Book links take you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.
Printing has moved to Book Notification
To help protect our book-list data from automated scrapers and AI bots, printer-friendly lists are now available to registered users at BookNotification.com. Creating an account is free.
Visit BookNotification.com to customize and print this book list.
Rachel McLean is a thriller author. She is known for writing the Dorset Crime series, the Detective Zoe Finch series, the Division Bell series, and the Village series.
Her crime novels are connected so the Dorset Crime series and the Detective Zoe Finch series takes place in the same universe. The Zoe Finch series takes place first with the Dorset Crime series picking up after the sixth book in the Zoe Finch series.
McLean sets out to write thrillers to make you think. Her state desire is to write stories that make the reader’s pulse race and brain tick. A lot of time thrillers can be unputdownable, but fail to leave you with anything to sink your teeth into after they are over.
Rachel has been writing throughout her life and has always taken on writing jobs in any job that she has held whether that mean press releases or training documents. Her first love was always fiction though and she decided to make the leap and start publishing her own books.
The Dorset Crime series begins with The Corfe Castle Murders. DCI Lesley Clarke was injured in a bomb attack which left her with a choice between retirement or heading to a calmer location. She takes the latter option, but soon finds that her new position won’t stay calm for long. She is quickly dragged into an investigation of a murder at Corfe Castle, one the most iconic landmarks in all of England. She’ll team up with her new partner DS Dennis Frampton and must hit the ground running if she wants to solve this case. Frampton is a traditionalist who doesn’t appreciate her style and the politics of the smaller force are hard to navigate, but she is fully focused on finding the killer before they strike again.
The Clifftop Murders is the second book in the Dorset Crime series. DCI Lesley Clarke is becoming accustomed to the slower pace of life in Dorset. That slow pace isn’t around for long though as Lesley is called in to solve the murder of a woman. The victim has links to Lesley’s new girlfriend which complicates matters. She worries that she may have made an error in judgment in her selection of her new partner and wonders if she already knows the killer. Things will get awkward when she tells her new colleagues that she is dating a suspect.
Unborn is a standalone novel from Rachel McLean. The story takes place in America in 2026 when feminism has been defeated and abortion is a crime. Three women with their own reasons to travel that path will now find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Kate is pregnant with the child of a sexual predator, Grace knows her baby will be born with a fatal deformity, and Cindee has been abused and abandoned. Each has their own reasons for what they’ve done and they will need to come together if they hope to have any chance of fight an oppressive system.
The Detective Zoe Finch series begins with Deadly Wishes. West Midlands Police’s newest Detective Inspector is Zoe Finch who is coming off a successful investigation. Now, she is about to embark on the biggest case of his career and anything less than success could cost her everything. The case sees her investigating the murder of Assistant Chief Constable Bryn Jackson who is murdered on the night of his retirement party. The case is personal for Zoe and all evidence is pointing to the man’s wife. She has secrets of her own, but Zoe isn’t sure she should be the top suspect. The case could be connected to a previous into depravity and corruption at the highest levels. Her new boss seems to be hiding something as well. Zoe must confront her own past and put her career on the line if she hopes to find the killer of the former Assistant Chief Constable.
The Detective Zoe Finch series continues with Deadly Choices. A woman named Alison Osman takes her children to Cadbury World and finds herself plunged into a mother’s worst nightmare when the children disappears. Soon after she receives a message that she has only three days to choose one of her children. Detective Inspector Zoe Finch and her team are brought in and the clock is working against them. Alison’s police officer husband is acting strangely, but he’s not their real father. That man died in a climbing accident, but no body was ever found. Making matters worse, Zoe worries about two of the men from the Canary paedophile ring have been released. Alison will be forced to make a horrible choice unless Zoe can track down the kidnapper.
A House Divided is the first book in The Division Bell series. Jennifer Sinclair is a loyal government minister, a loving wife, and a devoted mother. Then a terrorist attack strikes which turns her whole world upside. Now, her family is being targeted as the government is looking at her Muslim husband and sons. She finds her loyalties tested between family and country. When her family is torn apart, Jennifer will take drastic action to protect them. The only question is, will it be enough?
Thicker Than Water is the first book in The Village series. It has been six years since a devastating flood nearly wiped out England. All these years later, Jess believes that she is safe as she has made a new life in a refugee village with her brother Ben and his wife Ruth. They are scraping out an existence on the wild North Yorkshire coast. It’s not easy, but it’s better than the opposite. One day, Jess answers a distress call at sea and strangers find their way to the community. This move puts the whole village in danger and that becomes painfully obvious when Ruth is kidnapped. The kidnappers have a connection to her brother that Jess does not yet understand. To get back her sister-in law, Jess will have to calm the community and put together a rescue mission if they hope to see Ruth again. The clock is ticking.
Hi, I am a totally blind avid reader of Rachael’s books, especially as I was born, bred and still live in Birmingham and the series set in the W.M. particularly appealed and drew me into Rachael’s various series. Unfortunately, the only media I can access is audio books and I know from reviewing the book series on this page that there are many which have not made the audio facility – very disappointing but I understand the reasoning behind Audible’s selections. Please press for more audio title conversions.
I first discovered your audiobooks in the fall of 2024 after having cataract surgery. I was not able to read for over 8 weeks, so I listened to 18 audiobooks of the Zoe Finch, Dorset Crime and McBride & Tanner series. Thank you for making a challenging time very enjoyable.
I started reading the Dorset murder series after picking up a copy of the first in a garden centre. I now have read most of the series and have also started the Zoe finch books. Really impressed with the quality of writing and interesting stories. Well done and please keep writing.
You first got me hooked with the Zoe Finch series which was brilliant. Then the Dorset Crime series really blew me away. A book becomes so much more real if you know where everything is happening, I have holidayed in Swanage twice a year for the week of the Blues festival for the last 12 years so I know every inch of Dorset. Michael Hambling has done the Sophie Allan series based in Dorset as well, which are nearly as good as yours. More please. I’m on Mcbride And Tanner now.
Keep up the good work
Dave Iremonger
Thank you Rachel , my mum ( 96 yrs ) and l (66) love a good murder or two.
We love holidaying in Dorset , often staying at Brownsea castle ( l,m a retired John Lewis partner ). My school friend lives in studland and often visit her , she enjoys the books too. Thank you again
. Kind regds Joy
keep up the good work
Well gone you
The links beside each book title will take you to Amazon where you can read more about the book, check availability, or purchase it. As an Amazon Associate, I earn money from qualifying purchases. If you would like to link to us, Get the Code Here.
Recommendations
Every Monday we send out an e-mail with 12 Book Recommendations over various genres, and highlighting two big new book releases. Subscribe today! Or see all our past book recommendations.
BOOK OF THE MONTH:
Everyones favourite Mossad agent and art restorer Gabriel Allon is back. This is the 26th novel in this excellent spy thriller series by Daniel Silva.
In the latest entry, with a release date of July 14th, Gabriel has to track down the missing wife of a British billionaire.
The best way is to join the Page Turners Club on our sister site, Book Notification. Go ad-free and help us keep building new features.
Get new release alerts, track your reading, and build your TBR. Get Notified.
CONTACT ME
Any issues with the book list you are seeing? Or is there an author or series we don’t have? Let me know!
For more information on BSIO read the About Me page.
Featured Series
Are you a Jack Reacher fan? If so, you absolutely have to read the Peter Ash series by author Nick Petrie.
I recommend this series to anyone who has liked Jack Reacher, and everyone always replies thanking me for it. Nick makes my life easy. If you are a Jack Reacher fan, past or present, Check out this great series today.
Top Thriller Authors
Are you a fan of psychological thrillers? A big fan of authors such as Gillian Flynn? These are our most recommended authors in the thriller genre, which is my personal favourite genre:
Any issues with the book list you are seeing? Or is there an author or series we don’t have? Let me know!
Hi, I am a totally blind avid reader of Rachael’s books, especially as I was born, bred and still live in Birmingham and the series set in the W.M. particularly appealed and drew me into Rachael’s various series. Unfortunately, the only media I can access is audio books and I know from reviewing the book series on this page that there are many which have not made the audio facility – very disappointing but I understand the reasoning behind Audible’s selections. Please press for more audio title conversions.
Hopefully, Val.
Dorset Crime series….
FANBLOODYTASTIC !
I first discovered your audiobooks in the fall of 2024 after having cataract surgery. I was not able to read for over 8 weeks, so I listened to 18 audiobooks of the Zoe Finch, Dorset Crime and McBride & Tanner series. Thank you for making a challenging time very enjoyable.
I started reading the Dorset murder series after picking up a copy of the first in a garden centre. I now have read most of the series and have also started the Zoe finch books. Really impressed with the quality of writing and interesting stories. Well done and please keep writing.
You first got me hooked with the Zoe Finch series which was brilliant. Then the Dorset Crime series really blew me away. A book becomes so much more real if you know where everything is happening, I have holidayed in Swanage twice a year for the week of the Blues festival for the last 12 years so I know every inch of Dorset. Michael Hambling has done the Sophie Allan series based in Dorset as well, which are nearly as good as yours. More please. I’m on Mcbride And Tanner now.
Keep up the good work
Dave Iremonger
Thank you Rachel , my mum ( 96 yrs ) and l (66) love a good murder or two.
We love holidaying in Dorset , often staying at Brownsea castle ( l,m a retired John Lewis partner ). My school friend lives in studland and often visit her , she enjoys the books too. Thank you again
. Kind regds Joy
keep up the good work
Well gone you