Tony Hill & Carol Jordan Books in Order: How to read Val McDermid’s series?

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Written by Scottish crime writer Val McDermid (author of the Karen Pirie series), this psychological thriller series (also known as the Wire in the Blood series) is about criminal psychologist Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan, his police partner.

Dr. Tony Hill is a clinical psychologist who specializes in repeat violent offenders. He is trained to see patterns. This is why he also works as a profiler for the National Home Office, and for the Bradfield police-with Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan. FYI, Bradfield is a fictional English city.

How to read the Tony Hill & Carol Jordan Series in Order?

Every novel in the Tony Hill & Carol Jordan book series works as a standalone story, but the lives of the different characters evolve from one novel to the other.

  1. The Mermaids Singing – The bodies of four men have been discovered in the town of Bradfield. Enlisted to investigate is criminal psychologist Tony Hill. Even for a seasoned professional, the series of mutilation sex murders is unlike anything he’s encountered before. But profiling the psychopath is not beyond him. Hill’s own past has made him the perfect man to comprehend the killer’s motives. It’s also made him the perfect victim.
  2. The Wire in the Blood – Across the country, dozens of teenage girls have vanished. Authorities are convinced they’re runaways with just the bad luck of the draw to connect them. It’s the job of criminal profilers Dr. Tony Hill and Carol Jordan to look for a pattern. They’ve spent years exploring the psyches of madmen. But sane men kill, too. And when they hide in plain sight, they can be difficult to find…
  3. The Last Temptation – When a twisted killer starts targeting psychologists across Northern Europe, Dr. Tony Hill is the obvious choice to track the executioner’s mental and physical journey. Except that Tony doesn’t want to do this anymore. But the killer is about to strike uncomfortably close to home. The next victim is a friend and colleague. And Tony’s former partner, Detective Carol Jordan, is directly in the murderer’s path.
  4. The Torment of Others – A dead girl lies on a blood-soaked mattress, her limbs spread in a parody of ecstasy. The scene matches a series of murders that ended with the conviction of Derek Tyler. But Tyler’s been locked up in a mental institution for two years, barely speaking a word. Dr. Tony Hill thinks this is not a copycat murder but something much stranger…
  1. Beneath the Bleeding – When Robbie Bishop, the star midfielder for the Bradfield Vics, is poisoned by a rare and deadly toxin, Dr. Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan have their work cut out for them. Robbie was adored, so the public wants answers – but the answers aren’t coming, and trails are running cold.
  2. Fever of the Bone – When teenager Jennifer Maidment’s murdered and mutilated body is discovered, it is clear that there is a dangerous psychopath on the loose. But it’s not long before Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan realize it’s just the start of a brutal campaign. Their chameleon-like killer is chatting with them online, pretending to share their interests – and then luring them to their deaths.
  3. The Retribution – Tony Hill and detective Carol Jordan have put away scores of dangerous criminals. But there is one serial killer who has shaped and defined their careers, and whose evil surpasses all others: Jacko Vance, ex-celebrity and sociopath whose brilliance and utter lack of remorse have never left Tony’s mind in the ten years since his imprisonment. Now Jacko has escaped from prison-and he is focused on wreaking revenge on Tony and Carol for his years spent behind bars.
  1. Cross and Burn – Someone is brutally killing women. Women who bear a striking resemblance to former DCI Carol Jordan. The connection is too strong to ignore and soon Tony Hill finds himself dangerously close to the investigation, just as the killer is closing in on his next target.
  2. Splinter the Silence – Tony Hill is trained to see patterns, and when he comes across a series of suicides among women tormented by vicious online predators, he begins to wonder if there is more to these tragedies than meets the eye. But what kind of serial killer wants his crimes to stay hidden? With lives at stake, Tony and Carol Jordan begin the hunt for the most dangerous and terrifying kind of killer.
  3. Insidious Intent – A quiet night on a country road. The stillness was shattered by a car engulfed in flames, and a burned body was discovered in the driver’s seat. As the investigation unfolds, DCI Carol Jordan and Tony Hill quickly realize that this is more than just a tragic accident. And so begins the hunt for a truly terrifying killer, someone who believes he is invisible, untraceable, and untouchable.
  4. How The Dead Speak – With Tony behind bars and Carol finally out of the road as a cop, he’s finding unexpected outlets for his talents in jail and she’s joined forces with a small informal group of lawyers and forensics experts looking into suspected miscarriages of justice. Meanwhile, construction is suddenly halted on the redevelopment of an orphanage after dozens of skeletons are found buried in the grounds.

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