Where to Start with Elena Forbes
For readers new to Elena Forbes, the best place to start is at the very beginning of her debut series with Die with Me (2007). This novel introduces her signature protagonists, Detective Inspector Mark Tartaglia and Detective Sergeant Sam Donovan, and establishes the dark, psychologically intense tone that defines her work. Because her main series depends heavily on the slow-burning development, shifting personal dynamics, and cumulative trauma of its lead detectives, starting here is essential for understanding the emotional stakes of the later books.
If you prefer a more self-contained story with a different lead investigator, you can start with A Bad, Bad Thing (2018). While it was conceived as the start of a new series featuring DCI Eve West, it functions perfectly well as a standalone investigation into corruption, miscarriages of justice, and hidden pasts, making it an easy entry point for readers who do not want to commit to a multi-book arc.
The DI Mark Tartaglia Series in Publication Order
The DI Mark Tartaglia series is a classic British police procedural set against the moody backdrop of London, specifically centering on the Barnes Murder Squad. The series consists of four novels, which should be read in their order of release to fully appreciate the character arcs:
- Die with Me (2007): The series opener introduces DI Tartaglia and DS Sam Donovan as they investigate what initially appear to be tragic suicides of young women jumping from the galleries of historic London churches. They soon realize they are dealing with a calculating serial killer who uses internet chat rooms to find vulnerable targets.
- Our Lady of Pain (2008): In this second installment, the detectives are called to Holland Park, where a beautiful young tutor has been found dead. The investigation pulls Tartaglia and Donovan into the victim's complex personal life and a web of wealthy, powerful suspects with secrets to hide.
- Evil in Return (2010): The third book centers on the brutal murder of a successful, controversial romantic fiction writer. As Tartaglia digs into the victim's past, he finds that her books may have mirrored real-life secrets, exposing a murderer who went to extreme lengths to keep them quiet.
- Jigsaw Man (2015): The final entry in the series raises the stakes both professionally and personally. Tartaglia is called to investigate a corpse assembled from the body parts of multiple different victims, while simultaneously dealing with a murder case that strikes close to Sam Donovan's personal life. Both lead detectives are at their lowest points here, dealing with the psychological fallout of their previous cases.
The Eve West Series
In 2018, Elena Forbes shifted focus to a new protagonist, introducing DCI Eve West. While intended to launch a new investigative series, it remains a single novel as of 2026:
- A Bad, Bad Thing (2018): The novel follows DCI Eve West, whose career is in ruins after a police operation ends in catastrophe. Suspended and fighting to clear her name, she is forced into a tense alliance with a violent convict she previously helped imprison. In exchange for evidence that could exonerate her, she agrees to investigate a past murder that may have resulted in a wrongful conviction. Teaming up with a journalist, Eve uncovers a web of secrets that threatens to expose her own hidden past.
Chronological vs. Publication Order
There are no chronological tricks, prequels, or narrative jumps in Elena Forbes's bibliography. The chronological order of the stories matches their publication order exactly. Readers do not need to worry about adjusting timelines or fitting side stories into their reading lists.
However, reading the DI Tartaglia books out of order is highly discouraged. While each novel presents a self-contained murder mystery that is resolved by the final page, the psychological evolution of Mark Tartaglia and Sam Donovan is strictly linear. The heavy personal toll of their work, their evolving professional partnership, and the trauma they carry from one investigation to the next directly culminate in the events of Jigsaw Man. Reading the fourth book without the context of the first three will lessen the emotional impact of the characters' struggles.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into Elena Forbes's books, readers should prepare for a gritty, atmospheric experience that leans heavily into the psychological underpinnings of crime. Unlike cozy mysteries, Forbes's work explores modern, dark themes such as internet anonymity, manipulation, and the lasting trauma experienced by police investigators. Her setting of London is practically a character in itself, transitioning from the quiet, semi-rural charm of Barnes to the bustling, shadows-filled parks of West London.
Forbes's style is heavily influenced by classic mystery writers like Agatha Christie and Ruth Rendell, combining the meticulous clues of a traditional whodunit with the gritty realism of a modern police procedural. Her transition from a career in international portfolio management to full-time writing is reflected in her structured, highly organized plotting, ensuring that every clue and procedural detail feels authentic and earned.