Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Clever Detective | 2010 | Linsey Lanier | Buy |
| 2 | Clever is as Clever Does | 2010 | Linsey Lanier | Buy |
| 3 | Cleverest of Them All | 2011 | Linsey Lanier | Buy |
| 4 | Clever and Courageous | 2012 | Linsey Lanier | Buy |
| 5 | A Clever Season | 2018 | Linsey Lanier | Buy |
The Clever Detective series was Linsey Lanier’s first published work, with four books appearing in 2010, 2011, and 2012. The series follows a detective who relies on wit and intelligence to solve cases, and the titles themselves signal that tone: The Clever Detective, Clever is as Clever Does, Cleverest of Them All, and Clever and Courageous.
After a gap of several years, Lanier returned to the series in 2018 with A Clever Season, rounding out the five-book run. The series has a lighter feel than her later thriller and suspense work, and it reads as a good introduction to her writing for readers who prefer mysteries on the cozier side.
For fans of Lanier who have read her Miranda and Parker books, the Clever Detective series offers a look at where her writing began, with the same focus on character and plot that carries through her later work.