Mary Willis Walker Books In Order

Publication Order of Molly Cates Books

Publication Order of Mary Willis Walker Standalone Novels

About Mary Willis Walker

The American crime and mystery novelist Mary Willis Walker is well known for her gripping style of storytelling. Having been around for a while, she has managed to create a backlog of work that is quite unlike any other, transforming the genre as a whole in the process. Not only shifting the way people think about crime fiction, she has also managed to reach an international audience of readers worldwide. This has allowed her to establish a brand that has reached countless readers from across the globe, with both critics and the general public singing her many praises. Giving readers what they want too, she never fails to entertain either, grabbing them immediately from the outset and never letting go.

Over time Walker has also expanded this award winning formula towards creating a number of series and franchises too. Producing long-running character arcs, she has established highly iconic personalities that stay with the reader long after they’ve finished the book. Notably this includes her much loved ‘Mollie Cates’ series of novels, a series that will potentially continue for a long time to come, along with her writing career as a whole.

Early and Personal Life

Born in 1942 on the 24th of May, Mary Willis Walker would grow up in the vicinity of Fox Point in Wisconsin, where she was born and raised. Growing up in America, she would soon develop a lifelong passion for storytelling, turning her focus towards literature, as she would begin to nurture a love for the written word. In time she would also graduate from Duke University, whereby she would go on to take up high-school teaching, having graduated in English. It was in 1967 that she would also marry Lee Walker who would go on to become the president of Dell Computers, both of them being successful in their own right. Taking up writing full-time in her mid-forties, Walker would go on to become a highly successful author, as she continues to write from her home in Austin, America.

Writing Career

The year of 1991 would be the year that Mary Willis Walker would release her first debut novel, it being a stand-alone thriller titled ‘Zero at the Bone’. This would then see her go on to quickly make a name for herself, as she would promptly follow this up with a series, the first of which was released in 1994. Publishing the ‘Mollie Cates’ franchise, she would develop her mystery thriller franchise, which there would be three of written during the nineties. These would themselves go on to win awards too, such as winning the Edgar Award in 1993 for ‘The Red Scream’, which would also be the first in the series of Mollie Cates novels the following year. Winning various other awards over the years as well, she has created a legacy for herself quite unlike any other, and it’s one that will stand the test of time for years to come.

Zero at the Bone

First published in 1991, this debut novel would initially come out through the ‘Crimeline’ publishing label to much acclaim. Whilst it wasn’t a part of any series as such, it would allow readers to be introduced to an exciting new name in the world of crime fiction for the very first time. Establishing her style as an author, Walker sets about leaving her imprint on every page, meaning it’s required reading for both fans of the genre and the author alike.

A stellar debut from Mary Willis Walker, it’s easy to see why this had the reception it first had from the very beginning. Setting up a mystery thriller filled with suspense and intrigue, each and every page is shrouded in a dark and foreboding atmosphere. Not only that, but the character of Katherine Driscoll herself is extremely well realized, coming to life off of the page for the reader. Using the backdrop of Austin for much of the action too, Walker creates a story that’s close to home for her, allowing it to feel far more authentic in the process.

With everything seeming to apparently have come at once for Katherine Driscoll, it would appear that she’s in over her head. Facing an impending foreclosure on both her business and her home, she also must deal with the looming sale of her beloved dog as well. Looking to raise a whopping $91,000 she has no means of getting the money, that is until her missing father of thirty years writes to her offering the money in return for a major favor. This takes her to Austin where she finds her father dead and, not knowing what the favor was, she must investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death. What secrets does her family history hold? Can she get to the bottom of it all before it’s too late? Just who is zero to the bone?

All the Dead Lie Down

Originally released in 1998, this would come out through the ‘Bantam’ publishing outlet this time, received by an already eager audience. Following on from the first two, this would be the third title in the ongoing ‘Mollie Cates’ series of novels, following the eponymous lead protagonist. Working as a crime reporter, she always works to solve the mystery, with a new case being presented with each subsequent titled published.

Set in Austin once again, this is a political crime thriller that revisits the character of Mollie Cates, developing the series in the process. Building upon what came before, it really works at taking the characters and the world in a whole new and interesting direction. Not just that, but it also manages to provide the readers with what they’ve now come to know and love from the series as a whole. Clearly within her element here, Walker really pulls out everything here, making for both a gripping and compelling read.

Following crime reporter Mollie Cates once more, this time she is found dealing with the suicide of her father that happened twenty-five years prior. Mollie herself had attempted to prove that suicide wasn’t the case though, and her investigation had come at a cost to those around, including her many friends and family. Now it appears that there’s new evidence come to light though, as she must contend with this information, reopening old wounds in the process. Heading to the halls of Texas government, it would seem that her investigation has now gotten political, as she finds herself deep within a web of intrigue and lies. Will she get to the bottom of it all and discover the truth? Can she find out what really happened to her father all those years ago? Do all the dead lie down?