Jane Casey Books in Order: Maeve Kerrigan, Jess Tennant, and More
Jane Casey is an Irish-born crime writer known particularly for realistic police procedurals featuring complicated female characters. Her Maeve Kerrigan books follow a young detective working in London’s Metropolitan Police, while her Jess Tennant series takes a crime-solving approach aimed at teenage readers.
Casey’s books are best read series by series rather than trying to combine every novel into one chronological list. The Maeve Kerrigan novels have the strongest continuing character arc, while the standalone books can be read independently.
Maeve Kerrigan Books in Order
The Maeve Kerrigan series follows DS Maeve Kerrigan as she investigates murders and other serious crimes in London. Although individual cases are generally self-contained, Maeve’s career, relationships, and professional conflicts develop from book to book, making publication order the best way to read the series.
1. The Burning
Published: 2010
Maeve Kerrigan is a young detective constable determined to prove herself in a police force where she has to work harder than many of her male colleagues to earn respect. Her investigation begins when a man is found burned alive in his own home, apparently the victim of an especially brutal attack.
The case quickly becomes more complicated as Maeve discovers that the victim had enemies and secrets that make the obvious explanation increasingly difficult to accept.
2. The Reckoning
Published: 2011
Maeve investigates a series of brutal attacks on women while dealing with the complicated dynamics of her police colleagues. The case forces her to consider how far someone might go to punish people they believe deserve it.
The second book develops Maeve’s character and gives a clearer picture of the pressures she faces within the Metropolitan Police.
3. The Last Girl
Published: 2012
A wealthy family, a brutal murder, and a young woman who may be the key witness draw Maeve into another difficult investigation. The case exposes the dangerous gap between privileged appearances and what happens behind closed doors.
As Maeve works through conflicting accounts, she must determine who is protecting the truth and who is trying to bury it.
3.5. Left for Dead
Published: 2013
Left for Dead is a shorter Maeve Kerrigan story and is usually placed between The Last Girl and The Stranger You Know. It gives readers another case involving Maeve without being as substantial as the main series novels.
Because it is a companion story rather than a numbered full-length novel, readers can also save it until after the first three books.
4. The Stranger You Know
Published: 2013/2014
Maeve investigates a series of murders involving women who trusted the wrong men. The killer appears to have a disturbing ability to gain access to his victims, making the investigation increasingly personal and unsettling.
The novel won Casey the Mary Higgins Clark Award in 2015 and is one of the most important books in the series.
5. The Kill
Published: 2014/2015
Maeve is called to investigate another murder, but the case soon becomes connected to the complicated private lives of the people involved. Casey continues to combine police procedure with close attention to the emotional consequences of violence.
6. After the Fire
Published: 2015/2016
A devastating fire leaves several people dead, but the central question is whether the blaze was an accident, arson, or murder. Maeve and her colleagues must reconstruct what happened before the evidence disappears.
After the Fire won Irish Crime Novel of the Year in 2015.
7. Let the Dead Speak
Published: 2017
Eighteen-year-old Chloe Emery returns home to discover something horrifying, bringing Maeve into another investigation where family secrets and hidden relationships complicate the evidence.
The book continues the series’ shift toward increasingly personal and psychologically complex cases.
7.5. One in Custody
Published: 2019
One in Custody is a shorter Maeve Kerrigan story positioned between Let the Dead Speak and Cruel Acts. It is worth reading for fans who want more Maeve, but it is not necessary to understand the main sequence.
Some bibliographies list it as Maeve Kerrigan #7.5 rather than as a full numbered novel.
8. Cruel Acts
Published: 2019
Leo Stone has been convicted of murder, but he insists he is innocent. When new information raises questions about his conviction, Maeve becomes involved in a case where the truth may be far more complicated than the original verdict.
Cruel Acts was named Irish Crime Novel of the Year at the 2019 Irish Book Awards.
8.5. Love Lies Bleeding
Published: 2019
This shorter Maeve Kerrigan story is generally placed after Cruel Acts. It offers another glimpse into Maeve’s investigative world and works best as supplementary reading rather than as a required installment.
8.6. Silent Kill
Published: 2020
A teenage girl is murdered in broad daylight, leaving Maeve to investigate a case where the circumstances of the killing are especially disturbing.
Like Love Lies Bleeding, Silent Kill is a shorter companion story rather than one of the main full-length Maeve Kerrigan novels.
9. The Cutting Place
Published: 2020
Maeve investigates the murder of a young woman connected to an exclusive London club. To solve the case, she must look beneath the polished surface of a privileged social world where people have plenty of reasons to keep secrets.
The novel combines Casey’s police procedural approach with a darker exploration of power, reputation, and exploitation.
10. The Close
Published: 2023
Jellicoe Close looks like an ordinary London community, but beneath the surface are tensions, secrets, and relationships that make the neighborhood much less peaceful than it appears.
Maeve’s investigation gradually reveals that the apparent community harmony has been hiding something much darker. The Close was shortlisted for the E-Dunnit Award at the 2024 CrimeFest Awards.
11. A Stranger in the Family
Published: 2024
Maeve Kerrigan is called into another disturbing case involving a family whose private history contains more questions than answers. As the investigation develops, Maeve has to work through conflicting loyalties and evidence that refuses to fit together neatly.
The novel became a major Irish bestseller and was named Crime Fiction Book of the Year at the 2024 An Post Irish Book Awards.
12. The Secret Room
Published: 2025
A wealthy and privileged woman checks into a hotel, but the circumstances surrounding her stay soon become the focus of a dangerous investigation.
The Secret Room continues Maeve’s story and is the most recent full-length Maeve Kerrigan novel currently published in the series.
Jess Tennant Mysteries in Order
The Jess Tennant Mysteries are Jane Casey’s young adult crime series. Jess is a teenager who becomes involved in investigations that would normally be far outside the world of an ordinary student.
There are three books, and they should be read in publication order.
1. How to Fall
Published: 2014
Jess Tennant is spending the summer with relatives in a small village when a teenage girl dies under suspicious circumstances. Jess becomes convinced that the death was not an accident and begins asking questions that other people would rather leave alone.
2. Bet Your Life
Published: 2015
Jess becomes involved in another dangerous mystery after discovering that someone close to her may be hiding something serious. Her determination to find the truth puts her in situations that are considerably more dangerous than she expects.
3. Hide and Seek
Published: 2015
Jess investigates another mystery involving missing information, hidden relationships, and people who are not telling the truth. The final book gives the series another tense coming-of-age mystery while maintaining Casey’s crime-focused style.
Jane Casey Standalone Novels
Jane Casey has also written several novels outside the Maeve Kerrigan and Jess Tennant series. These can generally be read in any order.
The Missing
Published: 2010
One of Casey’s earliest novels, The Missing is a standalone crime story and predates the long-running Maeve Kerrigan sequence.
The Killing Kind
Published: 2021
The Killing Kind is one of Casey’s best-known standalone thrillers. The story explores the relationship between a woman and the man who once claimed to protect her, only for the nature of that relationship to become increasingly disturbing.
The novel was selected as a Richard and Judy Book Club pick and was later adapted for television, premiering in 2023.
The Outsider
Published: 2025
The Outsider is a standalone crime thriller separate from Maeve Kerrigan. It explores what happens when someone who appears to be on the outside of a crime becomes unexpectedly important to the investigation.
The Secret Room
Published: 2025
Current series listings place The Secret Room inside the Maeve Kerrigan sequence rather than among Casey’s standalone novels, so it should not be treated as a standalone despite some general bibliography pages grouping Casey’s books differently.
Everything She Didn’t Say
Published: July 2026
Casey’s latest published novel is a standalone mystery about a woman whose silence may conceal much more than anyone realizes. The publisher describes it as an atmospheric mystery built around the question of whether its central woman is a witness, victim, or killer.
It is currently Casey’s newest published book and is not part of the Maeve Kerrigan series.
Jane Casey Books in Publication Order
For readers interested in Casey’s career rather than one particular character, this is the more useful broad publication sequence. Shorter series stories are marked separately.
- The Missing (2010)
- The Burning (2010/2011)
- The Reckoning (2011)
- The Last Girl (2012)
- Left for Dead (2013)
- The Stranger You Know (2013/2014)
- How to Fall (2014)
- The Kill (2014/2015)
- Bet Your Life (2015)
- Hide and Seek (2015)
- After the Fire (2015/2016)
- Let the Dead Speak (2017)
- One in Custody (2019)
- Cruel Acts (2019)
- Love Lies Bleeding (2019)
- The Cutting Place (2020)
- Silent Kill (2020)
- The Killing Kind (2021)
- The Close (2023)
- A Stranger in the Family (2024)
- The Outsider (2025)
- The Secret Room (2025)
- Everything She Didn’t Say (2026)
The exact publication year can vary between UK and US editions, especially for some of Casey’s earlier novels, so the series order is more reliable than using a single worldwide publication date.
Do Jane Casey Books Need to Be Read in Order?
Should I read the Maeve Kerrigan books in order?
Yes. The individual investigations can usually be understood on their own, but Maeve’s career and personal relationships develop throughout the series. Starting with The Burning gives the strongest sense of that progression.
Do I need to read the Maeve Kerrigan novellas?
No. Left for Dead, One in Custody, Love Lies Bleeding, and Silent Kill are useful extras for readers who want every Maeve Kerrigan story, but they are not essential to following the main novels.
Can I start with The Secret Room?
You can, but it is better to begin with The Burning. The Secret Room is Maeve Kerrigan #12, so readers who want the complete character arc will get more from reading the earlier books first.
Is The Killing Kind part of the Maeve Kerrigan series?
No. The Killing Kind is a standalone thriller. It is also one of Casey’s most prominent books and was adapted for television in 2023.
What is Jane Casey’s latest book?
Everything She Didn’t Say is currently Jane Casey’s latest published novel, released in July 2026. It is a standalone mystery rather than a Maeve Kerrigan book.
How many Maeve Kerrigan books are there?
There are 12 main numbered Maeve Kerrigan novels currently published, from The Burning through The Secret Room, plus shorter companion works such as Left for Dead, One in Custody, Love Lies Bleeding, and Silent Kill. Some databases therefore count 14 books in the series, while others distinguish the shorter works from the main novels.
Which Jane Casey book should I read first?
For adult crime fiction, start with The Burning. For young adult mystery, start with How to Fall. If you prefer a standalone thriller, The Killing Kind is a strong entry point.
Final Verdict
Jane Casey’s bibliography is relatively easy to explore once the two major series are separated. Maeve Kerrigan is the main adult crime sequence and the best choice for readers who want a long-running London police procedural with an evolving central character. Jess Tennant offers shorter young adult mysteries, while books such as The Killing Kind, The Outsider, and Everything She Didn’t Say show Casey’s standalone thriller side.
For the most complete Maeve Kerrigan experience, read the main novels in order and then add the shorter stories where they fit. And if you want to begin with Casey’s newest work, Everything She Didn’t Say is currently the latest published title.
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