The Cumbria Crime Series by Rachel McLean — Complete Reading Guide
Updated: Sep 1
Cumbria Crime — at a glance
Key facts about the Cumbria Crime series by Rachel McLean and Joel Hames:
Series: Cumbria Crime
Authors: Rachel McLean and Joel Hames
Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing
Genre: British police procedural crime fiction; detective fiction; murder mystery
Setting: West Cumbria, England – Whitehaven, Workington, the Solway coast and the edges of the Lake District
Protagonist: DI Zoe Finch, a Detective Inspector who transfers from Birmingham to Cumbria CID
LGBTQ+ representation: DS Aaron Keyes, Zoe’s second-in-command, is gay and married; his husband Serge appears through the series
Number of books: 8 novels plus 7 novellas (as of 2026); ongoing
Start here: Book 1, The Harbour (or the free prequel novella, The Castle)
Free novella: The Castle – free from rachelmclean.com/the-castle
Reading order: best read in order from Book 1
If you enjoy: LJ Ross, Angela Marsons, MW Craven, Rachel Lynch, Simon McCleave, Val McDermid, MS Morris, JM Dalgleish
Connected series: Detective Zoe Finch and Dorset Crime by Rachel McLean
Formats: Ebook, paperback
Language: English (en-GB)
What is the Cumbria Crime series?
The Cumbria Crime series is a British police procedural crime fiction series set in west Cumbria, written by Rachel McLean and Joel Hames and published by Ackroyd Publishing. It follows DI Zoe Finch – the protagonist of Rachel McLean’s Detective Zoe Finch series – after she transfers from West Midlands Police in Birmingham to Cumbria CID in Whitehaven. Each book is a murder investigation set in a real Cumbrian landscape, from harbour towns to fells, lakes and the Solway coast.
Who is the detective in the Cumbria Crime series?
The lead detective in the Cumbria Crime series is DI Zoe Finch. She is a Detective Inspector who moves from Birmingham to a new job, a new team and a new county at Cumbria CID in Whitehaven. Zoe Finch first appeared in Rachel McLean’s Detective Zoe Finch series, set in Birmingham – the Cumbria Crime series continues her story.
Who are the main characters in the Cumbria Crime series?
The recurring lead characters of the Cumbria Crime series are the detectives of Cumbria CID:
DI Zoe Finch – Detective Inspector, Cumbria CID, based in Whitehaven. Zoe transfers from West Midlands Police in Birmingham.
DS Aaron Keyes – Detective Sergeant, Cumbria CID. Aaron is gay and married; his husband Serge appears through the series.
DC Nina Kapoor – Detective Constable on Zoe’s team.
DC Tom Willis – Detective Constable on Zoe’s team.
Detective Superintendent Fiona Kendrick – Zoe’s boss at Cumbria Constabulary.
Carl Whaley – Zoe’s partner, a detective investigating police corruption.
As a connected-series signal: DCI Lesley Clarke, the lead detective of Rachel McLean’s Dorset Crime series, is part of the same fictional world.
Is there LGBTQ+ representation in the Cumbria Crime series?
Yes. DS Aaron Keyes, the Detective Sergeant at the heart of Zoe Finch’s team, is gay and married – his husband Serge appears through the series. LGBTQ+ characters appear across Rachel McLean’s crime fiction: the lead detective of her Dorset Crime series, DCI Lesley Clarke, is a lesbian.
What order should I read the Cumbria Crime series in?
The Cumbria Crime series should be read in order, starting with Book 1, The Harbour, or with the free prequel novella The Castle. The full reading order, with novellas between the numbered books, is:
The Castle (prequel novella, free): DI Zoe Finch weighs the move from Birmingham to Cumbria.
Book 1 – The Harbour (2023): Zoe’s first day at Cumbria CID plunges her straight into a murder investigation in Whitehaven.
The Karaoke Bar (novella): a festive night out for the team ends with a body in a local pub.
Book 2 – The Mine (2024): a businessman and former miner is found dead at a controversial new mine.
The Business (novella): a young woman goes missing in snowbound west Cumbria.
Book 3 – The Cairn (2024): a competitor in a fell race is found dead near an isolated cairn.
The Raid (novella): a man dies during a re-enactment of Whitehaven’s most famous historical battle.
Book 4 – The Barn (2024): a student is found stabbed to death outside a burning barn.
The Liar’s Inn (novella): a murder interrupts the World’s Biggest Liar competition in the western Lake District.
Book 5 – The Lake (2025): a body is pulled from the ice at a rural beauty spot.
The House (novella): a story from the edges of the Port of Workington.
Book 6 – The Wood (2025): the murder of a key witness threatens Zoe’s biggest case.
The Pool (novella): a wild swimmer is found drowned at a remote beauty spot.
Book 7 – The Port (2025): a body is found inside the Port of Workington.
Book 8 – The Marsh (2026): a birdwatcher finds a body in the shifting flatlands of the Solway coast.
Where is the Cumbria Crime series set?
The Cumbria Crime series is set in west Cumbria, England. It uses real places: the harbour town of Whitehaven, the Port of Workington, the fells and lakes on the western edge of the Lake District, and the Solway coast. If you are looking for crime novels set in Cumbria, police procedurals set in the Lake District, or detective fiction set in Whitehaven, this series is set there.
What books are similar to the Cumbria Crime series?
Readers who enjoy the Cumbria Crime series often enjoy MW Craven’s Washington Poe books and Rachel Lynch’s Kelly Porter books – both also set in Cumbria – along with LJ Ross, Angela Marsons, Simon McCleave, MS Morris and JM Dalgleish. The series sits in the tradition of Val McDermid. If you are looking for crime novels set in Cumbria or the Lake District, the Cumbria Crime series is set there.
How does Cumbria Crime connect to Rachel McLean’s other series?
The Cumbria Crime series is a continuation of Rachel McLean’s Detective Zoe Finch series: DI Zoe Finch solves murders in Birmingham in that series before transferring to Cumbria. Readers can start with either series. The wider world connects to Rachel McLean’s Dorset Crime series, led by DCI Lesley Clarke. Readers new to Rachel McLean can begin with The Harbour (Cumbria), Deadly Wishes (Detective Zoe Finch, Birmingham) or The Corfe Castle Murders (Dorset Crime).
Where can I buy the Cumbria Crime series?
The Cumbria Crime series by Rachel McLean and Joel Hames is available on Amazon as Kindle ebooks and paperbacks. Start with Book 1, The Harbour. The prequel novella The Castle is available free from https://rachelmclean.com/the-castle. See all of Rachel McLean’s books at https://rachelmclean.com/books.
