Jim Kelly Reading Order

12 books (2008–2016)

This seven-book mystery series follows detectives Peter Shaw and George Valentine as they investigate crimes across Norfolk, England between 2008 and 2016. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with Death Wore White and concluding with Death Ship. Each novel stands as a self-contained mystery while developing the ongoing relationship between the two contrasting detectives.

Start with Death Wore White / Death on the Norfolk Coast, the first of 7 books in the DI Peter Shaw & DS George Valentine series.

#	Title
1	Death Wore White / Death on the Norfolk Coast 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Death Watch / Death in King's Lynn 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Death Toll 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Death Toll / Death on a Norfolk River 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Death's Door 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Death's Door / Death On East Hills Island 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	At Death's Window 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	At Death's Window / Death On Scolt Head Island 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Death on Demand 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Death on Demand / Death on Brancaster Marsh 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Death Ship 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Death Ship / Death on Hunstanton Beach 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (2018–2026)

Jim Kelly's Nighthawk series consists of five mystery and thriller novels published between 2018 and 2026, with the series remaining ongoing. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Great Darkness, followed by The Mathematical Bridge, The Night Raids, The Cambridge Siren, and The American Suspect. Each installment builds on the narrative established in previous volumes, making sequential reading essential for following the storyline.

Start with The Great Darkness, the first of 5 books in the Nighthawk series.

#	Title
1	The Great Darkness 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Mathematical Bridge 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Night Raids 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Cambridge Siren 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The American Suspect 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

7 books (2002–2013)

Jim Kelly's Philip Dryden mystery series consists of seven novels published between 2002 and 2013, with the sequence concluded. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Water Clock and continuing through The Fire Baby, The Moon Tunnel, The Coldest Blood, The Skeleton Man, Nightrise, and The Funeral Owl. This complete series follows a character-driven mystery format across its standalone cases.

Start with The Water Clock, the first of 7 books in the Philip Dryden series.

#	Title
1	The Water Clock 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Fire Baby 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Moon Tunnel 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Coldest Blood 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Skeleton Man 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Nightrise 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Funeral Owl 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible