How to Read the Brad Miller & Dana Cutler Series
Phillip Margolin's thrillers featuring junior attorney Brad Miller and private investigator Dana Cutler are best read in publication order. Because the characters' personal lives, careers, and the overarching political conspiracies develop chronologically, skipping ahead will spoil key plot points from previous cases.
Brad Miller Books in Publication & Chronological Order
This series flows in a straight line, making it incredibly easy to follow. Start with the book that introduced the duo and read straight through to the end:
- Executive Privilege (2008) — Brad Miller, a junior associate in Portland, and private investigator Dana Cutler are drawn into a dangerous case linking the murders of young college women to the President of the United States.
- Supreme Justice (2010) — Brad and Dana team up again when a conspiracy involving a Supreme Court Justice, a death row appeal, and a mysterious ghost ship puts their lives in immediate danger.
- Capitol Murder (2012) — In the concluding chapter of what is often called the "Washington Trilogy," the duo faces a terrorist plot, a missing senator, and the return of an escaped serial killer.
- Sleight of Hand (2013) — Often described as a standalone follow-up, this fourth book continues the stories of Brad and Dana as they work to thwart a sociopathic killer attempting to execute the perfect crime.
Where Should You Start?
You should absolutely start with Executive Privilege. It establishes the partnership between Brad and Dana, introduces their distinct professional backgrounds (Dana's history as an ex-cop and Brad's early struggles as a junior lawyer), and kicks off the high-stakes political intrigue that defines the trilogy. Jumping into the later books without this foundation makes the character motivations and recurring plot threads much harder to follow.