“I had learned early to assume something dark and lethal hidden at the heart of anything I loved.”
If you’re new to the eerie, atmospheric world of Tana French – or a longtime fan looking for the perfect reading order – you’re in the right place. Here at What We Reading, we’re ranking the best Tana French books in order, blending fan favourites and lesser-known gems to guide you from your first page to an unforgettable finale. Whether you’re curious about the interconnected Dublin Murder Squad series order or hunting down the best Tana French standalone novels, this reading guide has you covered. With each title chosen for its storytelling strength, psychological depth, and pure intrigue, this list caters to both mystery lovers and literary suspense fans. Come the end, you’ll know precisely which Tana French books to read first, and why they deserve a spot on your bookshelf.
In The Woods (Dublin Murder Squad #1) (2007)
Where else could we start a list of the best Tana French books than with the American-Irish author’s most famous work, In The Woods. As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But, on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they only find one of the children. He is gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.
Two decades on, the found boy Rob Ryan is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad, and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.
The Searcher (Cal Hooper #1) (2020)
Retired detective Cal Hooper moves to a remote village in rural Ireland. His plans are to fix up the dilapidated cottage he’s bought, to walk the mountains, to put his old police instincts to bed forever.
Then a local boy appeals to him for help. His brother is missing, and no one in the village, least of all the police, seems to care. And once again, Cal feels that restless itch. Something is wrong in this community, and he must find out what, even if it brings troubles to his own door.
The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad #2) (2008)
Still traumatised by her brush with a psychopath, Detective Cassie Maddox transfers out of the Murder squad and begins a new relationship with fellow detective Sam O’Neill. When he calls her to the scene of his new case, she is shocked to find that the murderer girl is her double. What’s more, her ID shows she is Lexie Madison – the identity Cassie used, years ago, as an undercover detective.
With no leads, no suspects, and no clues to Lexie’s real identity, Cassie’s old boss spots the opportunity of a lifetime: send Cassie undercover in her place, to tempt the killer out of hiding to finish the job in the gripping second entry in the Dublin Murder Squad series.
Faithful Place (Dublin Murder Squad #3) (2010)
Back in 1985, Frank Mackey was nineteen, growing up poor in Dublin’s inner city and living crammed into a small flat with his family on Faithful Place. He and his girl, Rosie Daly, were all set to run away to London together, breaking away from their poverty and old lives. But on the winter night they were set to leave, Rosie didn’t show. Frank never went home again. Neither did Rosie.
Then, twenty-two years later, Rosie’s suitcase shows up behind a fireplace in a derelict house on Faithful Place. Frank soon finds himself ensnared in the dark tangle of relationships he left behind. He just wants to find out what happened to Rosie Daly – and he’s willing to do whatever it takes, to himself or anyone else, to get the job done.
Broken Harbor (Dublin Murder Squad #4) (2012)
Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy is the star of the Dublin Murder Squad. He plays by the books and plays hard, and that’s how the biggest case of the year ends up in his hands.
On one of the half-abandoned “luxury developments” that litter Ireland, Patrick Spain and his two young children have been murdered. His wife, Jenny, is in intensive care. At first, Scorcher thinks it’s going to be a straightforward case. But this neighbourhood – Broken Harbor – holds memories for Scorcher and his troubled sister, Dina: childhood memories that Scorcher believed he had firmly under control.
The Secret Place (Dublin Murder Squad #5) (2014)
Detective Stephen Moran has been waiting for his chance to get a foot in the door of Dublin’s Murder Squad – and one morning, Holly Mackey brings him a photograph that gives him that chance. The Secret Place, a board where the girls at St. Kilda’s School can pin up their secrets anonymously. But today, someone has used it to reignite the investigation into the murder of the popular Chris Harper. Stephen joins forces with the abrasive Detective Antoinette Conway to find out why.
But everything they uncover leads them back to Holly’s close-knit group of friends and their fierce enemies, a rival clique. Every step ramps up the pressure. Undoubtedly one of the best Tana French books in the Dublin Murder Squad universe, The Secret Place is a powerful, haunting exploration of friendship and loyalty.
The Trespasser (Dublin Murder Squad #6) (2016)
For Detective Antoinette Conway, her partner, Stephen Moran, is the only person who seems glad she’s still in the Dublin Murder Squad. The rest of her working life is a combination of thankless cases, vicious pranks, and harassment. Their new case involves Aislinn Murray, a pretty blond, dead in her living room next to a table set for a romantic dinner. There’s nothing unusual about her – except that Antoinette has seen her before.
Other detectives push for Antoinette and Stephen to arrest Aislinn’s boyfriend. Soon, everything the pair discover about Aislinn takes her further from the glossy, passive doll she seemed to be. Antoinette knows the harassment has turned her paranoid, but she can’t tell just how far gone she is. Is this case another step in the campaign to force her from the force, or are there darker undercurrents flowing beneath its polished surface?
Dublin Murder Squad Book Series Order
- In the Woods (2007) – Dublin Murder Squad #1
- The Likeness (2008) – Dublin Murder Squad #2
- Faithful Place (2010) – Dublin Murder Squad #3
- Broken Harbor (2012) – Dublin Murder Squad #4
- The Secret Place (2014) – Dublin Murder Squad #5
- The Trespasser (2016) – Dublin Murder Squad #6
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The Witch Elm (2018)
Toby is a happy-go-lucky charmer who’s dodged a scrape at work and is celebrating with friends when the night takes a turn that will change his life: he surprises two burglars who beat him and leave him for dead. Struggling to recover from his injuries, beginning to understand that he may never be the same man again, he takes refuge at his family’s ancestral home to care for his dying uncle, Hugo.
Then a skull is discovered in the trunk of an elm tree in the garden – and as detectives close in, Toby is forced to face the possibility that his past may not be what he always believed. The Witch Elm is a standalone Tana French book that asks what we become, and what we’re capable of, when we no longer know who we are.
The Searcher (Cal Hooper #1) (2020)
Retired detective Cal Hooper moves to a remote village in rural Ireland. His plans are to fix up the dilapidated cottage he’s bought, to walk the mountains, to put his old police instincts to bed forever.
Then a local boy appeals to him for help. His brother is missing, and no one in the village, least of all the police, seems to care. And once again, Cal feels that restless itch. Something is wrong in this community, and he must find out what, even if it brings troubles to his own door.
The Hunter (Cal Hooper #2) (2024)
Cal Hooper took early retirement from the Chicago PD and moved to rural Ireland, looking for peace. He’s found it, built a relationship with a local woman named Lena, and he’s gradually turning Trey Reddy from a half-feral teenager into a good kid going places. But then Trey’s long-absent father reappears, bringing along an English millionaire and a scheme to find gold in the townland. Suddenly, everything the three of them have been building is under threat.
Cal and Lena are prepared to do whatever it takes to protect Trey, but Trey doesn’t want to be protected. What she wants is revenge. The Hunter is a Tana French novel brimming with atmosphere that explores what we’ll do for our loved ones, what we’ll do for revenge, and what we sacrifice when the two collide.
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The Keeper (Cal Hooper #3) (2026)
On a cold night in the remote Irish village of Arknakelty, a girl goes missing. Sweet, loving Rachel Holohan was about to be engaged to the son of the local big shot. Instead, she’s dead in the river. In a close-knit small town, a death like this isn’t simple. It comes wrapped in generations-old grudges and power struggles, and rips the town in half.
Retired Chicago detective Cal Hooper owes the town loyalty; however, his fiancée, Lena, wants nothing to do with their struggles. As the feud becomes more vicious, their settled peace begins to crack apart. And, when they uncover a scheme that casts new light on Rachel’s death and threatens the whole village, they find themselves in the firing line.
Cal Hooper Book Series Order
- The Searcher (2020) – Cal Hooper #1
- The Hunter (2024) – Cal Hooper #2
- The Keeper (2026) – Cal Hooper #3
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
