Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cemetery Lake | 2008 | Paul Cleave | Buy |
| 2 | Collecting Cooper | 2011 | Paul Cleave | Buy |
| 3 | The Laughterhouse | 2012 | Paul Cleave | Buy |
The Theodore Tate series follows a Christchurch detective dealing with personal demons while investigating violent crimes. The series starts with Cemetery Lake (2008), where Tate’s investigation of an old graveyard leads to a string of disappearances. The books are known for their fast pacing and dark subject matter.
Collecting Cooper (2011) and The Laughterhouse (2012) continue Tate’s story, each presenting a self-contained case while building on Tate’s ongoing character arc. The series shows Cleave’s ability to write a flawed, compelling protagonist in the tradition of hard-boiled crime fiction.