Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North of the Tension Line | 2014 | J.F. Riordan | Buy |
| 2 | The Audacity of Goats | 2016 | J.F. Riordan | Buy |
| 3 | Robert’s Rules | 2018 | J.F. Riordan | Buy |
| 4 | A Small Earnest Question | 2020 | J.F. Riordan | Buy |
| 5 | Throwing Bears for George | 2026 | J.F. Riordan | Buy |
North of the Tension Line introduces readers to a small island community in Lake Michigan where the pace of life runs slow and the characters run deep. The series opens with North of the Tension Line (2014) and continues through The Audacity of Goats, Robert’s Rules, A Small Earnest Question, and the upcoming Throwing Bears for George (2026).
Riordan writes the kind of fiction where the comedy comes from character and situation rather than slapstick, and the drama grows from the real tensions of small communities. The goats alone have become something of a calling card for the series.