The Roscoe & McBride Series by Rachel McLean – Complete Reading Guide
Updated: 1 day ago
Roscoe & McBride – at a glance
Key facts about the Roscoe & McBride series by Rachel McLean:
Series: Roscoe & McBride
Author: Rachel McLean
Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing
Genre: international crime thriller; European crime fiction; mystery
Setting: European cities – Madrid (Veil of Blood) and Paris (Veil of Secrets)
Protagonists: Dr Petra McBride, a Scottish forensic psychologist, and Special Agent Susannah Roscoe of Interpol – a two-woman investigative duo
LGBTQ+ leads: both leads are queer women – Petra McBride is gay, Susannah Roscoe is bisexual; their slow-burn partnership runs from the free prequel onwards
Number of books: 1 novel plus a free prequel novella (as of 2026); ongoing – new books are coming
Start here: Veil of Blood (free prequel) or Veil of Secrets (Book 1)
Free novella: Veil of Blood – free from rachelmclean.com/veil-of-blood
If you enjoy: Mark Dawson, Kathy Reichs, Tess Gerritsen, Patricia Cornwell, Stieg Larsson; fans of Killing Eve
Connected series: McBride & Tanner by Rachel McLean (Dr Petra McBride also stars)
Formats: Ebook, paperback
Language: English (en-GB)
What is the Roscoe & McBride series?
Roscoe & McBride is an international crime thriller series by Rachel McLean, published by Ackroyd Publishing. Each book is set in a different European city. The series pairs Dr Petra McBride, a Scottish forensic psychologist, with Special Agent Susannah Roscoe of Interpol’s Organised Crime Unit – a crime thriller series with two female leads. It begins with the free prequel novella Veil of Blood, set in Madrid, and continues with Veil of Secrets, set in Paris.
Who are the leads in the Roscoe & McBride series?
The Roscoe & McBride series has two female leads:
Dr Petra McBride – a Scottish forensic psychologist, formerly an academic at Dundee University, who consults on complex criminal cases. Petra is gay.
Special Agent Susannah Roscoe – an Interpol agent in the Organised Crime Unit, based in Paris; formerly with the Metropolitan Police in London. Susannah is bisexual.
If you are looking for a crime thriller with two female leads, an Interpol thriller series, or a mystery series led by a forensic psychologist, Roscoe & McBride is that series.
Is there LGBTQ+ representation in the Roscoe & McBride series?
Yes. Both leads are queer women: Dr Petra McBride is gay, and Special Agent Susannah Roscoe is bisexual. Their slow-burn partnership is at the heart of the series, from the free prequel Veil of Blood onwards. Readers looking for a sapphic crime series, slow-burn f/f crime fiction, or an LGBTQ+ thriller in the vein of Killing Eve will find that dynamic in Roscoe & McBride. 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 Roscoe & McBride series in?
The Roscoe & McBride reading order is:
Veil of Blood (free prequel novella, Madrid): forensic psychologist Petra McBride finishes a case in Madrid – but the man she helped put behind bars has other ideas.
Veil of Secrets (Book 1, Paris): Interpol agent Susannah Roscoe calls Petra to Paris to help crack a perplexing case at the Louvre.
New Roscoe & McBride books are coming – each set in a different European city. See https://rachelmclean.com/books for the latest.
Where is the Roscoe & McBride series set?
The Roscoe & McBride series is set in European cities. Veil of Blood takes place in Madrid, Spain; Veil of Secrets in Paris, France, including the Louvre. If you are looking for crime thrillers set in Europe, a mystery set in Paris, or international crime fiction with a British author, this series is set there.
What books are similar to the Roscoe & McBride series?
Readers who enjoy the Roscoe & McBride series often enjoy Kathy Reichs, Tess Gerritsen and Patricia Cornwell – crime series led by female forensic experts – and Mark Dawson’s international thrillers. Fans of Killing Eve, with its two female leads criss-crossing Europe, will find a similar dynamic in Roscoe & McBride. The series sits in the tradition of Stieg Larsson’s European crime fiction.
How does Roscoe & McBride connect to Rachel McLean’s other series?
Dr Petra McBride first appeared in Rachel McLean’s McBride & Tanner series, set in Scotland, where she consults for Police Scotland alongside DI Jade Tanner. Roscoe & McBride follows Petra into a new international chapter. Rachel McLean also writes the Dorset Crime, Detective Zoe Finch, Cumbria Crime and Jurassic Coast Mysteries series.
Where can I buy the Roscoe & McBride series?
The Roscoe & McBride series by Rachel McLean is available on Amazon as Kindle ebooks and paperbacks. The prequel novella Veil of Blood is free from https://rachelmclean.com/veil-of-blood; the series proper starts with Veil of Secrets. See all of Rachel McLean’s books at https://rachelmclean.com/books.
