The Recommended Reading Order for Narey & Winter
If you want to experience the full weight of Craig Robertson’s atmospheric Tartan Noir, there is only one way to read the Tony Winter and Rachel Narey series: by publication order. Unlike some crime series where the order doesn't matter, the lives of police photographer Tony Winter and Detective Inspector Rachel Narey evolve significantly with each investigation. Their relationship shifts from professional collaborators to a complex, emotionally charged partnership, and reading the books out of order will spoil major character developments, including career changes and personal milestones.
The core series consists of eight novels set in the shadowy, rain-slicked streets of Glasgow. Below is the recommended reading path for the series:
- Random (2010)
- Snapshot (2011)
- Cold Grave (2012)
- Witness the Dead (2013)
- In Place of Death (2015)
- Murderabilia (2016)
- The Photographer (2018)
- Watch Him Die (2020)
The Narey & Winter Novels: A Book-by-Book Breakdown
1. Random (2010)
Craig Robertson’s debut novel introduces readers to the dark side of Glasgow and the unique premise of the series. Tony Winter is a crime scene photographer who possesses a haunting, almost supernatural empathy: when he photographs murder victims, he feels as if he can decipher their final moments by looking closely into their captured eyes. He is paired with Detective Sergeant Rachel Narey, who is fighting to make her mark in a male-dominated police force. The plot follows a chilling serial killer who narrates his random selection of victims, throwing the police force into a state of panic because there is no logical connection between the murders.
2. Snapshot (2011)
In the second installment, the professional relationship between Narey and Winter deepens. A sniper is terrorizing Glasgow, targeting individuals in broad daylight. Winter’s camera lens once again becomes a vital tool in the investigation as he captures the immediate, gruesome aftermath of the sniper attacks. The book raises the stakes for both characters, blending procedural realism with high-tension suspense as they race to identify the shooter before another target is taken out.
3. Cold Grave (2012)
The third novel moves away from the urban center of Glasgow to the icy, atmospheric setting of Loch Lomond. Rachel Narey takes the lead in investigating a decades-old murder case after a body is discovered preserved in a frozen lake. Tony Winter joins the investigation, using his photographic expertise to uncover secrets that have been buried under the ice for generations. This installment is particularly notable for exploring Narey’s family background and the history of the local area.
4. Witness the Dead (2013)
Set in Glasgow’s famous Necropolis, this novel sees a killer copying the notorious "Red Silk" murders from 1972. Victims are found posed on tombs, with the word "SIN" written on their bodies in red lipstick. The case is deeply personal for Tony Winter; his retired uncle was one of the lead detectives on the original 1972 case. As Narey and Winter investigate, they are forced to confront the legacy of the past and determine if they are dealing with a copycat or a deeper, older conspiracy.
5. In Place of Death (2015)
This book delves into the hidden, underground infrastructure of Glasgow. When a body is discovered in the culverted remains of an ancient stream beneath the city, Narey leads the official murder investigation. Meanwhile, Winter has transitioned from police work into journalism, following his own leads into the dangerous world of urban explorers ("urbexers"). The two threads converge as they search for a killer who uses the subterranean labyrinth to hide their crimes.
6. Murderabilia (2016)
One of the most acclaimed books in the series, Murderabilia explores the macabre online trade of items associated with real-life serial killers. When a victim is found hanging from a bridge near a train station, the investigation is complicated by Rachel Narey’s high-risk pregnancy, which keeps her on bed rest. This forces Tony Winter to do the physical legwork, navigating the dark web and the sinister collectors who bid on ghastly crime scene souvenirs.
7. The Photographer (2018)
The seventh book shifts the focus back onto the theme of photography. A dawn raid on the home of a suspected serial rapist named William Broome reveals hundreds of hidden photographs of unsuspecting women. Although Narey is convinced this is a database of victims, the evidence is ruled inadmissible in court, and Broome is released. As Narey deals with the psychological fallout of the justice system's failure, Winter’s family faces online threats, culminating in a tense race against time to stop the photographer.
8. Watch Him Die (2020)
The eighth novel expands the series' horizons, split between the familiar streets of Glasgow and the sun-bleached expanse of Los Angeles. When a man is found dead in LA, and a young woman goes missing in Glasgow, the cases collide through an online stream broadcasting the slow death of a victim. The killer demands that the authorities watch the victim die, forcing Narey and Winter into an international investigation. The book was nominated for the prestigious McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year.
What to Know Before You Start
Craig Robertson is a former Sunday newspaper journalist who spent two decades covering major real-life tragedies, including the Dunblane massacre and the aftermath of 9/11. This background gives the Narey & Winter series an exceptional level of procedural realism and authentic grit. Robertson does not romanticize crime; instead, he focuses on the street-level impact on victims, families, and the investigators themselves.
Readers should be prepared for a series that is dark, atmospheric, and firmly rooted in the "Tartan Noir" tradition alongside authors like Ian Rankin and Val McDermid. Glasgow itself acts as a main character, with Robertson using real landmarks like Sauchiehall Street and the Necropolis to ground the narrative in a distinct sense of place.
The Standalone Connection: The Last Refuge (2014)
In 2014, between the publication of Witness the Dead and In Place of Death, Craig Robertson released a standalone thriller titled The Last Refuge. This novel is set in the remote Faroe Islands and follows a Scottish protagonist named John Callum who is trying to escape his past, only to become the prime suspect in a local murder investigation. While The Last Refuge is a fantastic read for fans of Robertson’s atmospheric style, it does not feature Tony Winter or Rachel Narey and is not connected to the main continuity. You can read it at any point without affecting your understanding of the core series.