The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 13 books · 2004 to 2016 · Often set in the fictional Promise Falls, New York

Linwood Barclay

Crime and mysteryThriller and suspenseLiterary and generalPolice proceduralAmateur sleuthPsychological suspenseComic fiction

Linwood Barclay, a former newspaper columnist, writes suburban thrillers in which ordinary people's lives come apart. In No Time for Goodbye, Cynthia wakes at fourteen to find her whole family gone; twenty-five years later, someone starts leaving clues.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip.

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Who appears in which book

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LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
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Linwood Barclay books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Terry and Cynthia Archer

2 books · Set in the fictional Milford, ConnecticutPsychological suspense
  1. 1No Time for Goodbye2007With Terry Archer and Cynthia ArcherBuy on Amazon
  2. 2No Safe House2014With Terry Archer and Cynthia ArcherBuy on Amazon

Promise Falls

4 books · Set in the fictional Promise Falls, New YorkPsychological suspensePolice procedural
  1. 1Never Look Away2010With David HarwoodBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Broken Promise2015With David HarwoodBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Far From True2016Buy on Amazon
  4. 4The Twenty-Three2016Buy on Amazon

Zack Walker

4 books · Set in TorontoAmateur sleuthComic fiction
  1. 1Bad Move2004With Zack WalkerBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Bad Guys2005With Zack WalkerBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Lone Wolf2006With Zack WalkerBuy on Amazon
  4. 4Stone Rain2007With Zack WalkerBuy on Amazon

Standalone

3 booksPsychological suspense
  1. 1Too Close to Home2008Set in Upstate New YorkBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Fear the Worst2009Set in the fictional Milford, ConnecticutBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Trust Your Eyes2012Set in New YorkBuy on Amazon

Characters

5 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

The Archers

Promise Falls

Zack Walker