Michael Kerr Books in Order

Michael Kerr has written 42 books, published between 2012 and 2024. The first book is Aftermath (2012) and the newest is Born to Kill (2024). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
42
Published
2012–2024
Pages on record
968 in 3 of 42 books

Four detective inspectors carry Michael Kerr's crime novels: Matt Barnes, Laura Scott, Joe Hope and Jim Cole. The Joe Logan books run alongside them, and Adventures in Otherworld stands apart from the police series. Aftermath (2012) opens the catalogue, which holds 42 titles at a median of 322 pages and reaches Born to Kill in 2024. Early entries such as A Hunger Within, A Reason To Kill and Lethal Intent set the pattern, and Kerr continues to publish.

How many Michael Kerr books are there?

Michael Kerr has 42 books, released between 2012 and 2024. They include 6 series and 16 titles listed outside any series.

Michael Kerr Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 42 Michael Kerr books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. 1
    AftermathJoe Logan #12012 · confirmed 1/4
    2012
  2. 2
    A Hunger Within2013 · confirmed 1/4
    2013
  3. 3
    A Reason To KillDI Matt Barnes #12013 · confirmed 1/4
    2013
  4. 4
    The Chalice of HopeAdventures in Otherworld #12013 · confirmed 1/4
    2013
  5. 5
    AtonementJoe Logan #22013 · confirmed 1/4
    2013
  6. 6
    Lethal IntentDI Matt Barnes #22013 · confirmed 1/4
    2013
  7. 7
    A Need To KillDI Matt Barnes #32013 · confirmed 1/4
    2013
  8. 82014
  9. 9
    The Snake PitDI Joe Hope #12014 · confirmed 1/4
    2014
  10. 10
    Waiting2014 · confirmed 1/4
    2014
  11. 11
    Taken by Force2014 · 342 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2014342
  12. 12
    The Fairy CrownAdventures in Otherworld #22014 · confirmed 1/4
    2014
  13. 13
    AbsolutionJoe Logan #32014 · confirmed 1/4
    2014
  14. 14
    Black Rock Bay2014 · confirmed 1/4
    2014
  15. 15
    A Deadly State Of Mind2014 · confirmed 1/4
    2014
  16. 16
    Chosen To KillDI Matt Barnes #42014 · confirmed 1/4
    2014
  17. 17
    Deadly Reprisal2014 · confirmed 1/4
    2014
  18. 18
    Deadly Requital2014 · confirmed 1/4
    2014
  19. 19
    AllegianceJoe Logan #42015 · confirmed 1/4
    2015
  20. 20
    A Passion To KillDI Matt Barnes #52015 · confirmed 1/4
    2015
  21. 21
    Dark Needs and Evil Deeds2015 · confirmed 1/4
    2015
  22. 22
    Re-Emergence2015 · 322 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2015322
  23. 23
    A Deadly CompulsionDI Laura Scott #12016 · confirmed 1/4
    2016
  24. 24
    The Sign of FearDI Laura Scott #22016 · 304 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2016304
  25. 25
    AbductionJoe Logan #52016 · confirmed 1/4
    2016
  26. 26
    Raised To KillDI Matt Barnes #62016 · confirmed 1/4
    2016
  27. 27
    Coffee Crime Café2017 · confirmed 1/4
    2017
  28. 28
    AccusedJoe Logan #62017 · confirmed 1/4
    2017
  29. 29
    Deadly Obsession2017 · confirmed 1/4
    2017
  30. 30
    A Reason to Live2017 · confirmed 1/4
    2017

Michael Kerr series in order

Each series linked below has its own reading-order page.

Michael Kerr books grouped by series

Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. None of these groups has a reading-order page of its own on this site.

DI Laura Scott in order

4 books
  1. 1. A Deadly Compulsion
  2. 2. The Sign of Fear
  3. 3. The Trophy Room
  4. 4. The Twilight Man

Adventures in Otherworld in order

2 books
  1. 1. The Chalice of Hope
  2. 2. The Fairy Crown

DI Joe Hope in order

1 book
  1. 1. The Snake Pit

DI Jim Cole in order

1 book
  1. 1. Deadly Purpose

Standalone books

16 books

16 Michael Kerr titles here are not listed as part of any series.

Do you have to read Michael Kerr books in order?

You only need to read Michael Kerr books in order within each series: the books listed here span 6 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.

Where to start with Michael Kerr

Start with the first book of the Michael Kerr series you want to read: DI Matt Barnes starts with A Reason To Kill (2013) and Joe Logan starts with Aftermath (2012). The earliest catalogued title overall is Aftermath (2012).

What is the newest Michael Kerr book?

Born to Kill (2024) is the newest Michael Kerr book released so far.

Is there a new Michael Kerr book coming?

No next Michael Kerr book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Michael Kerr at a glance

Still publishing
Michael Kerr published a book as recently as 2024.
Release pace
Michael Kerr books have appeared more than one a year on average.
Length
968 pages across the 3 of 42 books with a recorded length, a median of 322 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Michael Kerr books, 35 of 42, were published in the 2010s.