Ellen Harper books in order

Q: "What is the Ellen Harper series about?"

"The series follows Ellen 'Ellie' Harper, a forensics expert with the Chicago Police Department. She has an uncanny ability to read crime scenes but struggles with anger management problems stemming from a messy divorce and personal losses."

Q: "Do I need to read the Manny Williams books before Ellen Harper?"

"It helps but is not required. The two series share characters -- Sophie Lee from the Manny Williams books appears in The Pier alongside Ellen Harper. Reading Manny Williams first gives you more background on the crossover characters."

Q: "What order should I read the Ellen Harper books?"

"Read in publication order: Drop Dead Perfect, The Pier, Before the Fall, and Perfect Sinners. The cases and Ellen's character arc build across the four books."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	Drop Dead Perfect	2013	Rick Murcer	Buy
2	The Pier	2014	Rick Murcer	Buy
3	Before the Fall	2016	Rick Murcer	Buy
4	Perfect Sinners	2017	Rick Murcer	Buy

Rick Murcer’s Ellen Harper series follows a Chicago Police Department forensics expert whose talent for reading crime scenes is matched by her talent for making enemies. Ellen “Ellie” Harper is dealing with a messy divorce and the death of her mother, which has left her with anger management problems that regularly land her in trouble with her boss – who happens to be her father, the police chief.

In the first book, Drop Dead Perfect, a serial killer stages his victims’ bodies with disturbing precision, dressing and posing them perfectly and pinning them with notes reading “NOT HER.” Ellen’s forensic skills put her at the center of the investigation. The Pier crosses over with Murcer’s Manny Williams universe, pairing Ellen with Sophie Lee (Manny’s detective partner) on a joint case. The later books, Before the Fall and Perfect Sinners, push Ellen into increasingly dark territory as the cases get more personal.

The series exists in the same world as the Manny Williams books, and characters move between the two. Murcer described Perfect Sinners as a “psycho-thriller,” reflecting the series’ shift toward darker psychological territory as it progresses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ellen Harper series about?

The series follows Ellen ‘Ellie’ Harper, a forensics expert with the Chicago Police Department. She has an uncanny ability to read crime scenes but struggles with anger management problems stemming from a messy divorce and personal losses.

Do I need to read the Manny Williams books before Ellen Harper?

It helps but is not required. The two series share characters – Sophie Lee from the Manny Williams books appears in The Pier alongside Ellen Harper. Reading Manny Williams first gives you more background on the crossover characters.

What order should I read the Ellen Harper books?

Read in publication order: Drop Dead Perfect, The Pier, Before the Fall, and Perfect Sinners. The cases and Ellen’s character arc build across the four books.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order