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Series · young adult mystery

Whidbey Island

by Elizabeth George

The Whidbey Island series by Elizabeth George has 4 known books (4 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with The Edge of Nowhere (2012).

Books
4 known books (4 novels)
Published
4
First published
2012
Status
completed
Shelved under
Young Adult , Mystery & Crime
Start here: The Edge of Nowhere (2012) — then read straight through in publication order.
Book one
Cover of The Edge of Nowhere
The Edge of Nowhere (2012)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. The Edge of Nowhere

    Novel
    The Edge of Nowhere (2012) opens Elizabeth George's YA departure from her Inspector Lynley novels, following teenage runaway Becca King as she arrives alone on Whidbey Island able to hear other people's unvoiced thoughts.
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  2. The Edge of the Water

    Novel
    The Edge of the Water followed two years later, in 2014, growing to 440 pages as Becca King's found family -- Derric, Seth and Diana -- deepens on Whidbey Island, with a fresh island mystery pulled from the people around her even as her fugitive plot and whisper-hearing ability keep developing.
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  3. The Edge of the Shadows

    Novel
    At 447 pages, The Edge of the Shadows (2015) is the longest of the four novels, continuing directly from the previous book's events as Elizabeth George deepens Becca's relationships with Derric, Seth and Diana against Whidbey Island's real small-town Pacific Northwest backdrop.
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  4. The Edge of the Light

    Novel
    The Edge of the Light (2016) closes the quartet at 389 pages, the shortest entry, bringing Becca King's fugitive story and her secret whisper-hearing gift to their conclusion after four books of Elizabeth George's slower, character-first YA mystery.
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Key facts about the Whidbey Island series

Our list has 4 books in the Whidbey Island series. Since all 4 are out now, you can read the whole list today.

Start with The Edge of Nowhere, since it opens the publication order in 2012. The Edge of the Water is book 2, from 2014. The Edge of the Shadows is book 3, from 2015. The Edge of the Light is book 4, from 2016.

The list keeps the books in date order, while each title links to its own page. Each book page shows its dates and editions. Since the catalogue marks the series as complete, we list no next book.

The books came out between 2012 and 2016, while their length runs from 389 to 447 pages. That is a run of 4 years.

Elizabeth George has 27 books on our list. Additionally, they write Inspector Lynley. We shelve the books under young adult mystery.

About the Whidbey Island series

Better known to crime readers for the doorstop-length Inspector Lynley novels, Elizabeth George shifts to YA with the story of Becca King, a teenage runaway who arrives alone on Washington's Whidbey Island under a false name, fleeing a stepfather whose criminal dealings she uncovered by using her secret gift: she can hear the "whispers" of other people's unvoiced thoughts. Taken in by Debbie, a recovering alcoholic who runs a run-down bed and breakfast, Becca builds a found family out of misfits -- Derric, a Ugandan orphan adopted by a well-off island family; Seth, a kind, directionless high-school dropout and musician; and Diana, a girl with whom Becca shares an unsettling psychic connection -- while working to keep her real identity, and the stepfather hunting her, hidden.

George brings the same patient, character-first plotting she uses in the Lynley books to a genuinely different register: part mystery, part slow-build romance, part supernatural thriller, set against Whidbey Island's real small-town Pacific Northwest atmosphere (George herself lives on the island). Each entry pairs Becca's ongoing fugitive plot with a fresh island mystery pulled from the people around her, while her whisper-hearing ability and its rules deepen across the four books. It's for readers who want a slower, more literary YA mystery with real emotional stakes and a large, lived-in supporting cast, rather than a plot-first thriller.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in Elizabeth George's Whidbey Island series?

Four: The Edge of Nowhere (2012), The Edge of the Water (2014), The Edge of the Shadows (2015), and The Edge of the Light (2016).

Is the Whidbey Island series connected to the Inspector Lynley books?

No. It's a separate young-adult series with no shared characters or setting, though it's by the same author.

Is this series also called Edge of Nowhere?

Yes -- some retailers and library catalogues list it as the Edge of Nowhere series, after its first book, rather than Whidbey Island.

Is the Whidbey Island series finished?

Yes, it's a complete four-book series; no further entries have been published or announced since The Edge of the Light (2016).

What order should I read the Whidbey Island books in?

Publication order, starting with The Edge of Nowhere. It's a single continuous story across all four books.

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