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Looking for information about Tana French books in order?
You’ve come to the right place.
Tana French is an American-Irish novelist whose novels feature detectives, crimes, and mysteries.
Tana French was born in Vermont and lived in several countries before settling in Ireland in 1990. She was a theatrical actress and wrote her first novel in her thirties.
Since then, French has been unstoppable in writing incredible stories.
Moreover, her debut novel and series, Dubin Murder Squad, made a significant impact in the literary world, winning numerous awards, including the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, and Barry Awards.
Before we proceed, here is the link to our article about Tana French, if you’d like to learn more about the author.
How To Read Tana French Books In Order?
Before delving into crime and mysteries, let’s look for her series Dublin Murder Squad order.
It is recommended that you read them in chronological order to fully grasp the pace and dynamic that Tana French has set.
The Dublin Murder Squad Series
Starting with Dublin Murder Squad, here is Tana French’s series order and a brief synopsis of each to keep your interest piqued:
In The Woods (2007)
In the summer of 1948, mothers called their children home as the sunset in a small Dublin suburb. Unfortunately, three children did not return home one evening.
The police could only find one boy. He clutched a tree trunk, wore filthy and bloody sneakers, and couldn’t remember anything about what had happened to him or the other two boys.
Rob Ryan, the found kid in the woods, is now a detective in the Dublin Murder Squad and prefers to keep his past hidden.
However, after a 12-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and his partner in the detective squad, Cassie Maddox, are called in to investigate the case.
With uncanny similarities to his past, Ryan uses snippets from his past as clues to solve this case and finally learn what happened all those years ago.
Click here to read “In The Woods”
The Likeness (2008)
Detective Cassie Maddox is transferred out of the Dublin Murder Squad after encountering a psychopath.
When she begins dating fellow detective Sam O’Neill, he invites her to his new case’s crime scene. Upon arrival, she notices that the murdered girl resembles her.
Cassie also discovers her ID with the name, Lexie Madison, which Cassie used as an undercover agent years ago.
With no other options, Cassie’s former boss, Frank Mackey, suggested that she goes undercover as the deceased girl to find her murderer.
To solve this mystery, order the book now.
Faithful Place (2010)
Frank Mackey was nineteen when he decided he wanted out of the Faithful Place and his dysfunctional family. He and his girlfriend, Rosie Daly, plan to flee to London, get jobs, and live their best lives together.
However, Rosie did not show up when they were supposed to run. Frank never returned to the Place, believing Rosie had changed her mind.
Twenty-two years later, Rosie’s suitcase is discovered behind a fireplace in a run-down house, and Frank, now a detective, is called in.
Frank is drawn back into the web of his dysfunctional family and mystery town, and despite several obstacles, he is determined to find out what happened to Rosie.
This book is available on Amazon.
Broken Harbor (2012)
Patrick Spain, the owner of one of Ireland’s half-abandoned luxury complexes, and his two children were murdered, and his wife, Jenny, is in critical condition. The case is assigned to Detective Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy.
Scorcher considered it an essay case, but too many things don’t add up, from the half-dozen baby monitors pointing to holes in the walls to missing files from the family computer to Jenny’s story about an intruder.
He is also having difficulty ignoring his childhood memories of Broken Harbor.
Get your copy on Amazon.
The Secret Place (2014)
Detective Stephan Moran has just joined the Dublin Murder Squad when teenager Holly Mackey walks into his office with a photo of a boy who was killed a year ago in an all-girls school, posted on The Secret Place, the school’s anonymous gossip board, with the caption “I KNOW WHO KILLED HIM”.
Then, Moran, along with Detective Antoinette Conway, reopens the case to determine the extent of the crime.
But every clue points to Holly’s close-knit friend circle, and Moran soon realizes that even the underworld of teenage girls is a mystery.
To buy this book, click here.
Check out this list of books if you are looking for more bone-chilling stories.
The Trespasser (2016)
Detective Antoinette Conway is bored, pranked, and harassed at work. Everyone at Dublin Murder Squad urges her to close a lover quarrel gone wrong case quickly.
Aislinn Murray was punched and found dead in her home, and her lover boy is the prime suspect. Conway and her partner, Stephan Moran, believe someone else wanted to harm Aislinn.
But the longer Conway works on this case, the more paranoid she becomes about it and her colleagues.
Get the book on Amazon.
Standalone Novels
We continue the list of Tana French books in order with her standalone novels, as they appear in chronological order.
The Witch Elm (2018)
Toby’s night of celebrating with friends went wrong when he was beaten and left to die by burglars. He took refuge at his ancestral home to heal from his injuries and care for his dying uncle, Hugo.
When a skull is discovered in the trunk of an elm tree in Toby’s garden, he finds himself in the middle of a criminal investigation and long-buried family secrets.
Get your book copy from Amazon.
The Searcher (2020)
Cal Hooper seeks peace after a divorce and retirement from the police force in a remote village. His only plans are to repair his house, hike in the mountains, and catch fish.
Cal’s detective instincts kick in when a local teenager approaches him for help in finding his missing brother. Cal soon discovers that even the smallest villages hold the most dangerous secrets as he delves deeper into this mystery.
Order this book on Amazon.
Now that you’re all caught up on Tana French novels in order, it’s time to start reading them. Each book, from Dublin Murder Squad to her standalone stories, French, each book is worth reading.
FAQ
How many Tana French books are published so far?
Tana French has published eight books so far.
Are there any film adaptations of Tana French books?
Yes, the first two books of Dublin Murder Squad have been adapted into the crime series.
What to read after Tana French?
The following are the must-read novels once you are finished with Tana French books and crave for similar thrillers:
- “The Sebastien Grey Novels” by Ryburn Dobbs
- “Sharp Objects” by Gillian Flynn
- “An Unkindness of Ravens” by Ruth Rendell
- “The Shapeshifters” by Stefan Spjut
Now you know how to read Tana French books in order and we hope our article has been useful for you. And if you are looking for new authors like Tana French, check out this article on our blog.