Recommended Reading Path
To fully experience Catherine Ling's story, you should begin before her solo series starts. The character is introduced in the Eve Duncan series, sharing a deep emotional connection with Eve over their lost children. Here is the best way to read her adventures:
1. The Crucial Prequel (Eve Duncan Series)
- Chasing the Night (2010): Although this is Book 11 of the Eve Duncan series, it is the essential starting point for Catherine. She enlists Eve's help to find her kidnapped son, Luke.
2. The Catherine Ling Standalone Series
Once you've read her introduction, proceed with her dedicated series in publication order. This follows her ongoing operations, her relationship with her mentor Hu Chang, and the aftermath of reuniting with Luke:
- What Doesn't Kill You (2012): Catherine goes head-to-head with a rogue operative seeking a deadly poison developed by Hu Chang.
- Live to See Tomorrow (2014): Catherine travels to Tibet to rescue a kidnapped journalist, encountering Cameron, a man with dangerous secrets.
- Your Next Breath (2015): A shadowy figure begins targeting the people Catherine loves, forcing her to play a deadly game of survival.
- Vendetta (2018): Catherine must protect a CIA colleague's daughter from a ruthless threat, testing her skills and instincts to their absolute limits.
Crossover Appearances and Reading Caveats
Because Catherine Ling lives in Iris Johansen's interconnected thriller universe, she frequently appears in other Eve Duncan novels as a key ally. If you want to follow her entire journey, she makes notable appearances in the following books:
- Eve (2011), Quinn (2011), and Bonnie (2011): The central trilogy of the Eve Duncan series, where Catherine provides tactical support.
- Silencing Eve (2013): Catherine helps Joe Quinn and Jane MacGuire search for Eve when she is believed to be dead.