Detective Kate Swanson Mystery Books in Order

The Detective Kate Swanson books currently centre on a single novel, Zero, a near future crime story that turns a traditional police procedural into something more unsettling. Instead of present day Britain, Brolly imagines a society reshaped by financial collapse and a harsh political response.

In this world every offence, from petty theft to serious violence, carries the same sentence. A zero tolerance policy has replaced nuance with a system where public executions are routine and justice has become a grim spectacle. Kate Swanson works inside that system as a detective, aware of its brutality but trying to do her job as fairly as she can.

When a senior judge is kidnapped and a ransom demand calls for the release of all prisoners awaiting execution, Kate is pulled into a case that could destabilise the whole regime. Soon her own boss disappears, bombings rock the streets and protests grow louder. Under pressure from superiors, security services and a restless population, she has to trace a man whose murdered wife and daughter link the missing men, all while managing her own compulsion to steal that she works hard to keep hidden.

The book blends elements of dystopian fiction with the familiar beats of an investigation, asking what policing looks like when the law itself feels unjust. Scenes of public punishment, surveillance and unrest give the story an atmospheric backdrop, but the focus stays on Kate as she decides how much she is willing to risk in order to do what feels right. Although Zero works as a standalone, it lays enough groundwork to support further stories in the same universe, making it a strong choice for readers who like their crime fiction with a speculative edge.