Reading order · 12 books · 2010 to 2025 · Set in London
Maeve Kerrigan Books in Order
Maeve Kerrigan is a young Irish-born detective in the Metropolitan Police murder squad. Clever and dedicated, she works difficult cases alongside Detective Inspector Josh Derwent, an abrasive, protective partner, and their relationship becomes the heart of the series.
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Series facts
- Books
- 12
- Published
- 2010 to 2025
- First book
- The Burning
- Latest
- The Secret Room (2025)
- Setting
- Set in London
The reading order
Every Maeve Kerrigan book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
12 books · Set in London
- 1The Burning2010With Maeve KerriganA killer known as the Burning Man is beating women to death in London parks and setting them on fire.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Reckoning2011With Maeve KerriganMen convicted of crimes against children are being tortured and killed in south London, and Maeve Kerrigan is assigned to the case with the abrasive Josh Derwent.Buy on Amazon
- 3The Last Girl2012With Maeve KerriganA mother and daughter are found murdered in their luxurious London home, and the surviving twin daughter and her father are the only witnesses.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Stranger You Know2013With Maeve Kerrigan and Josh DerwentA killer is targeting women in their own homes, and the method matches a murder in Josh Derwent’s past.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Kill2014With Maeve KerriganPolice officers are being killed in London, and the Metropolitan Police becomes a target, while Maeve Kerrigan has to cope with changes in her own life.Buy on Amazon
- 6After the Fire2015With Maeve KerriganA fire in a London tower block leaves bodies, among them a controversial politician who fell from a window, and Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent investigate.Buy on Amazon
- 7Let the Dead Speak2017With Maeve KerriganChloe Emery, a young woman with learning disabilities, comes home to find her house covered in blood and her mother missing.Buy on Amazon
- 8Cruel Acts2019With Maeve KerriganLeo Stone was convicted of murdering two women, but his conviction has been overturned and he may be freed.Buy on Amazon
- 9The Cutting Place2020With Maeve KerriganBody parts are found on the Thames foreshore, belonging to a young journalist, and the trail leads Maeve Kerrigan to an exclusive gentlemen’s club.Buy on Amazon
- 10The Close2023With Maeve Kerrigan and Josh DerwentMaeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent go undercover as a couple in a quiet cul-de-sac in the suburbs, where they suspect something is badly wrong.Buy on Amazon
- 11A Stranger in the Family2024With Maeve KerriganSixteen years after nine-year-old Rosalie Marshall vanished from her bed, her parents are found dead, and Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent find the case is far from simple.Buy on Amazon
- 12The Secret Room2025With Maeve KerriganBuy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read the books in order, starting with The Burning. Maeve’s career and her relationship with Derwent develop through the series.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Maeve Kerrigan | Josh Derwent | Una Burt | Georgia Shaw | Charles Godley | Rob Langton |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Burning | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | |||
| 2 The Reckoning | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ||
| 3 The Last Girl | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 4 The Stranger You Know | LLead | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 5 The Kill | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 6 After the Fire | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |||
| 7 Let the Dead Speak | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 8 Cruel Acts | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 9 The Cutting Place | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 10 The Close | LLead | LLead | ·Minor | |||
| 11 A Stranger in the Family | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |||
| 12 The Secret Room | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Maeve Kerrigan books
6 characters from Jane Casey’s chart, with the number of Maeve Kerrigan books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Maeve KerriganMetropolitan Police detective | 12 | The Burning 2010 |
| Josh DerwentDetective Inspector and Maeve’s partner | 11 | The Reckoning 2011 |
| Una BurtDetective Inspector | 7 | The Last Girl 2012 |
| Georgia ShawYoung detective constable | 6 | Let the Dead Speak 2017 |
| Charles GodleySuperintendent leading the murder team | 5 | The Burning 2010 |
| Rob LangtonDetective and Maeve’s boyfriend | 4 | The Burning 2010 |