Recommended Reading Order: The Best Way to Read Joe Burgess
For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to read Kate Flora’s Joe Burgess series in publication order. While each novel features a standalone main mystery that is fully resolved by the final page, the underlying character development, professional relationships, and personal struggles of Detective Joe Burgess build continuously from book to book. Reading them in sequence allows you to experience the emotional evolution of Burgess, his team at the Portland Police Department, and his long-term relationship with his fiancée, Chris.
Joe Burgess Books in Publication Order
The series officially began in 2006 and spans nine novels. Below is the list of Joe Burgess books in their order of release, containing brief summaries of each case:
- Playing God (2006): The series debut introduces readers to Detective Joe Burgess. When the body of a despised Portland physician is found murdered in his parked Mercedes, Burgess is thrown into a web of disgruntled patients, medical politics, and secrets. This book established the gritty, authentic tone of the series and won the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction.
- The Angel of Knowlton Park (2008): Hoping for a quiet vacation, Burgess instead finds the body of a young child abandoned in a local park. As the investigation leads into a dysfunctional and dangerous family dynamic, the victim's sister goes missing, initiating a high-stakes race against time to save lives.
- Redemption (2012): Burgess's plans for time off are ruined once again when a local, troubled Vietnam veteran named Reggie is found dead. Though it initially looks like an accidental death, the medical examiner raises suspicions of foul play, leading Burgess to uncover a conspiracy involving local corruption. This book won the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction.
- And Grant You Peace (2014): In the fourth installment, Burgess investigates a devastating fire at a local mosque where a mother and her baby are found locked in a closet. The case forces the detective to navigate religious and cultural tensions within the Portland community. It earned Kate Flora another Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction.
- Led Astray (2016): When a rookie officer is killed and others are wounded during a chaotic shootout, Burgess is tasked with tracking down the ruthless shooter. The investigation turns personal as the Portland police force deals with grief, anger, and the threat of a killer targeting law enforcement.
- A Child Shall Lead Them (2019): Burgess must investigate the case of an unidentified young girl found abandoned in a park, speaking a language no one immediately recognizes. The trail leads Burgess and his team into the dark world of human trafficking and the exploitation of young girls seeking asylum.
- A World of Deceit (2020 / 2021): Trying to take a vacation in the Maine woods, Burgess is drawn into a mystery when a geologist is found comatose and a mother goes missing. The investigation uncovers family secrets, corporate greed, and environmental disputes. This novel won the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction.
- Such a Good Man (2023): The eighth novel follows Burgess and his team as they investigate the murder of a man whose friends and family claim was a saint. However, as the detectives dig deeper, they find that the victim's public persona masked a deeply manipulative and dangerous reality.
- Those Who Choose Evil / Deliver Us from Evil (2024 / 2025): The ninth installment follows Burgess as he investigates the sudden disappearance of several local teenagers. The investigation takes him and his team deep into the Maine wilderness to search for a hidden camp. Note that depending on the publisher and listing source, this book is sometimes referred to under the pre-publication working title Deliver Us from Evil, but was officially published as Those Who Choose Evil.
Chronological Order vs. Publication Order
Because the internal timeline of the series moves forward at the same pace as the publication dates, the chronological order is identical to the publication order. There are no prequels or timeline jumps that disrupt the narrative. Starting with the first book, Playing God, and working your way through the list is the most logical path to understanding the recurring cast of characters, their personal growth, and the evolving dynamics of the Portland Police Department.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into Kate Flora's crime novels, here are a few key details to keep in mind to enhance your reading experience:
The Setting: Portland, Maine
Unlike typical coastal Maine mysteries that focus on picturesque tourist spots, Flora writes about the real Portland: a working-class port city with gritty alleys, freezing winters, and complex social issues. The setting acts as a character itself, reflecting the rugged reality of police work in New England.
The Shift from Thea Kozak to Joe Burgess
Kate Flora began her mystery writing career with the Thea Kozak series, which features an amateur sleuth and education consultant. Frustrated by the realistic limitations of what an amateur can investigate, Flora shifted to police procedurals with Joe Burgess. This change allowed her to write detailed, step-by-step procedurals, drawing heavily on consultations with real Portland police detectives and her own background in the Maine Attorney General's office.
Character Growth and Standalone Status
While the cases themselves are standalone and resolved within each book, the emotional arc of Joe Burgess is continuous. Burgess is a classic hard-boiled detective—stubborn, deeply moral, and haunted by his past failures—but he grows over time, particularly in his relationship with his fiancée, Chris, and in his role as a mentor to his junior detectives. Reading the books out of order will spoil these personal developments.