Michael Kerr Books In Order

Publication Order of Joe Logan Books

Publication Order of DI Matt Barnes Books

Publication Order of DI Laura Scott Books

Publication Order of DI Jim Cole Books

Publication Order of DI Joe Hope Books

Publication Order of Adventures in Otherworld Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of Anthologies

Author Michael Kerr spent over twenty years working in the Prison Service, and puts his experience in the field to write some gritty and original crime novels. He lives in a cottage that is located near the Yorkshire Wolds. He enjoys photography, writing about brand new characters that find themselves in peril, and the wildlife.

He has written many short stories (including a science fiction novella), a collection of odd stories, and books for kids. He writes the “DI Matt Barnes” series and the “Joe Logan” series.

“A Reason To Kill” is the first novel in the “DI Matt Barnes” series which was released in the year 2013. Matt Barnes, a Detective Inspector, is dedicated to his work; even at the cost of anything else. Barnes and his team are keeping the star witness against Frank Santini (a gangland boss), safe before the trial happens. Everything in Matt’s life is changed after the safe house is hit by a contract killer that Santini hired. Matt is the only one that survived the hit, but is badly wounded.

The hunt for Gary Noon, the hitman that hit the safe house, begins. It proves to be a challenge, and he is aided by Dr. Beth Holder. She is a Criminal Psychologist and she is brought in to put a profile together on Noon. Gary decides that since Matt is a threat to him and his own well being, he decides to kill him.

Matt and Beth begin a relationship with each other, and more start to die because of Noon. Certain events bring both Gary and Matt close to their final showdown.

There are many things working against Matt, making the odds low that he will be able to outmaneuver them all. Gary Noon is evil in human form, no doubt about it; he is a psycho that uses things like cruelty and violence to keep his sadistic thirst quenched.

Fans of the novel found that this has a fast pace, and is a tad disturbing, not to mention its plenty turns and twists that is found within. This is a true page turner that used each page wonderfully. All of the characters were easy to understand as far as their motives go, and many were likable, even the bad guy.

“Lethal Intent” is the second novel in the “DI Matt Barnes” series which was released in the year 2013. Matt Barnes’s wounds, he suffered in the line of duty, have finally healed. Now, he and Beth are in a romantic relationship.

Ray Preston’s (who is Detective Superintendent) daughter, age thirteen, has just been abducted. Matt and Beth put their resources to find an unknown suspect, that they think has a grudge against Ray. Which means his daughter was targeted in an effort to get revenge against Ray.

This perpetrator certainly has an agenda, in this case, feelings that a travesty of justice happened and there is a need to avenge it. His goal is to psychologically and then physically ruin those he feels are guilty for the loss that he suffered and his own wretchedness that he feels.

Matt, his team, and Beth hunt for anyone that was able to cover his tracks, and is able to adapt to be able to keep ahead of what he thinks of as the ultimate game. This one is the police’s very worst nightmare made real, there seems to be no patterns, and turn on pursuers (rather than run from them).

The bodies stack up, while Matt and Beth track the hidden killer, and quickly find this killer is hunting them in return.

Fans of the novel felt that despite this being a very violent book, it was hard to put down. People cannot stop reading these books, as they have to know what will happen next for Barnes and company. Here is a stellar thriller that kept the attention of the readers the entire time they were reading it. Right when you think you know what is coming next, the author throws a curve ball to you off the course.

“A Need to Kill” is the third novel in the “DI Matt Barnes” series which was released in the year 2013. A woman named Marsha Freeman is found inside a Putney lockup. She has been beaten and burnt many times, and then strangled with some tights. Marsha, who was an ex-model, was working as a high priced prostitute; she had clients that were big time. The only thing taken were three pages that were removed from an address book that might have ruined some careers.

The case is handed off to Serious Crimes Unit, and Matt Barnes is to be lead investigator, partly due to his ability to catch repeat murderers. Marsha was killed with a similar MO to a previous murder. This other woman that was murdered was also a prostitute and had red hair.

Matt and Beth are in love, but the dedication that Matt has for his work threatens their future together. Beth has been in New York at a seminar; she treats this time as a time out to figure out the relationship that she has with Matt.

The video found at Marsha’s apartment that shows her and her clients together, the address book, and bruise impressions that show up on both corpses. The bruise is of the head of some kind of wolf or a similar animal from an embossed ring. This evidence is where Matt and his team start interviewing the clients Marsha had. The list includes multiple cops that rank high.

Why did Marsha have her address book with her, and why was it not written in code? What is this killer’s motivation? Matt is certain this killer is going to kill again. Was she killed because the killer’s name was one of the names taken out of the book, or was the killer going to resort to blackmail, too?

Fans of the novel cannot wait to get their hands on more from this great series, hoping to see Matt Barnes tackle another tough case. Michael Kerr is a superb author, one that readers go in knowing the book is going to keep them up all night with his riveting read. This is a book that is both compelling and horrifying, all at the same time.