Rhona McLeod Books In Order

Publication Order of Rhona MacLeod Books

The Rhona McLeod Series by Lin Andersonbegan in 2003 and features 13 books with a 14th title on the way in 2018. Author Lin Anderson comes by her enjoyment for crime writing honestly as her father was a detective for the Criminal Investigation Department. Lin is a graduate of the University of Glasgow and has a Masters in Mathematics as well as a post-graduate degree in education from the University of Edinburgh. She taught math and computing at George Watsons College in Edinburgh before pursuing her dream of being a writer full time. Anderson is a huge fan of the film Braveheart and claims to have seen it over 50 times. Her only non-fiction book, Braveheart: From Hollywood to Holyrood is about the making of the movie and was released in 2004.

The inspiration for Rhona McLeod was a student of Anderson’s who became a forensic scientist in London, beginning Anderson’s own interest and love for forensic science. The birth of the Rhona McLeod character came from a scene that popped into Andersons, head about a boy who did not want to die. Anderson envisioned a strong, sexy female forensic investigator with a mission to take on the toughest crimes. From there, the Rhona McLeod series was born.

Anderson introduced Rhona McLeod to the world in the form of a novella called Blood Red Roses, which takes place six months before the first Rhona McLeod novel. It is a short story that begins with a bride-to-be found dead on a bathroom floor. Rhona McLeod and her team are called in to find out who would kill a would-be bride right before her wedding. The story is short but shows promise in its delivery as Rhona and her team uncover an underground world full of sex trades and other violent crimes are waiting to be stopped. The novella sets the stage for a future full of mystery and surprises for Rhona and her team.

Rhona McLeod is more fully introduced to the world in Driftnet, the first full novel in the Rhona McLeod series. The story is set in Glasgow, where pedophilia is running rampant and causing concerns for parents, especially parents of boys. A new murder calls for Rhona to use her expertise to stop the offenses and make the area safe again. A teenage boy has been found mutilated and strangled in an apartment. When she arrives at the scene of the murder, Rhona is shocked to see that the teenage victim bears a striking resemblance to her. She begins to wonder if the boy is the child she gave up for adoption years before, turning the investigation into not only the hunt for a monster, but the hunt for her truth as well.

Rhona decides that it is time to find some answers about her child and decides to contact the birth father. His name is Edward Spencer and he is a well-to-do lawyer running for elected office. Knowing that a scandal is the last thing he needs, Edward agrees to help Rhona figure out the parentage of the boy. Rhona is offered help by cyber detective Gavin Maclean who claims he can help her find the whereabouts of her child while she continues her investigation into the pedophile ring that is claiming the lives of so many Glasgow boys.

Rhona, who has been in a relationship with jazz musician Sean for seven months but has never mentioned her child or the circumstances involved in his adoption. She also questions the nature of their relationship and whether or not he is really committed to her and decides that the investigations both into the whereabouts of her child and the crime ring that continues to bring horror to Glasgow are her top priorities. She decides to stay back rather then go on a romantic getaway, giving herself a chance to find some answers and giving Gavin a chance to get to know her better.

The murder investigation is assisted by fellow detective Bill Wilson, who has completed a detailed and vivid course in sex crimes computer training. The case hits close to home as he is the father of 2 teenagers. A local journalist runs an expose on the pedophilia problem and its connection to the dark web, making the investigation even more difficult. Another character and McLeod team member, Chrissy, becomes rather close to the situation when she notices a teenage boy with scarring and body markings that closely resemble other victims of the same sex crimes.

The next book the series is Torch. It begins with the arson death of a homeless girl in Edinburgh. Because of the resemblance of similar incidents in Glasgow, Rhona is called in to conduct a dual investigation between the two cities. This investigation requires her to work with a hot-tempered and mysoginistic Fire Investigator named Severino Macrae. The relationship between Rhona and Severino is difficult in the beginning but the chemistry between the two grows, threatening the investigation. Torch also features some pretty gruesome subject matter, including animal violence. It features 2 different dogs who suffer some form of mutilation as part of the arsonists sick and twisted game.

The plot continues with more information surfacing about the young victim and we see that this is not a random crime, but a crime with a personal element involved. The girl receives letters from a mystery person and then an email with a short and graphic message and she knows the letters and communications are invariably connected. It is up to Rhona and Severino, who may, under the arrogant and harsh exterior, have a more complicated past that has turned him into the bull-headed investigator he has become.

The Rhona McLeod series continues with 10 more books, each covering different subject manner and developing Rhona’s character both personally and professionally. In one installment, Rhona is called to find some answers about a severed foot caught in a fishing net and, unbeknownst to the investigators, holds ties to an American secret. In another, she makes it her personal mission to find and save a missing boy who’s family has been murdered. Rhona’s expertise and versatility make it easy to engage in the series and move on to book after book just for the variety of cases she is presented, how she handles them, and how she grows in the process.

A fourteenth installment of the Rhona McLeod series is scheduled for publication in 2018. Lin Anderson, who keeps herself busy with other writing endeavors as well as being the founder of the Scotland Crime Writing Festival, remains committed to keeping Rhonda McLeod alive as long as there is a story to be told.

For now, the Rhona McLeod series remains on the pages of Anderson’s books and in her mind. There are no current discussions in place to bring the heroine and her special brand of justice to the theater or television screen.