How to Start Reading Debbie Burke’s Thrillers
If you love mystery series set against the rugged backdrop of Montana, Debbie Burke’s Tawny Lindholm Thrillers series is a must-read. The books blend high-stakes suspense with deeply human characters, romantic tension, and timely themes. The absolute best place to start is with the first novel, Instrument of the Devil. Reading from the beginning allows you to watch investigator Tawny Lindholm’s personal and professional partnership with attorney Tillman Rosenbaum develop naturally, as their relationship forms the heart of the series.
Tawny Lindholm Series in Order
The series is straightforward to follow, as the publication order perfectly matches the chronological story line. Below is the complete reading order for the Tawny Lindholm Thrillers:
- Instrument of the Devil (2017) - The award-winning debut introduces Tawny Lindholm, a dyslexic, technophobic widow. When she is framed by a charismatic terrorist plotting to sabotage Northwest Montana’s Hungry Horse Dam, she must team up with criminal defense attorney Tillman Rosenbaum to clear her name.
- Stalking Midas (2019) - Tawny tackles the insidious world of elder fraud. When a wealthy senior citizen becomes the target of a predatory scammer, Tawny and Tillman dive into a dangerous web of greed and manipulation that hits close to home.
- Eyes in the Sky (2020) - This installment focuses on modern privacy and tech issues, specifically drone surveillance. Tawny is drawn into a high-tech stalking case in the Montana mountains that escalates into murder and a race against time.
- Dead Man's Bluff (2020) - Stepping away from the Montana wilderness, this novel takes Tawny and Tillman to Florida. The couple gets trapped by the destructive force of Hurricane Irma while trying to solve a high-stakes crime, combining natural disaster survival with intense romance and suspense.
- Crowded Hearts: A Novella (2020) - A lighter transition piece set between major novels. While this novella features no murders or violent crimes, it delivers plenty of domestic suspense and emotional development for the central couple.
- Flight to Forever (2021) - Set in the spring of 2020 during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. A desperate Vietnam veteran breaks his wife out of a locked memory care facility. When they flee to a remote Montana fire lookout, Tawny must track them down before law enforcement initiates a tragic confrontation.
- Until Proven Guilty (2022) - A complex legal thriller that weaves three separate plotlines: a freed rapist, a wrongfully accused father, and a long-lost son harboring dark secrets. Tawny and Tillman struggle to uncover the truth when DNA evidence raises more questions than answers.
- Deep Fake Double Down (2023) - Diving headfirst into modern cybercrime, this novel features a corrupt prison warden using AI-generated deep fakes to cover up an inmate’s murder. Tawny and Tillman must protect a corrections officer framed for a prison break before she is silenced permanently.
- Fruit of the Poisonous Tree (2024) - The ninth installment focuses on a land battle over a historic cherry orchard. After a devastating arson fire reveals a body, Tawny and Tillman investigate a mystery with roots reaching deep into Japanese history and local secrets.
What to Know Before You Start
Debbie Burke is known for writing "thrillers with heart." Her background as an award-winning nonfiction writer and journalist shines through in the meticulous research behind each book's real-world threats, from cyberattacks to digital manipulation. However, what truly sets the series apart is its unique protagonist. Tawny Lindholm is dyslexic and highly technophobic, which forces her to rely on traditional investigative grit, intuition, and human connection rather than simple digital shortcuts.
Burke is also a self-described "pantser"—meaning she writes her novels without a rigid outline. This allows her plots to unfold organically, keeping the twists unpredictable and the pacing snappy. While each book is a self-contained mystery that can technically be read as a standalone, the evolving romance, family dynamics, and personal growth of Tawny and Tillman make reading them in order the most rewarding experience.