Tammy Cohen Books in Order – Updated February 22, 2026

Tammy Cohen is a UK psychological suspense author who has also published fiction as Tamar Cohen (earlier contemporary novels) and Rachel Rhys (historical mysteries). Most of her fiction is standalone, so “reading order” is less about continuity and more about picking the right era + tone without accidentally mixing pen names.

The one decision that simplifies everything

• Want modern domestic noir thrillers? Read the Tammy Cohen thrillers in publication order (best overall experience).
• Want relationship-driven contemporary novels (less “thriller”)? Start with Tamar Cohen.
• Want 1930s–1950s-flavored historical mystery-suspense? Choose Rachel Rhys (separate continuity).

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Start here

• Best first Tammy Cohen thriller: Dying for Christmas (2014) – a tight, high-concept, ticking-clock setup that matches her later suspense style.
• Best first Tamar Cohen novel: The Mistress’s Revenge (2011) – her fiction breakthrough under her earlier name.
• Best first Rachel Rhys: A Dangerous Crossing (2017) – the clean entry point for that historical line.

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Tammy Cohen (psychological thrillers & suspense) – Publication order

These are standalones (no required sequence), but publication order shows how her suspense style evolves.

1. Dying for Christmas (2014): A seasonal captivity thriller built around a “gift a day” countdown and mounting psychological pressure.
2. First One Missing (2015): A mother’s world fractures after loss, pushing grief, suspicion, and community judgment into collision.
3. When She Was Bad (2016): A workplace-set psychological thriller where office politics and personal history weaponize what colleagues think they know.
4. They All Fall Down (2017): A claustrophobic, closed-environment story that turns recovery and safety into a fragile illusion.
5. Clean Break (2018, Quick Read; Optional): A short, fast domestic suspense piece about control, separation, and the cost of trying to leave.
6. Stop at Nothing (2019): A parental-protection thriller where safeguarding a child becomes the catalyst for risk, secrecy, and escalation.
7. The Wedding Party (2021): A destination-wedding pressure cooker in which family dynamics and strangers’ motives turn celebration into threat.

Upcoming (announced, date may shift):

• Fallen Women (announced for 2027): Public listings indicate a forthcoming Tammy Cohen novel; treat the date as provisional until a publisher schedule locks it in.

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Tamar Cohen (earlier contemporary novels) – Publication order

Also standalones. These generally lean more toward relationship fallout and social dynamics than the later “domestic noir” intensity.

1. The Mistress’s Revenge (2011): A spurned lover’s obsession spirals into stalking and boundary-breaking retaliation.
2. War of the Wives (2012): Rivalry and resentment push a fractured marriage story into darker choices and sharper consequences.
3. Someone Else’s Wedding (2013): A wedding weekend becomes a magnifying glass for secrets, loyalties, and long-ignored fractures.
4. The Broken (2014): Friendship, betrayal, and domestic instability collide as one household’s “normal” is quietly dismantled.
5. The Fallout (2016): A couple is pulled apart by loyalty tests after a divorce splits a friend group into competing versions of truth.

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Rachel Rhys (historical mysteries) – Publication order

Separate continuity from Tammy/Tamar Cohen, with a consistent historical atmosphere and mystery-suspense structure.

1. A Dangerous Crossing (2017): A 1939 ocean-liner voyage turns into a locked-in social world where glamour and fear travel together.
2. Fatal Inheritance (2019): A postwar inheritance thread opens doors to past crimes and carefully curated family stories.
3. Island of Secrets (2020): A sunlit setting hides danger as relationships, politics, and deception tighten into a trap.

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Nonfiction (true crime and reportage) – Separate shelf

If you’re here for her fiction, you can skip these. If you like true-crime casefile writing, they’re a separate entry point.

1. The Day I Died (2006): A collection of near-death experience accounts presented as personal testimony and survival narrative.
2. Deadly Divorces (2007): True-crime cases centered on relationships that ended in murder.
3. Up the Creek Without a Paddle (2008): The John and Anne Darwin “canoe man” deception reconstructed as a long con and its unraveling.
4. Killer Couples (2008): Partner-in-crime cases focused on how intimacy and violence reinforce each other.

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Reading paths that don’t waste your time

• “Give me peak domestic-noir tension.” Dying for Christmas → When She Was Bad → They All Fall Down → Stop at Nothing
• “I want a twisty holiday one-off.” Dying for Christmas
• “I want relationship drama with darker edges.” Start at The Mistress’s Revenge and continue forward under Tamar Cohen.
• “I want vintage atmosphere and secrets.” A Dangerous Crossing → Fatal Inheritance → Island of Secrets

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FAQ

Do any of these form a continuing series?
Not in the usual sense. The novels above are designed to stand alone; the “order” is mainly about matching tone and era.

Are Tammy Cohen and Tamar Cohen the same author?
Yes. Tamar Cohen is an earlier byline; Tammy Cohen is the name used for her later psychological thrillers.

Should I mix Rachel Rhys in between the Tammy Cohen thrillers?
You can, but the voice and historical setting are distinct enough that most readers prefer to read the Rachel Rhys books as their own mini-run.

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Bottom line

If you want the cleanest entry into her modern suspense style, start with Dying for Christmas (2014) and read forward. If you’d rather begin with her earlier contemporary novels, start with The Mistress’s Revenge (2011). For historical mystery-suspense, start with A Dangerous Crossing (2017) under Rachel Rhys.