The Recommended Reading Path
For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to read Anne Emery's Collins-Burke series in publication order. While each book features a self-contained mystery that can technically stand alone, the overarching character development, complicated family histories, and evolving relationship between the two main protagonists—defense lawyer Monty Collins and Father Brennan Burke—build directly from one installment to the next.
Starting at the beginning allows you to watch Monty's family life shift and Father Burke's dark past gradually unravel in a way that chronological jumps or random dipping would spoil. Below is the complete publication order for the main series, followed by the author's standalone historical work.
Collins-Burke Mystery Series in Publication Order
- Sign of the Cross (2006): The debut novel set in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where lawyer Monty Collins is hired to defend Father Brennan Burke, a charismatic priest who is the prime suspect in a gruesome ritual murder. This book won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel.
- Obit (2007): Monty is drawn to New York City after a client's death, uncovering deep-seated secrets involving the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and an enigmatic newspaper obituary.
- Barrington Street Blues (2008): Set back in Halifax, Monty investigates a double shooting that looks like a murder-suicide but connects the wealthy elite to the city's rougher streets.
- Cecilian Vespers (2009): This mystery blends classical music, a church choir, and international intrigue when a choir director is murdered in Halifax.
- Children in the Morning (2010): A psychologically complex story involving a child's death, marital strain, and subtle supernatural elements that test Monty and Brennan's friendship.
- Death at Christy Burke's (2011): The mystery moves to Dublin, Ireland, plunging Father Brennan Burke back into the heart of his family's complicated history.
- Blood on a Saint (2013): A murder in Halifax links back to historical religious tensions and theological disputes, challenging Brennan's faith and Monty's legal skills.
- Ruined Abbey (2015): A historical jump to 1989 London, exploring anti-Irish sentiment and suspicious deaths surrounding Father Burke's family.
- Lament for Bonnie (2016): A heart-wrenching investigation in Halifax centered on the search for a missing young girl, testing the community's trust.
- Though the Heavens Fall (2018): Set in 1995 Belfast during the fragile IRA ceasefire. Monty travels for a legal case, while Brennan reconnects with his family, leading to dangerous confrontations. This installment won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel.
- Postmark Berlin (2020): Father Burke travels to Germany, where he is forced to confront long-buried secrets and espionage dating back to the Cold War.
- Fenian Street (2022): Set in 1970s Dublin, this installment introduces a young Garda recruit, Shay Rynne, who investigates a friend's murder and crosses paths with Father Brennan Burke.
- Counted Among the Dead (2024): A gripping case that highlights the legal and spiritual challenges Monty and Brennan face as they seek justice in Halifax.
- Declan (2026): Father Brennan Burke and his father, Declan, return to Ireland forty years after Declan fled his homeland due to his IRA activities. When Brennan's brother Terry goes missing in Dublin, they must navigate past secrets to find him.
Standalone Novels
- The Keening: A Mystery of Gaelic Ireland (2021): A dual-timeline historical mystery set in Enniskillen, Ireland. It alternates between 1595, during the English Tudor conquest and the murder of a prophetess, and 2017/2018, where a modern family's archaeological dig uncovers a 400-year-old body.
Chronological Order vs. Publication Order Caveats
Although publication order is the best way to experience the series, readers should be aware that the timeline is not strictly linear. Anne Emery frequently employs historical backdrops and time jumps to flesh out the backstories of her characters, especially Father Brennan Burke. For instance, Ruined Abbey takes place in 1989, Though the Heavens Fall is set in 1995, and Fenian Street goes all the way back to the 1970s. Meanwhile, Declan returns to the present era while dealing with events spanning four decades. Despite these temporal shifts, reading in the order of publication remains the safest choice because the primary narrative frame in Halifax progresses chronologically, and the character arcs are written with the assumption that the reader has read the previous books.
What to Know Before You Start
Anne Emery's mysteries are highly praised for their intellectual depth. Drawing on her own background as a lawyer, legal reporter, and researcher, Emery crafts highly authentic courtroom dramas and complex legal puzzles. The series is equally renowned for its focus on Irish history, Catholic theology, traditional music, and regional atmosphere, ranging from the foggy streets of Halifax to the pubs of Dublin and the war-torn neighborhoods of Belfast. The characters are morally complex; Father Burke is not a typical saintly priest, and Monty Collins often struggles with the ethical dilemmas of criminal defense, making their interactions the emotional core of the series.