The Renée Ballard is a Crime Fiction / Police Procedural series by Michael Connelly, made up of 7 books published between 2017 and 2026. It begins with The Late Show (2017), and is best read in publication order. The most recent entry is The Hollow (2026), spanning 9 years of storytelling.
| # | Title | Year | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | |||
| 1 | The Late Show | 2017 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 2 | Dark Sacred Night | 2018 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 3 | The Night Fire | 2019 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 2020s | |||
| 4 | The Dark Hours | 2021 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 5 | Desert Star | 2022 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 6 | The Waiting | 2024 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 7 | The HollowLatest | 2026 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
Renée Ballard series: frequently asked questions
What order should I read the Renée Ballard series?
Start with The Late Show (2017), the first book in the Renée Ballard series by Michael Connelly. Follow the books in publication order for the best reading experience.
How many books are in the Renée Ballard series?
There are 7 books in the Renée Ballard series by Michael Connelly, published between 2017 and 2026.
What is the first book in the Renée Ballard series?
The first book in the Renée Ballard series is The Late Show, published in 2017 by Michael Connelly.
What is the latest book in the Renée Ballard series?
The most recent book in the Renée Ballard series is The Hollow (2026) by Michael Connelly.
About the Renée Ballard series
Michael Connelly's Renée Ballard novels follow a tenacious LAPD detective working "the late show" — the overnight shift — after being sidelined for filing a harassment complaint. Smart, stubborn and physical (she surfs and paddles between shifts), Ballard refuses to let her cases go, even when the department wants them buried.
Connelly created Ballard as a fresh, modern counterpart to Harry Bosch, and the two increasingly team up, pairing her drive with his cold-case obsession. The series brings Connelly's procedural authenticity to a compelling new lead.
Read in order from "The Late Show"; the Ballard-Bosch crossovers make reading some of the Bosch books rewarding too.