Dorothy Koomson Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Dorothy Koomson

Dorothy Koomson is celebrated for writing twisty psychological thrillers and deeply emotional contemporary dramas. Because the vast majority of her bibliography consists of standalone novels, you can jump in almost anywhere. However, depending on what type of story you enjoy, there are two primary entry points:

• For Emotional Drama: Start with My Best Friend's Girl (2006). This was Koomson's breakout bestseller, detailing the emotional journey of a woman who must raise the daughter of her late best friend.
• For Psychological Thrills: Start with The Ice Cream Girls (2010). This gripping mystery follows two women who were accused of murdering their schoolteacher in their youth, and it serves as the first book in her only major multi-book character arc.

The Poppy & Serena Duology

While most of Koomson's books stand alone, she wrote a direct sequel to her hit thriller The Ice Cream Girls. To follow the story of Poppy and Serena correctly, you should read them in this order:

1. The Ice Cream Girls (2010)
2. All My Lies Are True (2020)

The Ice Cream Girls establishes the mystery of Serena and Poppy's teenage years and their relationship with an abusive teacher. A decade later, All My Lies Are True picks up the pieces, showing how the fallout of their past continues to threaten their families and lives.

The That Girl From Nowhere Series

In 2015, Koomson released a novel alongside a companion prequel novella focusing on the character Clemency "Smitty" Smittson. The recommended order is:

1. From There to Here (2015) – Prequel Novella
2. That Girl From Nowhere (2015) – Full Novel

The prequel novella, From There to Here, chronicles Smitty's life in Leeds and her transition to Brighton, setting up the exact environment and emotional stakes found at the beginning of the full-length novel That Girl From Nowhere.

Dorothy Koomson's Standalone Novels (Publication Order)

For the remainder of Koomson's works, you can read them in any order. However, following them in publication order lets you trace her evolution from writing relationship-focused contemporary fiction to darker, suspense-driven psychological thrillers. Here is the chronological list of her standalones:

• The Cupid Effect (2003)
• The Chocolate Run (2004)
• My Best Friend's Girl (2006)
• Marshmallows for Breakfast (2007)
• Goodnight, Beautiful (2008)
• The Woman He Loved Before (2011)
• The Rose Petal Beach (2012)
• The Flavours of Love (2013)
• When I Was Invisible (2016)
• The Friend (2017)
• The Brighton Mermaid (2018)
• Tell Me Your Secret (2019)
• That Day You Left (2020)
• I Know What You've Done (2021)
• My Other Husband (2022)
• Every Smile You Fake (2024)

Short Stories and Novellas

In addition to her main novels, Koomson has published standalone short stories that capture her signature emotional depth in a shorter format:

• The Beach Wedding (2018)
• Wildflowers (2018)

A Note on the Doctor Who: Legends Series

Some bibliographies list Dorothy Koomson under the "Doctor Who: Legends" series. To clarify, Koomson is not the author of the entire Doctor Who line. She contributed a single short story, "Bill and the Three Jackets" (featuring the companion Bill Potts), to the female-authored anthology The Day She Saved the Doctor: Four Stories from the TARDIS (2018). The other books in that series—such as Full Circle or The Missy Chronicles—were written by other contributors.