Lynda La Plante Books in Order

Lynda La Plante is a British crime fiction author, screenwriter, and former actress, best known for creating Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison in the Prime Suspect series, one of the most popular crime dramas in the British television history. A CBE recipient and BAFTA winner, she has been integratal to the British crime fiction for over four decades, being credited with transforming how female detectives are portrayed in both fiction and on screen.

This page lists all Lynda La Plante books in order, including the Prime Suspect and Jane Tennison novels, the Anna Travis and DC Jack Warr series, standalone novels, and short stories, organized primarily by publication order.

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Widows Series (Books in Order)

The Widows series follows Dolly Rawlins, the widow of a career criminal, who recruits the wives of her husband’s dead gang members to pull off the armed robbery that he left behind in his plans.

Reading Order

  1. Widows, 1983
  2. Widows: Revenge, 1985
  3. She’s Out, 1995

Legacy Series (Books in Order)

The Legacy series is a multigenerational historical saga following the Stubbs family, beginning in the Welsh mining valleys all the way to the Prohibition-era America and wartime Britain. It is broader in scope than Lynda La Plante’s crime novels, and it reads as an epic family drama with strong social and historical undertones.

Reading Order

  1. The Legacy, 1987
  2. The Talisman, 1987

Prime Suspect Series (Books in Order)

The Prime Suspect series follows Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison of the Metropolitan Police as she fights to lead a major murder investigation in a squad that doesn’t want her there. Landmark British crime fiction, the series directly inspired the BAFTA-winning ITV drama starring Helen Mirren, and it changed the landscape for female-led crime stories.

Reading Order

  1. Prime Suspect, 1991
  2. A Face in the Crowd, 1992
  3. Silent Victims, 1993

Lorraine Page Series (Books in Order)

The Lorraine Page series follows former LAPD homicide lieutenant Lorraine Page, dismissed from the force after a drink-driving incident, as she rebuilds her life and career as a private investigator in Los Angeles. It is darker and more psychologically driven than the author’s UK series, featuring a flawed, compelling protagonist who is working complex criminal cases.

Reading Order

  1. Cold Shoulder, 1994
  2. Cold Blood, 1996
  3. Cold Heart, 1998

Governor Series (Books in Order)

The Governor series follows Helen Hewitt, the first female governor appointed to run Barfield, a volatile high-security men’s prison, as she goes against corruption, hostile staff, and dangerous inmates to assert her authority.

Reading Order

  1. The Governor, 1995
  2. The Governor II, 1996

Trial And Retribution Series (Books in Order)

The Trial and Retribution series follows a rotating cast of detectives and prosecutors, most prominently DCI Mike Walker, as they investigate violent crimes and then follow cases through the full criminal justice process from crime scene to courtroom. Adapted into a long-running ITV series.

Reading Order

  1. Trial And Retribution, 1997
  2. Alibi, 1998
  3. Accused, 1999
  4. Appeal, 2000
  5. Trial and Retribution V, 2002
  6. Trial and Retribution VI, 2004

Anna Travis Series (Books in Order)

The Anna Travis series follows Detective Sergeant (later Detective Chief Inspector) Anna Travis of the Metropolitan Police’s Murder Squad, working under the mentorship of legendary detective James Langton as she rises through the ranks and takes on increasingly complex homicide cases.

Reading Order

  1. Above Suspicion, 2004
  2. The Red Dahlia, 2005
  3. Clean Cut, 2007
  4. Deadly Intent, 2008
  5. Silent Scream, 2009
  6. Blind Fury, 2010
  7. Blood Line, 2011
  8. Backlash, 2012
  9. Wrongful Death, 2014

Jane Tennison Series (Books in Order)

The Jane Tennison series is a prequel to Prime Suspect, following a young Jane Tennison from her very first days on the Metropolitan Police force in 1970s London. The series shows the making of the character Prime Suspect readers already know, while she is navigating a deeply sexist institution and learning her trade case by case.

If you care about character continuity, it’s best read after Prime Suspect, although it works perfectly well on its own.

Reading Order

  1. Tennison, 2015
  2. Hidden Killers, 2016
  3. Good Friday, 2017
  4. Murder Mile, 2018
  5. The Dirty Dozen, 2019
  6. Blunt Force, 2020
  7. Unholy Murder, 2021
  8. Dark Rooms, 2022
  9. Taste of Blood, 2024
  10. Whole Life Sentence, 2024

DC Jack Warr Series (Books in Order)

The DC Jack Warr series follows London Metropolitan Police detective Jack Warr, who investigates serious crimes while at the same time trying to uncover the truths about his own adoption and family background.

Reading Order

  1. Buried, 2020
  2. Judas Horse, 2021
  3. Vanished, 2022
  4. Pure Evil, 2023
  5. Crucified, 2025
  6. Sacrifice, 2026

Jessica Russel Series (Books in Order)

The Jessica Russel series follows Metropolitan Police forensic psychologist Jessica Russel as she leads a newly formed specialist homicide unit that uses advanced forensic techniques and psychological profiling to crack cases that conventional investigation can’t solve. It is Lynda La Plante’s most forensics-forward series.

Reading Order

  1. The Scene of the Crime, 2025
  2. The Scene of the Crime 2, 2027

Standalone Novels

Short Stories and Novellas

Anthologies

Non-Fiction Books

Lynda La Plante Biography

Lynda La Plante books in order of reading

Lynda La Plante is a bestselling British author and screenwriter whose work includes crime fiction, television dramas, and standalone novels.
Official website: lyndalaplante.com

Lynda La Plante was born Lynda J. Titchmarsh on March 15, 1943, in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, England. She trained for stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and began her career as an actress, appearing with the Royal Shakespeare Company in several productions under the stage name Lynda Marchal.

In the early 1980s, she began writing scripts for British television series such as Z-Cars and The Sweeney. In 1986, she wrote and produced Widows, a drama that won the BAFTA Award for Best Drama Series, and Prime Suspect, starring Helen Mirren as Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, which became an internationally recognized crime drama and received multiple Emmy Awards.

Lynda La Plante published her debut novel, The Legacy, in 1987. She has since written multiple crime and thriller series, many of which have been adapted for television. In 1994, she founded La Plante Productions and has continued to write and produce both television scripts and novels.

Lynda La Plante Book Adaptations

  • Widows – television series (1983-1985)
  • Widows – U.S. television adaptation (2002)
  • Widows – feature film adaptation (2018)
  • Prime Suspect – television series (1993-2006)
  • Prime Suspect – U.S. adaptation (2011-2012)
  • Prime Suspect 1973 – television prequel (2017)
  • The Governor – television series (1995-1996)
  • Trial & Retribution – television series (1997-2009)
  • Above Suspicion – television series (2009-2012)
  • The Commander – television series (2003-2008)

Lynda La Plante Awards and Honors

Awards

  • Prime Suspect – Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries (1993)
  • Prime Suspect – Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries (1994)
  • Prime Suspect – Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Mystery TV Episode
  • Dennis Potter Award – BAFTA (2001)
  • Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) (2008)
  • Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame (2009)
  • Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award (2014)
  • Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger (2024)

Nominations and Shortlists

  • Cold Shoulder – Anthony Award for Best Novel (1995)
  • Buried – CrimeFest Sounds of Crime Award (2021)
  • British Book Award – Author of the Year (2025)

Edited by

Marika

Founder of Mystery Sequels, a reference site focused on listing mystery and thriller books in the correct reading order. I maintain and update the site’s bibliographies as new titles are released, ensuring accuracy and consistency across author and series pages.

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15 Comments

  1. Have just finished reading The Scene of the Crime I cannot wait for the next one to be written .. fantastic reading love all the characters when is the next one being published? ..

  2. Lynda is a wonderful wonderful author.
    But I must point out that Liverpool is STILL in geographical Lancashire (2025) as is Newton-le-Willows.
    Merseyside is only a political and administrative area.

    The late Chris Dawson who also lived in CROSBY was the founder and president of the organisation FRIENDS OF REAL LANCASHIRE
    See website FORL
    Brian White (ex job)

  3. I absolutely loved the series with Will Trent and Sara, any clues as to what order they come in?

  4. I loved her as an actress, but I love her books even more. Her Dolly Rawlins book series is awesome, and so is her Jack Warr series.

Comments are closed.