Cara Black Books in Order

Where Should You Start Reading Cara Black?

If you are new to Cara Black's atmospheric and fast-paced mysteries, you have two distinct entry points depending on your favorite genre sub-type:

• For Contemporary Mystery & Detective Fans: Start with Murder in the Marais (1999). Although it is the second book chronologically, it is the first book published. Starting here allows you to experience private investigator Aimée Leduc's personal growth, relationship developments, and technological upgrades in the order the author originally designed them.
• For Historical WWII Espionage Fans: Start with Three Hours in Paris (2020). This thriller introduces Kate Rees, a tough American markswoman executing high-stakes missions behind enemy lines in occupied France. It is completely independent of the Aimée Leduc series.

The Aimée Leduc Investigations: Overview

Aimée Leduc is a chic, Vespa-riding, couture-wearing private investigator who runs Leduc Detective, an agency specializing in tech security. Alongside her partner René Friant, a brilliant dwarf who excels in computer forensics, Aimée solves complex crimes across Paris. A signature element of the series is that each book is set in a different arrondissement (district) of Paris, capturing the unique architecture, immigration history, local subcultures, and secrets of each neighborhood.

Aimée Leduc: Publication Order vs. Chronological Order

For the vast majority of the series, publication order and chronological order are identical. The single major exception is Murder on the Quai. Published in 2016 as the 16th book, it is actually a prequel set in November 1989. It details Aimée's very first case, how she took over the detective agency from her father, and how she first met René.

Why We Recommend Publication Order

While reading chronologically starting with Murder on the Quai is a valid choice, we strongly recommend following the publication order. Crucial overarching plotlines—most notably the ongoing mystery surrounding the sudden disappearance of Aimée's mother, and the evolution of Aimée's romantic relationships—unfold across the books in publication order. Reading the prequel first can spoil some of the suspense and mystery built up in the early novels.

Publication Order of the Aimée Leduc Series

1. Murder in the Marais (1999)
2. Murder in Belleville (2000)
3. Murder in the Sentier (2002)
4. Murder in the Bastille (2003)
5. Murder in Clichy (2005)
6. Murder in Montmartre (2006)
7. Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis (2007)
8. Murder in the Rue de Paradis (2008)
9. Murder in the Latin Quarter (2009)
10. Murder in the Palais Royal (2010)
11. Murder in Passy (2011)
12. Murder at the Lanterne Rouge (2012)
13. Murder Below Montparnasse (2013)
14. Murder in Pigalle (2014)
15. Murder on the Champ de Mars (2015)
16. Murder on the Quai (2016) [Prequel set in 1989]
17. Murder in Saint-Germain (2017)
18. Murder on the Left Bank (2018)
19. Murder in Bel Air (2020)
20. Murder at the Porte de Versailles (2022)
21. Murder at la Villette (2024)

The Kate Rees WWII Thriller Series

In 2020, Cara Black stepped away from contemporary detective novels to write a historical WWII thriller. This series features Kate Rees, a grieving young woman from Oregon who joins the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) to carry out operations in occupied Paris. These books are action-heavy, suspenseful, and focus on the gritty realities of wartime resistance.

Kate Rees Books in Order

1. Three Hours in Paris (2020)
2. Night Flight to Paris (2023)

Companion Books, Anthologies, and Other Works

For dedicated fans looking to explore more of Cara Black's writing or dive deeper into the world of Aimée Leduc, there are several additional publications to check out:

• The Aimée Leduc Companion (2011): A wonderful non-fiction companion book featuring maps, favorite Parisian recipes from the books, walks through Aimée's neighborhoods, behind-the-scenes trivia, and interviews.
• Akashic Drug Chronicles: Cara Black has contributed short stories to these thematic noir anthologies, including The Cocaine Chronicles (2005), The Marijuana Chronicles (2013), and The Nicotine Chronicles (2020).
• Anthology Contributions: Black has written short stories for a variety of mystery and thriller anthologies, such as My Sherlock Holmes (2003) and Sherlock Holmes: A Detective’s Life (2022).