Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiss Me Once | 1986 | Thomas Gifford | Buy |
| 2 | Kiss Me Twice | 1988 | Thomas Gifford | Buy |
The Lew Cassidy series consists of Kiss Me Once and Kiss Me Twice, published in 1986 and 1988 respectively. These novels are shorter and more focused than Gifford’s conspiracy epics, following a detective through cases that combine crime fiction plotting with the atmospheric tension of noir.
The Cassidy books show a different side of Gifford’s writing. Where The Wind Chill Factor and The Assassini are sprawling, international thrillers, the Cassidy novels are tighter and more character-driven. The detective’s voice carries both stories, and Gifford uses the smaller scale to develop the kind of personal stakes that his bigger books sometimes sacrifice for scope.