The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 28 books · 1983 to 2026 · Set in London

Lynda La Plante

Crime and mysteryPolice proceduralNoir and hardboiled

Jane Tennison, the detective of Prime Suspect, starts as a young probationer in the 1970s prequels and fights sexism at the top of the Met in the 1990s. Anna Travis, Jack Warr and the Widows’ Dolly Rawlins lead La Plante’s other crime series.

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. Some later Tennison titles are not charted. Lorraine Page and Jessica Russell books are left out for now.

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Who appears in which book

Click a name to follow that character from book to book, or a book title to see its cast.

LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
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Lynda La Plante 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.

Prime Suspect

3 books · Set in LondonPolice procedural
  1. 1Prime Suspect1991With Jane TennisonBuy on Amazon
  2. 2A Face in the Crowd1992With Jane TennisonBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Silent Victims1993With Jane TennisonBuy on Amazon

Tennison

7 books · Set in LondonPolice procedural
  1. 1Tennison2015With Jane TennisonBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Hidden Killers2016With Jane TennisonBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Good Friday2017With Jane TennisonBuy on Amazon
  4. 4Murder Mile2018With Jane TennisonBuy on Amazon
  5. 5The Dirty Dozen2019With Jane TennisonBuy on Amazon
  6. 6Blunt Force2020With Jane TennisonBuy on Amazon
  7. 7Unholy Murder2021With Jane TennisonBuy on Amazon

Anna Travis

9 books · Set in LondonPolice procedural
  1. 1Above Suspicion2004With Anna TravisBuy on Amazon
  2. 2The Red Dahlia2006With Anna TravisBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Clean Cut2007With Anna TravisBuy on Amazon
  4. 4Deadly Intent2008With Anna TravisBuy on Amazon
  5. 5Silent Scream2009With Anna TravisBuy on Amazon
  6. 6Blind Fury2010With Anna TravisBuy on Amazon
  7. 7Blood Line2011With Anna TravisBuy on Amazon
  8. 8Backlash2012With Anna TravisBuy on Amazon
  9. 9Wrongful Death2013With Anna TravisBuy on Amazon

Jack Warr

6 books · Set in LondonPolice procedural
  1. 1Buried2020With Jack WarrBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Judas Horse2021With Jack WarrBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Vanished2022With Jack WarrBuy on Amazon
  4. 4Pure Evil2023With Jack WarrBuy on Amazon
  5. 5Crucified2024With Jack WarrBuy on Amazon
  6. 6Sacrifice2026With Jack WarrBuy on Amazon

Widows

3 books · Set in LondonNoir and hardboiled
  1. 1Widows1983With Dolly RawlinsBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Widows’ Revenge1985With Dolly RawlinsBuy on Amazon
  3. 3She’s Out1995With Dolly RawlinsBuy on Amazon

Characters

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

Jane Tennison

Anna Travis

Jack Warr and the Widows