LJ Ross Books In Order
Book links take you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.Publication Order of DCI Ryan Books
Publication Order of Alexander Gregory Books
| Impostor | (2019) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Hysteria | (2019) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Bedlam | (2020) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Mania | (2022) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Summer Suspense Mysteries Books
| The Cove | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Creek | (2022) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Bay | (2023) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Haven | (2024) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Anthologies
| Dark Minds | (2016) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Everyday Kindness | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
The novel received much popularity and commercial success that it is known as the novel that knocked Paula Hawkins’ fan favorite “The Girl on the Train” off the UK Kindle’s bestseller list. Before she got into practicing law, she would study at the Sorbonne in Paris and in Florence, studies that she saw as essential to rounding up her education profile.
While she will always be a northerner at heart, she currently lives with her husband and their son in Bath on the outskirts of London where she spends her days writing her detective mysteries. Ross loved books from a very early age when she would find old books from her mother’s chest that she would staple and illustrate during her middle school years. Even as she has a varied taste in the types of novels that she reads, and will not mind reading the odd women’s fiction or a romance.
However, she has always been a fan of vintage fiction and lists mystery and crime protagonist Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple as her favorite characters. She was a great reader right from childhood and read the likes of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and the Secret of Moon Castle by Enid Blyton. As a teenager, she pivoted to the more serious literature from the likes of M.M. Kaye whose novel Far Pavillions she read for hours at a time enchanted by the vivid descriptions and the romance.
Nonetheless, it is the vintage crime authors such as Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier, which have had the most influence on her work with her DCI Ryan Mysteries. After practicing law for nearly ten years in London, the stressful environment and the long hours began to take their toll.
Thinking of a creative venture that would take her away from her job, she fell pregnant with her son. Motherhood was a very exciting prospect for L.J. Ross, though she was still unsatisfied with her career that would not give her the flexibility she desired to have as a mother.
With a passion for writing and reading, a writing career seemed the most plausible way to express her creativity. The idea for the first novel in the series came while she was traveling to Edinburgh with her husband.
Passing Holy Island, she observed that it would be the perfect setting for an Agatha style whodunit novel. Jotting down some ideas, she sent an initial draft of “Holy Island” to some publishers and agents and actually got callbacks and a few offers from a publisher an agent. Following the advice of her husband, she rejected both offers and decided to publish on Amazon Kindle, which she found less risky as the real investment was minimal.
Apart from the editing, which her husband proudly did, she did not have to pay anything, and was pleasantly surprised when the novel took off. She has been publishing as an Indie ever since. The DCI Ryan Mysteries are set in Northumberland, which is a region of England that the author is particularly familiar with, given that she grew up there. These are fast-paced mystery and murder novels peppered with a bit of romance and humor.
Even as the settings are a character in themselves, the novels are by no means a tourist guide to the locality as the stories are more about the characters that populate the novels. The lead protagonist in the novels is DCI Ryan, who unlike most of his contemporaries such as DCI Vera Stanhope or DCI Kate Daniels, does not have to navigate the dirty back lanes or sleazy basements of the large cities.
However, even as Ryan is a southerner, the north fits him just fine as he has very few quirks of character. He is not an alcoholic neither does he enjoy jazz. DCI Ryan is the strong, silent type of character that always seems to have some woman chasing after him. Nonetheless, given that he is a homicide detective, he also deals with demons from past cases that often haunt his days.
Set on the historic Holy Island otherwise known as Lindisfarne, “Holy Island” is a gripping novel that introduces Detective Chief Inspector Ryan. Ryan has retreated to Holy Island to recover from a tragic case that had a particularly bad effect on his psyche. A few days into his sabbatical, the tranquility is broken when the body of a young woman is discovered abandoned on the ruins of the nearby monastery buildings.
He is now back in action trying to decipher just who would kill a girl and place her in the strangest position, in a community that barely had 200 people. Dr. Anna Taylor, a former local girl is assigned to the case and arrives to help DCI Ryan try to solve the case. Just like Ryan, she also has demons from her past which haunt her days.
Struggling to find a killer that is hiding in plain sight, while navigating small town politics and pagan rituals that muddy the waters, romance is blossoming between the two tortured souls, threatening to slow down the investigation. “Sycamore Gap”, the second novel in the DCI Ryan series of novels is an excellent novel about the adventures of the handsome and troubled Detective Chief Inspector Ryan.
Weaving in eerie isolated parks, foggy evenings and a setting in the historic 2000-year-old Hadrian’s Wall, the fast-paced detective thriller will have you in thrall from the first page to the last. He is called in to investigate when an unidentified body of a girl believed to have been killed about a decade earlier, is found in the wall. The girl has apparently been killed during the Summer Solstice, which gives the case some connection to the occult.
The members of The Circle the cult that he had infiltrated and destroyed in “Holy Land” seem to have reemerged. The cult, run by some of the most influential members of the society could have high-ranking law enforcement officers among its adherents. Could they be interfering with the investigations?
Book Series In Order » Authors »
Any issues with the book list you are seeing? Or is there an author or series we don’t have? Let me know!
Hi first encountered your books in Waterstones book store in Durham, read Angel first, loved it, so ordered the previous books, loved them, have now read all of the Inspector Ryan books, didn’t want them to end,so looking forward to the new book in the series. I have just started reading the Alexander Gregory books onto my second one,and enjoying them too, think they all are a great read, and love the connection in your books with both of the main characters.
I love that I know all the places you write about, even more so now, as have just moved away from England and I’m now in Australia, just so nostalgic to read about the places I know. Thank you for your wonderful stories.
Hi would like to say how good your books are but wish each one had more pages or longer than 7/1/2 hrs as always want more thanks
Just read book 11 “The infirmary”
A little disappointed, having read the pervious number of books only to find that in the book Longstone Ryan is married,
“The Infirmary” instead of following on it takes you back The time when The Hacker is first Known,
While a good story it throws you a bit as it is not in sequence.
I have really enjoyed reading all 19 DCI Ryan books on kindle.
I love the characters and the plots.
I have been eagerly awaiting book 20 Lady’s Well which I preordered on Amazon.
However, I’ve now been informed it is not available.
Why not?
Due to illness LJ Ross has temporarily removed the book.
Have thoroughly enjoyed all the L J Ross books so far published. I would point out, to those reading the above blurb, that, although the DCI Ryan books are mainly set in Northumberland, some of his cases bring him as far south as Durham City and Teesdale.
Love the books – just starting ’Bamburgh’
BUT. I notice “custard creams” crop up regularly.
I have really enjoyed listening to these books which Jonathan Keeble brings to life I do hope there will be more
I have read all these books and the one Bamborough. They are a good read and even better on audio. Her Dr Gregory books are also an excellent read. I would like to visit Northumberland and visit all these places. Keep them coming please. Ann Richards
I absolutely love Inspector Ryan books. Will there be any more? I do hope so. Jean Gray
I have just finished Ryan’s Christmas and cant wait to buy my next book . My daughter has already told me she
is going to buy a couple of books for me for Christmas
Keep up the good work Thanks
book 11 – The infirmary is a prequel which on the book list says “Chronologically, The Infirmary is a prequel to the series and should be read first”.
I believe L J Ross wrote this further down the line as people wanted the full story/background on DCI Ryan and the early history of the team.
Apologies – my previous comment about the infirmary was in response to a message from Sue Pull from 1yr ago.
I have just started reading your books, but I find Iam reading in wrong order.would like a list in order of books.
The list on this page is correct.
Hi,
First of all may I thanks you from not going mad during the present COVID out break.
Since Boxing Day I have read all of your books and coming form Gateshead found them fantastic..
My big question is when will your new books be out Be it the Ryan or the Alex Gregory books all are fantastic..
Look forward to hearing from you.
Bob
Can some one tell me why book 11 has gone back in time , do I keep reading ? Book 10 Frank doesn’t smoke and has been married 6 months , book 11 he’s having a cigarette and still why with makenzie!