The Recommended Reading Path
If you want to experience the origin story of Simon McCleave's most famous detective, the DC Ruth Hunter Murder File series is your perfect starting point. Set in South London during the late 1990s, this gritty prequel series reveals the formative experiences that shaped Detective Constable Ruth Hunter before she became a Detective Inspector in North Wales.
Because the series consists of four tightly-plotted novels released in quick succession, we recommend reading them in their strict publication and chronological order:
- Diary of a War Crime (2021)
- The Razor Gang Murder (2021)
- An Imitation of Darkness (2021)
- London, SE15 (2021)
By following this sequence, you will watch the evolving partnership between Ruth Hunter and her colleague, Lucy Henry, and trace Ruth's personal struggles in a hostile Metropolitan Police environment before she ultimately decides to leave London behind.
Chronological Order vs. Publication Order
When approaching Simon McCleave's Ruth Hunter universe, readers generally face a choice between two reading paths: chronological order or publication order.
The Chronological Path
On this path, you start with the DC Ruth Hunter Murder File series first, beginning with Diary of a War Crime. This path allows you to meet Ruth at the start of her detective career in 1997. You get to see her early struggles with Metropolitan Police corruption, institutional prejudice, and the personal grief that eventually prompts her move to North Wales. Reading these four prequels first provides a deep psychological foundation for her character when you transition to The Snowdonia Killings (Book 1 of the DI Ruth Hunter series).
The Publication Path
The alternative—and the route taken by McCleave's original fanbase—is to start with the main DI Ruth Hunter series (beginning with The Snowdonia Killings) and read the prequels later. Reading in publication order allows you to experience the mysteries in the order the author wrote them, discovering Ruth's past as a series of retroactive revelations. If you enjoy the mystery of Ruth's background and want to understand the references she makes to her London past, starting with the main Welsh series is highly recommended.
DC Ruth Hunter Murder File: The Complete Book List
Here is a detailed look at the four books that comprise the DC Ruth Hunter Murder File series. Simon McCleave published all four books in 2021, creating a fast-paced, continuous narrative arc of Ruth's final years in the Met.
1. Diary of a War Crime (2021)
Set in London in 1997, the series opener plunges DC Ruth Hunter into a complex conspiracy just as the UK is preparing for a landmark General Election. When a routine investigation into a pensioner's death in South London reveals ties to a second suspicious fatality, Ruth discovers a thread leading back to the Bosnian War of the early 1990s. Despite facing systematic obstruction from her superiors, Ruth becomes convinced she is hunting the "Butcher of Strigova"—a notorious Serbian war criminal officially reported dead five years earlier. It is a thrilling introduction to the dark political undercurrents of the series.
2. The Razor Gang Murder (2021)
In the second installment, the discovery of a teenager's skeletal remains pulls Ruth and her impetuous partner, DC Lucy Henry, into a cold case with roots in the 1950s. What initially looks like the fallout of historical South London razor gang wars quickly morphs into a modern-day threat. As their investigation points toward a respected, knighted public figure and decades of institutional cover-ups within the police force, Ruth and Lucy find themselves targeting a killer who will stop at nothing to keep the past buried.
3. An Imitation of Darkness (2021)
The third book moves the timeline to 1998, focusing on the brutal murder of a young actress in Peckham. Ruth and Lucy navigate the sleazy, predatory elements of London's entertainment and film industry, uncovering a web of sexual misconduct and high-level protection. When their primary suspect—a stalker who had been terrorizing the actress—threatens to flee the country, the detectives must race against a ticking clock to secure the evidence needed to bring him down, all while battling forces within the department trying to shut the case down.
4. London, SE15 (2021)
The final book in the prequel series centers on the murder of Ashley Campbell, an ex-soldier found dead outside a Peckham nightclub. While the local CID initially writes the death off as typical gang violence, Ruth and Lucy uncover a dark history originating from Campbell's time at Cranleigh Barracks. The case exposes a toxic military culture of bullying, racism, and abuse. With powerful army figures determined to protect their establishment at all costs, the investigation tests Ruth's resolve to its limits and sets the stage for her eventual relocation.
Key Characters and Gritty Settings
The hallmark of the DC Ruth Hunter series is its vivid recreation of South London in the late 1990s. Simon McCleave draws heavily on his South London roots to bring the streets of Peckham, Camberwell, and Brixton to life. This setting acts as a character in its own right—foggy, rain-slicked, and teeming with post-Thatcherite economic tension, seedy nightclubs, and gentrifying neighborhoods.
At the center of these stories is the dynamic between two very different detectives:
- DC Ruth Hunter: A resilient, highly observant detective who must navigate a deeply misogynistic and homophobic police culture as an openly lesbian officer in the 1990s. Her dedication to justice often pits her against her own corrupt bosses.
- DC Lucy Henry: Ruth's impulsive and passionate partner. While Lucy's hot-headed nature sometimes complicates their cases, her loyalty to Ruth and her fierce drive to protect victims make her an invaluable ally in a department they cannot fully trust.
The TV Adaptation: Clearing Up the Confusion
With news of a television adaptation circulating among Simon McCleave's readers, it is important to clarify which books are heading to the screen. The upcoming TV series, titled Snowdonia, is based on the bestselling DI Ruth Hunter series set in North Wales rather than the DC Ruth Hunter London prequels.
Filming for the television adaptation was scheduled to begin in North Wales, where McCleave lives and sets the main novels. While the London-set prequel series is not the direct focus of the TV show, reading the DC Ruth Hunter Murder File books will give you invaluable context regarding the psychological scars and background mysteries that play a major role in Ruth's character arc throughout the television adaptation.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into the DC Ruth Hunter books, readers should prepare for a tone that is noticeably grittier and more urban than the scenic Welsh mysteries of the DI Hunter series. These books deal heavily with heavy themes including political corruption, institutional prejudice, historical war crimes, and military cover-ups. The procedural details are highly authentic, drawing on Simon McCleave's extensive experience as a television scriptwriter for crime dramas like Silent Witness and The Bill. While each book features a self-contained murder mystery, the character development and the looming threat of police corruption form a continuous storyline that makes reading them in order highly rewarding.