Detective Matt Ballard
crime fiction
Series · mystery
Clay Edison
The Clay Edison series by Jonathan Kellerman has 6 known books (6 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Crime Scene (2017). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Coyote Hills.
- Books
- 6 known books (6 novels)
- Published
- 6
- First published
- 2017
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Mystery & Crime
- Last checked
Start here: Crime Scene (2017) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Crime Scene
Crime Scene (August 2017, 456 pages) opens the father-son Kellerman writing team's Clay Edison series, setting up his methodical, observational style as a deputy coroner's investigator and his combustible partnership with Deputy Sheriff Sean Ang -- a decades-old skeleton found during a demolition pulls him into a case the official record already considers closed.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Crime Scene - Book 2:
A Measure of Darkness
A Measure of Darkness (July 2018, 360 pages) is the second Clay Edison novel, continuing Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman's procedural approach as their deputy coroner's investigator -- who carries no gun and is usually first on scene at a death no one has explained yet -- works another case alongside Deputy Sheriff Sean Ang and his difficult home life with girlfriend Amanda.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Measure of Darkness - Book 3:
Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay is the third Clay Edison book, released July 21, 2020 at 432 pages; it was published in some international markets under the alternate title Lost Souls.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Half Moon Bay - Book 4:
The Burning
The Burning (September 2021, 461 pages) -- the longest book in the series so far -- is the fourth Clay Edison novel, finding the Alameda County coroner's investigator again first on scene at a death that isn't what it first appears to be.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Burning - Book 5:
The Lost Coast
The Lost Coast (August 2024, 400 pages) arrives nearly three years after The Burning as the fifth Clay Edison novel, marking the point where Clay has left the coroner's bureau for private investigation work, widening the series' scope while keeping its procedural, evidence-first approach to solving deaths other people have already written off.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Lost Coast - Book 6:
Coyote Hills
Coyote Hills closes out the series as its sixth book, published October 28, 2025 at 352 pages, the shortest entry the Kellermans have written for Clay Edison.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Coyote Hills
About the Clay Edison series
Jonathan Kellerman's only ongoing series co-written with his son, novelist Jesse Kellerman, trades Alex Delaware's Los Angeles psychology practice for the more procedural world of Clay Edison, a deputy coroner's investigator for Alameda County in the East Bay. Clay isn't a detective and carries no gun; his job is to determine cause and manner of death and identify the dead, which in practice means he's usually first on scene at a body no one has explained yet -- and the person best positioned to notice when an ordinary-looking death isn't what it looks like. Crime Scene (2017) sets up his methodical, observational style and his combustible partnership with Deputy Sheriff Sean Ang; a decades-old skeleton found during a demolition pulls Clay into a case the official record already considers closed.
Across the series, the father-son writing partnership shows in a slightly different rhythm than Alex Delaware: Clay is younger, more blue-collar and less psychologically self-analytical than Alex, with a home life (a difficult father, a on-and-off relationship with girlfriend Amanda) that grounds the books in ordinary Bay Area life rather than the wealth and celebrity that mark much of the Delaware series. By The Lost Coast (2024) and Coyote Hills (2025), Clay has left the coroner's bureau for private investigation work, widening the series' scope while keeping its procedural, evidence-first approach to solving deaths other people have already written off.
Frequently asked questions
How many Clay Edison books are there?
Six: Crime Scene (2017), A Measure of Darkness (2018), Half Moon Bay (2020), The Burning (2021), The Lost Coast (2024) and Coyote Hills (2025).
What order should I read the Clay Edison books in?
Publication order, starting with Crime Scene. Clay's career -- he leaves the coroner's bureau for private investigation work partway through the series -- and his personal relationships develop continuously across the books.
Who is Clay Edison?
A deputy coroner's investigator (later private investigator) for Alameda County, California, whose job is determining cause and manner of death -- a more procedural, less psychological role than Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware.
Is Clay Edison connected to Alex Delaware?
No -- it's a separate series, co-written with Jonathan Kellerman's son Jesse Kellerman, sharing no characters or continuity with Alex Delaware.
Is there a seventh Clay Edison book coming?
No seventh book has been announced as of August 2026; Coyote Hills (2025) is the most recent entry.
If you like the Clay Edison series
Reading order last verified .