Reading order · 6 books · 2005 to 2026 · Mostly set around the world
Narrative non-fiction Books in Order
True stories, each reported over years and told like a novel. They can be read in any order.
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Series facts
- Books
- 6
- Published
- 2005 to 2026
- First book
- Chatter
- Latest
- London Falling (2026)
- Setting
- Mostly set around the world
The reading order
Every Narrative non-fiction book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
6 books · Mostly set around the world
- 1Chatter2005An investigation into the secret world of global eavesdropping and the vast intelligence networks that listen in on phone calls and messages.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Snakehead2009With Sister PingThe story of Cheng Chui Ping, known as Sister Ping, who ran a shop in New York’s Chinatown and a multi-million-dollar business smuggling people from China into the United States, and of the agents who pursued her.Buy on Amazon
- 3Say Nothing2018With Jean McConville and Dolours PriceIn 1972 Jean McConville, a widowed mother of ten, was taken from her home in Belfast by masked intruders and never seen alive again.Buy on Amazon
- 4Empire of Pain2021With The Sackler familyThe story of the Sackler family, who built a fortune in pharmaceuticals and art philanthropy, and of OxyContin, the painkiller at the heart of America’s opioid crisis.Buy on Amazon
- 5Rogues2022A collection of Keefe’s magazine pieces about con artists, killers, arms dealers and others who live outside the law.Buy on Amazon
- 6London Falling2026With Zac BrettlerZac Brettler, a nineteen-year-old Londoner, died after falling from a luxury apartment building into the Thames.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in any order. Say Nothing is the usual place to start.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Sister Ping | Jean McConville | Dolours Price | The Sackler family | Zac Brettler |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Chatter | |||||
| 2 The Snakehead | LLead | ||||
| 3 Say Nothing | LLead | LLead | |||
| 4 Empire of Pain | LLead | ||||
| 5 Rogues | |||||
| 6 London Falling | LLead |
Characters in the Narrative non-fiction books
5 characters from Patrick Radden Keefe’s chart, with the number of Narrative non-fiction books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Sister PingNew York shopkeeper who ran a people-smuggling empire | 1 | The Snakehead 2009 |
| Jean McConvilleBelfast mother of ten who disappeared in 1972 | 1 | Say Nothing 2018 |
| Dolours PriceMember of the IRA | 1 | Say Nothing 2018 |
| The Sackler familyOwners of Purdue Pharma | 1 | Empire of Pain 2021 |
| Zac BrettlerLondon teenager who died in the Thames | 1 | London Falling 2026 |