Crime Thriller
Lisa Gardner Books in Order
by Lisa Gardner
Lisa Gardner is one of America's premier thriller writers, spinning four interlocking series — from FBI profiler Pierce Quincy to Boston detective D.D. Warren to wandering searcher Frankie Elkin — relentlessly paced and psychologically sharp.
About the series
Lisa Gardner is one of America's most consistent thriller writers, with a career spanning multiple interconnected series. Her longest-running is the Detective D.D. Warren series, following a tough Boston homicide sergeant whose cases often intersect with her other recurring characters. The FBI Profiler (Quincy & Rainie) series predates D.D. Warren and stars forensic psych profiler Pierce Quincy and his partner Rainie Conner. The Tessa Leoni trilogy follows a Massachusetts state trooper. Gardner's newest franchise, the Frankie Elkin series, takes a different approach: Elkin is a recovering alcoholic who searches for missing people — especially those the system has forgotten.
Recommended reading order
Start with either the FBI Profiler series (The Perfect Husband, 1997) to experience Gardner's full evolution as a writer, or jump straight to D.D. Warren with Alone (2004) if you prefer a more modern, high-octane procedural. Several later D.D. Warren novels (Never Tell, When You See Me) also carry FBI Profiler characters, so reading both series enriches the experience. The Frankie Elkin books (Before She Disappeared, 2021) are fully standalone and accessible to new readers.
Reading order
27 books · Ongoing