Most Recommended Books

Track reading, wishlists & new-book alerts

Get
Skip to content
Share:

Crimson Cove Murder Mystery Books in Order

Part ofTara Brown Books in Order

See the Crimson Cove Murder Mystery books by Tara Brown in order, with short summaries, series background, reading order help, and where to start.

Last updated: July 11, 2026

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you).

Crimson Cove Murder Mystery books in publication order

Sort:

2 books

1

The Little Crimson Lies

by Tara Brown

2016

Crimson Cove is still reeling, and one of the girls is missing while the deaths keep mounting. As patterns begin to emerge, the most frightening possibility becomes impossible to ignore, the killer may be one of them.

2

When The Lights Fade

by Tara Brown

2018

The girls of Crimson Cove are still trapped in the fallout of one deadly night. As more secrets surface and the danger tightens, staying alive may mean turning on someone they once trusted.

Crimson Cove Murder Mystery books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Little Crimson Lies"

    The Little Crimson Lies

    by Tara Brown

    2016Crimson Cove Murder Mystery, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "When The Lights Fade"

    When The Lights Fade

    by Tara Brown

    2018Crimson Cove Murder Mystery, Book 2

Series background & context

The Crimson Cove Murder Mystery books live in a glossy seaside world where money hides almost nothing for long. The setup is simple and nasty in the best way. A party goes wrong, someone ends up dead, and the girls left standing realize they are tied together by the kind of secrets that can ruin lives.

Or end them.

This is a rich-kids mystery, but Brown does not use wealth just for decoration. The families in Crimson Cove have power, reach, and plenty to hide, which means the investigation never stays clean. Parents are compromised. Friends keep things from each other. Every relationship has a second layer. That gives the series its tense, suspicious mood.

The books lean on ensemble drama. No one is fully safe, and no one is fully innocent. A kidnapping, rising body count, and the constant fear that the killer might be inside the group keep the story moving even when the characters are dealing with school, romance, and the daily performance of being one of Crimson Cove's golden kids. Brown likes the contrast between pretty surfaces and ugly truths, and this series gives her lots of room to use it.

You can also expect a strong seasonal feel. These books move through parties, holidays, and changing social rhythms while the danger keeps tightening. That helps the series feel less like one murder case and more like a town rotting from the inside out.

If you like teen and new adult mysteries where everyone has a motive, every clue creates two new questions, and the setting is as gossipy as it is dangerous, this series lands in a sweet spot. It has the energy of a beach-town thriller, the suspicion of a locked-room story spread across a whole community, and just enough romance to make the betrayals sting more.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

Comments

Did we miss something? Have feedback?

Help us improve this page by sharing your thoughts

We only use your email to notify you about replies.

All comments are moderated.

Discover and track your reading on the go

Track your reading, manage wishlists, and get notified when new books are added.