The Recommended Reading Order
Because the series follows Annie Graham's closely knit personal arc—including her recovery from an abusive marriage, her developing relationship and marriage to Will Ashworth, and her eventual pregnancy and motherhood—you should absolutely read the Annie Graham books in publication order. The plot threads of the crime investigations are standalone, but Annie's life and her psychic sensitivity to supernatural forces develop sequentially.
- The Ghost House (2013) – Annie takes a job caretaking her brother's farmhouse and uncovers a century-old diary in a ruined mansion, drawing her into a contemporary search for a serial killer.
- The Secrets of the Shadows (2014) – Six months later, a body draped over a gravestone and the ghost of a little girl lead Annie to a 1984 disappearance.
- The Forgotten Cottage (2014) – Annie and her fiancé Will move into a cottage that hides dark, supernatural secrets from the past.
- The Lake House (2015) – A serial killer she once caught escapes for revenge, while a terrifying presence stalks a local cellar.
- The Girls in the Woods (2016) – While pregnant and trying to avoid active duty, a skeleton in the woods and the disappearance of her niece pull Annie back in.
- The Face Behind the Mask (2017) – On maternity leave, Annie is targeted by a modern serial killer wearing a clown mask with links to a 1950s case.
Are There Spin-offs or Crossovers?
While Helen Phifer has written several other popular crime series (such as the Lucy Harwin, Beth Adams, Maria Miller, and Morgan Brookes series), they are completely independent. They often share the same eerie English atmosphere—often set around Cumbria and the Lake District—but there are no crossovers or shared characters. There are also no co-authored books or companion novellas in the Annie Graham series, making this a straightforward six-book read.