Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | By a Woman’s Hand | 1994 | Miranda James | Buy |
| 2 | Killer Books | 1998 | Miranda James | Buy |
| 3 | The Dick Francis Companion | 2003 | Miranda James | Buy |
| 4 | The Robert B. Parker Companion | 2005 | Miranda James | Buy |
Before becoming a bestselling mystery novelist, Dean James made his name in nonfiction. His first book, By a Woman’s Hand (1994), co-written with Jean Swanson, is a reader’s guide to women mystery authors and won the Agatha Award for Best Mystery Non-Fiction.
He and Swanson followed up with Killer Books (1998), another mystery reference guide, and later wrote companion books for fans of Dick Francis (2003) and Robert B. Parker (2005). These reference works reflect James’s deep knowledge of the mystery genre, which would inform his own fiction for decades.