Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Season for the Dead | 2003 | David Hewson | Buy |
| 2 | De Vaticaanse Moorden | 2003 | David Hewson | N/A |
| 3 | The Villa of Mysteries | 2003 | David Hewson | Buy |
| 4 | The Sacred Cut | 2005 | David Hewson | Buy |
| 5 | The Lizard’s Bite | 2006 | David Hewson | Buy |
| 6 | The Seventh Sacrament | 2007 | David Hewson | Buy |
| 7 | The Garden of Evil | 2007 | David Hewson | Buy |
| 8 | Dante’s Numbers | 2008 | David Hewson | N/A |
| 9 | Dante’s Numbers / The Dante Killings | 2008 | David Hewson | Buy |
| 10 | The Blue Demon | 2010 | David Hewson | N/A |
| 11 | The Blue Demon / City of Fear | 2010 | David Hewson | Buy |
| 12 | The Fallen Angel | 2011 | David Hewson | Buy |
| 13 | The Savage Shore | 2018 | David Hewson | Buy |
The Nic Costa series by David Hewson spans thirteen books published between 2003 and 2018. Set in Rome, the series follows the young detective Nic Costa and his colleagues in the Italian police as they investigate murders that tend to have deep connections to Roman art, history, and religious traditions. A Season for the Dead, the first book, establishes the pattern with killings that echo the deaths of Catholic saints.
The series built a loyal readership for its detailed portrayal of Rome as a living city full of layers. The Villa of Mysteries draws on ancient Roman cults, The Sacred Cut involves a crime at the Pantheon, and Dante’s Numbers connects to the cinema world. Hewson spent extensive time in Rome researching the books, and the authenticity of the setting is one of the series’ strongest features. The Savage Shore in 2018 brought the series to a close in Calabria, taking Costa out of his Roman comfort zone for the final case.