Logan McRae Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Order for Logan McRae

Stuart MacBride’s Logan McRae series is a cornerstone of the Tartan Noir genre. Set in the gritty, wind-swept, and perpetually rain-soaked city of Aberdeen, Scotland, the books combine gruesome crimes with sharp, black humor. For the absolute best reading experience, you should follow the main series in publication order. Logan’s career path, his relationships, and the ongoing saga of the Aberdeen police force evolve significantly from one book to the next. Starting mid-series will spoil major character developments, promotions, demotions, and personal tragedies.

The Main Logan McRae Novels in Order

The core series consists of thirteen novels spanning from 2005 to 2025. Here is the chronological progression of the main books:

1. Cold Granite (2005): The debut novel that introduces DS Logan McRae as he returns to duty after a year off recovering from a stab wound, only to be thrown into a harrowing investigation involving a serial killer targeting children.
2. Dying Light (2006): Logan is demoted to the 'Development Unit' (affectionately known as the screw-up squad) under DI Roberta Steel, investigating the murder of a sex worker in Aberdeen’s red-light district.
3. Broken Skin (2007) [also published as Bloodshot]: A complex case involving a serial rapist, a dying dominatrix, and a series of illicit film rings that threatens to tear Logan's personal life apart.
4. Flesh House (2008): A container ship arrives at the docks containing human remains, sparking fears that a notorious cannibalistic serial killer from the past has returned to Aberdeen.
5. Blind Eye (2009): Logan investigates a series of brutal attacks targeting Polish migrant workers, dealing with a community too terrified of repercussions to speak to the police.
6. Dark Blood (2010): Logan is tasked with babysitting a dying, newly released kidnapper who has returned to Aberdeen to spend his final days, drawing the wrath of the local criminal underworld.
7. Shatter the Bones (2011): A high-profile kidnapping case where a mother and her young daughter—both internet-famous singers—are held for a massive ransom, putting intense media pressure on the department.
8. Close to the Bone (2013): A gruesome murder made to look like a scene from a movie draws Logan into the dark side of the film industry, set against the backdrop of Aberdeen's freezing winter.
9. The Missing and the Dead (2015): Logan is reassigned to the countryside as a shift sergeant in rural Banffshire, where he discovers the body of a young girl washed up in a beach reclamation scheme.
10. In the Cold Dark Ground (2016): Logan is pulled back into Aberdeen’s gangland wars when the body of a major rival boss is found in a shallow grave, while DCI Roberta Steel faces a personal and professional crisis.
11. The Blood Road (2018): Logan, now working for Professional Standards, is drawn into a bizarre conspiracy when the body of a former colleague, who supposedly committed suicide years ago, is found at the scene of a fresh car crash.
12. All That’s Dead (2019): Amidst political tensions and protests surrounding Scottish independence, Logan must track down a serial killer targeting high-profile figures on both sides of the debate.
13. This House of Burning Bones (2025): The latest entry sees Logan leading a complex murder investigation amidst a highly volatile summer, dealing with a strained police force and shifting gang alliances.

Novellas and Short Stories: Where Do They Fit?

Alongside the novels, Stuart MacBride has written several shorter pieces. These add rich context to the relationships between Logan, Roberta Steel, and their colleagues. You can read them as part of their respective collections or slot them into the timeline as follows:

• Partners in Crime (2012): This collection contains two essential stories. The first, "Stramash", functions as Book 7.5, taking place right after Shatter the Bones, and features Roberta Steel dragging Logan to the Isle of Jura. The second, "DI Steel’s Bad Heir Day", is a Christmas-themed story focused on Roberta Steel's chaotic home and professional life.
• The 45% Hangover (2014): A standalone novella that functions as Book 8.5. It takes place in the immediate aftermath of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, following Logan and Steel as they investigate a murder amidst political chaos.
• 22 Dead Little Bodies (2015): A short novel set between Close to the Bone and The Missing and the Dead (functioning as Book 8.7). It is also the title track of a comprehensive collection that packages the title story together with "Stramash", "DI Steel's Bad Heir Day", and "The 45% Hangover", making the 22 Dead Little Bodies collection a great pickup for completionists.

Spin-offs and the Expanded Universe

One of the breakout stars of the Logan McRae series is the brash, boundary-pushing, and deeply loyal DCI Roberta Steel. Her popularity led Stuart MacBride to write a dedicated spin-off series focusing on her career, known as the Steel & Tufty series. Logan McRae makes brief cameo appearances in these books, but they primarily follow Roberta's chaotic investigations.

The Steel & Tufty Series in Order

If you want to follow Roberta Steel’s standalone adventures, they should be read after the main Logan McRae novel In the Cold Dark Ground (Book 10), as her demotion at the end of that book sets up the events of her spin-off:

1. Now We Are Dead (2017): Roberta Steel has been demoted to Detective Sergeant after being caught planting evidence. She risks her career to stop a serial rapist who was freed due to her misconduct.
2. And the Corpse Wore Tartan (2026): Steel crashes a wedding at a remote Highland castle, only to find herself trapped by a storm with a corpse and a room full of suspects.
3. Blood, Rust and Steel (2026): As Roberta prepares to retire after three decades on the force, she is dragged into one final, chaotic investigation involving political protests and a body in a wheelie bin.

The Shared Universe: Ash Henderson / Oldcastle

Stuart MacBride's other major series features Detective Inspector Ash Henderson, beginning with Birthdays for the Dead (2012). While both series are set in contemporary Scotland and share MacBride's trademark dark realism, they take place in different cities (Aberdeen for Logan, Oldcastle for Ash). The two protagonists do not cross over in any major way, meaning you can read the Ash Henderson books entirely independently of the Logan McRae series.

What to Know Before You Start

The Logan McRae series is famously uncompromising in its depiction of violence and police work. Unlike clean, cozy mysteries, MacBride's Aberdeen is wet, cold, smelling of fish and diesel, and populated by deeply flawed individuals. However, the grimness is balanced by the brilliant, dark workplace banter between the officers. If you enjoy the procedural depth of Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus or the psychological grit of Val McDermid's works, you will feel right at home in the Granite City.