Gytha Lodge Books in Order (Updated February 24, 2026)

Gytha Lodge is an English crime novelist best known for her DCI Jonah Sheens mysteries, plus a small (and growing) set of standalone thrillers.

Order matters most inside the Jonah Sheens books because character relationships and professional fallout carry forward.

The quickest way to read Gytha Lodge

New to Gytha Lodge? Start with She Lies in Wait.
Then read the DCI Jonah Sheens series in publication order.

If you only want standalones, you can read Dead to Me and Please Help Me without touching the series.

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DCI Jonah Sheens series (best entry point)

These five novels are one continuity, following Jonah Sheens and his team. Reading out of order won’t ruin everything, but it can spoil prior case outcomes and character arcs.

Publication order (recommended)

1. She Lies in Wait (2019): A child’s disappearance resurfaces as an adult murder case, introducing Jonah Sheens and establishing the personal costs that echo through later investigations.
2. Watching From the Dark (2020): A young woman vanishes after a night out, and the case turns inward on the team as pressure and scrutiny start reshaping loyalties.
3. Lie Beside Me (2021): A body in a hotel room triggers a tightly bounded inquiry that keeps slipping its borders, forcing Jonah to make calls that don’t stay contained to one case.
4. Little Sister (2022): A past tragedy is pulled back into the present, and the search for answers tests how far the unit can bend before relationships (and reputations) break.
5. A Killer in the Family (2023): A family-centered puzzle with layered secrets pushes the series into sharper domestic stakes while carrying forward the emotional and professional fallout already in motion.

Chronological order

For this series, chronological reading is effectively the same as publication order, so there’s no advantage to rearranging the list.

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Standalone novels (separate continuity)

These are not part of the Jonah Sheens series and can be read in any order.

1. Dead to Me (2025): A self-contained psychological thriller built around intimacy and deception, designed to be read with zero knowledge of Jonah Sheens.
2. Please Help Me (2026): A standalone structured around a plea for help that’s hard to trust, leaning into urgency and doubt rather than police-series continuity.

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Novellas and short fiction

Optional / separate from the crime novels

• The Cupid Touch (2023): commonly listed as a separate work from the Jonah Sheens books and the standalones above.

Because listings vary by format/edition and this title is often shelved differently across retailers and catalogues, treat it as optional unless you’re specifically collecting everything with Lodge’s name on the cover.

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A clean recommended reading plan

Use this if you want the smoothest experience with minimal spoilers:

1. Read DCI Jonah Sheens straight through (Books 1-5 in publication order).
2. Then read the standalones in publication order (start with Dead to Me).
3. Slot The Cupid Touch anywhere, since it doesn’t function as a Jonah Sheens installment.

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Latest release status

• Latest Jonah Sheens novel: A Killer in the Family (2023)
• Most recent standalone in print: Dead to Me (published in hardback/ebook/audiobook first, with later release timing in some markets)
• Next announced novel: Please Help Me – scheduled for July 23, 2026

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FAQs

Do I have to read the Jonah Sheens books in order?

You don’t have to, but it’s strongly preferred. The cases are distinct, yet personal and professional consequences carry forward.

Is A Killer in the Family a standalone?

No. It’s part of the DCI Jonah Sheens continuity.

Are the standalones connected to Jonah Sheens?

No confirmed series connection. You can read them without any prior Lodge books.

What should I read first if I only want one book to try her style?

She Lies in Wait is the safest starting point because it introduces the core investigative cast and sets the baseline tone for her crime writing.