Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desecration | 2013 | J.F. Penn | Buy |
| 2 | Delirium | 2014 | J.F. Penn | Buy |
| 3 | Deviance | 2015 | J.F. Penn | Buy |
The London Psychic trilogy takes a harder turn than J.F. Penn’s ARKANE work. Detective Sergeant Jamie Brooke is introduced in Desecration while caring for her dying daughter, and the personal grief running through the series gives it a weight that distinguishes it from more straightforward crime fiction. The murders she investigates are ritualistic and macabre, set against London landmarks including the Royal College of Surgeons, the old Bedlam hospital, and the ruins of Winchester Palace.
Blake Daniel, the museum researcher who becomes Jamie’s partner across the trilogy, is psychic in a way the series treats as a genuine affliction. He wears gloves to avoid constant unwanted visions from touching objects or people, and his gift pulls him into cases he would rather avoid. The relationship between Jamie and Blake is central to the books, with their complementary approaches to understanding crime creating a natural dynamic.
The three books cover a complete arc from Desecration through Delirium to Deviance, and work best read in order. The series is a good starting point for readers interested in J.F. Penn’s darker, more character-driven work.