Debbie Howells Books in Order

How to Read Debbie Howells: Standalone Versatility

If you are looking for a complex, multi-book series with recurring characters, you won't find it in the bibliography of Debbie Howells. Instead, this bestselling British author has built her reputation on writing highly engaging standalone novels. However, her work is divided into two very distinct categories: chilling, atmospheric psychological thrillers and deeply emotional, life-affirming women's fiction. Because all of her books are standalones, you can read them in any order you choose, but grouping them by genre provides the best reading experience.

The Recommended Starting Points

Depending on your current reading mood, there are two primary entry points into Debbie Howells' literary world:

For Thriller Fans: Start with The Bones of You (2015)

This is the novel that launched Howells' career into the bestseller lists. It is a haunting psychological thriller centering on the murder of a teenage girl, Rosie Anderson, in a seemingly perfect Sussex village. Part of the story is narrated by Rosie's ghost, which draws comparisons to Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones. It is the perfect introduction to Howells' ability to peel back the layers of dysfunctional families and explore themes of coercion and hidden abuse under a lyrical, atmospheric prose style.

For Women's Fiction Fans: Start with It All Started With You (2023) or The Life You Left Behind (2022)

If you prefer emotional stories about fresh starts, friendship, and love, It All Started With You is the best place to begin. Originally self-published early in her career under the title Wildflowers, this book was completely reworked and officially published by Boldwood Books in 2023. It heavily reflects Howells' real-life background in floristry, telling the story of a florist named Frankie whose life changes after meeting a new friend and a young boy facing a tragic illness. Alternatively, The Life You Left Behind offers a beautiful, heartfelt look at love, loss, and serendipity.

The Psychological Thrillers in Publication Order

Howells' thrillers are famous for their dark secrets, village settings, and insights into human behavior. If you want to watch her styling evolve, here is the order in which her suspense novels were published:

• The Bones of You (2015): A gripping exploration of family secrets and a community shattered by a teenager's murder.
• The Beauty of the End (2016): A twisty story of an ex-lover trying to clear the name of a man who lies in a coma, accused of murder.
• Part of the Silence (2017): A thriller detailing a woman who wakes up in a hospital with no memory of who she is or what happened to her child.
• The Death of Her (2017): A story of secrets buried in a small town, resurfacing when a woman is found dead on a local beach.
• Her Sister's Lie (2019): A suspenseful tale focusing on two sisters, a shared past, and the devastating consequences of long-held secrets.
• The Stepdaughter (2020): A dark, domestic thriller probing the fragile dynamics of a blended family after a young girl vanishes.
• The Vow (2020): A massive ebook bestseller following the frantic search for a fiancé who disappears right before the wedding day.
• The Secret (2022): Set in the exclusive village of Abingworth, this thriller starts with a shocking discovery shared between two friends, followed by a sudden disappearance and murder.
• The House Sitter (2023): A clever thriller about a traveler who uses house-sitting jobs to rob the wealthy, intersecting with a grieving widow uncovering her late husband's secret identity.

The Women's Fiction and Romance Novels

In partnership with Boldwood Books, Debbie Howells has written several deeply emotional contemporary romance and women's fiction novels that emphasize hope, healing, and human connection:

• The Life You Left Behind (2022): A touching story of love, unexpected tragedy, and finding the strength to move forward.
• The Girl I Used To Be (2022): A poignant novel exploring identity, lost dreams, and the journey back to oneself.
• The Shape of Your Heart (2023): Follows Callie as she tries to rebuild her life after the sudden loss of her fiancé, aided by a charming newcomer.
• It All Started With You (2023): A reworked edition of her early self-published work Wildflowers, focusing on flowers, friendship, and second chances.
• The Impossible Search for the Perfect Man (2023): A lighter, emotional read about a woman rebuilding her career and love life after her husband leaves her.
• The Last Days of You and Me (2024): A heartwarming story of four lives intersecting, celebrating friendship, love, and living each day to its absolute fullest.
• This Thing Called Love (2025): A journey of a young woman searching for her estranged father, crossing paths with a man caring for his mother.
• For One Moment With You (2025): An emotional epic tracing two people whose paths cross repeatedly over two decades before they must decide where their hearts truly belong.

What to Know Before You Start

Howells holds a degree in psychology, and this academic background heavily influences her thrillers. She frequently writes about emotional manipulation, coercive control, and the facades that people build to hide dark realities. Her writing style is often described as more lyrical and descriptive than typical fast-paced thrillers. Additionally, her past careers as a cabin crew member, flight instructor, and florist occasionally color the settings and occupations of her characters, bringing a unique level of real-world detail to her stories.