All Books by Val McDermid in Reading Orde

Valarie McDermid, a Scottish novelist who specializes in crime fiction plots was born on 4th June 1955, in Kirkcaldy, Scotland.

Her works have been widely recognized and appreciated worldwide with their excellent and fast-paced story plots, and intriguing and well-portrayed characters. She has also received a Crime Writer’s Association Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel of the Year.

In this article, you will find all of Val McDermid’s Book series, standalone novels, short stories, graphic novels, and novellas in a list with the series in reading order.

Allie Burns Series

This is an amazing murder mystery series with a total of 2 books and can be a great choice for readers looking for a well-written murder mystery book, but are not too sure about committing to a huge series.

Begin with: 1979- To begin the series, this book brings us a mysterious crime thriller plot, intriguing characters, and the atmosphere of the late 70s. The protagonist, Allie Burns is a journalist with a knack for adventures which leads her to the dark side of the town where lies corruption and crime.

Allie Burns and Danny Sullivan are two characters that have been skillfully portrayed and as you read, it will unravel the mysteries and blow your mind away.

Here are all the books in chronological/reading order from the Allie Burns Series:

  1. 1979
  2. 1989

Inspector Karen Pirie Series

Being filled with engaging, emotionally rich plots and characters, this series develops an emotional connection between the readers and the protagonist which only makes the book more interesting to read.

Begin with: The Distant Echo- To begin the series, this book delivers an incredibly mysterious murder plot that relates to real-world situations, impacts, and the toll of murder along with intriguing and complex characters which make it an excellent read.

The book presents the story of 4 drunk friends who stumble upon the dead body of a woman and as one would expect, were suspected and accused by the people of the town of having done the dreadful deed.

However, it is not quite that straightforward. When the case is re-opened after 25 years, mysterious things start happening around Alex, the protagonist starting with the murder of two of his friends and much more.

Here are all the books in chronological/reading order from the Inspector Karen Pirie Series:

  1. The Distant Echo
  2. A Darker Domain
  3. The Skeleton Road
  4. Out of Bounds
  5. Broken Ground
  6. Still Life

Kate Brannigan Series

This is another one of the amazing crime thriller series with fast-paced writing, great characters, and a fun-to-read story plot.

Begin with: Dead Beat- To start off the series, Dead Beat brings us a murder mystery novel with great characters and fun to read story plot. This book features the protagonist, Kate Brannigan, a private investigator on a case to find a missing girl named Moira.

As the story progresses, it becomes more complicated involving the underbelly of London with murder and mystery. This series will keep you on the edge of your seat with a fun plot, a faced-paced story, intriguing characters, and an excellent atmosphere.

Here are all the books in chronological/reading order from the Kate Brannigan Series:

  1. Dead Beat
  2. Kick Back
  3. Crack Down
  4. Clean Break
  5. Blue Genes
  6. Star Struck

Lindsay Gordon Series

This series is the most controversial one in the entire list, you will either love it or hate it, there is no in-between mainly due to the protagonist.

Begin with: Report for Murder- This book features Lindsay Gordon, a feminist and a journalist who gets involved in a weird murder mystery. The story begins with her visiting her old school for a fund-raising event and ends up investigating the murder of Lorna Smith, a singer and former student who was supposed to perform that day.

As the investigation continues, Gordon is faced with mystery and complexity which makes it more exciting to read. Lindsay Gordon is introduced as a rude, stubborn, and arrogant person and her character develops through the series.

Here are all the books in chronological/reading order from the Lindsay Gordon Series:

  1. Report for Murder
  2. Common Murder
  3. Final Edition / Open and Shut / Deadline for Murder
  4. Union Jack / Conferences Are Murder
  5. Booked for Murder
  6. Hostage to Murder

Tony Hill / Carol Jordan Series

This series has the most twisted, gruesome, and unsettling books, the brutal crimes are well described in detail and may not be recommended for the faint of heart people. However, if you like gruesome and violent plots with intriguing mysteries, this series would prove to be the best choice.

Begin with: The Mermaids Singing- This is the most twisted, brutal, and dark murder mystery novel which makes it the most loved book and series for readers who love murder mystery stories.

This book introduces 2 excellent protagonists, Tony Hill, and Carol Jordan. Hill is a doctor whereas Jordan is a detective. Both find themselves working together to find a killer who uses horrible and unorthodox techniques to take the lives of his victims. This series was renowned for its skillful style of writing, and excellent and fast-paced story, and has a total of 12 books.

Here are all the books in chronological/reading order from the Tony Hill / Carol Jordan Series:

  1. The Mermaids Singing
  2. The Wire in the Blood
  3. The Last Temptation
  4. The Torment of Others
  5. Beneath the Bleeding
  6. Fever of the Bone
  7. The Retribution
  8. Cross and Burn
  9. Splinter the Silence
  10. Insidious Intent
  11. Footloose
  12. How the Dead Speak

Non-Fiction Books

This series includes 3 brilliant non-fiction books by Val McDermid. The books in this series are filled with insights into the world of detectives, crime investigations, and more. These books are filled with real-world situations and crime insights. This series has no reading order, and you can feel free to pick any of these books and start reading.

Here are all the books from the Non-Fiction Series:

  1. A Suitable Job for a Woman
  2. Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA, and More Tell Us About Crime
  3. My Scotland

Standalone Novels

Along with all other series Val McDermid has written some excellent standalone novels which can be an excellent choice for people who want to experience the writing style along with the intriguing characters and brilliant story plot but are not too sure about committing to an entire series.

Here are all the books from the Standalone Novels:

  1. A Place of Execution
  2. Killing the Shadows
  3. The Grave Tattoo
  4. Trick of the Dark
  5. The Vanishing Point

Short Story Collections

Here are all the books from the Short Story Collection, and since they are short stories, they have no reading order and you can feel free to pick any book from the list and start reading.

Here are all the books from the Short Story Collections:

  1. Writing on the Wall and Other Stories
  2. Stranded
  3. Christmas is Murder

Graphic Novels

These novels are a great choice for younger readers, and here is a list of all graphic novels:

  1. Resistance
  2. My Granny Is a Pirate

Novellas

These are fun-to-read books and could be another great choice for readers who want to experience her writing style without having to commit to an entire series.

Here are all the Novellas in their release order:

  1. Cleanskin
  2. Life’s Too Short

Conclusion

In this article, you have seen all the brilliant works of Val McDermid including all book series arranged in reading order along with the standalone novels and more. Val McDermid’s talent and diversity are portrayed in the variety of genres written by her over decades.

With her specialty for murder mysteries and detective story plots and the details within are truly worthy of the praise it gets. This list will be intriguing to readers who love the mystery of crime thriller plots. So go ahead and pick any book or series you like and start reading. Happy reading to all!

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