All Tana French Books in Order (2024 Reading Guide)

Do you want a list of all Tana French books in order? If yes, you’ve come to the right place. This article features every book written by the author, including both her series and her standalone novels, in order of their release date!

If you love thrillers with lots of mystery, Tana French’s books are what you should pick up. She has written the best-selling Dublin Murder Squad series and started another called the Cal Hooper series.

Tana French is an American Irish woman who is a writer and an actress in the theater. She mainly worked in the arts when, in her 30s, she decided to pick up writing again. Her debut novel, In The Woods, is a murder mystery and the first book in The Dublin Murder Squad series.

This series has six books so far, with the last released in 2016. She also has two novels in her Cal Hooper series, with the latest, The Hunter, released in 2024. And then she has a standalone novel, which came out in 2018.

Her debut series was so successful that it inspired a television show called Dublin Murders. This show, starring Killian Scott and Sarah Greene, was filmed in Ireland and first aired in 2019, with eight episodes released.

But that’s not what you are here for; you are reading this article because you want to find out all the Tana French books released so far. So, let’s not waste any more time and get right on with the article!

Tana French’s Books in Order – The Dublin Murder Squad Series:

1. In The Woods (2007)

In The Woods is Tana French’s debut novel and the first book in The Dublin Murder Squad series. It focuses on Rob Ryan, a detective with a difficult past. When he was a child, he went out to play with two other friends in the woods. But when they don’t return home even after it’s dark, the police are called.

A search of the woods they went to led to the police discovering Rob Ryan, whose sneakers were filled with blood, and his memory was blank. Only he was found; his two friends were never found.

Now, Rob’s a detective, but he’s suffered from the pain of his trauma for the past two decades. But soon, a 12-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, and he and his partner Cassie Maddox end up investigating the case.

Rob Ryan will be forced to deal with the traumatic incident in his past that he can’t remember. The mind forgets for a reason, but secrets can’t stay buried forever, which is something Rob Ryan will learn the hard way.

2. The Likeness (2008)

In this second book in the series, The Likeness, the focus is now on Cassie Maddox, who has been struggling since the end of the first book. However, after transferring out of her old squad and starting a relationship with Detective Sam O’Neill, she feels she is on the right path.

Unfortunately for Cassie, things don’t stay calm for long. When a woman named Lexie Madison is murdered, it forces Cassie to get involved. Not only is the girl a dead ringer for her, but the ID she carried that read Lexie Madison isn’t even her real identity. It’s Cassie’s old identity when she was working as an undercover detective.

Cassie wanted to distance herself from anything to do with homicides. However, this case forces her to investigate and go undercover to figure out what happened to this woman.

3. Faithful Place (2010)

Faithful Place is the third book in the series, focusing on Frank Mackey. When he was 19 years old, he was set to run off to London with Rosie Daly, the girl he was in love with at the time. She never showed up the night they were supposed to leave, so he went to London alone.

Was he heartbroken? Of course, but Frank couldn’t stay in Dublin any longer. There were no opportunities for him here anyway.

Over the years, Frank has thought of Rosie but assumed she just wanted to go off on her own. However, when they discover Rosie’s old suitcase in an abandoned house in their old neighborhood, Frank realizes there might be more to Rosie’s disappearance than meets the eye.

Frank sets off to Dublin, determined to figure out what happened to the woman he loved all those years ago. With his background as a detective, if anyone can figure it out, he can.

4. Broken Harbor (2012)

Broken Harbor is the third entry in Tana French’s book list and the third book in the Dublin Murder Squad series.

There’s been an accident in Broken Harbor. Three of the four family members are dead, with one on the way to the hospital. Scorcher Kennedy is given the case. This one feels personal to him because many years ago, when he was a child, there was an incident at Broken Harbor, where they spent the summer. It’s a past Scorcher desperately wants to stay buried.

In the beginning, there isn’t any reason to believe the death of the Spain family is nothing more than a case of familicide. The father snapped and killed his family. However, the problem with this theory is that the evidence tells an entirely different story. It will end up connecting with his troubled past in ways he never even considered.

5. The Secret Place (2014)

The Secret Place focuses on Detective Stephen Moran, who has been bothered by a murder that happened a year earlier. A boy was found dead at a girl’s boarding school, and to date, no one has been able to figure out what happened. To make things more complicated, fellow detective’s daughter Holly and her peers seem to be involved in some way he can’t figure out.

The case went cold until Holly came into his office one day. She has a picture of the boy and written on it is: I know who killed him. This brings this year-old cold case to life again, and Stephen Moran is determined to solve it.

This is another Tana French novel full of twists and turns. At one point, you’ll think you know who the killer is, only to have the rug ripped out from underneath you when the truth comes out.

6. The Trespasser (2016)

The Trespasser is the sixth book in the Dublin Murder Squad series, and Stephen Moran is back with a new partner named Antoinette Conway. Initially, she was excited to start this job, but repeated harassment made Antoinette want to quit.

Before she can do anything about it, the partners are given a new case. It involves Aislinn Murray, who was found murdered. The first suspect is her boyfriend, and while other people in the department are convinced he is to blame, Antoinette isn’t so sure about that.

The more research she does on the case, the more she realizes that Aislinn was keeping some secrets. Not only that, but according to her friends, she was in danger. It’s a case that certainly isn’t going to be easy to solve, and with the continued harassment in her own life, Antoinette isn’t sure she can.

Tana French Books – Cal Hooper Series:

1. The Searcher (2020)

Starting as a standalone novel, Tana French turned this into a series called the Cal Hooper series. The Searcher is the first book in the series, focusing on Cal Hooper, a retired detective.

All he wants to do is relax and enjoy his golden years, as all retirees want to do. To achieve this goal, he moves to a small village in rural Ireland, perfect for spending the last few years of his life.

This plan is upended when a boy from the village asks Cal to help find his brother, who has been missing. Cal wants to say no… he should say no because he is retired and not supposed to be solving cases anymore. However, once a detective, always a detective.

We are who we are, and Cal is about to realize this firsthand when he agrees to help the boy solve the case.

2. The Hunter (2024)

The Hunter begins in a blazing summer when two men arrive in a small village in the West of Ireland. One of them is coming home. Both of them are coming to get rich. One of them is coming to die!

After an early retirement, Cal Hooper moved to rural Ireland to live peacefully. He has built a good relationship with a local woman, Lena, and he’s gradually turning Trey Reddy from a half-feral teenager into a good kid going good places.

But then Trey’s long-absent father reappears, bringing along an English millionaire and a scheme to find gold in the townland, and suddenly, everything the three of them have been building is under threat.

Cal and Lena are ready to do whatever it takes to protect Trey, but Trey doesn’t want protection. What she wants is revenge!

Standalone Novels by Tana French:

1. The Witch Elm (2018)

The first standalone novel from Tana French tells the story of Toby, whose life is going pretty well until he is beaten up and left for dead. After a fun night out with friends, Toby encounters two burglars who are attempting to rob a place, and they don’t take very well to being interrupted during the attempt.

After recovering from his injuries, Toby is a shell of his former self. To cope, he leaves and goes to stay with his Uncle Hugo. The man is dying and needs someone to care for him, so it works out for both of them. Hugo gets a caretaker, and Toby gets a chance to get his life back together.

Everything is going fine until a skull is found in the trunk of an elm tree in his Uncle’s garden. Once that skull is discovered, secrets from the past start to emerge.

FAQs About Tana French’s Books:

How Many Tana French Books Are There?

Tana French has written nine books—six are part of the Dublin Murder Squad series, two are part of the Cal Hooper series, and one is a standalone novel.

Are All Tana French Books Connected?

The six books in the Dublin Murder Squad series are connected, and the two books in the Cal Hooper series are connected. Her remaining book is a standalone novel and not connected to either series.

Do You Need to Read Tana French Books in Order?

You must read the books in the Dublin Murder Squad Series and the books in the Cal Hooper series in order. However, you can read the standalone novel whenever you want.

Does Tana French Have a New Book Coming Out Soon?

As of yet, there is no news about a new Tana French book coming out. Her latest book, The Hunter, was released on March 5, 2024!

Conclusion

And there we go, all you Tana French lovers out there! Tana French is mostly known for her Dublin Murder Squad series, which has even inspired a television show cast on BBC and Starz.

You don’t have to read all of Tana French books in order to understand why these books are so captivating. It’s only her Dublin Murder Squad series that should be read in order. I highly recommend you start with In The Woods and read the rest of the books in the series first.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab one of Tana French’s books and learn exactly why she is such a popular author in the crime and mystery genre and why all her books are so highly rated!

Recommended Authors:

• All Richard Osman Books in Order
• Stuart Gibbs’s Spy School Books in Order
• All Dan Brown Books in Order
• JD Robb’s In Death Series in Order
• All Alice Oseman Books in Order