Harper Connelly
paranormal mystery
Series · paranormal mystery
Reincarnationist
The Reincarnationist series by M.J. Rose has 6 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Reincarnationist (2007).
- Books
- 6 books
- First published
- 2007
- Status
- deceased
- Last checked
Start here: The Reincarnationist (2007) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Reincarnationist
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Reincarnationist - Book 2:
The Memorist
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Memorist - Book 3:
The Hypnotist
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Hypnotist - Book 4:
The Book of Lost Fragrances
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Book of Lost Fragrances - Book 5:
Seduction
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Seduction - Book 6:
The Collector of Dying Breaths
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Collector of Dying Breaths
About the Reincarnationist series
M.J. Rose's Reincarnationist novels follow present-day characters who begin experiencing fragments of past lives -- visions, memories, obsessions -- that turn out to be keys to solving a modern-day mystery rooted in history. The Reincarnationist (2007), later adapted into the Fox TV series Past Life, introduces archaeologist Josh Ryder, whose past-life memories of ancient Rome lead him toward a stolen reincarnation-themed relic; The Memorist (2008) and The Hypnotist (2010) continue in the same world of past-life researchers and the dangerous objects tied to their memories. With The Book of Lost Fragrances (2012), the series narrows its focus onto Jac L'Etoile, a mythologist and perfumer's daughter investigating a scent formula rumored to unlock genuine past-life memory -- a thread that continues directly through Seduction (2013), set partly around a fictionalized Victor Hugo, and concludes in The Collector of Dying Breaths (2014), which follows a Renaissance-era perfumer's quest to capture the human soul in scent.
Rose builds every book around a real historical mystery or artifact, researched in detail, then filters it through characters whose belief in reincarnation is tested against modern skepticism. Reviewers and Rose herself treated the six novels as one loosely connected reading experience rather than a strict numbered sequence -- the later Jac L'Etoile books, in particular, form their own tight trilogy-within-the-series.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in M.J. Rose's Reincarnationist series?
Six novels: The Reincarnationist (2007), The Memorist (2008), The Hypnotist (2010), The Book of Lost Fragrances (2012), Seduction (2013) and The Collector of Dying Breaths (2014).
Do I need to read the Reincarnationist books in order?
The first three are loosely connected standalones, but the final three -- The Book of Lost Fragrances, Seduction and The Collector of Dying Breaths -- follow mythologist Jac L'Etoile in direct sequence and should be read in that order.
Was The Reincarnationist adapted for television?
Yes -- it was the basis for the Fox TV series Past Life (2010).
What connects the Reincarnationist novels to each other?
Each follows a present-day character whose past-life memories or visions lead them into a historical mystery rooted in a real object, place, or figure, blending reincarnation, history and suspense.
Is the Reincarnationist series connected to M.J. Rose's Butterfield Institute or D.D. Warren novels?
No -- it's a separate body of work. Rose also wrote the Butterfield Institute series (a different psychological-thriller trilogy) and co-authored a standalone D.D. Warren novel, The Laughing Buddha, with Lisa Gardner.
If you like the Reincarnationist series
Reading order last verified .