Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Signs of Murder | 2021 | A.F. Whitehouse | Buy |
| 2 | Signs of the Father | 2022 | A.F. Whitehouse | Buy |
| 3 | Signs of Obsession | 2025 | A.F. Whitehouse | Buy |
The Dana Demeter Mystery series by A.F. Whitehouse features a Deaf forensic lip-reader as its protagonist. Dana Demeter works with law enforcement to analyze video footage and surveillance recordings, reading lips to uncover evidence that hearing investigators would miss. It is a fresh angle on the crime fiction genre, and each of the three books puts this skill at the center of a different murder investigation.
The series began with Signs of Murder in 2021, followed by Signs of the Father in 2022 and Signs of Obsession in 2025. The cases grow more personal for Dana as the series progresses, with Signs of the Father touching on family connections and Signs of Obsession raising the stakes further. The books should be read in order since Dana’s character development and relationships carry over between installments.
Whitehouse writes Dana’s experience as a Deaf woman with attention to detail, from the practicalities of lip-reading to the social dynamics of working in hearing-dominated environments. Readers who appreciate crime fiction with a strong, well-drawn protagonist and an unusual investigative method will want to start with Signs of Murder.