Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sign of the Cross | 2006 | Anne Emery | Buy |
| 2 | Obit | 2007 | Anne Emery | Buy |
| 3 | Barrington Street Blues | 2008 | Anne Emery | Buy |
| 4 | Cecilian Vespers | 2009 | Anne Emery | Buy |
| 5 | Children in the Morning | 2010 | Anne Emery | Buy |
| 6 | Death at Christy Burke’s | 2010 | Anne Emery | Buy |
| 7 | Blood on a Saint | 2013 | Anne Emery | Buy |
| 8 | Ruined Abbey | 2015 | Anne Emery | Buy |
| 9 | Lament for Bonnie | 2018 | Anne Emery | Buy |
| 10 | Though the Heavens Fall | 2018 | Anne Emery | Buy |
| 11 | Postmark Berlin | 2020 | Anne Emery | Buy |
| 12 | Fenian Street | 2022 | Anne Emery | Buy |
| 13 | Counted Among the Dead | 2024 | Anne Emery | Buy |
Set mostly in Halifax, Nova Scotia, these books have a strong sense of place. Anne Emery uses the city’s courthouse culture, its Catholic parish life, and its Maritime history as backdrop for crimes that range from cold-case murders to church scandals. The atmosphere is distinctly Canadian without feeling parochial.
Monty Collins is a defense lawyer who sees the worst of what people do to each other, while Father Brennan Burke brings a moral and sometimes spiritual lens to their investigations. The contrast works because Emery doesn’t play it for easy comedy. Both characters carry weight, and the crimes they investigate tend to have roots that go back years or decades.
With thirteen books published over nearly two decades, the series has built up a detailed world of recurring characters and Halifax locations that rewards long-term readers.