Diane Fallon Forensic Investigation Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Order for Diane Fallon

To fully appreciate the evolution of Diane Fallon’s personal life, her career at the RiverTrail Museum of Natural History, and the complex mysteries she solves, you should read this series in order of publication. The narrative moves chronologically, building on recurring characters and unresolved plots from Diane's past.

1. One Grave Too Many (2004): After a tragedy during a mission in South America, forensic anthropologist Diane Fallon retreats from active field work to direct a museum in Georgia. However, she is pulled back into the world of crime solving when human bones are uncovered in a local cave.
2. Dead Guilty (2004): Diane finds herself balancing the management of the RiverTrail Museum with a new murder case. The discovery of a young woman's body and a hidden stash of historical artifacts reveals a dangerous conspiracy close to home.
3. Dead Secret (2005): When spelunkers discover a 70-year-old skeleton hidden deep within a Georgia cave system, Diane is called to excavate the remains, bringing to light a historical mystery of greed and forbidden love.
4. Dead Past (2007): Construction workers unearth a shallow grave containing a skeleton from the civil rights era. As Diane investigates, she stirs up long-buried secrets that prominent local families would prefer stayed hidden.
5. Dead Hunt (2008): A search-and-rescue mission in the rugged Appalachian wilderness of Georgia turns deadly when Diane discovers a hidden corpse, pulling her into a high-stakes confrontation with a ruthless criminal organization.
6. Scattered Graves (2009): Diane is tasked with analyzing human bones scattered across a farm. She quickly realizes she is tracking a highly calculated serial killer who has now turned their sights on her.
7. Dust to Dust (2009): When a prominent local philanthropist dies in a fire, the case is initially ruled a tragic accident. However, Diane's examination of the bone fragments reveals evidence of murder, exposing a deadly family feud.
8. The Night Killer (2010): Trapped near a remote cabin during a massive storm, Diane uncovers a skeleton hidden inside a hollow tree trunk. Cut off from help, she must solve the mystery while being hunted by an active killer.
9. One Grave Less (2010): The series reaches a major milestone as Diane’s past with World Account International catches up with her. In a thrilling plot, archaeologist Lindsay Chamberlain is mistakenly kidnapped in the Amazon, and Diane’s adopted daughter Ariel plays a key role in the rescue.

Publication Order vs. Chronological Order

For the Diane Fallon series, the publication order matches the chronological timeline of the books. Each novel is set shortly after the events of the preceding book. While the forensic mysteries in each novel are self-contained and resolved by the final page, the character development is highly serialized. Reading out of order will spoil major developments in Diane’s relationships, her work at the RiverTrail Museum, and the gradual resolution of the South American tragedy that haunts her backstory.

The Lindsay Chamberlain Sibling Series & Crossover

Beverly Connor is also the creator of the Lindsay Chamberlain Archaeology Mystery series, which consists of five novels published between 1996 and 2000. These books follow Lindsay Chamberlain, an archaeologist who frequently assists law enforcement with historical crime scenes. Because of their shared forensic and archaeological themes, fans of Diane Fallon will find this sibling series to be a natural companion read. The two worlds officially collide in the ninth Diane Fallon novel, One Grave Less (2010), where Lindsay is kidnapped by mercenaries who mistake her for Diane, forcing their storylines to converge in a dramatic rescue operation in the Amazon.

Beverly Connor's Co-Authored Mysteries

If you finish the Diane Fallon books and want to explore more of Beverly Connor's writing, she has co-authored a mystery series with her husband, Charles Connor. The Frank Hayes Mystery series focuses on Southern crime-solving and includes two published books: Murder in Macon (2013) and The Poplar Creek Murders (2015). These books offer a similar blend of authentic Georgia settings and puzzle-like plotting that fans of Connor's solo work have come to love.

What to Know Before You Start

Beverly Connor's background as a professional archaeologist shines through in her meticulous descriptions of forensic anthropology and cave exploration. The Georgia landscape—ranging from dense forests and deep caves to small southern towns—acts as a central character in the series. While the series has been on hiatus since the release of One Grave Less in 2010, lists of Connor's work frequently include a tenth working title, Blood Evidence. However, this title remains unpublished, and One Grave Less serves as the current finale to Diane's adventures.