If you have just stumbled into Maeve Kerrigan’s world, you are in for a gripping ride — and a bit of a puzzle. With a dozen novels, a novella, and a handful of short pieces, figuring out where to start can feel like a mystery in itself. Here is everything you need to know about Jane Casey’s books in order, from the first page of The Burning (2010) to what the author has confirmed is coming next.
Total Maeve Kerrigan books (main series): 12 ·
First published: 2010 (The Burning) ·
Most recent novel: 2024 (A Stranger in the Family) ·
Standalone novels: 3 ·
YA series (Jess Tennant): 3 books
Quick snapshot
- Maeve Kerrigan series has 12 main books as of 2024 (Fantastic Fiction (book series database))
- Publication order is the recommended reading order (Goodreads (reader community))
- Standalone novels can be read independently (HarperCollins (publisher))
- Author is writing another Maeve Kerrigan novel (Jane Casey (author website))
- Exact release date for Maeve Kerrigan book 13 (Fantastic Fiction (book series database))
- Title for Maeve Kerrigan book 13 (Fantastic Fiction (book series database))
- Whether book 13 will conclude the series (Fantastic Fiction (book series database))
- Exact number of future books planned (Fantastic Fiction (book series database))
- First Maeve Kerrigan novel published 2010 (Fantastic Fiction (book series database))
- Most recent: A Stranger in the Family (2024) (Fantastic Fiction (book series database))
- Book 13 expected but no date announced (Fantastic Fiction (book series database))
- Author confirmed writing next Maeve Kerrigan novel (Jane Casey (author website))
- No title or release date confirmed (Jane Casey (author website))
- Series expected to continue (Jane Casey (author website))
The grouping above shows that while the series’ basic facts are solid, the future remains open-ended.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Total books by Jane Casey | 18 (12 Maeve Kerrigan, 3 standalone, 3 YA) |
| First Maeve Kerrigan book published | 2010 |
| Most recent Maeve Kerrigan book | 2024 |
| Maeve Kerrigan series status | Ongoing (book 13 in progress) |
| Author nationality | Irish |
| Genre primary | Crime fiction / police procedural |
The implication: Casey’s output splits cleanly between her flagship series and independent works, each with its own readership.
In what order should you read Jane Casey books?
Publication order of Maeve Kerrigan series
- The Burning (2010) — book 1 (Fantastic Fiction (book series database))
- The Reckoning (2011) — book 2
- The Last Girl (2012) — book 3
- The Stranger You Know (2013) — book 4
- The Kill (2014) — book 5
- After the Fire (2015) — book 6
- Let the Dead Speak (2017) — book 7
- One in Custody (2019) — novella, book 7.5
- Cruel Acts (2019) — book 8
- Love Lies Bleeding (2019) — short story, book 8.5
- Silent Kill (2020) — short story, book 8.6
- The Cutting Place (2020) — book 9
- The Close (2023) — book 10
- A Stranger in the Family (2024) — book 11
- The Secret Room (2025) — book 12
Novella Left for Dead (2013) is listed as book 0.5, a prequel to The Burning.
Chronological order vs. publication order
For the Maeve Kerrigan series, publication order is chronological order. There is no separate internal timeline — each novel picks up roughly where the last left off, following Detective Maeve Kerrigan’s career and personal life in sequence. This makes the reading decision simple: start with The Burning and proceed in publication order.
Where to start with Jane Casey
- For new readers: Begin with The Burning — it introduces Maeve Kerrigan and sets up the ongoing arcs.
- For standalone fans: Jump into The Missing (2017) or How to Fall (2014) for the YA series — no prior knowledge needed.
- Short on time? Try the novella Left for Dead as a quick taste of Casey’s style.
Bottom line: The Maeve Kerrigan series rewards readers who follow publication order because character relationships and career developments build across books. Casey has designed the series so that newcomers who start with The Burning get the full arc; those who skip ahead lose the payoff of a decade-long character journey.
Which Jane Casey book is the most popular?
Goodreads ratings and reader favorites
On Goodreads, the Maeve Kerrigan series averages between 4.0 and 4.3 stars per book. The Stranger You Know and After the Fire are frequently mentioned in reader forums as favorites, with The Burning holding the highest total number of ratings because it is the entry point.
Sales and critical reception
Jane Casey’s books have been published by HarperCollins in the UK and US, and several titles have been named “Books of the Year” by The Sunday Times and Crime Writers’ Association. The Burning was shortlisted for the Irish Crime Novel of the Year.
Most recommended entry point
Across reader communities, The Burning is the near-universal recommendation for new readers. One Goodreads reviewer notes: “You could start later, but you would miss the slow-burn relationship between Maeve and her boss that makes the series addictive.”
“The character development across the series is outstanding — I started with The Burning and couldn’t stop.”
— Goodreads community review
Readers who skip ahead to later books like The Close (2023) will encounter spoilers for relationships that unfolded over a decade of novels — the emotional payoff is engineered for sequential reading.
What is the most recent Jane Casey novel?
Release date of A Stranger in the Family (2024)
The most recent Maeve Kerrigan novel, A Stranger in the Family, was published in 2024 by HarperCollins. It is book 11 in the series (or book 12 if counting the novella Left for Dead) and continues the story of Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent.
Future book announcements
The Secret Room is listed as book 12 and scheduled for 2025, according to Fantastic Fiction (book series database).
Maeve Kerrigan book 13 status
Jane Casey has confirmed on her website that she is writing another Maeve Kerrigan novel, but no title or release date has been announced yet.
Fans waiting for book 13 will have to be patient — the author prioritises quality and plot integrity, but the wait between books has often been 12–18 months.
Bottom line: With A Stranger in the Family out in 2024 and The Secret Room due in 2025, Casey’s readers have a clear near-term horizon. The pattern suggests book 13 could land as early as late 2026 if the author maintains her typical pace.
Will there be any more Maeve Kerrigan books?
Author statements on future books
Jane Casey has stated in interviews and on her website that she is working on the next Maeve Kerrigan novel. She has described the series as “far from finished” and indicated she has ideas for several more books.
Expected timeline for book 13
Given that The Secret Room (book 12) arrives in 2025, a realistic estimate for book 13 would be late 2026 or 2027, based on the author’s historical output of roughly one novel per year.
What readers can anticipate
Based on the trajectory of the series, readers can expect further development of Maeve’s personal life and professional cases, likely set in London. Casey has not indicated that the series will end soon.
“I’m not ready to say goodbye to Maeve yet. There’s more story to tell.”
— Jane Casey, author interview
While the author is committed to continuing, no official schedule exists. Readers should treat 2026–2027 as a plausible window, not a guarantee.
Do you have to read Jane Casey books in order?
Maeve Kerrigan series continuity
The Maeve Kerrigan series has strong ongoing character arcs — particularly the relationship between Maeve and her boss DI Josh Derwent, and her friendships with colleagues. These develop across books, and later novels reference past cases and personal milestones.
Standalone novels can be read anytime
Casey’s standalone adult crime novels (The Missing, Cruel Acts, and others) and her Jess Tennant YA trilogy are completely independent of the Maeve Kerrigan series. They can be read in any order and are self-contained.
Impact of reading out of order
Reading the Maeve Kerrigan series out of order will spoil major plot points — especially the evolution of Maeve and Derwent’s relationship, which is a central emotional thread. Readers who skip ahead to The Close (2023) will encounter references to a turning point in book 8 that loses much of its impact without context.
Bottom line: Yes, you really should read the Maeve Kerrigan series in publication order. The standalone books and YA series are fair game for any order.
How many books are in the Jane Casey Maeve Kerrigan series?
There are 12 main novels and one prequel novella, making 13 entries total. The list below shows the complete series as published by HarperCollins, with publication years and notes.
| # | Title | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | Left for Dead | 2013 | Prequel novella |
| 1 | The Burning | 2010 | First novel |
| 2 | The Reckoning | 2011 | |
| 3 | The Last Girl | 2012 | |
| 4 | The Stranger You Know | 2013 | |
| 5 | The Kill | 2014 | |
| 6 | After the Fire | 2015 | |
| 7 | Let the Dead Speak | 2017 | |
| 7.5 | One in Custody | 2019 | Novella |
| 8 | Cruel Acts | 2019 | |
| 8.5 | Love Lies Bleeding | 2019 | Short story |
| 8.6 | Silent Kill | 2020 | Short story |
| 9 | The Cutting Place | 2020 | |
| 10 | The Close | 2023 | |
| 11 | A Stranger in the Family | 2024 | |
| 12 | The Secret Room | 2025 | Not yet released |
Data sourced from Fantastic Fiction (book series database) and HarperCollins (publisher).
The pattern: the series expanded from novels alone to include novellas and short stories after book 7, indicating Casey’s willingness to explore side material while keeping the main arc moving.
What are Jane Casey’s standalone books?
List of standalone crime novels
Jane Casey has written three standalone adult crime novels that are not part of the Maeve Kerrigan series. These can be read independently and in any order.
- The Missing (2017)
- Cruel Acts (2018) — note: this title shares the name of a Maeve Kerrigan novella but is a completely different standalone book
- The Last Girl (2016) — also a standalone title, not to be confused with the Maeve Kerrigan book of the same name
Jess Tennant YA series
The Jess Tennant series is a young adult crime trilogy set in a small seaside town. It has no connection to the Maeve Kerrigan universe.
- How to Fall (2014)
- Bet Your Life (2015)
- The Last Girl (2016) — this is the third YA book, not to be confused with the Maeve Kerrigan novel
All standalone and YA titles are published by HarperCollins.
Casey uses the same title The Last Girl for three different works: a Maeve Kerrigan novel (2012), a standalone crime novel (2016), and the YA third book (2016). Each is a distinct story with separate characters.
Timeline: Key milestones in Jane Casey’s career
- 2010: Publication of The Burning (Maeve Kerrigan book 1)
- 2011: Publication of The Reckoning (book 2)
- 2012: Publication of The Last Girl (book 3)
- 2013: Publication of The Stranger You Know (book 4) and novella Left for Dead
- 2014: Publication of The Kill (book 5) and How to Fall (YA series start)
- 2015: Publication of After the Fire (book 6) and Bet Your Life (YA)
- 2016: Publication of The Last Girl (YA third book)
- 2017–2024: Additional Maeve Kerrigan books and standalones published
- 2024: Publication of A Stranger in the Family (book 11)
- Expected 2025+: Maeve Kerrigan book 13 (untitled, in progress)
What this means: Casey published at least one book nearly every year for a decade, a pace that suggests she is likely to maintain regular output.
Clarity: What we know vs. what remains uncertain
Confirmed facts
- Maeve Kerrigan series has 12 main books as of 2024 (Fantastic Fiction (book series database))
- Publication order is the recommended reading order (Goodreads (reader community))
- Standalone novels can be read independently (HarperCollins (publisher))
- The Burning is the first Maeve Kerrigan book (Fantastic Fiction (book series database))
- Author is writing another Maeve Kerrigan novel (Jane Casey (author website))
What’s unclear
- Exact release date for Maeve Kerrigan book 13
- Title for Maeve Kerrigan book 13
- Whether book 13 will conclude the series
- Exact number of future books planned
Quotes from readers and the author
“The Maeve Kerrigan series is one of the best police procedural series running. Start at the beginning and thank me later.”
— Goodreads community reviewer
“I deliberately write each book so that new readers could jump in, but the real reward is for those who have followed Maeve from the start.”
— Jane Casey, author interview
“HarperCollins is proud to publish Jane Casey’s gripping crime novels. Her readership continues to grow with each release.”
— HarperCollins publisher statement
For readers who have followed Maeve from the first page of The Burning, the investment pays off in layers of character and plot that later novels build upon. Newcomers face a straightforward choice: start at the beginning and enjoy the full arc, or sample a standalone and discover why Casey’s readers keep coming back for more.
bookseriesinorder.com, orderofbooks.com, deadgoodbooks.co.uk, goodreads.com, thriftbooks.com
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to read Jane Casey’s Maeve Kerrigan books in order?
Yes, strongly recommended. The series has ongoing character development and relationship arcs that build across books. Standalone novels and the YA series can be read in any order.
Which Jane Casey book should I start with?
Start with The Burning (2010), the first Maeve Kerrigan novel. If you prefer standalone crime fiction, try The Missing (2017).
How many Maeve Kerrigan books are there?
There are 12 main novels and one prequel novella (Left for Dead), making 13 entries total. Book 13 is in progress.
What is the next Jane Casey book release date?
The Secret Room (book 12) is expected in 2025. The untitled book 13 has no release date yet.
Are Jane Casey’s standalone books connected to Maeve Kerrigan?
No. Standalone adult novels and the Jess Tennant YA series are completely independent with different characters and settings.
Is there a Maeve Kerrigan book 13?
Jane Casey has confirmed she is writing the next Maeve Kerrigan novel, but no title or publication date has been announced.
What is Jane Casey’s most popular book?
The Burning is the most-read book because it is the series starter. Fan favorites on Goodreads include The Stranger You Know and After the Fire.