Carter Wilson Books in Order (Updated February 24, 2026)

Carter Wilson is an American psychological-thriller author whose novels are mostly standalones: new cast, new problem, new trap. You can read them in almost any order.

The only continuity “gotcha” is that The Dead Husband and The New Neighbor are written to overlap in setting and background details, so reading them in the right order makes that shared layer land cleanly.

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Two ways to read Carter Wilson without overthinking it

If you want the cleanest ladder (minimal confusion)

Read straight down the publication list below.

If you want a “best first impression” route (then roam freely)

1. Mister Tender’s Girl (2018): A childhood horror brand resurfaces, and a grown woman’s attempt to stay invisible becomes impossible once the past starts “writing back.”
2. The Dead Girl in 2A (2019): A chance airplane meeting turns into a long con of grief and obsession, where the real danger is who gets to define the story.
3. Tell Me What You Did (2025): A true-crime podcaster built on anonymous confessions faces a guest who knows her secrets, turning the show into a live-wire threat.

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The one place order matters a little

If you plan to read both, do this:

1. The Dead Husband (2021): A new marriage moves into an old mansion, and a “fresh start” curdles as buried history refuses to stay quiet.
2. The New Neighbor (2022): A lottery win buys a dream house, but the house comes with watchers, warnings, and a past that’s already been disturbed.

They still work as standalones, this order just preserves the overlap and reveals.

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Novels in publication order

1. Final Crossing (2012): A killer on a self-declared divine mission crosses borders and bodies, forcing a pursuit where the clock is spiritual, political, and brutally real.
2. The Boy in the Woods (2014): Three teenagers witness something they should never have seen, and the adult fallout proves that “keeping a secret” is never a stable plan.
3. The Comfort of Black (2015): A journalist’s life is already fraying when she meets a stranger at an airport, and the friendship that follows turns grief into a lever.
4. Revelation (2016): A present-day investigation drags a long-buried act into daylight, and the cost is paid in reputation, faith, and memory.
5. Mister Tender’s Girl (2018): A famous children’s character becomes a weapon, and a survivor is pushed to decide whether silence is protection or surrender.
6. The Dead Girl in 2A (2019): Two strangers meet on a flight, and the connection that seems like fate becomes a carefully engineered snare.
7. The Dead Husband (2021): A blended family tries to rebuild inside a storied home, and the “domestic” threat keeps widening beyond the marriage.
8. The New Neighbor (2022): A man buys a new life in an affluent town, and the gift of money turns into a magnifier for paranoia, pressure, and menace.
9. The Father She Went to Find (2024): A brilliant young woman leaves the only life she knows to chase a father-shaped mystery, and the road trip becomes a lesson in how dangerous the world can be.
10. Tell Me What You Did (2025): A confessional true-crime podcast meets its most personal antagonist, and the host’s curated distance from her own past collapses.

Series note: these are not a numbered series, and there is no shared protagonist continuity to protect.

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Short fiction (Optional)

These do not connect to the novels in a required way; treat them as extras.

• “Decorations” (2016): First appeared in Words e-zine, written as a compact dose of unease rather than a “mini novel.”
• “What Ifs” (2016): First appeared in Suspense Magazine, built for a quick hit of tension and consequence.
• “Black and Blue” (2017): First appeared in the Blood Business anthology, leaning into darker edges and compressed stakes.
• “Area Code 666” (2018): First appeared in the R. L. Stine YA anthology Scream and Scream Again, a sharp, youth-leaning fright in a small space.

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FAQs

Do I need to read Carter Wilson in order?
Not generally. If you read only one pair in order, make it The Dead Husband → The New Neighbor.

Why do I see different years for the same title?
Some books have reissues or later paperback editions that show up as a different date. For reading order, the earliest widely listed publication year is the one that matters.

Is there a “best” first book?
If you want a representative, low-friction entry, Mister Tender’s Girl is a strong starting point. If you want the newest, start with Tell Me What You Did.

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Bottom line

If you want the simplest, most reliable path: read publication order. If you want maximum freedom: pick any premise that grabs you, then save The Dead Husband and The New Neighbor for a back-to-back read in that order.