Dan Petrosini Books in Order

Where to Start with Dan Petrosini

For readers diving into the suspenseful world of Dan Petrosini, the best place to begin is undoubtedly the Luca Mystery series. This police procedural series is Petrosini's signature work, introducing readers to Detective Frank Luca, a gritty, coffee-loving, and deeply flawed investigator who tackles complex cases in Southwest Florida. Because the series features continuous character development, interpersonal relationships, and recurring struggles in Detective Luca's personal life, reading them in order is highly recommended.

However, readers face a choice between two starting points: the publication order or the chronological order. The first book published, Am I the Killer? (2015), remains the traditional and most popular starting point. It immediately establishes the tone of the series, introducing Luca's investigative style and personal demons. Alternatively, readers can choose to start with The Barrow Case (2023). Although written and published later in the series timeline, it is a self-contained prequel detailing a formative, career-defining case from Detective Luca's early days. Starting here offers a chronological look at his evolution, though most fans suggest starting with the original 2015 release and saving the prequel for later to appreciate the backstory fully.

Publication Order of the Luca Mystery Series

If you prefer to follow the series in the order the author wrote and released them, the sequence is as follows:

1. Am I the Killer? (2015) - A man wakes up with amnesia and a bloody knife, accused of murder, forcing Detective Luca to solve a puzzle where the primary suspect doesn't even know if he did it.
2. Vanished (2017) - Luca investigates the mysterious disappearance of a woman, uncovering layers of dark family secrets.
3. The Serenity Murder (2018) - A wealthy woman is found dead on a private island, leaving Luca with a long list of elite suspects.
4. Third Chances (2018) - A cold case turns warm, forcing Luca to re-evaluate old evidence and confront past mistakes.
5. A Cold, Hard Case (2018) - Luca is pushed to the limit when a murder investigation intersects with personal vendettas.
6. Cop or Killer? (2019) - The lines blur when a fellow officer becomes the prime suspect in a brutal crime.
7. Silencing Salter (2019) - A high-stakes case involving a silenced witness threatens to expose corruption.
8. A Killer Missteps (2019) - Luca exploits a murderer's minor mistake to unravel an otherwise perfect crime.
9. Uncertain Stakes (2019) - A deadly game of cat and mouse where the stakes have never been higher for Detective Luca.
10. The Grandpa Killer (2020) - Luca tracks an unlikely serial killer, testing his investigative instincts.
11. Dangerous Revenge (2020) - Old grudges resurface, placing Detective Luca directly in the crosshairs.
12. Where Are They (2020) - A missing persons case turns into a desperate race against time.
13. Buried at the Lake (2021) - A skeleton unearthed near a lake forces Luca to dig into a decades-old mystery.
14. The Preserve Killer (2022) - A body discovered in a Florida nature preserve leads Luca into the dark side of paradise.
15. No One is Safe (2022) - Luca faces a ruthless threat where anyone close to the investigation is fair game.
16. The Barrow Case (2023) - The prequel novel that takes readers back to Detective Luca's early career and formative experiences.
17. Murder, Money and Mayhem (2023) - The action-packed entry that blends a homicide investigation with the hunt for buried drug money.

Chronological Order and Caveats

For readers who prefer a chronological flow of events, Detective Luca's timeline changes slightly. Because The Barrow Case is a prequel, it takes place before the events of Am I the Killer?. Reading the series chronologically means starting with The Barrow Case, followed by books 1 through 15, and concluding with Murder, Money and Mayhem. While this approach provides an early look at Luca's origin, the publication order is generally favored because it allows readers to experience the author's growth in style and the natural progression of the characters as originally intended.

The Suspenseful Secrets Series

In addition to his police procedurals, Dan Petrosini has written the Suspenseful Secrets series. This trilogy pivots away from Detective Luca to focus on Cory "Loop" Lupinski, a struggling Manhattan musician who makes a desperate, morally compromised decision that catapults him to fame. Unlike the procedural nature of the Luca books, this series is a psychological suspense story about the price of ambition and the threat of exposure. To follow Cory's story, you should read these books in strict publication order:

• Cory's Dilemma (2021)
• Cory's Flight (2021)
• Cory's Shift (2021)

Dan Petrosini's Standalone Novels

For readers who want to experience Petrosini's writing style without committing to a series, the author has penned several standalone novels. These cross multiple genres, including classic crime drama and high-concept science fiction:

• Ambition Cliff (2011) - An early thriller exploring the heights and dangers of professional ambition.
• Push Back (2011) - A tense, fast-paced story of ordinary people pushed to their absolute limits.
• Complicit Witness (2013) - A historical crime novel set in Staten Island during the late 1970s and early 1980s, detailing a smuggler's conflict with Italian and Russian mobs.
• The Final Enemy (2017) - A unique sci-fi thriller that poses a fascinating premise: a mysterious event stops death entirely, leading to societal panic, moral dilemmas, and chaos.

What to Know Before You Start

Dan Petrosini is a self-proclaimed "pantser"—meaning he writes by instinct and lets the characters drive the plot rather than working from rigid outlines. This results in highly unpredictable mystery plots filled with genuine red herrings and sudden twists. The backdrop of Southwest Florida, particularly Naples, is a major element of his books, contrasting the sunny, wealthy tourist destination with a dark, crime-ridden underbelly. Expect a gritty, authentic tone, flawed but relatable protagonists, and quick, suspense-driven pacing that keeps pages turning.