Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Nightgown | 2012 | Brad Parks | Buy |
| 2 | Faces of the Gone | 2009 | Brad Parks | Buy |
| 3 | Eyes of the Innocent | 2011 | Brad Parks | Buy |
| 4 | The Girl Next Door | 2012 | Brad Parks | Buy |
| 5 | The Good Cop | 2013 | Brad Parks | Buy |
| 6 | The Player | 2014 | Brad Parks | Buy |
| 7 | The Fraud | 2015 | Brad Parks | Buy |
| 8 | Say Nothing | 2017 | Brad Parks | Buy |
| 9 | Closer Than You Know | 2018 | Brad Parks | Buy |
| 10 | The Last Act | 2019 | Brad Parks | Buy |
| 11 | Interference | 2020 | Brad Parks | Buy |
| 12 | Unthinkable | 2021 | Brad Parks | Buy |
The Carter Ross series follows an investigative journalist working in Newark, New Jersey, where every story seems to lead somewhere darker than expected. Faces of the Gone, the 2009 debut, won three major mystery awards and set the tone: Carter Ross is smart, persistent, and just reckless enough to keep getting into trouble. Eyes of the Innocent, The Girl Next Door, and The Good Cop built on that foundation with new cases rooted in the politics and crime of northern New Jersey.
The Player and The Fraud rounded out the series through 2015. Parks brings a journalist’s eye for detail and a sense of humor that keeps the books from getting too heavy, even when the subject matter is grim. The series is a strong choice for readers who like their mysteries grounded in real-world settings with protagonists who think their way through problems.