The Recommended Reading Order
Claire Kendal writes standalone psychological thrillers, meaning you can read her novels in any order without losing track of a continuous plot. However, because her style evolves and she occasionally releases companion material, reading them in publication order remains the most satisfying way to experience her catalog. If you want to include her short prequel story, follow this recommended path:
- The Book of You (2014)
- The Sleepover (2017) – A short story prequel to The Second Sister.
- The Second Sister (2017)
- I Spy (2019)
- Make You Mine (2026)
Claire Kendal's Books in Detail
The Book of You (2014)
Kendal's breakout debut introduces Clarissa, a university worker who is stalked by a colleague named Rafe. As Rafe's obsessive behavior escalates, Clarissa finds herself selected for jury duty on a horrific trial. She realizes she must use the trial's legal proceedings as a blueprint to document Rafe's stalking and secure her freedom. Drawing heavy literary inspiration from Samuel Richardson's classic epistolary novel Clarissa, this thriller focuses on the claustrophobia of obsession and control.
The Second Sister (2017) and its Prequel
This duology explores the bonds of sisterhood, grief, and the agonizing lack of closure. The main novel, The Second Sister, follows Ella Brooke, whose older sister Miranda vanished a decade ago. When a serial killer is convicted of murdering young women in the area, Ella is convinced Miranda was one of his victims. Her obsessive search for the truth leads her into dark and dangerous territory. To get the full picture, you can read the digital short story The Sleepover (2017), which serves as a prequel set before Miranda's disappearance.
I Spy (2019)
In a departure from domestic suspense, Kendal moves into the realm of psychological espionage. The novel follows Holly Lawrence, a woman living a quiet life under an assumed name to escape her past. Holly was once recruit number 37 for an intelligence agency, but a mission gone wrong forced her into hiding. When she spots a figure from her past, the fragile safety she has constructed begins to shatter, forcing her to confront what she did to survive.
Make You Mine (2026)
Kendal's latest novel follows police detective Esmeralda Avelar. Having survived a traumatic kidnapping during her teenage years, Esmeralda has rebuilt her life on the right side of the law. However, her hard-won peace is shattered when her former abductor, a notorious serial killer named Jason Thorne, escapes from a secure psychiatric facility. Esmeralda must confront her deepest trauma as Thorne begins targeting her once again.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into Kendal's thrillers, keep these details in mind:
- Standalone Stories: With the exception of the quick prequel tie-in The Sleepover, all of Kendal's novels are standalone works featuring completely different characters, settings, and conflicts.
- Slow-Burn Psychological Tension: Kendal focuses heavily on internal character development, shifting perspectives, and the psychological impact of trauma. Readers should expect slow-burn suspense rather than high-octane action.
- Academic and Literary Influences: As a university lecturer in English Literature and Creative Writing, Kendal frequently weaves literary structures, fairy-tale motifs, and academic precision into her plots.