Gregg Olsen Books in Order: Detective Megan Carpenter, True Crime & More

If you’re mainly interested in Gregg Olsen’s fiction, you don’t need to read every book in publication order. Most of his series can be read independently, so the easiest approach is to choose a series and follow its own reading order.

However, Olsen’s books can be confusing because some titles have alternate names, some series overlap in online databases, and several of his true-crime books have been republished under different titles. This guide separates the major fiction series from his standalone novels and nonfiction.

Gregg Olsen Books in Order by Series

Detective Megan Carpenter Series

The Detective Megan Carpenter series is one of Olsen’s most popular modern thriller series. It follows Detective Megan Carpenter as she investigates disturbing murders in Washington while dealing with traumatic experiences from her own past. The series currently has six novels, ending with Final Victim.

1. Snow Creek (2019)

Megan Carpenter investigates a missing woman after a disturbing discovery is made near the isolated Snow Creek community. The case exposes secrets surrounding the Watson family while also forcing Megan to confront memories from her own troubled childhood.

2. Water’s Edge (2020)

A young woman’s body is discovered in a secluded cove, with strange marks on her body and an unusual symbol carved into a nearby rock. As Megan connects the murder to earlier killings involving pregnant redheaded women, someone begins sending her messages that reveal how much they know about her past.

3. Silent Ridge (2020)

Megan investigates another disturbing case while continuing to deal with the secrets and trauma that have followed her throughout her career. The investigation forces her to balance the hunt for a dangerous killer with the personal demons she has spent years trying to escape.

4. Stillwater Island (2021)

Megan is drawn into another complicated murder investigation in the Pacific Northwest. As the case develops, evidence reveals that the crime is connected to secrets that are much closer to home than she initially realizes.

5. Cougar Point (2024)

Megan Carpenter returns for another dangerous investigation involving a killer who knows how to manipulate both victims and investigators. The case pushes Megan’s investigative skills while continuing the character’s larger personal story.

6. Final Victim (2025)

Final Victim is the sixth Detective Megan Carpenter novel and the latest published installment in the series. Megan faces another chilling case while the story continues to explore the experiences and secrets that have shaped her into the detective she is.

Recommended order: Snow Creek → Water’s Edge → Silent Ridge → Stillwater Island → Cougar Point → Final Victim.

Waterman & Stark Series

The Waterman & Stark books feature forensic pathologist Birdy Waterman and sheriff’s detective Kendall Stark. Their investigations take place in Washington’s Kitsap County, where seemingly ordinary cases often lead to disturbing murders and serial killers.

There are six books if you include The Bone Box, a prequel novella.

0.5. The Bone Box (2012)

The Bone Box is a short prequel centered on forensic pathologist Birdy Waterman. It deals with an old case that has haunted Birdy for decades and gives readers additional background before the main Waterman & Stark novels.

1. Victim Six (2010)

A series of young women are found dead around Puget Sound, and investigators realize that the victims have been deliberately selected by a methodical killer. Birdy Waterman and Kendall Stark become involved in a case where the killer appears to be getting closer to his ultimate target.

2. Closer Than Blood (2011)

An old murder that initially looked like a natural death begins to reveal evidence of something much darker. Kendall Stark must uncover the identity of a killer driven by revenge while Birdy Waterman’s forensic expertise becomes crucial to the investigation.

3. The Girl in the Woods (2014)

Birdy Waterman and Kendall Stark investigate after a human body part is discovered in Banner Forest. What begins as a disturbing discovery soon develops into a serial-killer investigation involving a complicated web of relationships.

4. Now That She’s Gone (2015)

Serial killer Brenda Nevins escapes from prison and begins planning revenge against the people she blames for her imprisonment. Birdy and Kendall become her targets, while a television psychic is drawn into the killer’s dangerous scheme.

5. Just Try to Stop Me (2016)

Brenda Nevins continues her campaign of terror after escaping prison. She uses vulnerable young women to draw Birdy into a deadly trap, while Kendall desperately tries to stop the killings before they become a horrifying public spectacle.

Best reading order: Victim Six → Closer Than Blood → The Bone Box → The Girl in the Woods → Now That She’s Gone → Just Try to Stop Me. If you want strict publication order, move The Bone Box to its 2012 publication position.

Nicole Foster Thriller Series

The Nicole Foster series follows a former homicide detective whose professional and personal life has been badly damaged by a previous investigation. There are two books in the series.

1. The Sound of Rain (2016)

Nicole Foster has fallen on hard times after being driven off the police force by betrayal and a failed relationship. When the father of a murdered three-year-old asks her to investigate the case again, Nicole sees an opportunity to uncover the truth and perhaps rebuild her own life.

2. The Weight of Silence (2018)

Nicole has returned to the Washington coast to raise her niece and care for her increasingly fragile father. When a toddler is found dead inside a parked car, the case brings back painful memories from an earlier investigation and threatens to drag Nicole into another dangerous confrontation with her past.

Emily Kenyon Series

The Emily Kenyon books are two crime thrillers featuring a police officer investigating brutal murders while also dealing with dangers involving her family.

1. A Cold Dark Place (2008)

A family is brutally murdered in the Pacific Northwest, but a teenage boy disappears from the scene. Detective Emily Kenyon begins investigating a series of similar killings while discovering that her own teenage daughter may be dangerously connected to the missing boy.

2. Heart of Ice (2009)

Several sorority women are brutally murdered in different towns, and the killer leaves almost no evidence behind. Emily Kenyon must find a way to identify the carefully controlled murderer before another young woman becomes the next victim.

Empty Coffin Series

The Empty Coffin books, also known as the Port Gamble Chronicles, are young adult supernatural thrillers. The stories follow twin sisters Hayley and Taylor Ryan, who use their unusual “twin-sense” to investigate strange deaths in the apparently perfect town of Port Gamble.

1. Envy (2011)

Hayley and Taylor become suspicious when their friend Katelyn dies under mysterious circumstances. Their investigation leads them into the darker side of Port Gamble and reveals secrets involving murder, paranormal elements and cyberbullying.

2. Betrayal (2012)

An exchange student named Olivia Grant is murdered after a party, and suspicion quickly falls on her best friend. Hayley and Taylor investigate the case and discover that the truth is considerably more complicated than the initial evidence suggests.

Vengeance Series

The Vengeance series is a young adult thriller series centered on Rylee Cassidy. It combines murder, family secrets, revenge and Rylee’s search to understand who she really is.

1. The Girl on the Run (2014)

Rylee comes home from school to discover her father murdered and her mother missing. A bloody message telling her to “RUN” sends Rylee and her brother on a dangerous journey that exposes terrifying secrets about her family.

The Girl on the Run is also associated with the title Run, so readers may encounter both names when searching for the first book.

2. Girls on Film (2014)

Rylee continues trying to understand her complicated past while becoming involved in another dangerous situation. The book continues the revenge-driven storyline established in the first novel and deepens the mystery surrounding Rylee’s family.

3. The Boy She Left Behind (2017)

Rylee tracks a serial killer targeting college students in Portland, Oregon. At the same time, a shocking betrayal forces her to question who she can trust, making the investigation as personal as it is dangerous.

Gregg Olsen Standalone Fiction

Olsen has also written several thrillers that are not part of a continuing series. These can generally be read in any order.

A Wicked Snow (2007)

Hannah Griffin has never forgotten the horrific fire and murders that destroyed her family when she was a child. Decades later, while working as a crime-scene investigator, she encounters a case that brings the buried nightmare back into her life.

Fear Collector (2013)

This thriller plays with the terrifying idea of what might happen if the legacy of serial killer Ted Bundy were to continue through another generation. A police officer and a woman obsessed with Bundy become connected to a dangerous plan involving murder, manipulation and revenge.

Shocking True Story (2013)

Kevin Ryan is a true-crime writer desperate for a story that will finally make him a major bestseller. When an extraordinary crime lands in his lap, the professional opportunity begins to create unexpected dangers in his personal life.

The Last Thing She Ever Did (2018)

Liz and Owen appear to have a comfortable life surrounded by successful friends and perfect families. Everything changes when their friends’ young son disappears, and Liz must deal with the terrible secret she has been hiding.

Lying Next to Me (2019)

Adam Warner watches helplessly as his wife Sophie is apparently abducted while they are vacationing near Washington’s Hood Canal. As a detective investigates, the lives of two couples become increasingly intertwined, and hidden lies begin to emerge from seemingly ordinary marriages.

The Hive (2021)

The Hive is another standalone psychological thriller from Olsen. Like his other standalone fiction, it focuses on dark secrets and the frightening consequences that can emerge when apparently normal lives begin to fall apart.

I Know Where You Live (2022)

This standalone thriller revolves around the fear created when someone appears to know far too much about another person’s life. The novel explores suspicion, danger and the terrifying possibility that a seemingly private life is being watched from much closer than expected.

Gregg Olsen True Crime Books in Order

Gregg Olsen is also a prolific true-crime writer, and his nonfiction is separate from his fictional series. His subjects include notorious murders, missing-person cases, family abuse, serial killers and other real criminal cases.

1. Abandoned Prayers (1990)

Abandoned Prayers examines the disturbing case surrounding Eli Stutzman and the deaths connected to his life. Olsen reconstructs a story involving an Amish community, murder, obsession and a child whose death became one of the most haunting parts of the case.

2. Bitter Almonds (1993)

This true-crime book examines the Seattle-area cyanide poisoning case involving Stella Nickell. The investigation became especially notorious because poisoned headache capsules were used in an attempt to make murder look like an accidental product-related death.

3. Cruel Deception (1995)

Cruel Deception tells the disturbing story of a mother who repeatedly harmed her children while seeking attention through their illnesses. The book explores one of the early widely publicized cases involving Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

Note: This book was originally published as Mockingbird: A Mother, a Child, a Tragedy and later republished as Cruel Deception.

4. Starvation Heights (1997)

Olsen investigates the shocking story of Dr. Linda Hazzard’s institution near Seattle. Wealthy sisters Claire and Dora Williamson went there seeking treatment, but the experience became a nightmare of starvation, abuse, financial exploitation and murder.

5. If Loving You Is Wrong (1999)

This book examines the notorious case of Mary Kay Letourneau, a teacher whose relationship with one of her students resulted in a major criminal case. Olsen explores the people involved and the events that transformed the story into an international media sensation.

6. The Deep Dark (2005)

The Deep Dark moves away from a conventional murder investigation and examines a devastating mining disaster in Idaho. Olsen focuses not only on the disaster itself but also on the people and community affected by the tragedy.

7. A Twisted Faith (2010)

This book investigates the death of Dawn Hacheney, a minister’s wife whose body was discovered after a house fire. Olsen uncovers the strange circumstances surrounding her death and the investigation that revealed she had already been dead before the fire began.

8. If I Can’t Have You (2014)

Olsen and Rebecca Morris investigate the disappearance of Susan Powell, who vanished from her Utah home in 2009. The book follows the investigation and the disturbing family circumstances surrounding her disappearance and the subsequent deaths of her children.

9. A Killing in Amish Country (2016)

This book examines the murder of Barbara Weaver and the relationship that led to her death. Olsen explores the Amish community, Eli Weaver’s secret online life and the plot that developed around the murder.

10. If You Tell (2019)

If You Tell is one of Olsen’s best-known true-crime books and tells the story of sisters Nikki, Sami and Tori Knotek. The sisters endured years of horrifying abuse from their mother, Shelly, and eventually found the strength to escape the nightmare and seek justice.

11. The Amish Wife (2024)

The Amish Wife returns to the Amish community and examines the murder of Ida Stutzman. Olsen investigates the secrets, relationships and events surrounding the case and asks how a killer was able to escape justice for so long.

12. Out of the Woods (2025)

Out of the Woods tells the story of Shasta Groene, a girl whose childhood was shattered after she was kidnapped and subjected to horrific abuse. Olsen follows the case while also examining the lifelong impact of what happened to her.

13. By the River’s Edge (2026)

By the River’s Edge examines the murders of three women whose bodies were discovered along Washington’s Spokane River in 1990. The investigation remained unsolved for 22 years before DNA evidence pointed investigators toward Douglas Perry, creating an extraordinary story involving identity, serial murder and a decades-long search for justice.

14. The Back Bedroom (2026)

The Back Bedroom is a true-crime short story about the 1976 death of three-year-old Davey Weilbacher in Washington State. Olsen examines the disturbing role of a self-proclaimed prophet and the years of abuse, manipulation and violence that took place behind the closed doors of the family’s home.

Other Gregg Olsen True-Crime and Related Books

Olsen has also published additional true-crime collections, shorter works and books with coauthors. These include Bodies of Evidence, Bitch on Wheels, Dangerous Dozen, Overkill, Bloody Sequins, Unnatural Causes and several other crime collections. His website also lists Killer Year, an anthology edited by Lee Child that contains Olsen’s short story The Crime of My Life.

Because these collections sometimes contain previously published material, I would not treat every collection as a separate essential Gregg Olsen book when building a reader’s personal reading order.

What Is the Best Gregg Olsen Series to Start With?

If you prefer modern police thrillers, start with the Detective Megan Carpenter series and read Snow Creek first. It gives you a continuing protagonist, recurring personal storylines and a clear six-book reading order.

If you prefer forensic crime investigations, the Waterman & Stark books are a good choice. Birdy Waterman’s forensic work and Kendall Stark’s police investigations create a strong procedural element, while the later Brenda Nevins storyline becomes increasingly interconnected.

For psychological standalone thrillers, Lying Next to Me or The Last Thing She Ever Did are good entry points. Neither requires you to know another Olsen book beforehand.

And if your main interest is true crime, If You Tell is probably the most recognizable starting point, followed by The Amish Wife, Out of the Woods or By the River’s Edge, depending on which type of case interests you most.

Gregg Olsen Books: Quick Reading Guide

The exact total can vary depending on whether short stories, anthologies, box sets, alternate editions and coauthored books are counted. Goodreads currently lists more than 120 distinct works associated with Olsen, while dedicated bibliography sites count only the major individual books.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Gregg Olsen written?

The number depends on what is included. Goodreads currently lists more than 120 distinct works, but that figure includes different editions and other associated works; Olsen’s current bibliography includes dozens of individual fiction and nonfiction books.

What is Gregg Olsen’s most popular book?

If You Tell is one of Gregg Olsen’s most widely read books and is among his best-known works. It tells the true story of three sisters who survived years of abuse and eventually broke free from their mother’s control.

Are Gregg Olsen’s books connected?

Some are, but many are not. His named series have recurring characters and should generally be read in order, while his standalone novels and most true-crime books can be read independently.

Which Gregg Olsen series should I read first?

For a continuing detective series, Detective Megan Carpenter is an excellent starting point. For forensic investigations, try Waterman & Stark, while readers who prefer shorter series may enjoy Nicole Foster or Emily Kenyon.

Is The Bone Box before Victim Six?

Chronologically, The Bone Box is labeled Book 0.5, but it was published in 2012, after Victim Six and Closer Than Blood. For a first read, you can either read it as a prequel before Victim Six or follow publication order and read it after the first two novels.

Is The Girl on the Run the same as Run?

Yes. The Girl on the Run has also been published under the shorter title Run, so readers may see both titles when looking for the first Vengeance book.

Final Thoughts

Gregg Olsen’s bibliography is unusually varied, moving between police procedurals, psychological thrillers, young adult mysteries and real-life crime stories. That means there isn’t one single reading order that makes sense for everything he has written.

For fiction readers, the easiest route is to choose one series and follow its individual order, with Detective Megan Carpenter being a particularly good place to begin. For true-crime readers, Olsen’s books can generally be read independently, so you can choose a case such as If You Tell, The Amish Wife, Out of the Woods or his 2026 book By the River’s Edge based on your interests.

The important thing for readers is that Gregg Olsen’s books are not simply one long series. They form several separate fictional worlds alongside a substantial true-crime bibliography, so knowing which books belong together makes choosing your next Olsen book much easier.

Written by

Emon Anam

Hi, I’m Emon. I’m the voice and heart behind Whimsy Read. After nine years in the world of banking, I followed my passion for storytelling into the world of SEO and content strategy. Now, I blend that analytical eye with a deep love for literature to bring you book reviews that are thoughtful, honest, and always focused on the stories that stay with you. When I’m not reading or writing, you’ll find me enjoying joyful chaos with my wife and three kids, getting lost in a new series, or revisiting my old loves: theater, music, and gaming. At the end of the day, I believe great books are meant to be shared, and I’m so glad you’re here to share them with me.