J.M. Redmann Books In Order

Publication Order of Micky Knight Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Writing mystery and detective fiction, the American author Jean Marie Redmann, or J. M. Redmann has been known for her ability to create suspense and intrigue masterfully and confidently. Using the tropes and grand ideas of the genre of detective fiction, she has managed to create something entirely new all of her very own. Getting deep into the psyche of her characters, she is well regarded for her ability in providing fully three-dimensional and sophisticated protagonists for her many readers.

Early and Personal Life

Born on the 9th of June in 1955, she was born and raised in the area of Mississippi in the United States of America. It was this upbringing that really informed her work, providing the foundations and ideas for her work that was to follow. Taking her experiences she put them back into her work creating more tightly refined narratives and complex characters.

Over the years she has also been a highly vocal and outspoken proponent of gay rights, something which is also heavily reflected within her work. Educating herself throughout her life she would constantly come back to her writing, constantly building upon it on a regular basis. Continually honing and refining her voice, she would maintain her interest in literature throughout her education, right up until her career as a full-time writer.

Bringing in her wide range of experiences into her work she has built a highly informed and intelligent response to the genre. Living in New Orleans she currently resides in one of the more historic neighborhoods there, something which also reflects heavily in her work. Living on the edge of the area that was previously flooded, she takes in inspiration from the world around her and puts it back into her work.

Still writing to this very day, she continues to publish her long line of novels, as well as advocating for gay rights too. Included in this is her current position as the Director of Prevention situated in the NO/AIDS Task Force, which also informs her work. With a lot more to come her writing career grows from strength-to-strength, something which will continue for many years to come.

Writing Career

Bringing out her first novel in 1990, she made her initial debut onto the scene with the novel ‘Death By Riverside’. Setting up the highly popular ‘Micky Knight’ series of books, she would become one of Redmann’s most enduring protagonists to date. Building a whole franchise from it, it would not only help introduce a new character, but establish her as an author as well.

Following one Detective Michele Knight, or Micky to her friends, it charts her career as a detective taking on cases and investigations. This is her main series so far, with all her novels revolving around this particular character, along with a collection of omnibus editions as well. She has also written for a number of short-story collections as well, with her work appearing in such collections as ‘Lesbians on the Loose: Crime Writers on the Lam’ amongst others.

Writing under the pen-name of R. Jean Reid, she has also put out a number of mystery and suspense novels too. Bringing out her ‘Neil McGraw Investigations’, she has so far released ‘Roots of Murder’ and ‘Perdition’, this being a relatively new series. Taking the tropes of detective novel once again and transforming them, she gives them her own voice, setting them apart from the rest.

Gaining a variety of different awards she received the Lambda Literary Award for lesbian mystery, for her novel ‘The Intersection of Law and Desire’. With many of her novels also being translated into a number of different languages, she has built herself a worldwide audience as well. Getting acclaim from both critics and the general public alike, she has received critical as well as commercial success. A highly vocal advocate for not just her craft, but gay rights as well, has lead to her becoming an extremely prolific personality within the industry too.

With a lot more to come as an author she continues to write to this present day, from her home in New Orleans. Setting her Micky Knight novels in the city as well, she has put a lot of her own experiences and outlook into her novels, something which gives it a strong and sturdy foundation. Showing no signs of stopping anytime soon she has a lot more to come, with plenty more titles set to be released on the horizon.

Lost Daughters

Originally published on the 1st of May in 1998, this was first brought out through the ‘Bywater Books’ publishing label. Marking the fourth title in the ongoing Micky Knight series, it carries on in much the same vein as before, whilst developing on the many ideas and characters. Further establishing the atmosphere, themes and ideas, it builds upon the initial premise, providing some twists and turns along the way.

Detective Michele Knight, or Micky Knight as she’s known amongst her friends, undertakes an investigation involving a widowed mother. Hoping to help the mother find her thought to be lost daughter, she also goes about helping a young tough gay man find his biological mother. This sets about a feeling of Micky wanting to find her own mother, who also disappeared when she was just a child. Will she be able to help her clients? Can she find her own mother? What happened to the lost daughters?

Water Mark

Brought out through the ‘Bold Stroke Books’ publishing house this time, this was first released on the 14th of September 2010. Setting up the sixth title in the ongoing and long-running Micky Knight series, it provides another case for the eponymous detective. Following in a similar style and tone as the original novels, it brings in some new ideas, keeping the readers guessing right until the very last page.

Set in the aftermath of Katrina, New Orleans has been decimated by the hurricane leaving behind a trail of bodies. Entering the scene and hoping to find how one particular person died is detective Micky Knight, as she tries to find out who this one woman was and why she died under such mysterious circumstances. Despite the desolation, she attempts to circumvent the initial anarchy, as she tries to bring back justice and order to the city following the tragedy. Will she find out why they died? Can order ever return? What lies at the water mark?