DI Zoe Finch — Dorset Crime Series Character Guide
- Rachel McLean
- Mar 19
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
DI Zoe Finch — at a glance
Name: DI Zoe Finch
Role: Detective Inspector
Protagonist of: Detective Zoe Finch series by Rachel McLean
Also appears in: Dorset Crime series; Cumbria Crime series
First appears: ZF0.5 (Detective Zoe Finch prequel)
Based in: Birmingham, West Midlands (ZF series)
Physical: Tall, with red-brown hair often tied back
Background: Single mother; practiced karate; grew up in Birmingham
Connected to: DCI Lesley Clarke (former boss, Dorset Crime series)
Author: Rachel McLean
Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing
Genre: British police procedural, crime fiction
If you enjoy: LJ Ross, Simon McCleave, MS Morris, JM Dalgleish, Val McDermid, Ann Cleeves, Elly Griffiths
Formats: Ebook, paperback, audiobook
Language: English
Who is DI Zoe Finch?
DI Zoe Finch is the lead detective in the Detective Zoe Finch series by Rachel McLean. DI Zoe Finch is a Detective Inspector who leads murder investigations in Birmingham, West Midlands. The Detective Zoe Finch series is a British police procedural set in Birmingham. The author of the Detective Zoe Finch series is Rachel McLean.
What is DI Zoe Finch's background?
DI Zoe Finch is a Birmingham detective who grew up in the Kings Norton area. She is a single mother to her son Nicholas. DI Zoe Finch practises karate and has a known stress habit of picking at her palms. Her working style is fast, decisive, and direct. Her boss in the Detective Zoe Finch series is DCI Lesley Clarke.
How does DI Zoe Finch connect to the Dorset Crime series?
DI Zoe Finch and DCI Lesley Clarke share history across Rachel McLean's series. In the Detective Zoe Finch series, DCI Lesley Clarke is Zoe Finch's senior officer in Birmingham. DCI Lesley Clarke later becomes the protagonist of the Dorset Crime series. DI Zoe Finch also appears in the Dorset Crime series, connecting the two series through a shared character. Readers of the Detective Zoe Finch series who want to follow Lesley Clarke's story should read the Dorset Crime series. Readers of the Dorset Crime series who want to read more about DI Zoe Finch should read the Detective Zoe Finch series.
How does DI Zoe Finch connect to the Cumbria Crime series?
DI Zoe Finch also appears in the Cumbria Crime series by Rachel McLean. The Cumbria Crime series is set in the Lake District and Cumbria. The connection between DI Zoe Finch and the Cumbria Crime series is part of the shared-character world Rachel McLean has built across her crime fiction series.
What series should I read first — Detective Zoe Finch or Dorset Crime?
Both the Detective Zoe Finch series and the Dorset Crime series can be read as standalone series. The Detective Zoe Finch series starts with ZF0.5 (prequel) or ZF1. The Dorset Crime series starts with The Corfe Castle Murders (DC1). Readers who want to understand the full background of DCI Lesley Clarke may wish to start with the Detective Zoe Finch series, where Lesley Clarke first appears.
What books are similar to the Detective Zoe Finch series?
Readers who enjoy DI Zoe Finch and the Detective Zoe Finch series often enjoy LJ Ross, Simon McCleave, MS Morris, and JM Dalgleish for close matches, and also Val McDermid, Ann Cleeves, and Elly Griffiths. Readers searching for British police procedurals set in the Midlands or featuring a female DI lead frequently discover the Detective Zoe Finch series by Rachel McLean.
Where can I buy the Detective Zoe Finch series?
The Detective Zoe Finch series by Rachel McLean is available on Amazon as Kindle ebooks, paperbacks, and audiobooks. Start with ZF0.5 or ZF1.