DI Geraldine Steel Books in Order: How to read Leigh Russell’s series?

For fans of Martina Cole.

What is the DI Geraldine Steel series about?

Coming from mystery writer Leigh Russell, the DI Geraldine Steel series is about the investigation of police detectives Geraldine Steel and Ian Peterson (who got his own spin-off now).

Those psychological thrillers take us first to the rural part of England before moving to London for a more international appeal. It’s, as you have guessed, about gritty murders, but more so about the turbulent career and personal life of Geraldine Steel.

How to read the DI Geraldine Steel Books in Order?

Every book in the DI Geraldine Steel series works as a standalone story, but the lives of the different characters evolve from one novel to the other.

1. Cut Short – Relocated to a quiet rural town, Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel expects respite from the stresses of the city; a space where she can battle her demons in private. But when she finds herself pitted against a twisted killer preying on young women, she quickly discovers how wrong she is…
2. Road Closed – When a man dies in a gas explosion, the police suspect arson. But the case takes on a new and terrible twist when the prime suspect, a local felon, is viciously attacked. As police enquiries lead from the expensive Harchester Hill estate to the local brothel, their key witness dies in a hit-and-run. With so many lives lost already, DI Geraldine Steel must put her problems aside, to protect others. After all, in the race for justice, sacrifices must be made.
3. Dead End – Headmistress Abigail Kirby is dead. A potential witness has been murdered. And for DI Geraldine Steel, the stakes have been raised yet higher. Abigail’s teenage daughter, Lucy, is missing, believed to have run away with a girl she met online. Time is quickly running out for Geraldine before her naivety costs Lucy her life.
4. Death Bed – When the bodies of two black girls are discovered in North London, the pressure is on to find a killer before the case divides the local community. But motive seems to go far beyond race in DI Geraldine Steel’s first investigation in the nation’s capital.

5. Stop Dead – When a successful businessman is the victim of a vicious murder, all evidence points to his wife and her young lover. But then the victim’s business partner suffers a similarly brutal fate and when yet another body is discovered, seemingly unrelated, the police are baffled. The only clue is DNA that leads them to two women: one dead, the other in prison. With rumours growing of a serial killer in the city, the pressure to solve the case is high. But can Geraldine find the killer before there’s yet another deadly attack?
6. Fatal Act – How far would you go to find a murderer? DI Geraldine Steel, known for pushing the boundaries of her position in the name of justice, is on the hunt for a conviction, even if it threatens her life. A glamorous young TV soap star dies in a car crash but despite the severity of the incident, the driver of the second vehicle has somehow survived – and is now missing.
7. Killer Plan – Caroline’s husband is killed, but she can’t turn to the police without implicating herself in his murder. When one of her 10-year-old twins is kidnapped, the desperate mother is forced to resort to drastic measures to get him back. As time runs out, Geraldine Steel realises she has a secret that might just help solve the case, but the truth could destroy her career.
8. Murder Ring – The dead body of unassuming David Lester is discovered in a dark side-street, and DI Geraldine Steel is plunged into another murder investigation. The clues mount up along with the suspects, but with the death of another man in inexplicable circumstances, the case becomes increasingly complex. As Geraldine investigates the seemingly unrelated crimes, she makes a shocking discovery about her birth mother.

9. Deadly Alibi – Two murder victims and a suspect whose alibi appears open to doubt… Geraldine Steel is plunged into a double murder investigation which threatens not only her career, but her life. And then her previously unknown twin Helena turns up, with problems which are about to make Geraldine’s life turn toxic in more ways than one.
10. Class Murder – When two people are murdered, their only connection lies buried in the past. As police search for the elusive killer, another body is discovered. Pursuing her first investigation in York, Geraldine Steel struggles to solve the confusing case. How can she expose the killer, and rescue her shattered reputation, when all the witnesses are being murdered?
11. Killer Christmas (short story) – It’s Christmas Eve but not all is merry and bright for Detective Geraldine Steel. With her family abroad and her friends booked up, she finds herself alone in York for the holidays. But when a man collapses at the local fair, it’s clear that this isn’t a case of winter flu. There’s a killer in the crowds. Can Geraldine find the culprit before another life is taken?
12. Death Rope – Mark Abbott is dead. His sister refuses to believe it was suicide, but only Detective Sergeant Geraldine Steel will listen. When other members of Mark’s family disappear, Geraldine’s suspicions are confirmed.
13. Rogue Killer – A man is killed in apparently random attack, and suspicion falls on a gang of muggers. Only Detective Sergeant Geraldine Steel thinks this is the work of a more deliberate murderer. Two more victims are discovered, after further seemingly indiscriminate attacks.

14. Deathly Affair – When a homeless man is found strangled to death, Detective Sergeant Geraldine Steel is caught off guard by the cold-blooded nature of the crime. A second murder suggests the existence of a killer whose motive is as elusive as he is dangerous.
15. Deadly Revenge – When a hysterical mother reports her baby’s sudden disappearance, suspicion immediately falls on the absent husband. But Detective Geraldine Steel’s gut instinct tells her this case is not as simple as her colleagues think…
16. Deep Cover – A sex worker dies in suspicious circumstances in York. As Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel tries to stay focused on the investigation her partner, Ian Peterson, risks his own life working undercover in London. A second victim is discovered in York while, unknown to Geraldine, Ian is attacked by a sadistic psychopath.
17. Guilt Edged – An inoffensive man is murdered in a seemingly motiveless attack. Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel and her team are baffled, until DNA from an apparent stranger is discovered on the victim’s body. Geraldine is not convinced the suspect is guilty. When a witness comes forward to offer the suspect an alibi, Geraldine lets him go. That night, a second murder is committed.

18. Fake Alibi – A wheelchair-using woman is strangled and her son, Eddy, is arrested. When his alibi falls apart, the police are satisfied that he is guilty. Only Geraldine doubts whether Eddy is cunning enough to kill his mother and cover his tracks so successfully. The situation becomes more complicated when the girlfriend Eddy claims he was with at the time of the murder denies having met him.
19. Final Term – When a pupil accuses a teacher of molesting her, his career and marriage are threatened…The girl’s corpse is discovered in the woods, and the teacher becomes a suspect in a murder inquiry. The victim’s best friend is then murdered so she cannot reveal the killer’s identity. The investigating team is satisfied the teacher is guilty, apart from Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel, who believes the wrong man has been arrested. All of her colleagues disagree… but if she is right, the real killer remains at large.
20. Without Trace – As a favor to her partner, Geraldine agrees to look into the disappearance of a young woman, only to discover that several other young women have also gone missing locally. They all vanished unexpectedly, without a trace. When one of the missing women is discovered, unconscious and covered in mud, she dies without recovering consciousness, leaving Geraldine and her team in an urgent race to find the other missing women before it is too late to save them.

If you like DI Geraldine Steel, you may also want to check out Martina Cole’s books or the DCI Ryan series. Don’t hesitate to follow us on Twitter or Facebook to discover more book series.