Anna Smith Books in Order

How to Read Anna Smith’s Books

If you love gritty, realistic, and fast-paced Scottish crime fiction, Anna Smith is an author who deserves a spot at the very top of your reading list. Drawing directly on her 25-year career as a fearless chief reporter covering everything from Glasgow crime to international war zones, Smith crafts stories that are raw, authentic, and deeply committed to exposing corruption and systemic injustice.

Her work is primarily divided into three main series, alongside two early standalone novels. Because characters evolve and background storylines carry over across books, the most rewarding way to experience her universe is by following the publication order. Below is your complete, definitive guide on how to navigate Anna Smith's books, where to start, and what to expect from each series.

Recommended Starting Points

For most readers, the best place to begin is with the debut novel of the Rosie Gilmour series, The Dead Won't Sleep (2011). This book introduces Smith’s most famous protagonist, a relentless Glasgow journalist who refuses to back down in the face of danger. Starting here allows you to see the foundation of Smith's signature writing style: fast-paced, gritty, and filled with authentic Glasgow slang and dialogue.

If you prefer a focus on gangland drama rather than investigative journalism, you can start with Blood Feud (2018), which kicks off the Kerry Casey series. Alternatively, if you want a modern private investigator vibe, the Billie Carson series begins with Until I Find You (2022).

Rosie Gilmour Series in Reading Order

Investigative journalist Rosie Gilmour is a protagonist who mirrors Anna Smith’s own career path. Operating out of Glasgow, Rosie exposes child trafficking, refugee exploitation, political cover-ups, and gangland executions. The books build on Rosie’s personal and professional life, meaning they are best read in order of publication:

1. The Dead Won't Sleep (2011) – Rosie investigates the suspicious death of a young prostitute, uncovering a dark web of abuse that reaches the highest levels of power.
2. To Tell the Truth (2012) – When a child is abducted in Spain, Rosie flies out to cover the story, quickly finding herself untangling a global human trafficking ring.
3. Screams In The Dark (2013) – Rosie dives into the exploitation of refugees in Glasgow, putting her own safety on the line to expose those responsible.
4. Betrayed (2014) – Rosie tracks a cold case involving a young woman who went missing during the Troubles, taking her deep into Belfast's historical conflicts.
5. A Cold Killing (2015) – The execution of a Glasgow gangland figure sends Rosie on a hunt through the city's criminal underbelly and beyond.
6. Rough Cut (2016) – A diamond heist and a series of brutal murders force Rosie to follow a trail of blood from Glasgow to Amsterdam.
7. Kill Me Twice (2016) – A supermodel's death is ruled a suicide, but Rosie suspects a cover-up tied to high-profile political figures.
8. Death Trap (2017) – When a series of hate crimes turns deadly, Rosie investigates the rise of far-right extremism in her city.
9. The Hit (2017) – A shocking assassination in Glasgow draws Rosie into a dangerous web of international drug cartels and corruption.

Kerry Casey Series in Reading Order

Shifting focus from journalism to organized crime, the Kerry Casey series follows a woman who inherits a criminal empire after her gangster husband is killed. Kerry must fight to survive and protect her family, transitioning from a bystander into a formidable gangland boss. Read them in this order:

1. Blood Feud (2018) – Kerry Casey’s life is shattered when her husband is murdered, forcing her to take control of his Glasgow criminal organization to protect her family.
2. Fight Back (2019) – Kerry faces threats from rival syndicates and corrupt authorities as she attempts to legitimize parts of her family business.
3. End Game (2020) – The stakes rise as an all-out war threatens to destroy everything Kerry has built, forcing her to make difficult alliances.
4. Framed / Trapped (2021) – Kerry is backed into a corner by a conspiracy designed to lock her away forever, requiring her to use every resource at her disposal to escape.

Billie Carson Series in Reading Order

Billie Carson (sometimes spelled Carlson) is a former police officer who leaves the force under a cloud of controversy and establishes herself as a private investigator in Glasgow. This series blends classic noir PI work with contemporary issues. The recommended reading order is:

1. Until I Find You (2022) – Billie takes on a case involving a missing baby, leading her directly into a dangerous underground network targeting vulnerable young mothers.
2. If I Should Die (2023) – A suspicious suicide leads Billie to investigate a prominent family with dark secrets they will kill to protect.
3. Last Seen (2024) – Billie is hired to track down a missing person, uncovering links to a cold case that hits close to home.
4. In The Shadows (2025) – Billie dives into the dark corners of Glasgow to confront a hidden menace operating just out of sight of the law.

Anna Smith’s Standalone Novels

Before launching her hit crime series, Anna Smith wrote two historical fiction, coming-of-age novels set in mid-20th-century Scotland. These books offer a softer, more reflective tone than her gritty crime thrillers, though they still don’t shy away from real-world struggles:

• Spit Against the Wind (2003) – A poignant coming-of-age story set in the summer of 1968, tracking four children growing up in a working-class Catholic community in Lanarkshire.
• The Homecoming (2004) – Set in the fictional Scottish village of Westerbank in the 1960s, this novel follows a man returning home after fifteen years, forcing the town to face secrets regarding a girl's death.

What to Know Before You Start

Anna Smith's thrillers are famous for their authentic dialogue, which is heavily peppered with Glasgow dialect and local slang. If you aren't familiar with Scottish phrasing, it can take a few chapters to get used to the rhythm, but it adds an immense layer of realism to the books. The tone of her crime series is very direct and often graphic; she writes about human trafficking, physical abuse, and drug addiction with the raw honesty of a veteran reporter. While there are minor chronological overlaps in the setting, the Rosie Gilmour, Kerry Casey, and Billie Carson series exist as separate entry points, meaning you can complete one series before starting the next without spoiling major plots.