Browse our collection of book series organized by protagonist. Each character page includes the complete reading order for their series.
A survivor of Earth's apocalyptic integration into a game-like system, fighting to level up and protect humanity in a world transformed by LitRPG mechanics.
Character profile for John Madden from Rennie Airth's historical mystery series. Learn about the WWI veteran turned Scotland Yard detective.
John Perry books in order. Complete reading order for the Old Man's War series by John Scalzi.
John Whicher is a Deputy U.S. Marshal and criminal investigator in the American Southwest, the protagonist of John Stonehouse's crime thriller series.
Jonny Mendez is the protagonist of Andre Gonzalez's thriller series of the same name, beginning with Never Look Back.
Josiah Reynolds is a Southern beekeeper turned amateur sleuth in Kentucky's Bluegrass region, and the protagonist of Abigail Keam's 23-book cozy mystery series.
Josie Corsino is a fictional protagonist in Anna St. John's mystery series, drawn into murder investigations across six books published between 2012 and 2023.
A stay-at-home mom in Los Angeles who investigates crimes while navigating pregnancy and parenting, bringing an unexpected perspective to amateur detective work.
Juliette Nichols books in order. Complete reading order for the Silo series by Hugh Howey.
Learn about Kate Daniels, the sword-wielding mercenary and protagonist of the urban fantasy series by Ilona Andrews.
Kate Kenyon is a fictional art historian and thrill-seeker in Craig Smith's thriller series, a wealthy young widow who pulls off high-stakes art heists across Europe.
Hunger Games books in order featuring Katniss Everdeen. Complete reading order by Suzanne Collins.
Katy Carter is the protagonist of Ruth Saberton's contemporary romance duology, a woman whose search for love leads to comic misadventures.
Kelly Pruett books in order. Complete reading order for all PI Kelly Pruett mystery novels by Mary Keliikoa.
Kenzie is a key character in the second season of The 'Naturals, whose personal journey is explored in depth as the Silverwood mystery unfolds.
Kidan Adane is the protagonist of Tigest Girma's Immortal Dark series, a young woman who enrolls at a mysterious university to find her missing sister.
Kihrin D'Mon is the protagonist of Jenn Lyons' A Chorus of Dragons series, a street musician turned reluctant hero caught between gods and demons.
Learn about Kip Guile, the unlikely hero at the center of Brent Weeks's Lightbringer fantasy series.
Kvothe is the legendary figure at the center of Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicles, a gifted young man who narrates his own rise and fall.
Learn about Kylar Stern, the wetboy assassin at the center of Brent Weeks's Night Angel fantasy trilogy.
Lady Eleanor Swift books in order. Complete reading order for the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series by Verity Bright.
Lara Croft is the iconic archaeologist and adventurer from the Tomb Raider franchise, featured in a series of tie-in novels by James Alan Gardner.
Laura Foster books in order. Complete reading order for the Detective Laura Foster series by Amy Cross.
Laurel McKay books in order. Complete reading order for the Laurel McKay Mysteries by Cindy Sample.
Lestat de Lioncourt, known as the Vampire Prince, is the central character of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, a charismatic and philosophical immortal whose long life spans centuries of vampire history.
Detective Lew Kirby is the protagonist of S.W. Kane's dark crime fiction series, a detective investigating disturbing cases in rural England.
DI Lexi Bennett is the protagonist of Alison Belsham's crime thriller series set in Canterbury, Kent, a triplet and FBI-trained profiler who leads the Major Investigation Team.
Lexie Carrigan is the protagonist of S. Usher Evans' Lexie Carrigan Chronicles, a Florida teenager who discovers powerful warrior magic around her fifteenth birthday.
Lexie Maxwell is Amy Maxwell's daughter and the protagonist of Heather Balog's three-book middle-grade mystery spin-off, the Lexie Maxwell Diaries.
Character profile for Libertus from Rosemary Rowe's historical mystery series set in Roman Britain. Celtic freedman and mosaic maker in Glevum.
Lillie Dean is the magical baker protagonist of S. Usher Evans' Pobyd Perfections Bakery cozy fantasy mystery series.
Lily Goode is the relatable and magic-prone protagonist of Michelle M. Pillow's (Un)Lucky Valley series, navigating an unexpected inheritance in Colorado.
Lincoln Rhyme is quadriplegic forensic detective who solves crimes through brilliant analysis featured in the Lincoln Rhyme series.
Lisbeth Salander is the protagonist of the Millennium series, a brilliant hacker with a photographic memory and troubled past.
Lisette Darling is the protagonist of Colette Clark's Golden Age mystery series set in 1920s Hollywood.
Lizzie Turner is the protagonist of the Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series by Erika Chase (Linda Wiken), an amateur sleuth and member of a small-town Alabama book club that keeps stumbling into real murder cases.
Locke Lamora is a con artist and thief in Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastard fantasy series, the leader of a small gang of elite swindlers.
A cultivator from humble village origins who pursues the path of immortality, advancing through martial and spiritual cultivation in a world of rival sects and powerful enemies.
Lord Edgington is an aristocratic detective in 1920s England created by [Benedict Brown](/authors/benedict-brown/), starring in the bestselling Lord Edgington Investigates cozy mystery series.
Lucy Clayburn is the protagonist of Paul Finch's thriller trilogy, an undercover police officer who infiltrates dangerous criminal organizations.
Lydia Crow is a private investigator in London and the protagonist of Sarah Painter's Crow Investigations urban fantasy series.
Lyra Belacqua is the young protagonist of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, a fierce and cunning girl from a parallel version of Oxford.
Dr. Lyssa Peate books in order. Complete reading order for the Razia series by S. Usher Evans.
Mackenzie Price is the detective protagonist of Ruhi Choudhary's crime fiction series, investigating dark cases in a small-town setting.
Maddie Divine is an LAPD detective who investigates crimes across Los Angeles in Kathy Bennett's seven-book Deadly Thriller series.
Madeline Bean is a Los Angeles event caterer and amateur sleuth who solves murders while working Hollywood parties in Jerrilyn Farmer's eight-book cozy mystery series.
Maeve Conlon is the protagonist of Maggie Barbieri's mystery trilogy, a bar owner and single mother with a darker side hiding beneath her suburban exterior.
Maggie O'Dell is an FBI profiler and the main character of Alex Kava's long-running thriller series.
Maggie O'Neill is the relatable and charming protagonist of Madelyn Alt's A Bewitching Mystery series, an antique shop worker who discovers she belongs to a lineage of witches.
Character profile for Malin Fors from Mons Kallentoft's Nordic noir crime series. Detective Inspector in Linköping, Sweden.
Manny Williams is a Lansing, Michigan police detective turned FBI special agent in Rick Murcer's bestselling crime thriller series.
Marcus Didius Falco from Lindsey Davis's historical mystery series. Character guide and reading order for the Falco novels set in ancient Rome.
Character profile for Marcus Falerius Fronto from S.J.A. Turney's Marius' Mules series. Learn about the Roman legate who served under Julius Caesar.
Marguerite Caine is the main character of the Firebird trilogy by Claudia Gray. Follow her story through the complete Firebird reading order.
Mari is one of the two protagonists of the Pillars of Reality series, a young Master Mechanic who begins questioning the Great Guilds that control all power and knowledge on her world of Dematr.
Mario Silva is the Chief Inspector protagonist of Leighton Gage's mystery series set in Brazil, investigating crimes that span the country.
DS Mark Heckenburg is the protagonist of Paul Finch's crime thriller series, a maverick detective in Greater Manchester Police's Serial Crimes Unit.
Mary Bennet is the middle sister from Pride and Prejudice, reimagined as a Regency-era spy in Katherine Cowley's Secret Life of Mary Bennet series.
Mary Handley is a young female detective in 1890s Brooklyn, created by Lawrence H. Levy for the A Mary Handley Mystery series.
Mary Sutter from Robin Oliveira's historical fiction series. Character guide and reading order for the Mary Sutter novels set during and after the American Civil War.
A gentleman captain in the Restoration-era English navy, navigating the political intrigues of the 1660s-1680s while commanding ships in battles against the Dutch and French.
Matthew Swift is the urban sorcerer protagonist of Kate Griffin's four-book fantasy series set in London.
Max Fend is a naval aviator and the protagonist of Andrew Watts's three-book military thriller series.
Character profile for Max Havok from Scott Medbury's action thriller series. Learn about the vigilante protagonist with a violent past.
Mennik Thorn books in order. Complete reading order for all Mennik Thorn noir fantasy novels by Patrick Samphire.
Mercy is a fallen angel and the main character of the Mercy series by Rebecca Lim, waking up in a different human body in each book.
Mercy McCarthy is a bookshop owner and amateur sleuth in the Mercy McCarthy Mystery series, solving crimes in small-town Ireland.
Learn about Mercedes 'Mercy' Thompson, the coyote shapeshifter and VW mechanic at the center of Patricia Briggs's urban fantasy series.
Mercy Watts is a fictional amateur detective in A.W. Hartoin's long-running mystery series, a former nurse who reluctantly follows in her PI father's footsteps.
Mercy Willow books in order. Complete reading order for the Mercy Willow series by Amy Cross.
Micaela Vargas is a police officer and co-protagonist of David Lagercrantz's Rekke & Vargas thriller series.
Character profile for Micah the Metal from Zamil Akhtar's Gunmetal Gods series. Learn about the legendary janissary warrior.
Micka is the resilient and complex protagonist of Annelie Wendeberg's 1/2986 series, navigating a world transformed by climate disaster.
Mikael Blomkvist is a journalist and co-protagonist of the Millennium series who partners with Lisbeth Salander to investigate crimes.
Michaela 'Mike' Caine is an FBI special agent and Nicholas Drummond's partner in Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison's A Brit in the FBI series.
Miles Vorkosigan books in order. Complete reading order guide for the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold.
Millie Reynolds from Julie Cantrell's Into the Free series. Character guide and reading order for the two novels following Millie from Depression-era Mississippi to wartime Colorado.
Miss Dimple Kilpatrick is the main character of Mignon F. Ballard's historical cozy mystery series set during World War II in small-town Georgia.
Mitch Dinkle is an archaeologist protagonist in Chris Fox's adventure thriller series, uncovering ancient mysteries from Atlantis to the pyramids of Egypt.
Mitch Rapp books in order. Complete reading order for all Mitch Rapp novels by Vince Flynn, Kyle Mills, and Don Bentley.
Mma Precious Ramotswe is Botswana's premier female private detective solving cases with wisdom and kindness featured in the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.
Learn about Murderbot, the self-aware security construct with social anxiety at the center of Martha Wells's award-winning science fiction series.
Myrtle Hardcastle is a twelve-year-old amateur detective in Victorian England, created by Elizabeth C. Bunce for the Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries series.
Nadia Caldani is the main character of the Spellcaster series by Claudia Gray. Follow her story through the complete Spellcaster reading order.
Nate King books in order. Complete reading order for the Wilderness series by David Robbins.
An assassin of the Shedaím Brotherhood who discovers hidden truths about his order's past and the ancient gods that shaped his world.
Nicholas Drummond is a British-born FBI agent and former Scotland Yard chief inspector in Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison's A Brit in the FBI series.
Nicholas Marten books in order. Complete reading order for the John Barron/Nicholas Marten series by Allan Folsom.
Nick Journey is the protagonist of B. Kent Anderson's historical conspiracy thriller series.
Nick Polchak books in order. Complete reading order for the Bug Man series by Tim Downs.
Learn about Nicodemus Weal, the cacographer protagonist of Blake Charlton's Spellwright fantasy trilogy.
Nikita Parekh is the protagonist of Liz Mistry's DS Nikita Parekh crime thriller series set in Bradford, England.
Nina Reilly is a single-mother attorney in Lake Tahoe and the protagonist of Perri O'Shaughnessy's thirteen-book legal thriller series.
Noemi Vidal is the main character of the Defy the Stars series by Claudia Gray. Follow her story through the complete Defy the Stars reading order.
Norah Mulcahaney is a fictional NYPD detective in Lillian O'Donnell's mystery series, one of the earliest female police protagonists in crime fiction.
Odd Thomas books in order. Complete reading order for the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz.
Owen Keane is a failed seminarian turned amateur detective, the protagonist of Terence Faherty's mystery series spanning eight novels.
Patrick is the gay former sitcom star at the center of Steven Rowley's Guncle series, a man who becomes the unexpected guardian of his young niece and nephew.
Paul Atreides books in order. Complete reading order for the Dune series by Frank Herbert.
DCI Paul Stark is a detective protagonist in Jim Eldridge's crime thriller duology, investigating cases that cross into military and intelligence territory.
Penelope Banks is the amateur sleuth at the center of Colette Clark's 1920s historical mystery series.
Penelope Warren is the smart and independent owner of 'The Mycroft Holmes Mystery Bookstore' in Garrison Allen's Big Mike Mysteries, and an ex-Marine with a knack for solving crimes.
Peter from the Secret Seven series by Enid Blyton. Peter leads the Secret Seven society and works with his sister Janet and friends to solve mysteries.
Peter Ash books in order. Complete reading order for all Peter Ash novels by Nick Petrie.
A French naval officer serving during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic era, balancing duty to his country with survival in a time of political upheaval and purges.
Phillip Horatio Hazard from V.A. Stuart's naval fiction series. Character guide and reading order for the Phillip Hazard novels.
Pippa Darling books in order. Complete reading order for the Pippa Darling Mysteries by Jenna Bennett.
PJ Norris books in order. Complete reading order for the Firewing Investigations series by S. Usher Evans.
Pliny the Younger is the protagonist of the historical mystery series that bears his name, reimagining the real Roman letter-writer as an amateur detective in ancient Rome.
Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov is a Moscow police detective created by Stuart M. Kaminsky, featured in an Edgar Award-winning mystery series set in Soviet and post-Soviet Russia.
Princess Alba is the protagonist of the Dragon Mage Academy series by Cordelia Castel, a princess who disguises herself as a boy to attend an all-male dragon academy.
Riftwar Cycle books in order featuring Pug (Milamber). Complete reading order by Raymond E. Feist.
Character profile for Quinn Colson from Ace Atkins's crime series. Learn about the Army Ranger turned Mississippi sheriff.
Rabbi David Small is the amateur detective protagonist of Harry Kemelman's mystery series set in a small Massachusetts town.
Rafferty books in order. Complete reading order for all Rafferty private detective novels by W. Glenn Duncan.
Rai Rahotep is a detective in ancient Egypt and the protagonist of Nick Drake's historical mystery series of the same name.
Raine Campbell is a young orphan witch who works with the FBI in the School of Necessary Magic spin-off series by Judith Berens.
Rand al'Thor books in order. Complete reading order for The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.
Ray Elkins books in order. Complete reading order for the Ray Elkins Mystery series by Aaron Stander.
Ricki James books in order. Complete reading order for all Special Agent Ricki James novels by C.R. Chandler.
Riley MacPherson is the protagonist of Diane Chamberlain's suspense duology about a woman who discovers her supposedly dead sister may still be alive.
Rin (Fang Runin) books in order. Complete reading order for The Poppy War series by R.F. Kuang.
River is a young wolf shifter from the hidden community of New Eden in the Colorado mountains, and the protagonist of the Sanctuary series by Charlotte Abel.
Rob Walker is the Special Forces protagonist of John Etterlee's military thriller series, carrying out missions from cartel rescues to overseas combat operations.
Robbie Munro books in order. Complete reading order for all Robbie Munro / Best Defense legal thriller novels by William H.S. McIntyre.
Roscoe Conklin is a fictional retired detective in Davin Goodwin's mystery series, an ex-cop who traded his badge for island life on Bonaire but keeps getting pulled into criminal investigations.
Rose Gardner is the main character of Denise Grover Swank's mystery series set in Fenton County, Arkansas.
Learn about Royce Melborn, the cynical thief and one half of the Riyria partnership in Michael J. Sullivan's fantasy series.
Ruby Booker is the spunky third-grade protagonist of the Ruby and the Booker Boys chapter book series by Derrick Barnes.
Ruby Dove is an Oxford-educated chemist and dress designer who solves murders across 1930s England in Rose Donovan's ten-book mystery series.
Character profile for Rufinus from S.J.A. Turney's Praetorian series. Learn about the young guardsman navigating the court of Emperor Commodus.
Ryan Savage books in order. Complete reading order for all Ryan Savage Thriller novels by Jack Hardin.
Ryder Creed is a former Marine and K9 search-and-rescue handler who stars in Alex Kava's thriller series of the same name.
Rylan Flynn is the protagonist of Dawn Merriman's Rylan Flynn Mystery series, a young woman who can see and communicate with ghosts.
Sal Delaney is the protagonist of David Mark's crime fiction series that begins with When the Bough Breaks in 2024.
Sam Applewhite is a security consultant and the protagonist of Heide Goody and Iain Grant's mystery series, investigating increasingly bizarre crimes along the English coast.
Sam Chitto is the main character of Lu Clifton's mystery series, a Choctaw tribal police officer who investigates cold cases in southeastern Oklahoma.
Sam Graves books in order. Complete reading order for the Eerie Elementary series by Max Brallier.
Detective Sam Porter is the lead investigator in J.D. Barker's 4MK trilogy, a veteran detective haunted by his past while hunting a brilliant serial killer.
Sam Vimes books in order. Complete reading order for the Discworld City Watch series by Terry Pratchett.
Sam Wiseman is a Montreal bookshop owner who solves real murders inspired by the detective novels he reads in The Book Shop Mysteries by Richard King.
Samantha Sanderson is the protagonist of Robin Caroll's middle-grade mystery series about a young aspiring journalist who solves mysteries at her school.
Dr. Samantha Willerby is a London-based psychotherapist and the protagonist of A.J. Waines's four-book psychological thriller mystery series.
Savannah Martin books in order. Complete reading order for the Savannah Martin Mystery series by Jenna Bennett.
Character profile for Savine dan Glokta from Joe Abercrombie's Age of Madness trilogy. Learn about the ambitious investor and daughter of the Arch Lector.
Scott Elliott is a former Hollywood actor turned private investigator, the protagonist of Terence Faherty's historical mystery series set in postwar Los Angeles.
Simon Templar, known as 'The Saint,' is a gentleman adventurer and outlaw created by Leslie Charteris, starring in over 50 novels from 1928 to 1997.
Sister June books in order. Complete reading order for The Chronicles of Sister June series by Amy Cross.
Sita is a five-thousand-year-old vampire and the protagonist of Christopher Pike's Last Vampire series, navigating the modern world while carrying the weight of millennia.
Skink is a former Florida governor turned eco-vigilante and a recurring character in Carl Hiaasen's crime fiction novels.
Skye Thorn is the protagonist of Jocelyn Davies' A Beautiful Dark trilogy, a teenager who discovers her unique heritage and her role in a celestial war.
Learn about Sookie Stackhouse, the telepathic waitress at the center of Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries and HBO's True Blood.
Sophie Foster is the main character of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger, a telepathic girl who discovers she is an elf and must navigate a hidden magical world.
Stella Kendrick is the protagonist of Clara McKenna's Stella and Lyndy Mystery series, an American heiress who solves murders in Edwardian England.
Stephanie Plum is the protagonist of Janet Evanovich's bestselling mystery series—a disaster-prone bounty hunter from Trenton, New Jersey, who trades lingerie sales for fugitive apprehension and navigates romance, family drama, and frequent car explosions.
Detective Steve Carella is the central figure of Ed McBain's 87th Precinct series, known for his integrity, intelligence, and deep connection to the city of Isola.
Stewart Hoag is the protagonist of David Handler's long-running mystery series, a celebrity ghostwriter who solves murders with his basset hound Lulu.
Summer is a central character in the first season of The 'Naturals, caught in the middle of a supernatural awakening in Silverwood.
Sutton McPhee is a television news reporter and the protagonist of Brenda English's mystery series about corruption and crime.
Sydney Fitzpatrick is an FBI forensic artist and the main character of the Sydney Fitzpatrick thriller series by Sydney Flitzpatrick.
Teddy Cannon books in order. Complete reading order for the School for Psychics series by K.C. Archer.
Character profile for Thara Celehar from Katherine Addison's Chronicles of Osreth. Known as the Witness for the Dead.
Theo Bogart is the protagonist of Susan Cox's cozy mystery series set in San Francisco. Find the complete Theo Bogart Mysteries reading order.
Inspector Thomas Littlejohn is the main character of George Bellairs' long-running British detective series, a Scotland Yard investigator who solves murders across England.
Thu is the ambitious peasant girl protagonist of Pauline Gedge's Lady of the Reeds historical fiction series set in ancient Egypt.
Tiffany Black books in order. Complete reading order for the Tiffany Black mystery series by A.R. Winters.
Toby Peters is a fictional 1940s Hollywood private detective created by Stuart M. Kaminsky, who takes cases involving real Golden Age movie stars.
Tom Gates is the main character of Liz Pichon's bestselling children's book series. He is a schoolboy who fills his notebooks with doodles, stories, and complaints about his sister Delia.
Tony Lambrianu is the London crime boss protagonist of Gillian Godden's gangland fiction series.
Tory Brennan Virals books in order. Complete reading order for the Virals YA series by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs.
Tricia Miles is a mystery bookstore owner and amateur sleuth in the fictional book-lover's town of Stoneham, New Hampshire, the protagonist of Lorna Barrett's Booktown Mystery series.
The main protagonist of the Warlord Chronicles, Uhtred of Bebbanburg is a Saxon-born noble raised by Vikings who becomes one of the greatest warriors in 9th and 10th century England.
Val Deniston is a cafe manager and amateur sleuth who solves murders with her grandfather in Maya Corrigan's Five-Ingredient Mystery series.
The protagonist of Death Before Dragons, Val Thorvald is a freelance assassin with magical abilities who finds herself working with a dragon shifter to hunt down paranormal fugitives.
Varjak Paw is a Mesopotamian Blue kitten and the main character of S.F. Said's award-winning children's book series of the same name.
Verity Fitzroy is a young inventor and protagonist of the Verity Fitzroy and the Ministry Seven steampunk YA series by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris.
A Victorian lepidopterist and amateur detective, Veronica Speedwell is the fiercely independent protagonist of Deanna Raybourn's historical mystery series of the same name.
Violet White is a teenager living in a crumbling seaside mansion who falls for a mysterious stranger in April Genevieve Tucholke's gothic YA Between series.
Vlad Taltos books in order. Complete reading order guide for the Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust.
Walt Longmire is Craig Johnson's Wyoming sheriff protagonist who solves crimes in Absaroka County while grappling with personal loss and the changing West. Featured in 20+ novels and a Netflix series, he's become an icon of modern Western fiction.
Walt Williams is a retired Kansas City cop turned property manager who keeps stumbling into criminal investigations in Robert Thornhill's Lady Justice mystery series.
Whiffy Newton is a young detective and the title character of the Whiffy Newton mystery series by Rebecca Lim.
Will Robie books in order. Complete reading order for all Will Robie novels by David Baldacci.
Character profile for William Warwick from Jeffrey Archer's crime series. Learn about the detective from the Art and Antiquities Squad.
Yossarian is the protagonist of Joseph Heller's Catch-22, a World War II bombardier desperately trying to survive his tour of duty.
Zavryd Nokynu, known simply as Zav, is a dragon shifter and judge from the cosmic realms who enforces Dragon Justice in Lindsay Buroker's Death Before Dragons series.
Zea Calico is the protagonist of The Princess Trials by Cordelia Castel, a girl from the lowest social class in a dystopian future America who enters a competition to marry Prince Kevon.
Zoe Storm is the protagonist of Ruhi Choudhary's thriller series, beginning with The Hanging Dolls (2025).
Zoey from Amelia Shaw's The Rover series. Character guide and reading order for the Zoey's Revenge urban fantasy books.
Zoey is the spirited and relatable protagonist of Kat T. Masen's #Jerk, navigating the challenges of a difficult boss and an unexpected office romance.
Zorah Bright is the protagonist of R.A. Steffan's The Last Vampire series, a young woman who discovers she is a succubus while navigating a world of vampires, fae, and demons alongside the last surviving vampire, Ransley Thorpe.