How to Read the DI Kate Burrows Series in Order
For readers diving into the gritty, atmospheric crime fiction of Martina Cole, the DI Kate Burrows series stands out as a unique entry in her bibliography. While Cole is celebrated as the "Queen of Crime" for her raw, underworld-focused standalones written from the perspective of criminals, this series flips the script by focusing on the "Old Bill" (the police). Following the professional investigations and deeply complicated personal life of Detective Inspector Kate Burrows, the series is best read in its publication order, which also matches the chronological sequence of Kate's life.
Because the series spans decades of character growth, evolving relationships, and shifting career phases, jumping out of order is highly discouraged. Below is the recommended reading path for the DI Kate Burrows books:
- The Ladykiller (First published in 1993)
- Broken (First published in 2000)
- Hard Girls (First published in 2009)
- Damaged (First published in 2017)
A Closer Look at the Books
1. The Ladykiller (1993)
The book that started it all introduces readers to DI Kate Burrows, a determined female detective fighting to make her mark in the male-dominated police department of Grantley, a fictional borough in London's gritty East End. The central case revolves around the hunt for the "Grantley Ripper," a sadistic serial killer targeting local women. The stakes become deeply personal when the killer attacks the daughter of Patrick Kelly, a notorious and wealthy local gangster. As Kate works the investigation, she finds herself drawn into a dangerous, morally ambiguous romance with Kelly, setting up the defining relational conflict of the entire series.
2. Broken (2000)
Published seven years after the debut, Broken deals with the devastating impact of child abductions in Grantley. Children are disappearing, and though they initially reappear physically unharmed, the psychological trauma is severe—until the pattern turns lethal. Kate Burrows leads the desperate race against time to capture the perpetrator. Meanwhile, her domestic life is under intense pressure as Patrick Kelly attempts to leave his criminal past behind. The tension between Kate's duty to the law and Patrick's past associates pushes both characters to their breaking points.
3. Hard Girls (2009)
By the time of the third novel, Kate Burrows has retired from active duty as a Detective Chief Inspector (DCI). However, she is drawn back into the police world as a consultant when a series of brutal murders targets prostitutes in Grantley. Working alongside DCI Annie Carr, Kate realizes the killer's methods bear a chilling resemblance to the Grantley Ripper cases she solved years prior. Hard Girls balances the procedural detective work with the realities of Kate and Patrick's long-term relationship, showing the toll that a life adjacent to crime takes on them as they age.
4. Damaged (2017)
The final book in the quartet, Damaged, finds retired DCI Kate Burrows once again teaming up with DCI Annie Carr. The case is exceptionally high-stakes, focusing on the abduction and murder of vulnerable local schoolgirls. While Kate tries to track down a calculating predator, her personal life with Patrick Kelly is thrown into absolute chaos. The sudden arrival of Patrick's long-lost son brings a wave of old gangland rivalries and fresh dangers to their doorstep, threatening to destroy the hard-won peace they have built over the decades.
What to Know Before You Start: Time Jumps and Context
One of the most defining characteristics of the DI Kate Burrows series is the large time gaps between the publication of each novel. Martina Cole released these books over a span of 24 years, with breaks of seven to nine years between entries (1993, 2000, 2009, and 2017). Unlike standard police procedurals that occur in a compressed timeline where characters remain static, Cole's characters age in near real-time.
When you start reading the series, keep these shifts in mind:
- Technological and Procedural Shifts: Because of the real-world years between books, the police work in The Ladykiller relies on early 1990s technology, while Damaged incorporates modern digital forensics and DNA profiling. This adds an accidental yet fascinating layer of historical progression to the procedural elements.
- Career Progression: Kate transitions from an active, hands-on Detective Inspector to a retired consultant. Seeing her navigate the changing dynamics of the Grantley police department from the outside provides a fresh perspective in the later novels.
- The Evolution of Patrick Kelly: Patrick's journey from an active, feared gangland boss to a man trying to live a clean domestic life with a cop is a slow-burn narrative arc that requires reading the books in sequence to fully appreciate.
Debunking the Adaptation Misconception
Because Martina Cole is a massive brand in British crime fiction—selling over 14 million books worldwide—general marketing descriptions of her books often mention successful television adaptations and stage plays. This has led to a common misconception among readers that the DI Kate Burrows books have been adapted for the screen.
In reality, as of 2026, none of the books in the DI Kate Burrows series have been adapted for television or the stage. The TV shows frequently associated with her name are adaptations of her standalone underworld novels, such as Dangerous Lady (1995), The Jump (1998), The Take (2009), and The Runaway (2011). While Kate Burrows' world shares the same gritty London-Essex atmosphere, her specific procedural journey remains strictly on the page.
Practical Reader Advice
If you are planning to read the series, here are the most important recommendations to keep in mind:
- Start with The Ladykiller: Do not attempt to start with later books like Hard Girls or Damaged. Later cases explicitly reference the events and trauma of the Grantley Ripper case, and the emotional weight of Kate and Patrick's relationship in the final books depends entirely on witnessing its tumultuous beginning in the first novel.
- Expect Heavy Themes: True to Martina Cole's signature style, the series features graphic depictions of violence, domestic abuse, and gritty street crime. The tone is dark, uncompromising, and highly realistic.
- Standalones vs. Continuity: While each book features a self-contained primary crime investigation that is resolved by the final page, the overarching personal lives of Kate, Patrick, and their associates are highly serialized. Treat the four books as a singular, continuous story divided into four distinct acts.