Tracy Clark Books in Order: Cass Raines, Harriet Foster, and Every Mystery
Chicago crime writer Tracy Clark builds her mysteries around women investigators who have to work through more than the evidence in front of them. Her books explore murder, justice, grief, race, class, and the personal costs of investigating violent crimes, with Chicago playing an important role in the stories.
Clark has created two major mystery series. The Cass Raines books follow a former police officer who becomes a private investigator, while the Detective Harriet Foster novels center on a Chicago police detective working homicide cases. Both series can be enjoyed on their own, but reading each in publication order gives you the best introduction to the characters and their development.
This guide covers both series, Clark’s short fiction, and her standalone novel. It also distinguishes confirmed titles from forthcoming releases so you can choose what to read next.
1. Cass Raines Books in Order
The Cass Raines Chicago Mystery series follows Cassandra “Cass” Raines, a former Chicago police officer who now works as a private investigator. Cass knows the city’s streets and the realities of police work, but her investigations often take her into complicated personal situations where the truth is difficult to uncover.
The four novels are best read in publication order.
1. Broken Places (2018)
Cass Raines is a former police officer trying to make her way as a private investigator in Chicago. When a new case draws her into a troubled family’s world, she must work through conflicting accounts and painful secrets to discover what happened. The novel introduces Cass’s determined personality, complicated relationships, and commitment to finding answers.
2. Borrowed Time (2019)
Cass takes on another investigation in which the people involved have much to lose. As she follows the evidence, the case exposes hidden tensions and forces her to confront the difference between what people say and what their actions reveal. The novel continues Cass’s development as a private investigator navigating Chicago’s difficult realities.
3. What You Don’t See (2020)
Cass becomes involved in a case concerning a celebrity who is being stalked. Working alongside her former police partner, she tries to determine who is behind the unwanted attention and whether the threat is more dangerous than it first appears. The investigation tests Cass’s instincts and her ability to recognize what others overlook.
4. Runner (2021)
Cass searches for Ramona Titus, a fifteen-year-old girl who has run away from her foster home during a brutal Chicago winter. As Cass investigates the disappearance, she uncovers the troubled circumstances surrounding the teenager’s life and the adults responsible for her care. The case becomes a race to find Ramona before the cold and the dangers of the streets put her beyond reach.
Recommended reading order: Broken Places → Borrowed Time → What You Don’t See → Runner.
Start with Broken Places if you want to understand Cass’s background before following her into later cases.
2. Detective Harriet Foster Books in Order
The Detective Harriet Foster series follows Chicago police detective Harriet “Harri” Foster as she investigates murders and confronts the personal and professional pressures of police work. Foster is a determined investigator whose cases often expose the connections between past wrongdoing, present violence, and the people who try to escape accountability.
The series currently contains four books, published between 2023 and 2025.
1. Hide (2023)
Harriet Foster is grieving the sudden death of her partner when a young red-haired woman is found murdered in downtown Chicago. The victim’s wrists and ankles are marked with red lipstick, and another killing suggests a serial offender may be targeting women with similar features. Foster must investigate the pattern while adjusting to a new team and trying to establish trust with her new partner.
2. Fall (2023)
Foster returns for another case that challenges her investigative instincts and her understanding of the people around her. The second novel continues the series’ focus on complicated motives, dangerous secrets, and the emotional toll of pursuing justice.
Read this after Hide to follow Foster’s story in publication order.
3. Echo (2024)
A body is discovered near Hardwicke House, home to Belverton College’s exclusive Minotaur Society. The death recalls a student tragedy from thirty years earlier, when hazing led to another death at the same location. Foster and her partner, Detective Vera Li, must determine whether the cases are connected while Foster also faces a dangerous game involving a mysterious figure known as the Voice.
4. Edge (2025)
A tainted drug begins claiming lives, drawing Foster and her colleagues into an investigation with serious consequences for Chicago. The fourth novel continues the series’ crime-procedural approach, bringing the detective into contact with the human cost of dangerous drugs and the people connected to their distribution.
Recommended reading order: Hide → Fall → Echo → Edge.
Although each book has its own investigation, reading the novels in order is the best way to follow Foster’s character development and the consequences of earlier events.
3. Lucky Thirteen: Tracy Clark’s Short Fiction
Lucky Thirteen (2021)
Lucky Thirteen is a short story by Tracy Clark, included in the crime anthology Midnight Hour. It is separate from the four main Cass Raines novels and the four Detective Harriet Foster novels.
Readers interested in Clark’s short fiction can add it to their reading list after exploring her main mystery series. It is not a required installment in either series.
4. Tracy Clark’s Standalone Novel
Not every Tracy Clark mystery belongs to a continuing series. Her standalone work offers an alternative for readers who want a complete story without beginning another multi-book sequence.
You’ll Never Find Me (January 12, 2027, forthcoming)
This standalone novel follows a young woman who flees her corrupt family in search of a home and a life of her own. The story focuses on resilience, redemption, and the difficult process of building a future after leaving a damaging environment.
The book is scheduled for January 12, 2027. As of October 2026, it is forthcoming rather than an already released novel.
5. Tracy Clark Books in Publication Order
If you want to read Tracy Clark’s novels chronologically, the following list combines both major series. You can read the books in this order without alternating between series, but the dates below show where each novel falls in her publication history.
| Publication year | Book | Series |
| 2018 | Broken Places | Cass Raines |
| 2019 | Borrowed Time | Cass Raines |
| 2020 | What You Don’t See | Cass Raines |
| 2021 | Runner | Cass Raines |
| 2023 | Hide | Detective Harriet Foster |
| 2023 | Fall | Detective Harriet Foster |
| 2024 | Echo | Detective Harriet Foster |
| 2025 | Edge | Detective Harriet Foster |
| 2027, forthcoming | You’ll Never Find Me | Standalone |
Lucky Thirteen (2021) is a short story rather than a full-length novel, so it is listed separately.
6. Which Tracy Clark Series Should You Read First?
Both series are good starting points, but they offer slightly different experiences.
- Choose Cass Raines if you prefer private-investigator mysteries, cases involving missing people, and a protagonist with a background in law enforcement.
- Choose Harriet Foster if you enjoy police procedurals, homicide investigations, and cases that connect present-day crimes with older secrets.
- Choose Broken Places if you want to start with Clark’s first Cass Raines novel and follow the series from its beginning.
- Choose Hide if you prefer to start with the Detective Harriet Foster series.
- Choose You’ll Never Find Me when it becomes available if you want a standalone story rather than a continuing detective series.
You do not need to read the Cass Raines novels before starting Harriet Foster. The two series feature different protagonists and can be read independently.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tracy Clark Books
How many Tracy Clark books are there?
For the Chicago crime novelist Tracy Clark, the main bibliography includes eight novels across two four-book series: Cass Raines and Detective Harriet Foster. She has also published the short story Lucky Thirteen and has a standalone novel, You’ll Never Find Me, scheduled for January 2027.
What is the first Tracy Clark book to read?
Broken Places (2018) is the first Cass Raines novel and a strong starting point for readers who want to follow Clark’s crime fiction from the beginning. If you prefer the Detective Harriet Foster series, start with Hide (2023).
Do the Cass Raines books need to be read in order?
Yes, publication order is recommended. Start with Broken Places, followed by Borrowed Time, What You Don’t See, and Runner. Each book has its own case, but reading in order gives you a better understanding of Cass’s character and background.
Do I need to read Cass Raines before Harriet Foster?
No. Cass Raines and Harriet Foster are separate protagonists in separate series. You can begin with either Broken Places or Hide, depending on whether you prefer private-investigator mysteries or police procedurals.
What is the order of the Harriet Foster books?
Read Hide (2023), Fall (2023), Echo (2024), and Edge (2025). This order follows the series’ publication sequence and is the best way to follow Harriet Foster’s continuing story.
Is Edge the latest Detective Harriet Foster book?
Yes. Edge, published in December 2025, is the fourth and latest published book in the Detective Harriet Foster series. No later installment was listed on the author’s official website at the time of writing.
Is You’ll Never Find Me part of a series?
No. The author lists You’ll Never Find Me as a standalone novel. It is scheduled for January 12, 2027, and is not currently identified as a Cass Raines or Harriet Foster installment.
Did Tracy Clark write Lucky Thirteen?
Yes. Lucky Thirteen is a short story by Tracy Clark that appeared in the crime anthology Midnight Hour. It is separate from her full-length detective novels.
About Tracy Clark
Tracy Clark is a Chicago-based crime novelist known for the Cass Raines Chicago Mystery series and the Detective Harriet Foster series. Her mysteries combine police and private-investigator work with character-driven storytelling, exploring the ways personal history, social pressures, and difficult choices shape the search for justice.
Clark’s novels have received recognition from the crime-fiction community, including awards for Borrowed Time, Runner, and Hide. Her work is particularly appealing to readers who enjoy contemporary mysteries with strong investigators, a vivid sense of place, and attention to the human consequences of crime.
Final Note
If you want to read Tracy Clark’s books in order, begin with Broken Places for Cass Raines or Hide for Harriet Foster. Each series has four novels, and both offer satisfying investigations grounded in Chicago’s people and places.
After finishing the two series, add Lucky Thirteen for a shorter mystery and keep an eye out for You’ll Never Find Me, scheduled for January 2027. That gives you a clear path through Clark’s published crime fiction without mixing in books by authors who happen to share her name.
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