Jo Furniss Books in Order (Updated February 24, 2026)

Jo Furniss is a UK suspense/crime novelist (and former BBC broadcast journalist) best known for tightly plotted, high-concept thrillers.

Her novels are not written as a single connected series, so order mostly matters for tone and style evolution, not continuity.

Reading Order Snapshot

New to Jo Furniss? Start here:

• All the Little Children (2017): best entry point and still the cleanest “first read.”

Prefer her most recent style first?

• Dead Mile (2024) or Guilt Trip (2025): later, more crime-forward pacing and structure.

Continuity note:

• These are standalone novels with separate casts and settings. You can mix the order without “plot spoilers” across books.

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Jo Furniss Standalone Novels in Publication Order

1. All the Little Children (2017): A woman vanishes from a ferry without a trace, and the search forces hard choices as the window to find her alive narrows fast.
2. The Trailing Spouse (2018): A diplomat’s wife disappears abroad, pulling her family into a high-pressure hunt where reputation, politics, and private secrets keep colliding.
3. The Last to Know (2020): A sudden death exposes fractures inside a marriage and a community, as the truth sits just out of reach behind competing loyalties and half-told histories.
4. Dead Mile (2024): A grim case unspools into a wider pattern, tightening the investigation into a race against time where every new detail raises the personal cost.
5. Guilt Trip (2025): A trip meant to reset relationships turns into a pressure-cooker of suspicion and consequence, as guilt and motive shift from person to person with each reveal.

Why publication order works: it tracks how her themes and suspense mechanics develop, and it’s the safest default if you plan to read more than one.

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Chronological Order

There is no meaningful series timeline across these novels, so a “chronological order” is the same as any order you choose.

If you want a practical timeline approach, use this rule instead:

• Earlier books first for a more psychological/survival-leaning start.
• Later books first for a more crime-structured start.

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Recommended Reading Orders

Option A: Best all-around path (my default)

1. All the Little Children (2017)
2. The Trailing Spouse (2018)
3. The Last to Know (2020)
4. Dead Mile (2024)
5. Guilt Trip (2025)

Option B: Start with her newer crime-tilt, then circle back

1. Dead Mile (2024)
2. Guilt Trip (2025)
3. All the Little Children (2017)
4. The Trailing Spouse (2018)
5. The Last to Know (2020)

When to use this: you want her most recent pacing first, but still plan to read the full set.

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Short Stories and Multi-Author Projects

These are separate continuity from her novels (and from each other). Read anytime.

Afraid of the Light (series contributed to; multi-author)

1. Afraid of the Light (2020) (with other authors)
2. Afraid of the Christmas Lights (2020) (with other authors)

Placement tip: treat these as optional side reads. They won’t affect the novels.

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Latest Release and What’s Next

Most recent novel (as of February 24, 2026):

• Guilt Trip (published August 2025)

Upcoming (announced):

• Killer Twist (scheduled for August 27, 2026)

Release dates can shift, so if you’re timing a reread, plan with a little flexibility.

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FAQs

Are any Jo Furniss books a direct series?

No. Her novels are standalones, not numbered installments.

Will I spoil anything if I read them out of order?

Not in the usual series sense. The main tradeoff is style progression: reading newer first can make earlier books feel different in pacing and structure.

What is the single best book to start with?

All the Little Children (2017) is the safest start for most readers because it’s her debut and requires zero context.

Should I read the multi-author “Afraid of the Light” entries in between the novels?

Only if you want a quick change of pace. They’re optional and separate continuity.

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Bottom Line

If you want the cleanest, least-complicated approach: read All the Little Children first, then follow publication order. If you’re here specifically for her newest style, start with Dead Mile or Guilt Trip, and backfill the earlier standalones afterward.