Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Murder | 2004 | Cath Staincliffe | Buy |
| 2 | Hit & Run | 2006 | Cath Staincliffe | Buy |
| 3 | Make Believe | 2013 | Cath Staincliffe | Buy |
| 4 | Desperate Measures | 2015 | Cath Staincliffe | Buy |
DCI Janine Lewis heads up a murder investigation team in Manchester while raising four children as a single mother. The series began with Blue Murder in 2004, a novelization of the popular ITV show that Cath Staincliffe created. Three more novels followed, each built around a separate homicide case that Lewis and her team must solve.
The books blend police procedural detail with Janine’s complicated home life. She deals with difficult colleagues, political pressures within the force, and the constant pull between work and family. Staincliffe writes the investigative process with a focus on teamwork and methodical detection rather than lone-wolf heroics. The Manchester setting gives the stories a strong sense of place, and the cases reflect the kinds of crimes that affect real communities.