Books On Board
series Reading Order

Ellie Hatcher Books in Order

6 Books
2007 – 2022 Published
Jump to reading order
Affiliate links: We may earn a commission on purchases made at no extra cost to you.
Reading order

The Recommended Reading Order

If you are diving into the world of Ellie Hatcher, we highly recommend reading the novels in publication order. Because the books follow Ellie Hatcher's professional career as she rises from a rookie officer to a seasoned homicide detective, reading them sequentially provides the best character development. Furthermore, the overarching mystery surrounding the death of Ellie's father—a cold case that haunts her throughout the series—develops chronologically and reaches its ultimate conclusion in the final novel.

Fortunately, the chronological order of the narrative matches the publication order exactly, meaning you do not have to jump back and forth in time. Here is the order in which the books should be read:

  1. Dead Connection (2007)
  2. Angel's Tip (2008) (Also published in the UK as City of Fear)
  3. 212 (2010) (Also published in the UK as City of Lies)
  4. Never Tell (2012)
  5. All Day and a Night (2014)
  6. Find Me (2022) (Also published in the UK as The Girl She Was)

The Ellie Hatcher Books in Detail

1. Dead Connection (2007)

In her debut outing, Ellie Hatcher is a rookie NYPD officer who is pulled from her regular beat to go undercover. A serial killer has been targeting single women in New York City, and the only connection between the victims is that they all used a popular online dating service called 'First Date'. Posing as a user on the site, Ellie must navigate the digital dating scene to lure the killer out. This book establishes Ellie's background, including her move from Wichita, Kansas, to New York, and introduces the tragic history of her police officer father.

2. Angel's Tip / City of Fear (2008)

Now promoted to detective, Ellie Hatcher is assigned to the homicide division. While jogging in East River Park with her brother, Jess, they discover the body of Chelsea Hart, a young college student visiting Manhattan from Indiana. Chelsea was last seen leaving a high-end nightclub with a mysterious companion. As Ellie digs into the case, she is forced to navigate the exclusive and dangerous VIP nightlife scene of Manhattan to find a killer who preys on vulnerable young women.

3. 212 / City of Lies (2010)

Ellie Hatcher and her partner, J.J. Rogan, are called to investigate a case involving Laura Coleman, an NYU student who receives terrifying death threats on a high-society gossip website called '212'. When Laura is found murdered in a Manhattan penthouse, the case spirals into a major scandal involving wealthy elites, digital privacy, and public exposure. Burke uses her legal expertise to construct a plot that highlights the dangers of cyberbullying and online anonymity.

4. Never Tell (2012)

The apparent suicide of a sixteen-year-old girl named Julia Vance at an elite Manhattan private school leads Ellie Hatcher into a web of teen privilege and secrets. Julia's parents are convinced their daughter's death was not a suicide, and Ellie soon discovers a cruel cyberbullying campaign designed to torment the teen. As Ellie uncovers the school's darkest secrets, she finds that classmates and wealthy parents alike are willing to go to extreme lengths to protect their reputations.

5. All Day and a Night (2014)

When a psychotherapist is murdered in Brooklyn, the killer's method matches the signature of Anthony Amaro, a serial killer currently serving a life sentence (a term known in legal parlance as 'all day and a night'). Amaro claims he was wrongfully convicted and that the real killer is still at large. Ellie and Rogan are assigned to a 'fresh look' team to re-examine the original conviction. They clash with fellow officers and find themselves working alongside defense attorney Carrie Blank, whose own sister was one of Amaro's original victims.

6. Find Me / The Girl She Was (2022)

Although frequently marketed as a standalone psychological thriller, Find Me serves as the sixth installment in the Ellie Hatcher series and provides long-term readers with crucial closure. The story centers on Lindsay Kelly, a defense attorney searching for her best friend, Hope Miller, who has vanished. Hope has amnesia from a car accident fourteen years ago and has no memory of her past. Lindsay enlists the help of Ellie Hatcher. The investigation leads back to Wichita, Kansas, and the cold case of the 'College Hill Strangler'—the very case that obsessed Ellie's father before his suspicious death.

Key Characters and Backstory

Ellie Hatcher

Detective Ellie Hatcher is the heart of the series. Unlike many infallible fictional detectives, Ellie is written as a highly relatable, sometimes mistake-prone investigator who relies on hard police work and intuition. She is driven by a deep personal tragedy: her father, a respected detective in Wichita, Kansas, died under suspicious circumstances while chasing a serial killer. The Wichita police ruled his death a suicide, but Ellie has always suspected he was murdered by the killer he was hunting.

Supporting Cast

  • J.J. Rogan: Ellie's steady and experienced NYPD homicide partner who helps ground her when cases become too personal.
  • Jess Hatcher: Ellie's brother, who also lives in New York City. Jess struggles with personal challenges and a complicated lifestyle, and Ellie frequently finds herself acting as his protector.
  • Carrie Blank: An ambitious attorney who appears in All Day and a Night. Her personal connection to the Amaro serial killer case creates a compelling dynamic with Ellie's investigation.

What to Know Before You Start

Author Alafair Burke brings exceptional authenticity to the series. As a former prosecutor and current law professor, Burke infuses the novels with realistic legal proceedings, realistic police investigations, and authentic bureaucratic dynamics within the NYPD. The setting of New York City acts as its own character, shifting from the glitz of Manhattan penthouses to the gritty corners of outer-borough crime scenes.

While the first five novels function as traditional police procedurals, the sixth book, Find Me, shifts focus slightly to center on defense attorney Lindsay Kelly. However, Ellie Hatcher remains a key figure, and the book is essential reading for fans because it finally resolves the overarching mystery of Ellie's father and the College Hill Strangler, wrapping up a narrative arc that began in the very first novel.

Are There Spin-offs or Crossovers?

While Alafair Burke has written other successful series—such as her Samantha Kincaid legal thrillers set in Portland, Oregon, and the Under Suspicion series co-authored with Mary Higgins Clark—there are no official crossovers or appearances. The Ellie Hatcher series remains a standalone universe. Readers can easily read the six books without needing to catch up on any companion novels or spin-offs.

Frequently Asked

QDo you need to read the Ellie Hatcher books in order?

Yes, we recommend reading them in order. While the individual murder mysteries in each book are self-contained, Ellie's career progression, personal relationships, and the ongoing investigation into her father's death develop across the series. You should start with Dead Connection.

QWhat is the order of Alafair Burke's Ellie Hatcher books?

The publication and chronological order is: 1. Dead Connection (2007), 2. Angel's Tip (2008), 3. 212 (2010), 4. Never Tell (2012), 5. All Day and a Night (2014), and 6. Find Me (2022).

QAre 'Angel's Tip' and 'City of Fear' the same book?

Yes. Angel's Tip was retitled as City of Fear for its UK publication. Similarly, 212 was published as City of Lies in the UK, and Find Me was published as The Girl She Was.

QIs Ellie Hatcher's father a real police officer?

No, Ellie Hatcher's father is a fictional character. While Alafair Burke is the daughter of famous crime novelist James Lee Burke, the character's father and his tragic case involving the 'College Hill Strangler' are entirely fictional.

QDoes Ellie Hatcher cross over with Samantha Kincaid?

No. Although both series are written by Alafair Burke, they are set in different parts of the country (New York vs. Portland) and do not feature any official character crossovers or shared plots.

QIs 'Find Me' part of the Ellie Hatcher series?

Yes. Although marketed and structured to work as a standalone thriller focusing on a new character named Lindsay Kelly, Find Me (2022) features Ellie Hatcher in a major supporting role and resolves the mystery of her father's death.