Lisa Black Books in Order

Lisa Black is a New York Times bestselling American crime thriller author and working forensic scientist, a certified latent print examiner and crime scene analyst currently with a Florida police department, and formerly a trace evidence specialist at the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office in Cleveland. She has testified in court as a forensic expert witness over 65 times, and that real-world authority shows in her fiction. Her novel Perish was shortlisted for the inaugural Sue Grafton Memorial Award by the Mystery Writers of America.

This page lists all Lisa Black books in order, including the Theresa MacLean, Gardiner and Renner, and Locard Institute series, standalone novels, and work published under the names Elizabeth Becka and Beth Cheylan.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Theresa MacLean Series (Books in Order)

The Theresa MacLean series follows forensic scientist Theresa MacLean, working at the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office in Cleveland, Ohio, as she investigates suspicious deaths and homicide cases where the critical evidence is found in the lab rather than at the detective’s desk. Grounded in authentic forensic procedure, drawn directly from the author’s own career in trace evidence analysis, the series combines tight procedural details with fast-paced plotting.

Reading Order

1. Takeover, 2008
2. Evidence of Murder, 2009
3. Trail of Blood, 2010
4. Defensive Wounds, 2011
5. Blunt Impact, 2013
6. The Price of Innocence, 2013
7. Close to the Bone, 2014

Gardiner and Renner Series (Books in Order)

The Gardiner and Renner series follows Cleveland forensic investigator Maggie Gardiner and homicide detective Jack Renner as they work criminal cases together, while Maggie remains unaware that Renner is quietly operating as a vigilante killer targeting criminals he believes the justice system has failed to stop. The series runs a sharp moral tension underneath its procedural surface, with Maggie gradually getting closer to the truth about her partner.

Reading Order

1. That Darkness, 2016
2. Unpunished, 2017
3. Perish, 2018
4. Suffer the Children, 2018
5. Let Justice Descend, 2019
6. Every Kind of Wicked, 2020

Locard Institute Thriller Series (Books in Order)

The Locard Institute series follows forensic analysts Dr. Ellie Carr and Dr. Rachael Davies, based at a prestigious private forensic research institute on the Chesapeake Bay, as they take on complex criminal cases that make the most of the various forensic disciplines. Named for the French criminologist who inspired the foundational principle of forensic science, the institute setting allows Lisa Black use a broad setting and several locations.

Reading Order

Publication Order

1. Trace Evidence, 2005
2. Unknown Means, 2008

Standalone Novels

Writing As Beth Cheylan.

• Unwarranted, 2011
• Evil in Paradise, 2012
• The Prague Project, 2013

Lisa Black Biography

Lisa Black is an American crime thriller author who work is related to forensic science and criminal investigation.
Official website: lisa-black.com

Lisa Black was born as Elizabeth Becka in 1963 in Cleveland, Ohio. After working as a secretary for ten years, she returned to her studies to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology from Cleveland State University. She started working as a forensic scientist at the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office, where, as a certified latent print examiner and crime scene analyst, she analyzed trace evidence and processed crime scenes.

She later relocated to Florida where she currently works as a latent print examiner for the Cape Coral Police Department, specializing in finger print and crime scene analysis. Over the years, Lisa Black testified more than sixty times and has appeared as a consultant on CourtTV.

Her experience as a forensic specialist is transferred to her novels, particularly her Cleveland-set series. Besides writing as Lisa Black, she has also published novels under her real name, Elizabeth Becka, and the alias Beth Cheylan.

She is a member of Sisters In Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers, along with several professional organizations such as the American Academy of Forensic Scientists, the International Association for Identification, and the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts.

Lisa Black Awards and Honors

Nominations and Shortlists

• Perish – Inaugural Sue Grafton Memorial Award by Putnam and the Mystery Writers of America (2019)
• Guest of Honor at the Killer Nashville conference (2021)

Readers Also Like

A. J. CrossElly GriffithsPatricia CornwellBeverly ConnorJefferson BassKathy Reichs