All Books in Publication Order, Helen Grace Series, Standalone Thrillers & Romanian Translations | BookFairy
Looking for the complete M. J. Arlidge bibliography? This guide brings together his bestselling Helen Grace crime thrillers, companion short fiction, standalone novels, collaborative books and other published works.
You’ll find the original publication years, the recommended Helen Grace reading order, Romanian translations and links to my BookFairy reviews.
Whether you’re beginning with Eeny Meeny or catching up with the latest Helen Grace investigation, this bibliography will help you navigate M. J. Arlidge’s books without confusing original novels, translated editions and later reprints.
📖 About M. J. Arlidge
M. J. Arlidge is a British crime novelist, screenwriter and television producer best known for creating Detective Inspector Helen Grace.
Before publishing his first novel, Arlidge worked in television drama, developing experience in storytelling, suspense and screenwriting. This background is reflected in the rapid pacing and cinematic structure of his thrillers.
His debut novel, Eeny Meeny, appeared in 2014 and introduced Helen Grace, a detective whose professional determination is matched by a complicated personal life.
The success of the first novel led to a long-running series set primarily around Southampton, combining disturbing criminal investigations with continuing character development.
Alongside Helen Grace, Arlidge has written standalone psychological thrillers and collaborated with other established crime writers.
📚 M. J. Arlidge Complete Publication Timeline
The following chronology includes his original book-length fiction and shorter published works. Collaborative novels are identified separately, and later translations or reprints are not counted as new original publications.
| Year | Title | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Eeny Meeny | Helen Grace #1 |
| 2014 | Pop Goes the Weasel | Helen Grace #2 |
| 2015 | The Doll’s House | Helen Grace #3 |
| 2015 | Liar Liar | Helen Grace #4 |
| 2016 | Little Boy Blue | Helen Grace #5 |
| 2016 | No Way Back | Helen Grace short fiction #5.5 |
| 2016 | Hide and Seek | Helen Grace #6 |
| 2017 | Running Blind | Helen Grace short fiction #6.5 |
| 2017 | Love Me Not | Helen Grace #7 |
| 2018 | Down to the Woods | Helen Grace #8 |
| 2019 | A Gift for Dying | Standalone thriller |
| 2020 | All Fall Down | Helen Grace #9 |
| 2021 | Truth or Dare | Helen Grace #10 |
| 2022 | Cat and Mouse | Helen Grace #11 |
| 2023 | Eye for an Eye | Standalone thriller |
| 2024 | Forget Me Not | Helen Grace #12 |
| 2024 | The Wrong Child | Collaborative thriller — Julia Crouch |
| 2024 | The Reunion | Collaborative thriller — Steph Broadribb |
| 2025 | Into the Fire | Helen Grace #13 |
| 2025 | Your Child Next | Collaborative thriller — Andy Maslen |
| 2025 | The Mistake | Collaborative thriller — Lisa Hall |
| 2026 | Out of the Ashes | Helen Grace #14 |
The list distinguishes the main Helen Grace novels from supplementary stories and standalone works.
🔎 Helen Grace Series — Complete Reading Order
The Helen Grace series is M. J. Arlidge’s best-known work.
Although each major instalment presents a new investigation, Helen’s relationships, professional experiences and personal history continue throughout the series.
For the best reading experience, follow publication order.
1. Eeny Meeny (2014)
Romanian title: Ghici cine moare primul
Detective Inspector Helen Grace investigates a series of crimes in which victims are forced into horrifying choices.
The novel introduces Helen’s character, the Southampton setting and the dark psychological atmosphere that becomes associated with the series.
2. Pop Goes the Weasel (2014)
Romanian title: Ghici ce-i în cutie?
Helen investigates a disturbing series of murders, drawing her into another dangerous confrontation with a calculating killer.
3. The Doll’s House (2015)
Romanian title: Casa păpușilor
A missing-person investigation develops into a terrifying search for a criminal with a deeply unsettling obsession.
4. Liar Liar (2015)
Romanian title: Ghici care-i mincinosul
A series of dangerous fires threatens Southampton, forcing Helen and her colleagues to investigate a criminal whose motives are far from obvious.
5. Little Boy Blue (2016)
Romanian title: Băiatul pierdut
A particularly personal investigation creates serious consequences for Helen Grace and those around her.
5.5. No Way Back (2016)
Category: Companion short fiction
A shorter Helen Grace story, positioned between Little Boy Blue and Hide and Seek.
This is an additional work rather than the sixth full-length novel.
6. Hide and Seek (2016)
Romanian title: De-a v-ați ascunselea
Helen faces extraordinary danger in circumstances very different from her usual work as a detective.
6.5. Running Blind (2017)
Category: Companion short fiction
Another shorter entry expanding the Helen Grace universe.
Its position in the sequence is between Hide and Seek and Love Me Not.
7. Love Me Not (2017)
Romanian title: Mă iubește, nu mă iubește…
Helen becomes involved in a fast-moving investigation as violence spreads across Southampton.
8. Down to the Woods (2018)
Romanian title: Ghici cine pândește în pădure
A series of disturbing events brings Helen into an investigation involving a woodland setting and a growing sense of danger.
9. All Fall Down (2020)
Romanian title: Ghici cine urmează
Helen investigates a terrifying sequence of crimes connected by events from the past.
10. Truth or Dare (2021)
Romanian title: Adevăr sau provocare
A wave of seemingly unrelated crimes forces Helen to search for the connection behind them.
11. Cat and Mouse (2022)
Romanian title: De-a șoarecele și pisica
Helen encounters another dangerous adversary in a story built around fear, pursuit and psychological manipulation.
12. Forget Me Not (2024)
Romanian title: Nu mă uita
As Southampton faces escalating criminal violence, Helen investigates the disappearance of a young girl.
13. Into the Fire (2025)
Romanian title: În flăcări
The thirteenth full-length Helen Grace novel continues the series’ overarching character development alongside a new high-stakes investigation.
14. Out of the Ashes (2026)
Romanian translation: Not confirmed.
Published in July 2026, this instalment takes Helen Grace beyond her familiar surroundings as a pursuit leads to Rotterdam.
It is the fourteenth full-length novel in the series.
📖 Helen Grace: Recommended Reading Order Including Short Fiction
For readers who want the complete fictional sequence, including the shorter works:
- Eeny Meeny (2014)
- Pop Goes the Weasel (2014)
- The Doll’s House (2015)
- Liar Liar (2015)
- Little Boy Blue (2016)
- No Way Back (2016) — short fiction
- Hide and Seek (2016)
- Running Blind (2017) — short fiction
- Love Me Not (2017)
- Down to the Woods (2018)
- All Fall Down (2020)
- Truth or Dare (2021)
- Cat and Mouse (2022)
- Forget Me Not (2024)
- Into the Fire (2025)
- Out of the Ashes (2026)
💜 BookFairy Recommendation: Read Eeny Meeny first and continue in publication order. The companion stories are optional, but placing them between the appropriate novels preserves the sequence.
🇷🇴 Helen Grace — Romanian Translations
The Helen Grace novels have been published in Romanian by Editura Trei, primarily in the Fiction Connection and Fiction Connection Crime collections.
| # | Original Title | Romanian Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eeny Meeny | Ghici cine moare primul | Trei |
| 2 | Pop Goes the Weasel | Ghici ce-i în cutie? | Trei |
| 3 | The Doll’s House | Casa păpușilor | Trei |
| 4 | Liar Liar | Ghici care-i mincinosul | Trei |
| 5 | Little Boy Blue | Băiatul pierdut | Trei |
| 6 | Hide and Seek | De-a v-ați ascunselea | Trei |
| 7 | Love Me Not | Mă iubește, nu mă iubește… | Trei |
| 8 | Down to the Woods | Ghici cine pândește în pădure | Trei |
| 9 | All Fall Down | Ghici cine urmează | Trei |
| 10 | Truth or Dare | Adevăr sau provocare | Trei |
| 11 | Cat and Mouse | De-a șoarecele și pisica | Trei |
| 12 | Forget Me Not | Nu mă uita | Trei |
| 13 | Into the Fire | În flăcări | Trei |
| 14 | Out of the Ashes | No confirmed Romanian edition | — |
Selected Verified Romanian Publication Details
The following original Romanian publication details have been confirmed against publisher or bibliographic records:
| Romanian Title | Romanian Publication Year | Additional Details |
|---|---|---|
| Ghici cine moare primul | 2015 | Translated by Lucian Niculescu |
| Ghici care-i mincinosul | 2017 | Translated by Monica Șerban |
| Ghici cine pândește în pădure | 2022 | Translated by Alexandra Fusoi |
| Nu mă uita | 2025 | Translated by Alexandra Fusoi |
| În flăcări | 2026 | Helen Grace #13 |
The remaining Romanian first-edition years are not reproduced here without reliable confirmation. Later printings, ebooks and audiobook releases may have different dates.
What About the Helen Grace Short Stories?
Romanian editions of No Way Back and Running Blind have not been confirmed.
These stories are therefore listed separately from the thirteen translated full-length novels.
📕 M. J. Arlidge Standalone Novels
M. J. Arlidge has written psychological thrillers outside the Helen Grace series.
These books can be read independently.
A Gift for Dying (2019)
Also published under the alternative title The Last Rites.
The story explores disturbing psychological experiences and the relationship between violence, fear and the perception of death.
Category: Standalone psychological thriller.
The alternative title is not counted as a second original novel.
Eye for an Eye (2023)
Romanian title: Ochi pentru ochi
Romanian publisher: Editura Trei
Romanian publication: 2024
Translator: Alexandra Fusoi
This standalone thriller explores justice, punishment and revenge, raising questions about what happens when people take retribution into their own hands.
Unlike the Helen Grace novels, it does not require knowledge of the detective’s ongoing storyline.
✍️ Collaborative Thrillers
M. J. Arlidge has also collaborated with other crime and psychological thriller authors.
These books are separate from the Helen Grace series.
| Year | Title | Co-author |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | The Wrong Child | Julia Crouch |
| 2024 | The Reunion | Steph Broadribb |
| 2025 | Your Child Next | Andy Maslen |
| 2025 | The Mistake | Lisa Hall |
The Wrong Child (2024)
Written with Julia Crouch, this psychological thriller centres on a family facing a devastating crisis and the secrets that surround it.
The Reunion (2024)
Written with Steph Broadribb, this thriller explores the consequences of reconnecting with the past.
Your Child Next (2025)
Written with Andy Maslen, this story explores parental fear, deception and a frightening threat involving a child.
The Mistake (2025)
Written with Lisa Hall, this psychological thriller examines family relationships, hidden truths and the consequences of decisions that cannot easily be undone.
These collaborative novels should be included in a complete M. J. Arlidge bibliography, even though they are not part of the Helen Grace reading order.
🎧 Audio Fiction, Screenwriting & Other Works
Six Degrees of Assassination (2015)
Six Degrees of Assassination is an audio thriller associated with Arlidge’s work outside his traditional novel series.
It demonstrates his experience in dramatic storytelling and suspense across different media.
Television and Screenwriting
Before and alongside his career as a novelist, Arlidge worked extensively in television drama.
His screenwriting and production work includes contributions to British crime and dramatic television.
Individual television episodes are not counted as novels or prose collections in this bibliography.
📦 Alternative Titles, Collected Editions & Reprints
A complete bibliography should distinguish between original works and alternative formats.
Alternative Title
- A Gift for Dying / The Last Rites — the same novel, published under different titles.
Helen Grace Box Sets
Collected editions and retailer bundles may combine several Helen Grace novels.
These sets are useful for readers and collectors but do not represent additional original stories.
Audiobooks and Ebooks
Several Arlidge novels are available as audiobooks and ebooks.
Alternative formats may have publication dates different from the original print editions. They are not listed as new literary works.
Romanian Reprints
Editura Trei has released multiple print and digital editions of some titles.
Where possible, this bibliography uses the first Romanian publication rather than duplicating the same translation for every subsequent edition.
🦋 M. J. Arlidge Books Reviewed on BookFairy
I’m reading M. J. Arlidge’s work in publication order, starting with the Helen Grace series.
📖 Eeny Meeny — Helen Grace #1
I listened to Eeny Meeny as an audiobook.
Its disturbing premise and introduction of Helen Grace held my attention, although the frequent changes of perspective prevented me from becoming fully immersed in the story.
I was particularly interested in Helen as a character and wanted to see how she would develop in the later books.
📖 Read my Eeny Meeny review on BookFairy
More reviews will be added here as I continue through the series.
⭐ Where Should You Start Reading M. J. Arlidge?
If you’re interested in a long-running detective series, start with Eeny Meeny.
It introduces Helen Grace and provides the foundation for the later books.
The Helen Grace novels are particularly suitable for readers who enjoy:
- British crime fiction.
- Police procedurals.
- Psychological suspense.
- Recurring detective characters.
- Dark mysteries with continuing character development.
Readers looking for a standalone story can begin with Eye for an Eye instead.
Romanian readers can start with Ghici cine moare primul, published by Editura Trei.
💜 My M. J. Arlidge Reading Journey
I began exploring M. J. Arlidge through Eeny Meeny, the first Helen Grace novel.
Although some aspects of the writing style didn’t work perfectly for me, I enjoyed discovering a detective with an intriguing personality and plenty of potential for development.
I’m particularly curious to see whether the later books build a stronger emotional connection between the reader and Helen Grace.
As I continue reading, this bibliography will grow alongside my BookFairy reviews, reflecting both new publications and my experience of discovering the series.
