Maureen Coughlin Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Path

If you want to experience Maureen Coughlin’s transformation from a Staten Island cocktail waitress to a battle-hardened officer in the New Orleans Police Department, there is only one way to go: read the books in publication order. Bill Loehfelm wrote the series as a continuous character arc where Maureen's personal growth, physical scars, and shifting professional status carry directly from one novel to the next. Skipping around will spoil major character developments, shifts in setting, and police career changes.

Maureen Coughlin Books in Order

The series consists of five core novels published between 2011 and 2017. While some bibliographic databases list the first book with a release year of 2006 due to metadata anomalies or early drafts, it was widely published in 2011. Below is the complete reading path in chronological and publication order:

1. The Devil She Knows (2011)

   We meet Maureen Coughlin as a tough, sharp-tongued 29-year-old cocktail waitress working at a neighborhood bar in Staten Island. Her life is in a holding pattern until she witnesses a horrific act of violence involving a local politician and a neighborhood thug. Suddenly, she is a target. This fast-paced debut thriller establishes Maureen’s signature grit, fiery temper, and survival instincts, setting off a chain reaction that forces her to flee her home and reinvent herself.

2. The Devil in Her Way (2013)

   Following the events of the first book, Maureen flees to Louisiana and takes a massive leap: she enrolls in the police academy and becomes a rookie patrol officer with the New Orleans Police Department. Set in the humid, post-Katrina landscape, this book sees Maureen patrolling the gritty streets of the city. She quickly finds herself in the crosshairs of a ruthless local drug dealer and must navigate street-level violence while learning who she can trust in a historically corrupt department.

3. Doing the Devil’s Work (2014)

   Maureen is no longer a complete greenhorn, but life as a beat cop in New Orleans remains incredibly dangerous. During a routine night patrol, a bizarre traffic stop leads to the discovery of a dead body, pulling Maureen into a complex web of police corruption, neighborhood politics, and domestic drama. This installment delves deeper into the day-to-day realities and dysfunction of the NOPD, highlighting Maureen's struggle to maintain her moral compass.

4. Let the Devil Out (2016)

   Following a violent clash, Maureen finds herself on suspension from the police force. Deprived of her badge and gun, but unable to let go of her protective instincts, she becomes embroiled in a dangerous neighborhood dispute involving a local teenager and a radical group. The novel explores a darker side of Maureen’s psyche as she wrestles with vigilante urges and decides whether she truly wants to remain a police officer.

5. The Devil’s Muse / Can the Devil Catch Fire? (2017)

   Back on active duty, Maureen faces the ultimate New Orleans baptism: working the night shift during the height of Mardi Gras. Amidst the neon lights, drunken revelers, and chaotic parades, a sudden shooting triggers a city-wide manhunt. Maureen must navigate the packed streets, local panic, and systemic obstacles to catch the shooter. It is a fittingly intense, atmosphere-drenched conclusion to her five-book journey.

Chronological Order vs. Publication Order

Unlike some crime franchises that jump back and forth in time, the Maureen Coughlin series follows a strict chronological timeline that mirrors its publication order. The story begins in Staten Island, moves to New Orleans, and progresses step-by-step through Maureen’s training, her rookie year, her suspension, and her return to active duty during the chaos of Mardi Gras. Readers should start with The Devil She Knows and progress straight through to The Devil’s Muse.

What to Know Before You Start

• The Staten Island Setup: The first book, The Devil She Knows, feels slightly different from the rest of the series because it is set in Staten Island, New York, and focuses on Maureen as a civilian. The remaining four books are set entirely in New Orleans, Louisiana, and function as police procedurals. Don't be jarred by the sudden shift in geography and career between books one and two; it is all part of her journey.
• New Orleans as a Character: Author Bill Loehfelm moved to New Orleans in 1997, and his intimate knowledge of the city’s jazz clubs, local dive bars, neighborhood politics, and post-Katrina scars shines through on every page. The city is a living, breathing backdrop that directly influences the plot.
• A Highly Flawed Protagonist: Maureen Coughlin is not a clean-cut hero. She is quick-tempered, makes reckless decisions, carries deep personal trauma, and frequently conflicts with authority. Her vulnerability and moral ambiguity are what make her journey feel so authentic.
• Alternate Titles: The fifth book was published as The Devil’s Muse in the US but may be found under the title Can the Devil Catch Fire? in some international markets. They are the exact same novel.

Practical Reading Advice

While each mystery or case in the books is technically resolved by the end of the novel, the overarching narrative is highly serialized. Key characters, romantic interests, professional rivalries, and Maureen's psychological scars carry over directly. Therefore, we highly recommend against reading these books as standalones. Start at the beginning and watch Maureen grow from a waitress trying to survive into a dedicated, complex peace officer.