BookBingeLincoln Rhyme Books in Order
The short answer
Jeffery Deaver · 16 books
- How many books?
- There are 16 books in the Lincoln Rhyme series, published 1997–2023.
- Is it finished?
- No — it's ongoing, with book 17 on the way.
- Next book
- The Collateral Heart, due 17 November 2026.See all upcoming releases →
- Where to start
- Start with The Bone Collector (1997).
About 7,600 pages — roughly 130 hours of reading
A quadriplegic forensic genius solves New York's most complex crimes from his bed.
Here is the complete Lincoln Rhyme reading order — all 16 books by Jeffery Deaver, in the order you should read them:
Reading order
- The Bone CollectorRhyme's first case since his accident — a serial killer leaving antique clues.1997432 pages
- The Coffin DancerA contract killer who can change identity at will.1998453 pages
- The Empty ChairRhyme leaves New York for the first time — to North Carolina, for a missing girl.2000459 pages
- The Stone MonkeyChinese human traffickers and a ship that never should have sunk.2002528 pages
- The Vanished ManA killer who is also an illusionist.2003488 pages
- The Twelfth CardA teenager becomes a murder target because of something she read.2005544 pages
- The Cold MoonA killer obsessed with time.2006465 pages
- The Broken WindowData mining turned weapon — a killer with access to everything.2008473 pages
- The Burning WireElectrical weaponry in a crowded city.2010414 pages
- The Kill RoomA government drone strike, and the man sent to question it.2013507 pages
- The Skin CollectorLincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs hunt a killer using poisoned tattoos to mark victims across Manhattan.2014
- The Steel KissRhyme investigates a hacker rigging consumer products to kill, pulling him back into active fieldwork.2016
- The Burial HourA kidnapper's musical calling cards send Rhyme and Sachs from New York to Italy on the trail of 'The Composer.'2017
- The Cutting EdgeA murder in Manhattan's Diamond District draws Rhyme into a scheme involving gemstones and organized crime.2018
- The Midnight LockA stalker who leaves antique locks at crime scenes forces Rhyme to work the case largely from his own apartment.2021
- The Watchmaker's HandThe return of an old nemesis, the Watchmaker, collides with a construction-site collapse investigation.2023
Good news: for this series, reading order and publication order are the same — just read straight down the list.
Upcoming: the next book, The Collateral Heart, releases on 17 November 2026. BookBinge Pro can notify you the day it drops.
On our lists: Long-running mystery series
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Get BookBingeFrequently asked questions
How many Lincoln Rhyme books are there?
There are 16 books in the Lincoln Rhyme series by Jeffery Deaver, from The Bone Collector (1997) to The Watchmaker's Hand (2023). Book 17, The Collateral Heart, is due 17 November 2026. Together they run to about 7,600 pages.
Is the Lincoln Rhyme series finished?
No. Jeffery Deaver is still writing it: book 17, The Collateral Heart, is due 17 November 2026, following The Watchmaker's Hand (2023).
What is the first Lincoln Rhyme book?
The Bone Collector (1997) is book one, at 432 pages. Rhyme's first case since his accident — a serial killer leaving antique clues.
Should I read the Lincoln Rhyme series in publication order?
Yes. For the Lincoln Rhyme series, reading order and publication order are the same — The Bone Collector (1997) through The Watchmaker's Hand (2023).
How long does it take to read all Lincoln Rhyme books?
About 7,600 pages across 16 books — roughly 130 hours at a page a minute. The longest is The Twelfth Card (544 pages); the shortest is The Burning Wire (414 pages).