Richard Montanari Reading Order
3 series · 15 books
Richard Montanari crafts dark, atmospheric crime thrillers populated by complex detectives and morally ambiguous characters. His fifteen novels span three interconnected series—the Jack Paris investigations, the Jessica Balzano and Kevin Byrne cases, and standalone works—all marked by intricate plotting and psychological depth. Since his debut in the mid-1990s, Montanari has become a globally recognized voice in the mystery genre, with his work translated into nearly thirty languages and reaching readers across the world.
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Jack Paris Series
Complete2 books (1995–2001)
Richard Montanari's Jack Paris series comprises two mystery thrillers published between 1995 and 2001. The complete series includes Deviant Way and Kiss of Evil, which should be read in publication order to follow the story properly.
Start with Deviant Way and read in order.
Start this series with Deviant Way
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  Deviant Way |
| 2 |  Kiss of Evil |
Jessica Balzano & Kevin Byrne Series
Complete10 books (2005–2015)
The Jessica Balzano & Kevin Byrne series is a ten-book mystery thriller collection published between 2005 and 2015, following the investigations of two Philadelphia detectives. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with The Rosary Girls and concluding with Shutter Man. Richard Montanari crafted this lineup of interconnected crime novels that blend procedural elements with psychological depth.
Start with The Rosary Girls, the first of 10 books in the Jessica Balzano & Kevin Byrne series.
Start this series with The Rosary Girls
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  The Rosary Girls |
| 2 |  The Skin Gods |
| 3 |  Broken Angels / Merciless |
| 4 |  Play Dead / Badlands |
| 5 |  The Echo Man |
| 6 |  The Killing Room |
| 7 |  The Stolen Ones |
| 8 | A Christmas Killing |
| 9 |  The Doll Maker |
| 10 |  Shutter Man |
Standalone Novels Series
Complete3 books (1998–2018)
Richard Montanari's three standalone mystery and thriller novels span two decades, beginning with The Violet Hour in 1998 and concluding with The Buried Girl in 2018. While each novel stands alone with its own characters and plot, they are best experienced in publication order to appreciate the author's evolution as a writer. This complete series offers readers three distinct crime narratives unconnected by recurring characters or shared universes.
Start with The Violet Hour and read in order.
Start this series with The Violet Hour
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  The Violet Hour |
| 2 | Deathless / The Devil's Garden |
| 3 |  The Buried Girl |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has Richard Montanari written?
- Richard Montanari has written 15 books across 3 series. Their published works span from 1995 to 2018.
- What is the first book in each Richard Montanari series?
- Here are the first books in Richard Montanari's series: Jack Paris: Deviant Way; Jessica Balzano & Kevin Byrne: The Rosary Girls.
- What order should I read Richard Montanari's books?
- We recommend reading Richard Montanari's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Are Richard Montanari's series complete?
- Richard Montanari has 3 completed series.