DCI Isaac Cook Books in Order
The complete DCI Isaac Cook series by Phillip Strang — all 19 London crime thrillers in reading order
Detective Chief Inspector Isaac Cook should have been made a superintendent by now. Tall, urbane, and one of London's finest detectives, he's been held back by office politics — not his results. Based at Challis Street Homicide, Cook investigates the murders that others can't solve. Alongside DI Larry Hill and veteran Sergeant Wendy Gladstone, he navigates London's darkest secrets — from gang wars and political conspiracies to murders that reach deep into the city's most powerful institutions. Perfect for fans of Peter James, Ian Rankin, and Lynda La Plante.
1. Murder is a Tricky Business
A soap opera actress has vanished — and everyone assumes she's been murdered. But it's not the first time she's gone missing. Why has DCI Cook been pulled from serious crimes to search for her? There's a secret, that much is certain — but who knows it? The executive producer, his eavesdropping assistant, or the actor who played her fictional brother? When there's no motive, no suspects, and no body, murder is a very tricky business indeed.
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2. Murder House
A corpse in the fireplace of an old London house — hidden for thirty years. The house has changed hands multiple times, but someone always knew the body was there. The main suspects are elderly, dying, or already dead. The family believes dirty laundry shouldn't be aired in public, even if it means a murderer walks free. Cook must break through decades of silence before the truth dies with the last witness.
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3. Murder by Numbers
Before she left, she carved a number in blood on his chest. A woman stalks London, killing men methodically and keeping count. Her targets are men who have wronged her — or have they? Cook and his team identify her after the fourth killing, but she vanishes in plain sight. The pressure mounts to stop her before she completes her tally. She's always one step ahead, and the numbers keep rising.
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4. Murder in Little Venice
A dismembered corpse floats in a London canal. Cook suspects gang violence — but the evidence points to something far more calculated, a deliberate warning sent to someone who hasn't come forward. Whatever the reason, it won't be the last body. As Cook investigates Little Venice's calm waterways and the dark currents running beneath them, the case widens into territory that puts his whole team at risk.
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5. Murder is the Only Option
A man thought long dead returns to London with a single purpose — revenge against those who destroyed his life. His only real concern is protecting his wife and daughter, and he will stop at nothing. The bodies pile up, and Cook must stop a killer whose grievances may be entirely justified — navigating a moral maze where the line between victim and perpetrator has long since blurred.
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6. Murder in Notting Hill
Two women murdered within an hour of each other, miles apart, with nothing in common. One is young, wealthy, the daughter of a famous man. The other is poor, hardworking, and entirely unknown. What connects them? Cook investigates across two very different London worlds, finding that the city's social divides run deeper — and deadlier — than anyone would care to admit.
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7. Murder in Room 346
On the bed in a downmarket hotel lie the naked bodies of James Holden — a moral campaigner who preached the sanctity of marriage — and a woman who once killed her husband. Both shot in the head. Both compromised. What were they doing together in that room? Cook must navigate media frenzy and political pressure as the scandal threatens to engulf people far more powerful than the two victims.
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8. Murder of a Silent Man
For years, the shabby-dressed recluse shuffled to the off-licence every Thursday. Nobody knew he had a property empire worth millions. Now he's found dead in his front garden, and his disinherited family is suddenly very interested. A murdered man no one gave any thought to in life — and a cast of relatives with every reason to want him gone. Cook finds that the quietest victims often have the most complicated stories.
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9. Murder has no Guilt
A murder investigation where finding the guilty party proves harder than it should. Not every suspect is what they appear, and not every confession should be believed. Cook and his Challis Street team are pushed to the limit as the case refuses to resolve cleanly — a reminder that in London's criminal landscape, guilt and innocence are rarely as clear as they first seem.
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10. Murder in Hyde Park
A body discovered in one of London's most public spaces — yet nobody saw anything. Hyde Park's famous expanse becomes the scene of a murder that draws Cook into a world of hidden connections and dangerous secrets. The victim's life, it emerges, was far more complicated than their death first suggested, and the investigation reaches into circles that would prefer Cook looked elsewhere.
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11. Six Years Too Late
Marcus Matthews never amounted to much in life — except that he was the son-in-law of Hamish McIntyre, one of London's most feared gangsters. Then Marcus disappears, and his body is found six years later by two boys exploring an abandoned house. Always the same questions for Cook — why was Marcus in that room, and why did he share a bottle of wine with his killer?
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12. Grave Passion
Passion, obsession, and murder in London. A case that takes Cook into the complicated territory of desire and its deadly consequences — where relationships built on secrets eventually collapse into violence. Cook's team at Challis Street must untangle a web of entanglements to find who struck the fatal blow, and why passion ultimately turned lethal.
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13. The Slaying of Joe Foster
No one challenged gangster Joe Foster in life — not if they valued theirs. Now he's dead, and his criminal empire is up for grabs. The Foster family fights for control while rival gangs carve up the territory. A war on London's streets is coming, and nobody wants it — except those who stand to profit. Cook must find Joe's killer before the city tears itself apart.
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14. The Hero's Fall
Angus Simmons had it made — a successful television programme, a beautiful girlfriend, admired by millions for his mountaineering exploits. Then the hero falls. When a public figure's carefully constructed image shatters, the secrets beneath are rarely what anyone expected. Cook investigates a death that powerful people would prefer to remain uninvestigated.
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15. The Vicar's Confession
Reverend Charles Hepworth — good Samaritan, friend to the downtrodden, almost a saint to those who knew him. Until the day he walks into the police station, places a blood-soaked knife on Cook's desk, and says calmly: "I killed the man." The victim was not a man to mourn — but why would a self-professed pacifist commit murder? Then Hepworth is killed in his prison cell, and everyone is ducking for cover.
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16. Guilty until Proven Innocent
Two years ago, Gary Harders confessed to murder and accepted his sentence. Justice appeared served. Now his conviction is being overturned — but Harders won't explain why he's challenging his confession, or speak of alleged police coercion. What changed? And why the ominous silence? Cook is drawn into a case where the original verdict may have been wrong, and the truth is something nobody in authority wants uncovered.
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17. Devil House
A naked man spreadeagled on a bare floor in suburban London. Sergeant Wendy Gladstone thought she'd seen it all — but pagan symbols and human sacrifice are a first. The killing is ritualistic and deliberate, pointing to an organised group operating in plain sight. Cook must navigate a world where ancient belief and modern violence have merged into something deeply dangerous.
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18. Deadly Secrets
Ten people dead in a terrorist attack near Downing Street. Cook believes Chief Superintendent Caddick is involved — not as a target, but as an orchestrator. Cook always thought Caddick was an incompetent fool. But a criminal? Someone who'd organise ten deaths to protect the Commissioner from censure? The Secret Service is involved and can't be trusted. These are dark days for Isaac Cook — and darker days for London.
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19. Murder Without Reason
The case that started everything — Cook's first major investigation, published before the main series began. A murder that defies easy explanation, a conundrum that establishes Cook as a detective who refuses to accept easy answers. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand where Isaac Cook began, and why he became the detective London couldn't do without.
Buy on Amazon →If You Enjoy DCI Isaac Cook, Try These
Love Cook's gritty London homicide investigations? Here are three series that deliver the same dark, character-driven British crime writing.
Inspector Rebus — Ian Rankin
Edinburgh's most maverick detective — uncompromising, politically astute, and always right when it matters most. If you love Cook's refusal to bend to authority, Rebus is your next series. 25 novels packed with atmosphere and moral complexity.
Read the Series Guide →
Roy Grace — Peter James
Detective Superintendent Roy Grace tackles Brighton's most complex murders with meticulous procedural detail. One of Britain's bestselling crime writers, Peter James shares Cook's determination to find truth regardless of who it implicates. 22 novels.
Read the Series Guide →
DI Tremayne — Phillip Strang
If you've finished the Isaac Cook series, DI Keith Tremayne is the natural next step. The same uncompromising detective instincts, transplanted from London's streets to the ancient landscapes of Wiltshire. 10 novels set in and around Salisbury.
Read the Series Guide →More Crime Series Worth Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
How many DCI Isaac Cook books are there?
There are 19 DCI Isaac Cook novels, published between 2015 and 2024. It is Phillip Strang's longest-running series and ideal for readers who enjoy a long-form detective journey. All 19 books are available in Kindle, paperback, and audiobook formats.
Should you read the DCI Isaac Cook books in order?
Yes — the series rewards reading in order. While each novel presents a self-contained murder investigation, recurring characters including DI Larry Hill, Sergeant Wendy Gladstone, and Cook's various adversaries develop significantly across the series. Start with Murder is a Tricky Business.
What is the best DCI Isaac Cook book to start with?
Start with Murder is a Tricky Business (Book 1) to meet Cook and his team from the beginning. If you want the series at its most gripping, The Vicar's Confession (Book 15) is frequently cited as a standout — but works best with the earlier books behind you.
Where are the DCI Isaac Cook books set?
The series is set primarily in London, centred on Challis Street Police Station and the city's diverse neighbourhoods — from Little Venice and Notting Hill to Hyde Park and the suburbs. Each book uses the city's geography as an integral part of the story, giving the series a rich, authentic London atmosphere.
Is DCI Isaac Cook similar to other British detective series?
Yes — readers who enjoy Ian Rankin's Rebus, Peter James's Roy Grace, or Lynda La Plante's Jane Tennison tend to find DCI Cook a natural fit. The series shares their procedural rigour, morally complex characters, and willingness to explore the darker corners of British society and its institutions.