Carol Ashton Mysteries Reading Order
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Lessons in Murder | 1988 | Buy |
| Fatal Reunion | 1989 | Buy |
| Death Down Under | 1989 | Buy |
| Cop Out | 1991 | Buy |
| Dead Certain | 1992 | Buy |
| Body Guard | 1994 | Buy |
| Double Bluff | 1995 | Buy |
| Inner Circle | 1996 | Buy |
| Chain Letter | 1997 | Buy |
| Past Due | 1998 | Buy |
| Set Up | 1999 | Buy |
| Under Suspicion | 2000 | Buy |
| Death Club | 2001 | Buy |
| Accidental Murder | 2002 | Buy |
| Blood Link | 2003 | Buy |
| Fall Guy | 2004 | Buy |
| Lethal Care | 2017 | Buy |
The Carol Ashton Mysteries follow an Australian detective inspector through 17 cases spanning three decades of publication. Lessons in Murder (1988) launched the series, and subsequent books — Fatal Reunion, Death Down Under, Cop Out, Dead Certain — established Carol Ashton as one of mystery fiction’s most enduring lesbian protagonists. The series maintained a loyal readership through changing literary landscapes.
The books combine traditional police procedural plotting with the personal dimensions of Ashton’s life, including her identity as a lesbian detective in the Australian law enforcement world. The series ran from 1988 to 2017, with Lethal Care serving as the final installment in a nearly 30-year run.