DI Rowan Jackman & DS Maria Evans Books In Order

Publication Order of DI Rowan Jackman & DS Maria Evans Books

DI Rowan Jackman & DS Marie Evans is the name given to a series of police procedural novels written by Joy Ellis. The books follow the exploits of a pair of detectives operating out of the Fens and whose job it is to stop psychopathic murderers and criminals.

+The Story
When DI Rowan Jackman & DS Marie Evans are first introduced to readers in ‘The Murderer’s Son’, they have been in the policing business for quite a few years.

Rowan leads his own team of specialists within the Fenland police department and they are all pretty good at their jobs. Their mettle is tested when a suspicious murderer walks into their police station.

Two decades ago, a merciless killer murdered a farmer and his wife. Rowan and his people have no idea how that incident connects to the vicious stabbing of a woman in her kitchen. But they realize that there is so much more going on than meets the eye when Daniel Kinder turns himself in and confesses to the murder.

Most police officers would applaud Daniel’s actions, close the case, and call it a day. But neither Rowan nor Marie is convinced that Daniel is telling the truth. The fact that their supposed murderer has no memory of the last five years of his life only adds more weight to their doubts.

As the bodies begin to pile up, it falls on the shoulders of Rowan and Marie to get to the bottom of Daniel’s confession before it’s too late.

‘The Murderer’s Son’ is often commended for providing a strong start to a relatively strong series of novels. While the DI Rowan Jackman & DS Marie Evans series is technically categorized as a police procedural, most Joy Ellis fans believe that the books are more accurately classified as cozy mysteries.

The police procedural aspect is difficult to ignore. Each new installment in the series follows the efforts of Rowan and Marie as they analyze crime scenes, collect clues, interview suspects and unravel conspiracies in their efforts to catch the killer of that particular novel.

Joy Ellis goes to great lengths to make Rowan and Marie’s investigative efforts as realistic as possible. While Rowan tends to stand out for his intelligence, mysteries in this series are rarely solved by extraordinary feats of deduction.

Rowan and Marie have to follow the proper protocols of detective work, following the evidence as best they can until they catch their man.

However, the fact that these books take place in a cozy little community tends to invite comparisons with other cozy mystery novels. This is on top of all the cookie and quirky characters that make up Joy Ellis’ cast, not to mention the controlled and polite nature of all the conversations.

The claims that the Jackman and Evens books are cozy mysteries are only undercut by the fact that they feature very gruesome murders. The author does not delve unnecessarily into the details of her crimes.

She leaves it up to her readers to picture the darker aspects of her dead bodies. However, her antagonists are typically very demented individuals, figures that enjoy inflicting pain and who will sometimes go to great lengths to torture and maim their victims before finally putting them out of their misery.

It is the author’s penchant for going to dark and violent places that drag these books into the police procedural genre of fiction. Joy Ellis normally emphasizes the mystery above all other aspects of her story.

However, people primarily read the DI Rowan Jackman & DS Marie Evans series because of the relationships and interactions between the characters. Rowan often takes center stage as the leader of the team.

Strong and smart, Rowan has a way of getting his diverse team to perform at their best. He stands out primarily because he is so warm and kind. Despite his elevated position, Rowan isn’t afraid to joke and banter with his subordinates.

He also shows a willingness to listen to their problems and to support them when problems arise in their personal lives.

Marie Evens lost her husband to a motorbike accident. She works closely with Rowan on most investigations. However, there is no romantic aspect to their relationship. The two are strictly friends and co-workers.

They get along splendidly and it normally takes a combination of their mental prowess to resolve cases.
The crimes that the characters encounter are often complicated and include multiple victims and crime scenes many of which seem separate and must be investigated thoroughly to identify the aspects connecting them.

+The Author
Joy Ellis sold flowers before she took to writing. A native of Kent who earned an apprenticeship at a flower shop that compelled her to migrate to London, the author’s life changed when she attended a workshop in Greece.

There she met a teacher who encouraged her to explore her unique writing voice.

+The Murder’s Son
Several years ago, a couple was brutally murdered. At the present day, a woman is stabbed to death in her kitchen. DI Rowan and DS Marie do not know how the two incidents are connected.

But they are forced to look into the matter when Daniel Kinder walks into a police station and confesses to the stabbing. No one believes that Daniel killed anyone. He had no discernable motive.

But the fact that he has no memory of the last few years of his life forces Marie and Rowan to look into him. Meanwhile, more people are dying and neither Marie nor Rowan can make sense of the motives of the killer.

+Their Lost Daughter
Toni and Emily went to a party but only Toni made it back. She was found wandering about, delirious, clearly dragged. No one knows what to make of her story. She says she saw Emily get dragged away but no one even knows who Emily is.

When the body of a drowned girl is discovered and the disappearance of a little girl a decade ago is brought to light, DI Rowan, DS Marie and the rest of their team suddenly find themselves stretched to a breaking point.

With the families of the victims pushing them for answers, Rowan and Marie must make sense of a case with no obvious answers.

One Response to “DI Rowan Jackman & DS Maria Evans”

1. Judith Carr: 9 months ago

   This is one of the most comprehensive reviews of a
   series of books that l have seen.
   It gives the books in the right order, with illuminated comments on some. It highlights the characters of the two main players, deals well with police procedures and generally makes you feel almost part of the team/story. And Joy Ellis can write – a rarity these days!

   Reply