as I saw the cover, I knew this would be a must-read! I loved seeing Brennan and Reacher interact, both in their element. I just wish it was longer, so that there would be more time for the dynamic between them to unfold.
November 22, 2019
Love Jack Reacher but haven't read any Temperance Brennan books. That will change after this. Very enjoyable short story.
May 28, 2020
Brennan and Reacher. A definite good pairing. I love both of them and was excited to see them paired up. It's a very good short story.
March 8, 2025
Fun story, well worth a read… full of good surprises
September 14, 2025
Openly a novelty fan-service concept: a bunch of short stories pairing two popular writers collaborating to create a short story where their lead characters intersect.
A no-brainer for the legion of fans who already like both, but also a chance for one to maybe win over some of the readers of the other guy who’ll be lapping this up. Or for neutrals like myself who hope this is a nice smorgasbord to hopefully find someone worth pursuing. Whichever, this star-studded anthology sold voluminously.
These guys realise the concept capably, letting each of their franchise characters tick their quirky boxes within a usable plot and their interactions (But I’ll even cut this some slack given my sympathies for a writer highlighting the idiotic levels of openly agenda driven evidence-free conspiracy theory trumping any levels of professional integrity and expertise.
So not a classic, but doing the job they were handed.
A no-brainer for the legion of fans who already like both, but also a chance for one to maybe win over some of the readers of the other guy who’ll be lapping this up. Or for neutrals like myself who hope this is a nice smorgasbord to hopefully find someone worth pursuing. Whichever, this star-studded anthology sold voluminously.
These guys realise the concept capably, letting each of their franchise characters tick their quirky boxes within a usable plot and their interactions (But I’ll even cut this some slack given my sympathies for a writer highlighting the idiotic levels of openly agenda driven evidence-free conspiracy theory trumping any levels of professional integrity and expertise.
So not a classic, but doing the job they were handed.
July 18, 2024
Short and pretty decent - The combo of Kathy Reichs and Lee Child
I haven't read any of the Jack Reacher novels but I have all but a few of the Bones books and have read just under half of them.
Since I am behind, it is making me wonder where this book falls in the Bones universe because twice in the last pages, Brennan does things that feel extremely uncharacteristic for her for character.
A tall man she thinks is attractive, knows for barely two days but when he changes her drink order to beers for both of them, she pretty quickly shrugs off her long term battle with alcoholism and the many years she has remained sober and drinks the IPA? Over the course of only a minute letter, she basically thinks 'hmm. Lots of years sober. Oh well.'
That does not sound like Brennan whatsoever.
I didn't care so much that they went off to sleep together in the end except where is her relationship at with Andrew Ryan at the point of this story.
It's a neat short story and you can definitely tell the sections written by Reichs if you're already a reader of her books. Tempe had a different feel to her, though. I cannot remember a point in any of the books where a new male character came into her life, and was basically charged with making her be quiet and hold back her attitude whom she would have accepted and listened to. Not to mention, I can't fathom hee personal lawyer who would seemingly know her well, thinking that telling a stranger that he needed to make sure she reigned it in.
The book is fun if you take it as a story completely outside of the rest of the Bones universe as its own entity. I still liked it well enough.
I haven't read any of the Jack Reacher novels but I have all but a few of the Bones books and have read just under half of them.
Since I am behind, it is making me wonder where this book falls in the Bones universe because twice in the last pages, Brennan does things that feel extremely uncharacteristic for her for character.
A tall man she thinks is attractive, knows for barely two days but when he changes her drink order to beers for both of them, she pretty quickly shrugs off her long term battle with alcoholism and the many years she has remained sober and drinks the IPA? Over the course of only a minute letter, she basically thinks 'hmm. Lots of years sober. Oh well.'
That does not sound like Brennan whatsoever.
I didn't care so much that they went off to sleep together in the end except where is her relationship at with Andrew Ryan at the point of this story.
It's a neat short story and you can definitely tell the sections written by Reichs if you're already a reader of her books. Tempe had a different feel to her, though. I cannot remember a point in any of the books where a new male character came into her life, and was basically charged with making her be quiet and hold back her attitude whom she would have accepted and listened to. Not to mention, I can't fathom hee personal lawyer who would seemingly know her well, thinking that telling a stranger that he needed to make sure she reigned it in.
The book is fun if you take it as a story completely outside of the rest of the Bones universe as its own entity. I still liked it well enough.
October 6, 2023
I finished this short story in several hours. It is part of a series of short stories, each a collaboration between 2 well known crime fiction authors, and combining their major characters into one story. I like both of these authors and their main protagonists but I found this story to be heavy handed, very slow, and neither character had time to grow or interact in any meaningful way. The murder and solution felt vey contrived. With all that being said, this is a short story and should be judged as that, not a novel where a plot can grow and twist. This collaboration, with two fascinating characters, might have been fascinating as a novel.
There are 3 other collaborations in this same style combining two top authors in the genre and again combining there major characters in a story. Based on this one, I probably won’t read the others, even though I like the remaining authors and their main characters.
There are 3 other collaborations in this same style combining two top authors in the genre and again combining there major characters in a story. Based on this one, I probably won’t read the others, even though I like the remaining authors and their main characters.
February 17, 2022
This short story was a real treat for me. I have read about 20 Jack Reacher books and 6 or 7 Temperance Brennan books and both characters have an appeal to me. It was nice to see them together in a single story.
Having read all those books I could tell when Lee Child was writing and when Kathy Reichs was writing. Reacher was his usual laconica, pedantic self with the occasional banging up of the bad guys. Tempe was her usual analytical, intelligent self with the occasional sarcastic remark. The two characters worked together well.
I gave it five stars mainly because of the two characters but not so much for the story.
Having read all those books I could tell when Lee Child was writing and when Kathy Reichs was writing. Reacher was his usual laconica, pedantic self with the occasional banging up of the bad guys. Tempe was her usual analytical, intelligent self with the occasional sarcastic remark. The two characters worked together well.
I gave it five stars mainly because of the two characters but not so much for the story.
March 5, 2018
The opening scene, a conference of American Academy of Forensic Sciences. That had my interest right away. I like anything to do with Jack Reacher, no Temperance Brennan. Both are unique, strong and determined characters. Well-matched.
"Were you out sick the day they taught thinking?" Reacher.
For Brennan: Reacher saw 37 hours of anger and outrage and frustration on her face, channeling into some kind of deadly focus.
"Were you out sick the day they taught thinking?" Reacher.
For Brennan: Reacher saw 37 hours of anger and outrage and frustration on her face, channeling into some kind of deadly focus.
October 23, 2018
Faking a murderer by Reichs and Child. This time Brennan is the one being investigated. And this time Jack Reacher comes to her rescue because he has vital information. And what information did the murdered reported have on a victim whom Brennan had found and agreed on a suicide? His brother would not accept this verdict of his decorated brother and had organised a documentary proving he was executed. A good whodunnit.
November 1, 2018
I enjoyed this very much although I find it difficult to read Jack Reacher stories without getting a mental picture of Tom Cruise and falling around laughing!
Jack and Temperance are an interesting pairing and it would be fun to have a full length novel of them working together again because I was left wanting more.
Unfortunately, and probably as a result of watching too many TV crime shows and reading too many crime novels, I spotted the villain immediately.
Jack and Temperance are an interesting pairing and it would be fun to have a full length novel of them working together again because I was left wanting more.
Unfortunately, and probably as a result of watching too many TV crime shows and reading too many crime novels, I spotted the villain immediately.
January 6, 2019
I’ve read Kathy Reichs and I’ve read Lee Childs so was really keen to see what happens when you put Temperance Brennan and Jack Reacher together. It works quite well - another of those situations when Jack just happens to be in the right place at the right time.
Would have been better if it was a full-length novel but, then again, not sure you could get a full story out if two so-different characters.
Would have been better if it was a full-length novel but, then again, not sure you could get a full story out if two so-different characters.
April 30, 2021
I would give this five stars except it was so short. It truly meets any expectation for all who have read Lee Child and Kathy Reichs. Reacher is Reacher and Temperance is Temperance. The connection point between the two is retro-Reacher and his black and white desire for truth and justice. Brennan is herself to a T in how she works the case.
Again, the only problem is that the book ended after a very, very short read.
Again, the only problem is that the book ended after a very, very short read.
November 12, 2022
I wish I could have watched this being written! Two legends working together on their favourite characters to make one cohesive piece.
I haven’t read any Kathy Reichs for maaaaany years and now I’m thinking I’ll have to revisit the series from the start. This felt more Reacher than Brennan to me, and I realised I was picturing Emily Deschanel from Bones rather than Tempe from the books.
I haven’t read any Kathy Reichs for maaaaany years and now I’m thinking I’ll have to revisit the series from the start. This felt more Reacher than Brennan to me, and I realised I was picturing Emily Deschanel from Bones rather than Tempe from the books.
September 28, 2024
What happens when two treats get together
Well you get a great story is what happens. This time it is Reacher and Temperance Brennan. The story just clicks right along and then suddenly it ends. That the moment you go wait I want more. The sure sign that this is a great story. Is it a cover-up? What does Reacher know and how does he know? So if you got a little time to spare use it here and read a good match-up.
Well you get a great story is what happens. This time it is Reacher and Temperance Brennan. The story just clicks right along and then suddenly it ends. That the moment you go wait I want more. The sure sign that this is a great story. Is it a cover-up? What does Reacher know and how does he know? So if you got a little time to spare use it here and read a good match-up.
July 5, 2020
I didn't know about this short story before I stumbled upon the anthology on display in a local used bookstore. I have really enjoyed both crossover Reacher stories so far (this one and Good and Valuable Consideration) and I'm really looking forward to reading Cleaning the Gold once I've made it to that point in the Will Trent chronology!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews