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McRyan Mystery
The McRyan Mystery series by Roger Stelljes has 10 known books (10 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with The St. Paul Conspiracy (2006).
- Books
- 10 known books (10 novels)
- Published
- 10
- First published
- 2006
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Mystery & Crime
- Last checked
Start here: The St. Paul Conspiracy (2006) — 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:
The St. Paul Conspiracy
The St. Paul Conspiracy, published in 2006 at 340 pages, opened Roger Stelljes's McRyan Mystery series, preceding Deadly Stillwater by three years. It introduces Mac McRyan, a St. Paul homicide detective from a family of cops, in the dense police-procedural style -- political corruption reaching into the city's own institutions -- that defines the series.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The St. Paul Conspiracy - Book 2:
Deadly Stillwater
Deadly Stillwater followed in 2009 at 378 pages, the second entry in Roger Stelljes's series, ahead of First Case, continuing Mac McRyan's rise through Twin Cities homicide work and the real Minneapolis-St. Paul geography Stelljes grounds the series in.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Deadly Stillwater - Book 3:
First Case
First Case, published in 2012, is a brief 88-page third entry -- far shorter than either book that surrounds it -- coming three years after Deadly Stillwater.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of First Case - Book 4:
Electing to Murder
Electing to Murder appeared in 2013 at 447 pages, a substantial jump in length from First Case and the fourth installment in the series.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Electing to Murder - Book 5:
Fatally Bound
Fatally Bound, published in 2014 at 480 pages, is the longest entry in Roger Stelljes's McRyan Mystery series to that point, following Electing to Murder.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fatally Bound - Book 6:
Blood Silence
Blood Silence followed in 2015 at 409 pages, the sixth novel in the series, between Fatally Bound and Next Girl on the List.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blood Silence - Book 7:
Next Girl on the List
Next Girl on the List, published in 2016 at 326 pages, is the seventh entry, shorter than its predecessor Blood Silence.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Next Girl on the List - Book 8:
Stakeout
Stakeout, released in 2017, is a slim 59-page eighth entry in Roger Stelljes's series, the shortest by far, preceding Fireball the same year.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Stakeout - Book 9:
Fireball
Fireball, also published in 2017, runs 496 pages -- the longest book in the series -- following Stakeout as the ninth entry.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fireball - Book 10:
The Tangled Web We Weave
The Tangled Web We Weave, published in 2020 at 415 pages, closes out this ten-book run of Roger Stelljes's McRyan Mystery series, following Fireball after a three-year gap.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Tangled Web We Weave
About the McRyan Mystery series
The McRyan Mystery series follows Michael "Mac" McRyan, a St. Paul, Minnesota homicide detective from a family of cops, as he works his way up from a young detective to a senior investigator across a run of Twin Cities-set murder mysteries and thrillers. Roger Stelljes, a practicing Minnesota attorney who writes in his spare time, built the series around dense police-procedural plotting -- political corruption, serial killers, and conspiracies that reach into St. Paul's institutions -- paired with a strong sense of place in the real geography of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro.
Stelljes self-published The St. Paul Conspiracy in 2006 and built the series' following gradually through independent bookstore signings, book clubs, and library events across the Midwest before it found a much wider audience through ebook sales; the books have been downloaded several million times and the series has been translated into German, with The St. Paul Conspiracy reaching the #1 spot on Amazon's German bestseller chart in 2014. Thriller writer Vince Flynn, a fellow Minnesotan, publicly praised Stelljes as "a powerful new thriller voice," and the series is frequently compared to John Sandford's Lucas Davenport novels for its Twin Cities procedural style.
Frequently asked questions
What order should I read the McRyan Mystery series in?
In publication order: The St. Paul Conspiracy, Deadly Stillwater, First Case, Electing to Murder, Fatally Bound, Blood Silence, Next Girl on the List, Stakeout, Fireball, and The Tangled Web We Weave.
Is First Case a prequel?
Yes -- although it was the third book published (2012), its story is set earlier in Mac McRyan's career than The St. Paul Conspiracy and Deadly Stillwater.
Is the McRyan Mystery series ongoing?
No new McRyan installment has been published since The Tangled Web We Weave (2020); Stelljes has focused on the Agent Tori Hunter series since. No end to McRyan has been announced, so this page marks the series as its current, most recently active status rather than definitively completed.
How many books are in the McRyan Mystery series?
10, from The St. Paul Conspiracy (2006) through The Tangled Web We Weave (2020).
If you like the McRyan Mystery series
Reading order last verified .