Books On Board
series Reading Order

Collins-Burke Mystery Books in Order

13 Books
2006 – 2024 Published
Jump to reading order
Affiliate links: We may earn a commission on purchases made at no extra cost to you.
Reading order

How to Read the Collins-Burke Mystery Series

While the Collins-Burke series by Anne Emery consists of 14 novels, three of them step back in time to explore crucial backstories. Despite these timeline jumps, reading in publication order is highly recommended. The core relationship between criminal defense attorney Monty Collins and Father Brennan Burke, along with Monty's turbulent personal life and Brennan's complex family dynamics, develops sequentially over the course of the real-world timeline.

Collins-Burke Books in Publication Order

Following the publication order allows you to experience the characters' growth as the author originally intended. Here is the complete list of Collins-Burke mysteries:

  1. Sign of the Cross (2006) – The award-winning debut where Monty defends Brennan Burke against a double murder charge.
  2. Obit (2007) – A coded obituary leads the duo to New York to confront Burke family secrets.
  3. Barrington Street Blues (2008) – Monty investigates an apparent murder-suicide in Halifax.
  4. Cecilian Vespers (2009) – A choir director's murder reveals links to Rome and Germany.
  5. Children in the Morning (2010) – A complex psychological mystery involving Monty's daughter.
  6. Death at Christy Burke's (2011) – Set in Dublin, diving into Irish republicanism.
  7. Blood on a Saint (2013) – A Halifax murder with connections to theological controversies.
  8. Ruined Abbey (2015) – A prequel set in 1989 London during the height of the Troubles.
  9. Lament for Bonnie (2016) – The search for a missing girl leads Monty into the Halifax music scene.
  10. Though the Heavens Fall (2018) – A prequel set in 1995 Belfast during a fragile IRA ceasefire.
  11. Postmark Berlin (2020) – A Cold War mystery unfolding in Halifax and Germany.
  12. Fenian Street (2022) – A prequel set in 1969–1975 Dublin that introduces Garda recruit Shay Rynne.
  13. Counted Among the Dead (2024) – A gripping Halifax case involving a client accused of killing his wife.
  14. Declan (2026) – The latest entry, following Father Brennan Burke's father returning to Ireland.

Chronological Timeline & Prequels

If you prefer to trace the historical timeline from the beginning, you can read the three prequel novels first, though they are best appreciated with some prior knowledge of the characters. Here is how the chronological timeline shapes up:

  • Fenian Street (set 1969–1975 in Dublin) – Focuses on a young Shay Rynne, with Father Brennan Burke playing a supporting role.
  • Ruined Abbey (set in 1989 in London) – Focuses on Father Brennan Burke's family crisis and his early crossover with Monty Collins.
  • Though the Heavens Fall (set in 1995 in Belfast) – Explores the tension of the Troubles through Monty and Brennan's eyes.
  • The remaining novels in the series follow a contemporary timeline beginning with Sign of the Cross (set in 2006) and progressing to Declan (set in 2026).

Spin-offs and Standalones

While there are no co-authored books or official spin-offs in the Collins-Burke universe, Anne Emery has written one standalone historical mystery: The Keening: A Mystery of Gaelic Ireland (2021). Set in seventeenth-century Ireland, this book is completely separate from the Collins-Burke series but shares the author's trademark historical depth and Irish focus.

Frequently Asked

QWhat is the recommended starting point for the Collins-Burke series?

The best place to start is with the first published book, Sign of the Cross (2006), which introduces the main characters and won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel.

QHow many books are in the Collins-Burke series?

There are 14 novels in the main Collins-Burke Mystery series, ending with the June 2026 release of Declan.

QWhat is the chronological order of the Collins-Burke prequels?

Chronologically, the prequels are ordered as follows: Fenian Street (set in 1969–1975), followed by Ruined Abbey (set in 1989), and then Though the Heavens Fall (set in 1995).

QWho are the two main protagonists of the series?

The series revolves around the unlikely crime-solving duo of Monty Collins, a blues-playing criminal defense lawyer, and Father Brennan Burke, a brilliant but headstrong Catholic priest.

QWhere does the Collins-Burke Mystery series take place?

The series is primarily set in Halifax, Nova Scotia, though the plots regularly take the characters to Ireland (Dublin, Belfast), London, New York, and Germany.

QIs "The Keening" part of the Collins-Burke series?

No. The Keening (2021) is a standalone historical mystery set in 17th-century Gaelic Ireland and does not feature Monty Collins or Father Brennan Burke.