Alex Scarrow Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Alex Scarrow

Alex Scarrow has written across several genres, from mind-bending young adult science fiction to gritty adult crime thrillers. The best place to start depends entirely on what kind of story you are in the mood for:

• For Sci-Fi and Time Travel: Start with TimeRiders (2010), the first book in his acclaimed nine-novel series. It is his most popular work and serves as the perfect introduction to his fast-paced, cinematic style.
• For Post-Apocalyptic Thrillers: Start with Plague Land (originally published as Remade in 2016). This series is an intense, survival-focused biological horror trilogy.
• For Gritty Crime Fiction: Start with Silent Tide (2021), which introduces DCI Boyd in a series set along the English coast in Hastings.
• For Classic Disaster Thrillers: Start with Last Light (2007), a high-stakes adult thriller about a global oil crisis that showcases his knack for tension.

TimeRiders Series Reading Order

The TimeRiders series is a chronological saga that must be read in order. The story follows three teenagers rescued from the moments before their deaths to work for a secret agency that protects the timeline from rogue time travelers. While there are ten items listed in the publication order, the main series contains nine novels and one companion short story.

1. TimeRiders (2010)
2. Day of the Predator (2010)
3. The Doomsday Code (2011)
4. The Nearly Girl (2013) – Note: This is a companion short story (officially designated as Book 3.5) that chronologically fits between Book 3 and Book 4.
5. The Eternal War (2011)
6. Gates of Rome (2012)
7. City of Shadows (2012)
8. The Pirate Kings (2013)
9. The Mayan Prophecy (2013)
10. The Infinity Cage (2014)

Plague Land / Remade Trilogy

This post-apocalyptic young adult series has been published under alternative titles, which can sometimes confuse readers. The books follow siblings Leon and Grace as they navigate a world decimated by a terrifying, biomass-consuming virus. You should read them in this order:

1. Plague Land / Remade (2016)
2. Plague Nation / Reborn (2017)
3. Plague World / No Escape (2018)

DCI Boyd Crime Series

Returning to adult fiction, Scarrow launched a fast-paced detective series centering on DCI Boyd in Hastings. These gritty police procedurals should be read in publication order to follow Boyd's personal and professional developments:

1. Silent Tide (2021)
2. Old Bones New Bones (2021)
3. A Burning Truth (2021)
4. The Last Train (2021)
5. The Safe Place (2022)
6. Gone to Ground (2022)
7. Argyle House (2022)
8. The Lock Up (2023)
9. The Archive (2023)
10. A Monster Among Us (2024)
11. The Vanishing (2024)

Ellie Quin Space Adventures

For readers who want a lighter, more whimsical sci-fi adventure, the Ellie Quin series follows a young woman on a remote farming planet who discovers she is the most valuable target in the universe. Read them in this order:

1. The Legend of Ellie Quin (2012)
2. The World According to Ellie Quin (2012)
3. Beneath the Neon Sky (2012)
4. Ellie Quin in Wonder World (2020)
5. Girl Reborn (2020)

Last Light Duology

This duology explores a terrifyingly realistic scenario where the world's oil supply is suddenly cut off, leading to the rapid collapse of modern society. Read them in order:

1. Last Light (2007)
2. Afterlight (2007)

Doctor Who Tie-ins and Anthologies

In 2013, Alex Scarrow contributed to the celebration of Doctor Who's 50th anniversary by writing the Eleventh Doctor e-short Spore. This story was released individually and subsequently compiled into several Doctor Who anthologies:

• Doctor Who: 11 Doctors, 11 Stories (2013)
• Doctor Who: 12 Doctors, 12 Stories (2014)
• Doctor Who: Thirteen Doctors, 13 Stories (2019)

Standalone Novels

If you want a self-contained story without committing to a series, Scarrow has written three standalone novels:

• A Thousand Suns (2006) – His debut thriller, centered on the discovery of a crashed WWII bomber and a historical conspiracy.
• October Skies (2008) – A thriller set in 2012 and 1888 involving a mysterious meteor strike.
• The Candle Man (2012) – A dark historical thriller set in Victorian London featuring Jack the Ripper themes.