J.M. Dalgliesh (Jason Dalgliesh) writes British crime fiction in three separate detective series, plus a couple of psychological-thriller standalones.
The key to reading him smoothly is simply not mixing continuities.
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Continuity map (read this once, then jump to the list you want)
- Dark Yorkshire = DI Nathaniel Caslin (Yorkshire-set crime noir).
- Hidden Norfolk = the long-running Hidden Norfolk investigations (Norfolk-set crime series).
- Misty Isle = D.I. Duncan McAdam (Skye / “Misty Isle” investigations).
- Homewrecker / Family Doctor = standalone psychological thrillers (separate from the police series).
If you’re undecided: start with One Lost Soul (2019) for the biggest ongoing series, or Divided House (2018) if you want darker noir energy from page one.
Hidden Norfolk (main series, best read in order)
There’s a steady accumulation of character history and consequences here. Jumping ahead won’t break the plot, but it will flatten the ongoing arc.
Life & Death (2019): A prequel-length warm-up that sets the tone and gives extra context; optional, but it lands best before Book 1.
One Lost Soul (2019): The series doorway case, introducing the investigative world and the kind of secrets this setting keeps buried.
Bury Your Past (2019): A fresh inquiry that drags old choices into the open, tightening the personal stakes around the investigation.
Kill Our Sins (2020): A past that refuses to stay hidden turns the case into a pressure test of trust and motive.
Tell No Tales (2020): A truth-chasing procedural where silence is the weapon, and the team has to prise open what nobody wants said.
Hear No Evil (2020): A case built around what was noticed, ignored, or misheard, forcing sharper decisions under uncertainty.
The Dead Call (2020): A call that shouldn’t exist pulls the investigation into a darker pattern, raising the sense that someone is steering events.
Kill Them Cold (2021): A colder, more methodical hunt that pushes the series into tougher choices and harder lines.
A Dark Sin (2021): Moral compromise moves from theme to problem, as the case punishes easy assumptions.
To Die For (2021): A high-stakes turn where the cost of being right starts to outweigh the comfort of being careful.
Fool Me Twice (2022): Misdirection becomes the point, forcing the detectives to re-check what they “know” and who benefited.
The Raven Song (2022): A case with a strong sense of place and history, deepening the series’ ongoing atmosphere and emotional residue.
Angel of Death (2022): A title that signals the shape of the danger, with the investigation moving through fear, rumor, and real harm.
Dead to Me (2023): A personal edge to the case sharpens the series’ tension, bringing consequences closer to home.
Blood Runs Cold (2023): A bleaker, colder entry that leans into endurance and resolve rather than easy closure.
Watch and Prey (2024): The hunt flips perspective into something more predatory, raising urgency and tightening the net.
When Death Calls (2025): A later-series case that reads best with the full build behind it, where accumulated relationships matter as much as evidence.
Safest starting point: One Lost Soul (2019) (optionally preceded by Life & Death (2019)).
Dark Yorkshire (DI Nathaniel Caslin) – separate continuity
These six novels are a complete run and work best straight through, because Caslin’s personal trajectory is part of the engine.
Divided House (2018): A bleak, wintry beginning that introduces Caslin at his lowest and sets the series’ noir approach to justice.
Blacklight (2018): Two disappearances and two social worlds collide, tightening pressure on Caslin as secrets multiply.
The Dogs in the Street (2018): Connections that shouldn’t exist start to appear, and Caslin is pulled into uncomfortable loyalties and old debts.
Blood Money (2018): Money, leverage, and fear drive the case forward, forcing compromises that don’t rinse clean afterward.
Fear the Past (2019): The past stops being backstory and becomes the threat, dragging Caslin toward truths he’d rather avoid.
The Sixth Precept (2019): A later-series escalation that rewards reading the earlier cracks and scars, bringing the run to a sharper edge.
Safest starting point: Divided House (2018).
Misty Isle (D.I. Duncan McAdam) – separate continuity
This series is its own lane and reads cleanly from Book 1. It’s also the one with a confirmed upcoming title.
A Long Time Dead (2023): The island atmosphere and procedural rhythm lock in immediately, setting McAdam’s tone and pace.
The Dead Man of Storr (2023): A landmark-linked case with strong place-based tension, widening the investigative canvas.
The Talisker Dead (2024): A case that leans into community and reputation, where motives hide behind local familiarity.
The Cuillin Dead (2024): A rougher-edged investigation that pushes the series into higher danger and harder calls.
A Dead Man on Staffin Beach (2025): A shoreline discovery with ripple effects, tightening urgency and raising personal risk.
Death at Neist Point (2025): A cliff-edge setting pairs with a sharper procedural drive, continuing the series’ escalating stakes.
The Missing Dead (2026): An announced next installment that extends the run beyond the first six-book arc.
Safest starting point: A Long Time Dead (2023).
Standalone psychological thrillers (read anytime)
These are not part of any detective continuity, and they’re built to work as one-and-done reads.
Homewrecker (2024): A domestic-invasion-by-proxy setup where help arrives with its own agenda and the real threat is proximity.
Family Doctor (2025): A trust-centered psychological thriller where expertise becomes leverage, and safety starts to look like a performance.
What’s newest, and what’s next
- Latest Hidden Norfolk (currently): When Death Calls (2025)
- Latest Misty Isle (currently): Death at Neist Point (2025)
- Next announced J.M. Dalgliesh title: The Missing Dead (2026) (Misty Isle / D.I. Duncan McAdam)
A practical “don’t overthink it” recommendation
If you want maximum momentum and the largest backlog to binge, go:
- Hidden Norfolk from One Lost Soul (2019) onward (add Life & Death (2019) first if you like prequels).
- Then pick either Dark Yorkshire (darker noir) or Misty Isle (island-set procedural).
- Drop the standalones in anywhere when you want a clean palate cleanser.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.