Danielle Girard Books in Order

Where to Start with Danielle Girard

If you are new to Danielle Girard's high-stakes thrillers, choosing where to start depends on the flavor of suspense you prefer. Because she writes in distinct subgenres, readers generally begin with one of three primary entry points:

• For Medical & Psychological Suspense: Start with Exhume (2016). This is the first full-length novel in the Dr. Schwartzman series, introducing a resilient medical examiner running from a dark past. It is widely considered her most compelling starting point.
• For Gritty Police Procedurals: Start with Dead Center (2006), the debut of The Rookie Club series. This series focuses on a tight-knit squad of female officers navigating the San Francisco Police Department.
• For Cold, Small-Town Atmosphere: Start with White Out (2020), which kicks off the Badlands Thriller series. It shifts the setting to the harsh, freezing winters of North Dakota, following Detective Kylie Milliard.

Dr. Schwartzman Series Reading Order

The Dr. Annabelle Schwartzman series is a masterclass in medical forensic suspense. The narrative follows a San Francisco medical examiner who must perform autopsies on victims of gruesome crimes while hiding from her brilliant, brutally abusive ex-husband. Because the emotional arc and threat of her ex-husband build continuously across the books, reading them in chronological order is highly recommended.

While the prequel novella The Ex was published in 2022, it is set chronologically before the events of the first novel, detailing the final breaking point of Annabelle's marriage.

1. The Ex (2022) – Prequel Novella (Book 0.5)
2. Exhume (2016) – Book 1
3. Excise (2017) – Book 2
4. Expose (2018) – Book 3
5. Expire (2019) – Book 4

The Rookie Club Series Reading Order

The Rookie Club series centers on a group of female police officers in San Francisco. Rather than focusing on a single lead character, the series rotates its spotlight among different officers within the same department, including Jamie Vail. The books tackle the intense professional and personal pressures faced by women in law enforcement. You should read this series in order of publication to watch the relationships and careers of the squad evolve:

1. Dead Center (2006)
2. One Clean Shot (2012)
3. Dark Passage (2013)
4. Grave Danger (2014) – also published under the title Interference
5. Everything to Lose (2014)

Additionally, Girard has made a companion short story titled Too Close to Home available directly to readers who sign up for her newsletter, which offers a quick look into the lives of the Rookie Club characters.

Badlands Thriller Series Reading Order

Stepping away from the urban backdrop of San Francisco, the Badlands Thriller series moves to the desolate, windswept plains of North Dakota. It introduces Detective Kylie Milliard, a local investigator tasked with solving complex murders in a tight-knit community where everyone has something to hide. The series should be read in order to follow Kylie’s career and the interpersonal dynamics of her department:

1. White Out (2020)
2. Far Gone (2021)
3. Up Close (2023)

Danielle Girard's Standalone Novels

Before launching her popular series, Girard established her reputation with several award-winning standalone thrillers. These novels are perfect for readers looking for complete, self-contained suspense stories that do not require any long-term commitment. Her standalone catalog includes:

• Savage Art (2000) – Girard’s debut thriller, introducing a deadly game of artistic obsession and murder.
• Ruthless Game (2001) – A high-octane thriller centered on memory loss, conspiracy, and survival.
• Chasing Darkness (2002) – A psychological thriller that earned Girard the RT Reviewers' Choice Award.
• Cold Silence (2002) – A gripping story of a woman trying to escape a cyber-stalker, which won the prestigious Barry Award for Best Paperback Original in 2003.
• Pinky Swear (2026) – A modern thriller about a woman whose surrogate mysteriously vanishes just days before the baby is due.

Chronological vs. Publication Order & Reading Caveats

For the most part, Danielle Girard’s series lists are straightforward. However, the Dr. Schwartzman series presents a minor choice for readers regarding the prequel novella, The Ex. Published three years after the fourth main novel, The Ex provides the direct backstory of Annabelle's escape from her husband. Purists may want to read it first to understand the trauma that shapes Annabelle in Exhume. However, reading Exhume first allows the mystery of her past to unfold naturally, making The Ex a satisfying flashback read after you are already invested in her survival.

Another minor point of confusion involves the alternate titles in The Rookie Club series. The first book is occasionally listed as The Rookie Club, and the fourth book, Grave Danger, was originally published under the title Interference. Knowing these alternates prevents readers from accidentally buying the same book twice.

What to Know Before You Start

Danielle Girard’s thrillers are characterized by their strong, flawed, and resilient female leads. As a host of the popular Killer Women Podcast, Girard frequently advocates for and discusses female voices in crime fiction, a passion that shines through in her own writing. Her books frequently deal with heavy themes, including domestic abuse, survival, recovery from trauma, and systemic challenges faced by women in male-dominated professions. She balances these intense themes with meticulous forensic and police research, which she gathers by consulting directly with medical examiners, detectives, and legal experts to ensure her plots remain grounded in reality.