Jeri Howard Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Order for Jeri Howard

If you want to experience the full evolution of Oakland’s most tenacious private eye, the best way to read the Jeri Howard series is in publication order. Janet Dawson designed this series to progress chronologically in real-time, meaning Jeri’s personal life, her professional network, and the San Francisco Bay Area itself grow and change from one book to the next.

By starting with the award-winning debut, Kindred Crimes, you will see Jeri build her career from a newly minted investigator working under a mentor to an independent business owner handling high-profile, complex investigations. Below is the complete publication order of the novels, which also serves as the recommended reading sequence:

1. Kindred Crimes (1990) – The award-winning debut where Jeri is hired to locate Renee Foster, uncovering deep-seated family secrets.
2. Till the Old Men Die (1993) – Jeri is hired to look into the death of a college professor, which leads her into historical Philippine-American connections.
3. Take a Number (1993) – A routine divorce case escalates into a dangerous search for a psychopathic sailor’s hidden money.
4. Don't Turn Your Back On The Ocean (1994) – A trip to Monterey Bay turns into a murder investigation after a body washes ashore.
5. Nobody's Child (1995) (Published as The Missing Child in the UK) – Jeri looks into the case of a runaway child, tackling themes of family dysfunction and abuse.
6. A Credible Threat (1996) – Hired to investigate harassment at a Berkeley campus, Jeri faces stalkers and academic rivalries.
7. Witness to Evil (1997) – Jeri searches for a teenage girl who ran away to Paris with a questionable companion, only to find murder.
8. Where the Bodies Are Buried (1998) – Jeri investigates a corporate whistle-blower's death, uncovering white-collar corruption.
9. A Killing at the Track (2000) – Set in the world of horse racing, Jeri looks into the death of a jockey at Golden Gate Fields.
10. Bit Player (2011) – Jeri looks into the death of a retired Hollywood extra, digging into old film secrets.
11. Cold Trail (2015) – A missing relative forces Jeri to head to the California Delta to search for her cousin’s husband.
12. Water Signs (2017) – Set around the Oakland estuary, Jeri investigates the suspicious death of a environmental activist.
13. The Devil Close Behind (2019) – Jeri travels to New Orleans to track down a client's missing relative, facing historical secrets.
14. The Things We Keep (2023) – A mystery involving two skulls found in a Navy footlocker, bridging the past and present.

Incorporating the Short Stories

While the 14 novels form the core narrative, Janet Dawson has also penned several short stories featuring Jeri Howard. In 2011, she collected four of these stories into the anthology Jeri Howard Casebook: 4 Stories. Here is how they fit into the timeline:

• "Little Red Corvette": Originally published in 1996, this story is often numbered as Book 1.5. Jeri investigates an abandoned vintage Corvette and uncovers a murder connection.
• "Blue Eyes": Jeri takes a lighter but intriguing case involving a wealthy individual leaving a substantial inheritance to a cat.
• "Slayer Statute": A darker investigation into a suspected murder-suicide of a husband and wife.
• "Candles on the Corner": Grieving parents hire Jeri to find the driver responsible for a tragic hit-and-run accident that claimed their young daughter's life.

These stories can be read at any time, but reading them after the first few novels helps you appreciate Jeri's established detective style.

What to Know Before You Start

Janet Dawson’s series stands out for its realistic, "shoe-leather" style of investigation. Jeri Howard doesn't rely on flashy gadgets or unrealistic action-hero moves; she solves cases through painstaking research, stakeouts, courthouse record reviews, and dogged interviews. This grounded realism reflects Dawson's own background as a former Navy journalist and legal professional.

Here are a few details to keep in mind as you start your reading journey:

• Jeri's Personal Growth: In the beginning, Jeri is a recently divorced woman establishing herself in a male-dominated profession. Over the course of the books, you will watch her negotiate her relationship with her ex-husband (an Oakland police officer) and eventually meet her fiancé, Dan, a writer of hiking guides.
• The Oakland Setting: The San Francisco Bay Area is practically a character itself. Jeri lives in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood with her cats, Abigail and Black Bart, and her investigations take readers through local spots like Alameda, San Francisco’s foggy streets, and Golden Gate Fields.
• Real-World Themes: Rather than simple whodunits, Dawson tackles serious social issues, including homelessness, elder abuse, corporate corruption, and domestic violence.

Practical Reader Guidance: Can Books Be Read Standalone?

Yes, each novel in the Jeri Howard series features a self-contained case that is resolved by the end of the book. You can pick up any installment, such as the horse-racing mystery A Killing at the Track or the Navy-connected The Things We Keep, and enjoy it without feeling lost. However, because Jeri's personal life, her age, and her relationships develop linearly across the decades, starting with Kindred Crimes remains the most rewarding experience for mystery fans who appreciate long-term character development.