Dublin Murder Squad Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Order

While each mystery in the series is self-contained, reading the Dublin Murder Squad books in their original publication order is highly recommended. Because characters move from supporting roles to lead roles, reading them sequentially allows you to experience the natural evolution of the squad, watch background characters grow, and understand the subtle references to past cases and traumas.

1. In the Woods (2007) – The series opens with Detective Rob Ryan investigating the murder of a young girl in the same suburban woods where he survived a terrifying, unexplained childhood trauma. His partner and closest friend, Cassie Maddox, assists him in this deeply personal case.
2. The Likeness (2008) – Cassie Maddox takes the lead here. Still reeling from the events of the first book, she is pulled back into undercover work when a young woman is found murdered who looks identical to Cassie and is using one of Cassie’s old undercover aliases. Cassie's handler is the sharp, cynical Frank Mackey.
3. Faithful Place (2010) – Detective Frank Mackey of the Undercover Squad steps into the spotlight. When the suitcase of his first love—who disappeared when they were teenagers—is discovered in an abandoned house in his old neighborhood, Frank must return to the dysfunctional family he fled decades ago. Undercover trainee Stephen Moran makes a brief but crucial appearance.
4. Broken Harbour (2012) – Detective Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy, who served as Frank's rival and lead investigator in the neighborhood case in the previous book, narrating this chilling story. He is sent to a half-built “ghost estate” to investigate the brutal murder of a family, accompanied by rookie partner Richie Curran.
5. The Secret Place (2014) – Stephen Moran (from the cold cases division) gets his chance to lead. Partnering with the abrasive Murder Squad detective Antoinette Conway, they spend one intense day investigating a murder at a girls' boarding school after a photo of the victim is found on a bulletin board called “The Secret Place.”
6. The Trespasser (2016) – Antoinette Conway takes the narrator's reins, partnered with Stephen Moran. The duo is handed a seemingly straightforward domestic homicide, but they soon find themselves fighting internal squad politics, corruption, and their own mounting paranoia.

The “Baton-Passing” Structure: How the Books Connect

Tana French’s genius lies in her narrative structure. Instead of following a single detective throughout the series, she passes the microphone to a character from the previous book. This creates a brilliant relay race of perspectives:

• Rob to Cassie: Cassie is Rob's partner in In the Woods, then becomes the undercover lead in The Likeness.
• Cassie to Frank: Frank Mackey is Cassie's handler in The Likeness, then investigates his own past in Faithful Place.
• Frank to Scorcher: Scorcher Kennedy is the squad detective who takes over the primary investigation in Faithful Place, then leads the squad into Broken Harbour.
• Frank/Holly to Stephen: Stephen Moran is the patrolman who assists Frank’s daughter Holly in Faithful Place, then uses that connection to join the Murder Squad in The Secret Place.
• Stephen to Antoinette: Antoinette Conway is Stephen's partner in The Secret Place, and she narrating the final installment, The Trespasser, with Stephen by her side.

Publication Order vs. Chronological Order

Because the series moves forward linearly, publication order and chronological order are identical. There are no prequels or timeline jumps to worry about. The only minor exception is that several books, most notably Faithful Place, contain extensive flashbacks and recollections of the 1980s, but the primary investigations themselves occur in sequence from 2007 through 2016. Trying to rearrange the books would spoil character developments, promotions, and the evolving internal dynamics of the Dublin Murder Squad.

Can You Read the Books as Standalones?

Technically, yes. Tana French ensures that every case is fully resolved (or resolved as much as it ever will be) by the end of each book, and there are no cliffhangers left over for the next detective. However, we strongly advise against skipping around. The emotional weight of the series builds on itself. If you read The Likeness without reading In the Woods, you will miss the context of Cassie's fragile mental state. If you read The Trespasser first, you won't appreciate the struggle Antoinette and Stephen went through to become partners in The Secret Place.

What to Know Before You Start

Unlike traditional police procedurals, the Dublin Murder Squad books are slow-burn psychological mysteries. French is more interested in the detective’s mind than the crime itself. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Embrace Ambiguity: French does not write tidy endings. Some questions (such as the central childhood mystery in In the Woods) are left deliberately unanswered. Life is messy, and French's endings reflect that reality.
• Dublin as a Character: The setting is vital. The series tracks the rise and fall of Ireland's “Celtic Tiger” economy, showing how financial speculation, crumbling ghost estates, and generational trauma shape the crimes.
• Alternative Titles: Depending on where you buy your books, you might see Broken Harbour spelled as Broken Harbor, and The Trespasser is sometimes published under the title Intrusion in certain international editions. They are the same books.

The TV Adaptation: Dublin Murders (2019)

In 2019, the BBC, Starz, and RTÉ adapted the series into an eight-episode drama titled Dublin Murders. If you are planning to watch it, note that the show takes a very different approach than the books:

• Merged Timelines: Instead of keeping the stories separate, the show combines In the Woods and The Likeness into a single, intertwined narrative. Rob and Cassie work both cases at the same time.
• Altered Dynamics: The show changes the relationship between Rob and Cassie, adding romantic elements that were absent in French's novels.
• Supernatural Elements: The adaptation introduces more overt supernatural and atmospheric horror undertones than the grounded, psychological realism of the books.

What to Read Next

If you have finished the Dublin Murder Squad and want more of Tana French's writing, she has written several other books outside the squad universe:

• The Witch Elm (2018) – A standalone psychological thriller about a young man recovering from a brutal assault at his family's ancestral home, where a skull is discovered in an old elm tree.
• The Cal Hooper Trilogy – Starting with The Searcher (2020), followed by The Hunter (2024) and concluding with The Keeper (2026). This trilogy follows Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago police officer who moves to a remote Irish village seeking peace, only to find himself drawn into local mysteries.