The Virals Series - Brendan Reichs (2024)

THE VIRALS SERIES

I co-author the New York Times bestselling Virals series with my esteemed colleague, Kathy Reichs. The sixth installment, TRACE EVIDENCE, is now available. There are also four Virals novellas — SHIFT, SWIPE, SHOCK, and SPIKE — available exclusively online through Nook, Kindle, iTunes and wherever e-books are sold.

TRACE EVIDENCE

Synopsis: Fans of the Virals series will be thrilled with this companion volume that includes three short stories originally published as eSpecials as well as an all-new, never-before-seen Virals adventure! Shift, Swipe, Shock and the new story SPIKE —set after the events of the last full length book, Terminal —give further glimpses of the Virals’ world as they work with Tory’s famous great aunt, Temperance Brennan, to solve more mysteries, take look at where it all started before they became Virals, and get to the bottom of an attempted sabotage at Kit and Whitney’s wedding.

TERMINAL

Synopsis: The Virals are back—but they’re not the only pack in town anymore. Terminal finds Tory Brennan and the rest of the Morris Island gang tracking a pack of rogue Virals who call themselves the Trinity. The new pack was infected by a strain of supervirus created by Tory’s nemesis and sometimes-crush, Chance Clayborne, who accidentally infected himself, too.

These red-eyed Virals have openly challenged Tory’s pack for domination of Charleston, and they’ll stop at nothing to bring their rivals down—even if that means giving them up to a shadowy government agency intent on learning the secret to the Virals’ powers. Surviving it all is going to test the limits of the gang’s abilities.

In the riveting conclusion to the Virals series, Tory and the others are nearing an impossible choice—and the ultimate showdown.

Review: The final installment of mother-and-son Virals series finds Tory and her friends at a turning point: If they don’t take action soon, their world will change beyond their control. Tory and her fellow Virals are happy with their life on an isolated island in Charleston harbor, commuting to school on the mainland, participating in sports—and spending their free time communing with Tory’s pet wolf cub and exploring their own virus-generated wolflike traits. But just when it seems that life is settling down, they find that they are not unique; there’s another pack of Virals in town, determined to mark the territory as theirs and theirs alone. And worse is yet to come: It seems that a secret government agency is tracking both packs down, fully intent on capturing them and learning all their secrets…even if that means subjecting them to invasive surgery. But worst of all, their own independent research tells them the virus has changed their cellular makeup and may even threaten their lives. This series conclusion has all the ingredients that made the first four installments so easy to read: solid character development, a viable plot incorporating both teenage angst and teenage adventure, and high stakes readers can believe in. A worthy coda to a gripping multivolume adventure. (Thriller. 10 and up)

EXPOSURE

Synopsis: When twin classmates are abducted from Bolton Prep, Tory and the Virals decide there’s no one better equipped than them to investigate. But the gang has other problems to face. Their powers are growing wilder, and becoming harder to control. Chance Claybourne is investigating the disastrous medical experiment that twisted their DNA. The bonds that unite them are weakening, threatening the future of the pack itself. The Virals must decipher the clues and track down a ruthless criminal before he strikes again, all while protecting their secret from prying eyes. And everyone seems to be watching.

Review: “The fourth volume in the Virals series is as fast-paced as the previous outings about four teens bound together by special heightened senses after being exposed to a virus carrying wolf DNA. Oddities in their powers—surging and blinking at the worst possible moments—keep them on their toes as they investigate the kidnapping of three Charleston, South Carolina, prep school classmates. The low country atmosphere of historical homes, sand dunes, and magnolia-lined lanes adds great atmosphere, while a twist at the end offers a new plot thread begging to be expanded. Fans will eagerly await the next installment.”

— Karen Cruze, Booklist

CODE

Synopsis: Tory Brennan, the great-niece of Dr. Tempe Brennan, and the Virals return for a third thrilling adventure on Loggerhead Island.

The Virals are put to the ultimate test when they find a geocache containing an ornate puzzle box. Shelton decodes the cipher inside, only to find more tantalizing clues left by “The Gamemaster”. A second, greater geocache is within reach – if the Virals are up to the challenge. But the hunt takes a dark turn when Tory locates the other box – a fake bomb, along with a sinister proposal from The Gamemaster.

Now, the real game has begun: another bomb is out there – a real one – and the clock is ticking.

SEIZURE

Synopsis: Ever since Tory Brennan and her friends rescued Cooper, a kidnapped wolf pup with a rare strain of canine parvovirus, they’ve turned from regular kids into a crime-solving pack! But now the very place that brought them together – the Loggerhead Island Research Institute – is out of funding and will have to shut down. That is, unless the Virals can figure out a way to save it!

So when Tory learns of an old Charleston legend about a famous she-pirate, Anne Bonney, whose fortune was never found, she can’t believe her luck – buried treasure is exactly what she needs to save the Institute on Loggerhead! Trouble is, she and her friends aren’t the only ones looking for it. And this time, the Virals’ special powers may not be enough to dig them out of trouble…

VIRALS

Synopsis: Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage “sci-philes” who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever.

As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot – if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer’s scent.

Fortunately, they are now more than friends – they’re a pack.

They are Virals.

SPIKE

Synopsis:

The pack is back on the prowl in this Virals adventure set after the events of Terminal. Tory and the Virals have untangled the most twisted mysteries and proven no crime is too complex for them to solve…now they just need to make it through Kit and Whitney’s wedding day. As the daughter of the groom and maid-of-honor it’s up to Tory to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. She expected to resolve last-minute wardrobe emergencies or venue issues but wherever the Virals go nefarious adversaries follow. Tory and her friends will need to stop a clever saboteur dead set on ruining the big day, whatever the cost. Featuring Tory’s famous great-aunt Temperance Brennan, this exciting story shows the lengths the pack will go to when their loved ones’ lives are on the line.

SHOCK

Synopsis:

Just in time for the release of the final book in the Virals quintet comes a riveting short story that takes us back to the beginning.

A dazed Tory Brennan steps off the plane in Charleston. Reeling from the recent death of her mother, and nervous about meeting her dad for the first time, she could hardly be less excited at the prospect of starting this new chapter of her life. With its balmy weather and relaxed Southern atmosphere, South Carolina feels like a foreign country compared to Tory’s native New England. But her worries begin to fade once she lays eyes on rugged, mysterious Morris Island, and three quirky boys who are as lively and curious as Tory herself. Maybe—just maybe—this new home has something wonderful in store for her after all.

In this glimpse into the world of the Virals before they became Virals, sometimes what seems like an ending is only the start.

SWIPE

Synopsis:

Having Temperance Brennan for a great aunt comes with a few perks – including an invite to the famous forensic anthropologist’s book signing at Comic-Con. But while Tory and the Virals are taking in the legendary convention in all its nerdy glory, a priceless Terminator robot is stolen from the crowded exhibition hall. When the bot-napper threatens to destroy it unless a hefty ransom is paid, Tory leaps at the chance to help her Aunt Tempe with the investigation. Subtle clues lead the Virals into all the weirdness that Comic-Con has to offer — strange costumes, ferocious mock battles, and fanboy geekdom beyond their wildest dreams — but the Terminator seems to have vanished without a trace, and the clock is ticking. Can the Virals identify the thief and locate the missing robot before it’s too late?

SHIFT

Synopsis:

Tory’s great aunt, Temperance Brennan, visits just in time to investigate a robbery at the Loggerhead Island Research Institute. As a renowned forensic anthropologist, Tempe is obviously qualified to figure out whodunit, but Tory and her Virals pack want to crack the case on their own. Yet the crime is puzzling. Who could have accessed the labs at LIRI, and how could they have gotten the equipment off the island?

It’s Brennan vs. Brennan in this short story that gives readers a brand new insight into the world of the Virals.