LJ Ross Books in Order (DCI Ryan, Alexander Gregory, The Cove)

LJ Ross is the pen name of Louise Ross, a British writer of romantic suspense thrillers. She grew up in Northumberland before studying law at King’s College London, but also in Paris and Florence. She first worked in the City and trained as a barrister before deciding to become a writer.

Her writing career was launched with Holy Island, the first book in the DCI Ryan Mysteries series that became an instant, international bestseller. She has released further books in the DCI Ryan series as well as books in her Alexander Gregory Thrillers series.

How to read LJ Ross’ Books in Order?

The DCI Ryan Series in Order

Set in Northumbria, England, the series follows the investigation of Detective Chief Inspector Ryan in this fast-paced crime whodunnit, a mix of murder and mystery peppered with a sprinkling of romance and humor. For more details, check out our article dedicated to the DCI Ryan Mysteries.

1. Holy Island (2014)
2. Sycamore Gap (2015)
3. Heavenfield (2016)
4. Angel (2016)
5. High Force (2017)
6. Cragside (2017)
7. Dark Skies (2017)
8. Seven Bridges (2018)
9. The Hermitage (2018)
10. Longstone (2018)
11. The Infirmary (2019) – The Prequel to Holy Island.
12. The Moor (2019)
13. Penshaw (2019)
14. Borderlands (2019)
15. Ryan’s Christmas (2019)
16. The Shrine (2020)
17. Cuthbert’s Way (2020)
18. The Rock (2021)
19. Bamburgh (2022)
20. Lady’s Well (2023)

The Alexander Gregory Books in Order

1. Impostor (2019) – After an elite criminal profiling unit is shut down amid a storm of scandal and mismanagement, only one person emerges unscathed. Forensic psychiatrist, Doctor Alexander Gregory, has a reputation for being able to step inside the darkest minds to uncover whatever secrets lie hidden there and, soon enough, he finds himself drawn into the murky world of murder investigation. In the beautiful hills of County Mayo, Ireland, a killer is on the loose. Panic has a stranglehold on its rural community, and the Garda are running out of time. Gregory has sworn to follow a quiet life but, when the call comes, can he refuse to help their desperate search for justice?
2. Hysteria (2019) – Recently returned from his last case in Ireland, elite forensic psychologist and criminal profiler Dr Alexander Gregory receives a call from the French police that he can’t ignore. It’s Paris fashion week and some of the world’s most beautiful women are turning up dead, their faces slashed in a series of frenzied attacks while the world’s press looks on. Amidst the carnage, one victim has survived but she’s too traumatised to talk. Without her help, the police are powerless to stop the killer before he strikes again – can Gregory unlock the secrets of her mind, before it’s too late?
3. Bedlam (2020) – Fresh from a high-profile case in the Paris fashion world, elite forensic psychologist and criminal profiler Dr Alexander Gregory receives a call from the New York State Homicide Squad. The wife of a notorious criminal has been admitted to a private psychiatric hospital and can no longer testify in his upcoming trial. Without her, their case will collapse, but amid reports that the staff are as unpredictable as their patients, who can the police trust? In desperation, they turn to an outsider, and now Gregory must find the courage to step inside the fortified walls of Buchanan Hospital to uncover the truth. The question is, will he ever be the same again?
4. Mania (2022) – Back in London after a dramatic trip to North America, Doctor Alexander Gregory finds himself without an occupation while he awaits the all-important decision of the disciplinary panel at Southmoor Hospital. That is, until he witnesses the death of a famous actor, live on stage during the opening night of King Lear. When the police rule the death suspicious, they call upon the elite services of Gregory and his partner in criminal profiling, Bill Douglas. Gregory is paired with attractive investigating officer DCI Hope and tensions arise–especially when an old foe resurfaces. With bodies piling up and no new leads, Gregory and Hope realize they must look to the past to uncover the truth–before it’s too late. Immersed in the glamorous world of celebrity, Gregory soon learns that, beneath the surface, things are far murkier than they seem…

The Summer Suspense Mysteries in Order

1. The Cove (2021) – The ‘Underground Killer’ takes his victims when they least expect it: standing on the edge of a busy Tube platform, as they wait for a train to arrive through the murky underground tunnels of London. Gabrielle soon learns that being a survivor is harder than being a victim, and she struggles to return to her old life. Desperate to break free from endless nightmares, she snatches up an opportunity to run a tiny bookshop in a picturesque cove in rural Cornwall. She thinks she’s found the perfect escape but has she swapped one nightmare for another?
2. The Creek (2022) – Kate Irving arrives at her grandfather’s cottage at Frenchman’s Creek in the dead of night with her young son, a small suitcase, and little else. Its scattered community of fishermen, farmers, artists, and jetsetters barely bat an eyelid, because theirs is a rarefied world, tucked beneath the lush forest that lines the banks of the Helford estuary, deep in the heart of Cornwall, where life is slow and people generally mind their own business. Unless, of course, your grandfather happens to be a pillar of the local community…
3. The Bay (2023) – In the picturesque seaside town of St Ives, Detective Sergeant Sophie Keane is a pillar of the community. Between the occasional collar and lazy weekends spent on the beach, it seems a perfect life. But for Sophie, the golden sands and crystal waters hide a dark secret, one that’s lain buried for twenty years. When a body turns up on the opening night of a glittering new art gallery on the seafront, the town is left shaken–especially Sophie, who recognizes the killer’s style but knows that what she fears just couldn’t be possible… With a killer on the loose, everyone’s a suspect-especially newcomer Gabriel Rowe, who seems to have settled in far too quickly for her liking. For Sophie, he’s guilty until proven innocent…

Collections and anthologies

• Everyday Kindness – A charity anthology of short, fictional stories of kindness, edited by LJ Ross.

If you like our article about the LJ Ross reading order, don’t forget to bookmark it! You may also be interested in JD Kirk’s books, Angela Marsons’s series, Elly Griffiths’ work…