Robert Hunter Books in Order: How to read Chris Carter’s series?

Robert Hunter’s novels form a series of psychological thriller and crime novels written by Chris Carter-not the creator of The X-Files-a Brazilian author who moved to the USA where he studied psychology with a specialization in criminal behavior. He also worked as a criminal psychologist for several years before moving to Los Angeles where he became a professional musician.

Now, Chris Carter is a full-time writer. His series is about Robert Hunter who is a Criminal Behavior Psychologist turned Detective for the Homicide Special Section of the Los Angeles Robbery Homicide Division. The books follow Hunter as he investigates complex murder cases, often with the help of his partner, Garcia.

How to read the Robert Hunter Series in Order?

Every entry in the Robert Hunter book series works as a standalone story, but the lives of the different characters evolve from one novel to the other.

0. The Hunter – ebook exclusive short story. Meet Robert Hunter, the youngest Homicide Detective the Los Angeles Police has ever recruited, on his first day. As a rookie, he is given a simple suicide investigation to cut his teeth on. But when he arrives at the scene, he swiftly begins to suspect that something is not quite right. But with a new Captain to impress and the evidence stacked against him, Hunter has a lot to prove if he is to solve the case and keep his place on the team.
1. The Crucifix Killer – When the body of a young woman is discovered in a derelict cottage in Los Angeles, Robert Hunter is thrown into a nightmare case. The victim suffered a terrible death, and on the nape of her neck has been carved a strange double-cross: the signature of a psychopath known as the Crucifix Killer. But that’s impossible. Because two years ago, the Crucifix Killer was caught and executed. Could this therefore be a copycat killer? Or could the unthinkable be true?
2. The Executioner – Inside a Los Angeles church, on the altar steps, lies the blood-soaked body of a priest. Later, the forensic team discovered that, on the victim’s chest, the figure 3 has been scrawled in blood. Hunter finds himself on the trail of an elusive and sadistic killer, someone who apparently has the power to read his victims’ minds. Someone who can sense what scares his victims the most.
3. The Night Stalker – When an unidentified female body is discovered laid out on a slab in an abandoned butcher’s shop, the cause of death is unclear. Soon Robert finds himself on the hunt for a murderer with a warped obsession, a stalker for whom love has become hate.

4. The Death Sculptor – A student nurse has the shock of her life when she discovers her patient, prosecutor Derek Nicholson, brutally murdered in his bed. Just as Hunter and his partner Garcia reckon they’ve found a lead, a new body is found. Pushed into an uncomfortable alliance with confident investigator Alice Beaumont, Hunter must race to put together the pieces of the puzzle before the Death Sculptor puts the final touches to his masterpiece.
5. One by One – Detective Robert Hunter of the LAPD’s Homicide Special Section receives an anonymous call asking him to go to a specific web address – a private broadcast. Hunter logs on and a horrific show devised for his eyes only immediately begins. And before Hunter and his partner Garcia are even able to get their investigation going, Hunter receives a new phone call. A new website address. A new victim. But this time the killer has upgraded his game so that anyone can take part …
6. An Evil Mind – A freak accident in rural Wyoming leads the Sheriff’s Department to arrest a man for a possible double homicide, but further investigations suggest a much more horrifying discovery – a serial killer who has been kidnapping, torturing and mutilating victims all over the United States for at least twenty-five years. These interviews begin to reveal terrifying secrets that no one could’ve foreseen, including the real identity of a killer so elusive that no one, not even the FBI, had any idea he existed … until now.

7. I Am Death – Seven days after being abducted, the body of a twenty-year-old woman is found on a green patch of grass by the Los Angeles International Airport. Surrounded by new challenges as every day passes, Detective Hunter finds himself chasing a monster. A predator whose past hides a terrible secret, whose desire to hurt people and thirst for murder can never be quenched.
8. The Caller – Detectives Robert Hunter and Carlos Garcia are thrown into a rollercoaster of evil, chasing a predator who scouts the streets and social media networks for victims, taunting them with secret messages and feeding on their fear.
9. Gallery of the Dead – Detectives Hunter and Garcia find themselves joining forces with the FBI to track down a serial killer whose hunting ground sees no borders; a psychopath who loves what he does because to him murder is much more than just killing – it’s an art form.

10. Hunting Evil – Lucien Folter has become the most prolific and dangerous serial killer in FBI history.
    Hunter caught Lucien. He’s been in prison for years. But Lucien has just escaped. And he’s angry. He’s going to make the man who put him away suffer. That person … is Robert Hunter.
11. Written in Blood – A journal ends up at Robert Hunter’s desk. It soon becomes clear that there is a serial killer on the loose. And if Hunter can’t stop him in time, more people will die.
12. Genesis – Robert Hunter is called to the most vicious crime scene he has ever attended. It is made even more disturbing when the autopsy reveals a poem, left by the killer, inside the body of their victim. Soon, another body is found. The methods and signature of the murder differs, but the level of violence used suggests that the same person is behind both crimes. Hunter’s fears are confirmed when a second part of the poem is found.

If you like our article about the Robert Hunter reading order, don’t forget to bookmark it! You may also want to check out Cody McFayden’s Smoky Barrett series, or our guide to M.J. Arlidge’s DI Helen Grace series. Don’t hesitate to follow us on Twitter or Facebook to discover more book series.