Tana French Books in Order (Updated February 18, 2026)

Tana French is an Irish-American crime novelist best known for the loosely connected Dublin Murder Squad novels and the Cal Hooper trilogy.

Order matters because later books assume you already know certain relationships and character histories, even when each mystery works as a complete case.

Quick answer

• Safest starting point: In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad #1)
• Best standalone entry: The Witch Elm / The Wych Elm
• Best “new thread” series start: The Searcher (Cal Hooper #1)

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Publication order

Dublin Murder Squad (same world, shifting lead detectives)

1. In the Woods (2007): Introduces the Murder Squad world through a case that never stops haunting its lead detective.
2. The Likeness (2008): A dead woman’s uncanny resemblance pulls a detective into an undercover life with steep personal costs.
3. Faithful Place (2010): A cold disappearance forces a detective back into family and old loyalties he thought he’d escaped.
4. Broken Harbour (2012): A household implodes into a crime scene, and the investigation digs into fear, isolation, and fracture.
5. The Secret Place (2014): A boarding school murder resurfaces when a year-old clue suddenly appears and can’t be ignored.
6. The Trespasser (2016): A seemingly straightforward case turns into a pressure test of identity, trust, and the squad itself.

Standalone (separate continuity)

1. The Witch Elm / The Wych Elm (2018): After a brutal break-in, a man’s past and memory unravel when the garden yields a body.

Cal Hooper trilogy (separate continuity; read in order)

1. The Searcher (2020): A retired Chicago cop seeks quiet in an Irish village until a kid asks him to look for what the town avoids.
2. The Hunter (2024): A new scheme arrives and shifts local alliances into something sharper and more dangerous.
3. The Keeper (March 31, 2026): The trilogy’s concluding novel brings long-running tensions around Cal, Trey, and Ardnakelty to a head.

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Chronological order

For Tana French, chronological order does not meaningfully differ from publication order within each series. If you want the cleanest continuity, stick to the publication lists above.

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Recommended reading order

1. In the Woods (2007): Best overall entry point and the clearest introduction to how French builds character-driven investigations.
2. The Likeness (2008): Continues the shared world with the strongest payoff if read after book one.
3. Faithful Place (2010): Deepens the recurring cast and benefits from earlier context.
4. Broken Harbour (2012): Keeps the world continuity intact while shifting focus to a new case and lead.
5. The Secret Place (2014): Lands best once you’ve settled into the series’ recurring threads.
6. The Trespasser (2016): Works as a capstone to the Murder Squad era and reads cleanest after the earlier books.
7. The Witch Elm / The Wych Elm (2018): A true standalone reset, place it here or anywhere when you want a break from series continuity.
8. The Searcher (2020): Start the Cal Hooper storyline from the beginning for character arc continuity.
9. The Hunter (2024): Builds directly on the relationships and tensions established in The Searcher.
10. The Keeper (March 31, 2026): Read last to finish the trilogy in sequence.

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Novellas and short fiction

I’m not listing a short-fiction reading order because I did not find a consistently verified, complete bibliography of series-linked short works that can be slotted confidently without guesswork.

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Latest releases

The recent book released by the author is: The Hunter (March 5, 2024).
Upcoming (confirmed): The Keeper (March 31, 2026).

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FAQs

Do I have to read Dublin Murder Squad in order?
You can follow the cases out of order, but you’ll pick up character spoilers and lose some relationship context if you skip around.

Can I read The Witch Elm first?
Yes. It’s the cleanest standalone entry and doesn’t rely on any series knowledge.

Do the Cal Hooper books connect to Dublin Murder Squad?
No. They’re separate continuity, with a different setting, cast, and ongoing arc.

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Conclusion

If you want the most coherent, spoiler-safe experience, start with In the Woods (2007) and read the Dublin Murder Squad in order. If you want a single, self-contained test run, choose The Witch Elm / The Wych Elm (2018).