Reading order · 24 books · 2015 to 2026 · Set in Newcastle upon Tyne
DCI Ryan Books in Order
Detective Chief Inspector Maxwell Ryan solves murders across Northumberland’s castles, islands and moors, with his loyal friend Frank Phillips and Denise MacKenzie. He meets the historian Anna Taylor on Holy Island and later marries her.
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Series facts
- Books
- 24
- Published
- 2015 to 2026
- First book
- Holy Island
- Latest
- Berwick (2026)
- Setting
- Set in Newcastle upon Tyne
The reading order
Every DCI Ryan book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
24 books · Set in Newcastle upon Tyne
- 1Holy Island2015With Maxwell RyanDetective Chief Inspector Ryan is recovering on the tidal island of Lindisfarne when a young woman’s body is found in the ruins of the priory, and he is drawn back into work.Buy on Amazon
- 2Sycamore Gap2015With Maxwell RyanThe body of a young woman is found in Hadrian’s Wall at Sycamore Gap, and Ryan investigates.Buy on Amazon
- 3Heavenfield2016With Maxwell RyanA man is found dead at a remote church, and a suspended DCI Ryan must clear his own name as members of a secret group start dying.Buy on Amazon
- 4Angel2016With Maxwell RyanA woman is found buried with angel wings in a Newcastle cemetery, and when more victims appear Ryan must stop a new killer.Buy on Amazon
- 5High Force2017With Maxwell RyanThe killer known as the Hacker escapes prison and abducts a detective, and Ryan must find him before he strikes again.Buy on Amazon
- 6Cragside2017With Maxwell RyanA staff murder-mystery party at a Victorian mansion turns deadly when a guest dies in the dark.Buy on Amazon
- 7Dark Skies2017With Maxwell RyanA boy’s body surfaces from a reservoir thirty years after a camping trip ended in death, and Ryan hunts a hidden killer while a hostile superior targets him.Buy on Amazon
- 8Seven Bridges2018With Maxwell RyanThe Tyne Bridge explodes just as Ryan prepares to hunt a fugitive, and his team races to stop a bomber who means to destroy every bridge in the city.Buy on Amazon
- 9The Hermitage2018With Maxwell RyanAn old man is murdered at Warkworth Castle while Ryan is abroad, leaving his team to solve the case without him.Buy on Amazon
- 10Longstone2018With Maxwell RyanViking treasure found in the North Sea and the death of a diver draw Ryan and Anna into the secrets of Seahouses.Buy on Amazon
- 11The Infirmary2019With Maxwell RyanIn Newcastle in 2014, when the officer leading a hunt for a killer is found dead, the outsider DCI Ryan takes over, in this prequel to the series.Buy on Amazon
- 12The Moor2019With Maxwell RyanA ten-year-old girl tells Ryan she saw a murder linked to a visiting circus, and he must find the killer before the only witness is silenced.Buy on Amazon
- 13Penshaw2019With Maxwell RyanAn old man dies in a fire in a former mining village, and Ryan digs into decades-old betrayals while rumours of a mole spread through his department.Buy on Amazon
- 14Borderlands2019With Maxwell RyanA young woman is shot on Northumberland’s army ranges, and a series of crimes at historic sites suggests a pattern.Buy on Amazon
- 15Ryan’s Christmas2019With Maxwell RyanStranded by snow in a haunted castle, Ryan and his team are faced with a seemingly impossible murder during a ghost hunt.Buy on Amazon
- 16The Shrine2020With Maxwell RyanAfter a colleague is shot and a blast strikes Durham Cathedral, a relic of St Cuthbert goes missing, and Ryan must find both the killer and the relic.Buy on Amazon
- 17Cuthbert’s Way2020With Maxwell RyanRyan discovers the cross he recovered was a fake, and the theft of something irreplaceable sends him along an ancient trail through the borderlands.Buy on Amazon
- 18The Rock2021With Maxwell RyanA fishing boat is wrecked off the coast and a young woman’s body washes up near Marsden Rock, leading Ryan to a criminal network on Tyneside.Buy on Amazon
- 19Bamburgh2022With Maxwell RyanAn old woman’s death and a body in the dunes below Bamburgh Castle draw Ryan in, while DC Melanie Yates is consumed by her sister’s case.Buy on Amazon
- 20Lady’s Well2023With Maxwell RyanWhen the waters of Lady’s Well run red and the village falls ill, an old man is found dead amid clashes between old and new beliefs.Buy on Amazon
- 21Death Rocks2024With Maxwell RyanA photographer is found dead beneath Dunstanburgh Castle, and another death near Hadrian’s Wall leaves Ryan searching for the link between apparent coincidences.Buy on Amazon
- 22Poison Garden2024With Maxwell RyanWith Ryan in hiding after an attempt on his life, his team investigates a man who collapsed near Alnwick Castle and searches for the poison that killed him.Buy on Amazon
- 23Belsay2025With Maxwell RyanA team Christmas party at Belsay Hall is interrupted by a body, and Ryan must work out which guest is responsible.Buy on Amazon
- 24Berwick2026With Maxwell RyanWhen his wife Anna is arrested for the murder of a well-known author, Ryan must face the question of how far he trusts her.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with Holy Island. The cases stand alone but the team’s lives 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 | Maxwell Ryan | Frank Phillips | Denise MacKenzie | Jack Lowerson | Melanie Yates | Anna Taylor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Holy Island | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 2 Sycamore Gap | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 3 Heavenfield | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 4 Angel | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 5 High Force | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 6 Cragside | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 7 Dark Skies | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 8 Seven Bridges | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 9 The Hermitage | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 10 Longstone | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 11 The Infirmary | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 12 The Moor | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 13 Penshaw | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 14 Borderlands | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 15 Ryan’s Christmas | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 16 The Shrine | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 17 Cuthbert’s Way | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 18 The Rock | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 19 Bamburgh | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 20 Lady’s Well | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 21 Death Rocks | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 22 Poison Garden | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 23 Belsay | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 24 Berwick | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
Characters in the DCI Ryan books
6 characters from L.J. Ross’s chart, with the number of DCI Ryan books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Maxwell RyanDetective Chief Inspector | 24 | Holy Island 2015 |
| Frank PhillipsDetective Sergeant and Ryan’s friend | 24 | Holy Island 2015 |
| Denise MacKenzieDetective Inspector, Phillips’s partner | 24 | Holy Island 2015 |
| Jack LowersonDetective Constable | 24 | Holy Island 2015 |
| Melanie YatesDetective Constable | 24 | Holy Island 2015 |
| Anna TaylorHistorian who becomes Ryan’s wife | 23 | Holy Island 2015 |