LJ Ross is the British author of the DCI Ryan mystery series and her new forensic psychologist Alexander Gregory thriller series. She is a relative newcomer to the mystery and thriller genre, with her debut novel released only in 2015, yet, LJ Ross took the fiction world by storm. Her debut novel, Holy Island, climber the #1 position in the Amazon UK charts in just a few short months after its publication.
With the author writing 2, and at times even 4 books a year, it is no wonder that the DCI Ryan series includes already 13 novels since its creation 4-5 years ago, and the new Alexander Gregory series already having three novels which began in 2019.
Here are the LJ Ross books in order for her two bestselling series, which took the world by storm.
New LJ Ross Books
Ryan’s Christmas, (DCI Ryan #15), 2020
Bedlam, (Alexander Gregory #3), 2020
DCI Ryan Mystery Series in Order of Reading
- The Infirmary (DCI Ryan Mystery #0.5), 2018 (prequel story, released as an Audible exclusive)
- Holy Island (DCI RyanMystery #1), 2014
- Sycamore Gap (DCI RyanMystery #2), 2015
- Heavenfield (DCI RyanMystery #3), 2016
- Angel (DCI Ryan Mystery #4), 2016
- High Force (DCI Ryan Mystery #5), 2017
- Cragside (DCI Ryan Mystery #6), 2017
- Dark Skies (DCI Ryan Mystery #7), 2017
- Seven Bridges (DCI Ryan Mystery #8), 2018
- The Hermitage (DCI Ryan Mystery #9), 2018
- Longstone (DCI Ryan Mystery #10), 2018
- The Moor (DCI Ryan Mystery #11), 2019
- Penshaw (DCI Ryan Mystery #12), 2019
- Borderlands (DCI Ryan Mystery #13), 2019
- Ryan’s Christmas (DCI Ryan Mystery #14), 2019
- The Shrine (DCI Ryan Mystery #15), 2020
Alexander Gregory Thrillers Series
- Impostor (Alexander Gregory #1), 2019
- Hysteria (Alexander Gregory #2), 2019
- Bedlam (Alexander Gregory #3), 2020
Author LJ Ross Biography
LJ Ross (Louise Ross) was born in a village in Northumberland called Ponteland where she also grew up. She attended Darras Hall primary school, then Dame Allan’s School in Farnham, and then and Central Newcastle High School. Once she graduated from high school, LJ Ross moved to London to study law at King’s College, where she got a master’s degree in law.
She also traveled to Sorbonne in Paris and in Florence to study further in legal training, as she considered having a well-rounded education crucial in life.
After graduating from law school, LJ Ross started working as a well-paid regulatory lawyer in the areas of financial regulation and white-collar crime. Several years later, she got married and got pregnant, which meant that she had to think of changing the pace in her life since her legal work started to take over her personal life as well. After around 14 years of being a lawyer, she decided to change the pace of her life. One day, as she was passing Holy Island by train, she mentioned her husband that the place would be a great setting for an Agatha Christie-style mystery. And this sparked in her creation of a draft, upon which she wrote a manuscript that she sent to various agents and publishers.
Even though she only sent it to 12 publishers, she got a few replies back with even a few offers. Still, much to her own surprise, she ended up turning those down and, instead, publishing her books on Amazon, at the recommendations of her husband, who is also a lawyer.
Through the global digital revolution and the prominence of indie publishing, LJ Ross made herself a name on Amazon, and now millions of readers all over the world are getting her novels as fast as they are published on Kindle. This frees her from working out deals with publishers and agents, with paying them and getting less money due to printing overheads. In addition, she is now no longer constrained by big publishing houses that can easily reject an author’s work, thus keeping them poor and without work.
The LJ Ross books have so far grossed over 1.2 million GBP, and ebooks make up 90% of the author’s sales (audiobooks are the rest). In fact, through her release on Kindle, Holy Island overtook The Girl on a Train by Paula Hawkins on Amazon. Another book in the series, Cragside, climbed up to #1 in the UK Amazon charts while the book was still on preorder. Longstone, DCI Ryan #10, has also been #1 on the UK Amazon charts.
Reading the LJ Ross books in order for her popular DCI Ryan mystery series takes you to places in Northumberland, a region which the author is very familiar with, since she grew up there, and after London, she also returned back to live in the area with her family. Each book in the series is set in a different place (but all in the North East)
Before she sits down to write a book, LJ Ross writes a rough idea, and then she tries to write the blurb for the book. If she can do it, the book is a go. But if she can’t even define a proper blurb, she knows she has to move to a better idea. For her research, the author visits many places in the areas where her books are set. Some of the inspirational authors for her novels have been Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Jim Thompson, and M. M. Kaye.
The prequel story to the DCI Ryan series, The Infirmary, is released only on Audible, in a very different way than the previous novels. There is a whole cast of characters playing each role, including Tom Bateman, Hermione Norris, and Kevin Whately.
The first DCI Ryan Mystery book, Holy Island, introduces Detective Chief Inspector Ryan who wants to relax in Holy Island after he has taken a sabbatical from his job as a homicide detective. But when just before Christmas a woman has been murdered, he has to get back on the job to solve the new crime.
The latest LJ Ross book, Borderlands, is the next in the DCI Ryan series, featuring the Northumbria DCI who instead of relaxing for a change, is drawn back to work to deal with a serial killer who murders at sites of historic importance in the North East.
The new LJ Ross series features the forensic psychologist Doctor Alexander Gregory who can easily get into the dark minds of serial killers and see what makes them tick. In the first book, Impostor, he is called to a small village in Ireland in County Mayo where a serial killer is on the loose. All Gregory wanted is some peace and quiet after the scandal from before, but now he has to help those in need once again.
Currently, Louise Ross lives in Northumberland with her husband, James, whom she met while in King’s College in London, and their son, Ethan, while she is working on her next bestseller.
Praise for the LJ Ross Books
LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle (The Sunday Telegraph)
LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers (The Times)
LJ Ross has “burst like a comet onto the literary scene” (The Journal)
This was an absolutely astounding debut. The writing was sublime, the characters so vivid and the beautiful Northumbrian coast described with such a passion that only a true Northerner can conjure (The Book Magnet on Holy Island)
Ross’ descriptive prose is breathtaking (The Little Bookworm)
A literary phenomenon (Evening Chronicle)
She burst like a comet onto the literary scene (The Journal)
This was an absolutely astounding debut. The writing was sublime, the characters so vivid and the beautiful Northumbrian coast described with such a passion that only a true Northerner can conjure. (The Book Magnet)
References
L.J. Ross Recommends
A breath of fresh air in the crime fiction genre.’ – L.J. Ross
Books Reading Order » Crime Mystery Authors »
My father was born in Old Durham town and for many years it was were our family holidays were with family and cousins. Every book I’ve read and I’ve read all of them I’m transported back to those wonderful years. I’ve even started making sortie cake from my Durham born grandmas recipe book which I have. So love the books, jovial friendly characters and great stories May DCRyan and team reign forever. Thank you for the memories.
Where’s the next book? Cannot wait!
Having read the entire D C Ryan series (in sequence) and living in the north-east, I truly enjoyed the locations and learned so much more that I new about the places. That didn’t deflect from superb writer’s craft which throughout has been of the highest order. I have just finished The Bay in the Summer Series with the same delight as I spent many happy years holidaying in St Ives and as I am now too old and fragile to travel I felt the warmth and joy of those times. Superb all round.
I’m not an avid reader but I must admit having started your dc Ryan series I was completely hooked.there has not been one book I wanted to put down,great story lines and continuity,superb.please keep writing if possible.
I am sad to say, I have read all the DCI Ryan books and the last, The Rock was just amazing, powerful, and compelling. I enjoyed the ride and I don’t want it to end.
I am a newcomer to LJ Ross. Is it best to start with ‘Holy Island’and read books in order? Do the characters ‘grow ‘ etc?
Sue Wells
I have read everyone of her books so far. Love them.
Correction: Dame Allan’s School is in Fenham not Farnham.
What a fantastic author, her books are compelling and addictive. Once begun I cannot stop them. I have become an addict for her awesome writing ! The story lines and characters move me to each venue, with ease ,and I know each one now as if we are old friends.
I have especially enjoyed the audio books, so skilfully read to keep us on tendentious !
Have now listened to the first 11 on Audible. Books themselves brilliantly written, and I have difficulty persuading myself to turn off. Also, the narration in this series is great. I agree with one reader who said they would make a great TV drama series – Another Morse in the making.
Great read. I enjoy the setting being the North East and DCI Ryan the main man who is not from the North East and his love of this area.
I cannot get enough of DC
I Ryan read expertly by Jonathan Keeble
These books would make a great tv series
A thoroughly enjoyable and gripping collection of books. Am waiting for the next one.