Dividing Line Books In Order

Publication Order of Dividing Line Books

Dividing Line series by Heather Atkinson
Author Heather Atkinson writes the “Dividing Line” series of mystery novels. The series began publication in the year 2013, when “Dividing Line” was released.

Contains strong language as well as scenes of violence, torture, and sex.

The series stars Rachel Maguire, a former criminal and becomes matriarch of the most feared and powerful family in Manchester, the Maguires.

“Dividing Line” is the first novel in the “Dividing Line” series and was released in the year 2013. Rachel marries the younger son of the most powerful criminal family in Manchester, Danny Maguire, she believes she can cope with his way of life. He is the legitimate face of the family, after all. Right?

But when a war breaks out between the Maguires and their lethal rivals, the Law family, Rachel gets pulled back into the criminal underworld and she has to turn her back on her former way of life and embrace this dangerous and new one if she will survive.

The Maguires also find they are the target of The Coalition, which is a shadowy group made up of the city’s top citizens that are tired of the Maguires’ rule and are going to stop at nothing to see them fall. The Coalition’s interference stirs up paranoia and suspicion within the family and Rachel isn’t sure who she’s able to trust. Sides are taken, and she finds herself facing off against those that are closest to her and who are also the most formidable criminals in the entire city.

While the war increases in its ferocity, she finds another woman inside of herself; one that is ruthless and strong that is going to stop at nothing to root out some of the traitors in the family’s ranks and keep those she loves safe.

“Divided Loyalties” is the second novel in the “Dividing Line” series and was released in the year 2013. Rachel Maguire finally has got it all. She is now the matriarch of the powerful Maguire family, whose name is both revered and feared throughout all of Manchester, and she is contented, wealthy, and more in love than ever before with her husband Danny. Working in conjunction with the Law Family, their former arch enemies, life for the Maguire family has never been more peaceful.

But this peace is going to be shattered in the most savage of ways and Rachel discovers she is hunting a faceless foe, one that is going to stop at nothing to see her family fall.

“A Family Divided” is the third novel in the “Dividing Line” series and was released in the year 2013. Life for Rachel and Ryan, her husband, is quite good indeed. Loving parents to three kids, together they each run their business empire while they keep on the straight and narrow, and their criminal pasts are behind them firmly.

Their peace gets disturbed by a rival family that is intent on making their own mark on Manchester. Jan Jordan, who is the hard faced matriarch of this rogue family, becomes fixated with Rachel. The Maguires are still the top dog in the city and Jan is convinced that Rachel’s still a power to be reckoned with. The interlopers threaten to pull her and Ryan back into the life that they have managed to avoid for so very long now and they are required to resort to some desperate measures in order to stay alive.

But there’s also a hidden danger. Somebody close to Rachel works against her, the revelation of one long buried secret which turns love into a corrosive hate, and affecting the entire family and they are going to go to any lengths to ruin her perfect life.

“Fractured” is the fourth novel in the “Dividing Line” series and was released in the year 2014. Life is good in Devon for Ryan Law and Rachel until one tragic loss brings them right back to Manchester. Their return sends Alex Maguire right over the edge and his behavior as a whole gets more and more unhinged while he turns on those that are closest to him.

In desperation, Jez and Mikey commit one act which causes this situation to blow up and Alex sets his sights on the person that he believes is responsible for every single problem that ever has befallen him. Rachel Law.

When he knows that his family are in danger, Ryan tosses his off his law-abiding persona and he becomes the guy that he once was in order to defend them aggressively. Rachel vanishes and battle lines are then drawn, with allies becoming enemies while members of the Law and Maguire families start to pick sides to help locate Rachel and topple a king.

“Shattered” is the fifth novel in the “Dividing Line” series and was released in the year 2014. There’s a secret war being fought in Manchester. A family, who were once close allies, gets torn apart while the head of the family actually turns on his own. Rachel Law recovers in the hospital after the savage assault and Ryan burns with a need to avenge her.

Alex Maguire is plotting the destruction of his foes from his hospital bed, doing all he can to slip them all up. While Rachel and Alex recuperate, the two opposing factions start forming new alliances and they attack each other with renewed cunning and ferocity, battling for the highest stakes possible. Events culminate in a showdown that is sure to shatter the family for good.

“Aftermath” is the sixth novel in the “Dividing Line” series and was released in the year 2014. Rachel and Ryan Law continue to catch their breath after the previous war in Manchester that left its scars, inside and out. However a return to normality gets denied by those that they hurt and whose lives they ruined defending their own.

Ryan’s two half-sisters arrive like bad pennies: Jules with vengeance in mind and Lexie with a dark secret. It leaves their hopes for a peaceful interlude dashed. Katia is also making her presence felt, grieving for Alex Maguire violently, killed by the Laws, clinging to her sanity with the arrival of her twin boys: Daniel and Alex. Rachel and Ryan will both discover that the female is much more lethal than the male.

One Response to “Dividing Line”

1. Texie Hale: 3 years ago

   These books would make a great film or TV series. I can’t wait for book 16 and read about the now grown up kids of both the Maguires and Laws. I am going through my second reading of the books – they are brilliant.

   Reply