Makedde Vanderwall Books in Order

The Makedde Vanderwall novels follow Mak, a tall Canadian model who is also studying forensic psychology. At first glance she belongs to the glossy world of catalogues and catwalks, but her real fascination is with why people commit violent crimes.

In Fetish, Mak travels to Sydney for a modelling job and to visit a friend, only to find herself at the centre of an investigation into a serial killer the press call the Stiletto Killer. Her knowledge of psychology and her upbringing as the daughter of a cop pull her into the case alongside detective Andy Flynn, and the experience leaves scars that echo through the later books.

As the series continues, Mak tries to rebuild her life and finish her degree, first in Vancouver and later back in Australia. She keeps getting dragged toward danger, whether it is a campus hunter targeting students, the escaped killer who once held her captive or new clients whose problems look simple until bodies start appearing. Over time she shifts from model and student to qualified forensic psychologist and private investigator.

The books move between striking locations: snowy Canadian forests, Sydney harbourside mansions, backstreet motels, fetish clubs and the hidden tunnels beneath cities. Mak spends time posing for photo shoots one day and wading through evidence rooms or remote crime scenes the next, and the contrast between those worlds is a big part of the series' pull.

Throughout, Moss leans on detailed research into police procedure, profiling and forensic science. The cases involve serial predators, organised crime families, corrupt officials and media frenzies that can endanger victims as much as protect them. The violence can be confronting, but the focus stays on survival, resilience and on a woman who refuses to be defined solely as a victim.

Relationships and trust are just as important as the whodunit. Mak's complicated bond with Andy Flynn runs across the novels, as do her clashes with the powerful Cavanagh family and the shadow of the Stiletto Killer. Later books push her to disappear, reinvent herself and decide how far she is willing to go to deliver justice on her own terms.

Because the personal and professional stakes build from book to book, the Makedde Vanderwall series works best if you start with Fetish and then follow Mak through Split, Covet, Hit, Siren and Assassin.