Detective Series
The International Detectives Series
Meet Leo and Allissa, amateur detectives whose searches pull them from the shadowy alleys of Kathmandu to the dark corners of Europe — and into a global web of danger, betrayal, and international intrigue.
What starts as a simple missing-person case spirals into a deadly chase, with ruthless killers on their trail and a new vividly drawn city waiting around every corner.
Series overview
About the International Detectives Series
The International Detectives series holds a special place for me — it’s where it all began, the first books I ever wrote. The spark came in 2016, wandering the shadowy alleys of Kathmandu, where the noise, the colour and the sheer atmosphere of the place demanded a story. So I gave it one: Leo and Allissa, two amateur detectives whose search for a missing woman pulls them into a world of danger, betrayal and international intrigue.
From those first steps in Nepal the adventure sweeps on to the neon and shadow of Hong Kong, and then onward again — to Berlin, and to cities further still, each one a place I’ve walked through myself. Because like everything I write, these stories are drawn from my own adventures: real streets, real journeys, real atmosphere — so that wherever the trail leads, you travel with Leo and Allissa every step of the way.
Clean fiction
Archaeological Thriller
Series at a glance
- Books in series: 6
- Published: 2019 to 2022
- Main Characters: Leo Keane and Allissa Stockwell
- Genre: International Detectives Series
- Content rating: Clean / 12+ Thriller
- Formats: Print · Ebook · Audio
Main character
Meet Leo and Allissa
Leo Keane never meant to become a detective. A former journalist — sharp, instinctive, and quietly battling an anxiety he handles far better in the field than he ever does at home — he was unemployed and still haunted by the disappearance of the woman he loved when a single missing-persons case dragged him halfway across the world.
Allissa is the reason that first case mattered. Fearless and far more at home with danger than Leo would like, she’d walked away from a privileged but poisonous upbringing to build a quieter life abroad — until Leo arrived, and the truth about her own family tore it apart.
What began as an uneasy alliance has deepened with every city they chase a case through — Kathmandu, Hong Kong, Berlin, New York and beyond. He brings the doubt and the heart; she brings the nerve. Somewhere between the danger and the banter, two people who never planned any of this became a team the world can’t shake.
He was hired to find a missing woman. Now, they’re both running for their lives.
When a journalist searching for a politician’s daughter uncovers a human trafficking ring in Kathmandu, he and his target are pulled into a web of lies where survival is never guaranteed.
International thriller fiction
Action thriller
A dream job in Hong Kong turns into a nightmare when Isobel witnesses a murder, forcing two intrepid detectives into a race against time to get her out of the city alive. In this electrifying sequel, a shocking revelation from the past threatens to unravel everything as they navigate a treacherous maze of lies and betrayal.
International thriller fiction
Action thriller
When a missing fashion tycoon pulls detectives Leo and Allissa into Berlin’s darkest corners, they find themselves trapped in a deadly game where uncovering a decades-old secret might just get them buried.
BERLIN UNDERGROUND is the gripping third book in Luke Richardson’s International Detectives series and contains no swearing, sex, or gore.
International thriller fiction
Action thriller
International thriller fiction
Action thriller
International thriller fiction
Action thriller
When an exiled conspiracy theorist disappears in Istanbul, his damning book fuels a global movement, sparking chaos and violence. Can two agents find him before the world’s governments collapse for good?
International thriller fiction
Action thriller
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audiobooks
Many of my books are available as audiobooks. Here’s all the info you need to find them.
Buy the books
My books are available from all sorts of places, including your local bookstore or library.
FAQ
What is the International Detectives series about?
The International Detectives series follows Leo and Allissa — an unlikely pair of missing persons investigators who travel the world tracking down people who don’t want to be found. Each book drops them into a new city, a new culture, and a new case, with the place itself shaping the investigation as much as any clue or character. Part travel thriller, part detective novel, the series combines fast-paced mystery with vivid, authentic locations and two protagonists whose relationship develops across the books in ways that are as compelling as the cases they solve.
Who are Leo and Allissa?
How many International Detectives books are there and what order should I read them in?
There are currently six books in the series. The recommended reading order is:
- Kathmandu Killers
- Hong Kong Gone
- Berlin Underground
- New York Nightfall
- Riga Rising
- Istanbul Icarus
Start with Kathmandu Killers — it introduces Leo and Allissa and the dynamic between them that drives everything that follows. It’s also my debut novel, and I’m still super proud of it.
Is the International Detectives series a detective series or a thriller series?
Where are the International Detectives books set?
Is the International Detectives series based on real events or real locations?
What makes the International Detectives series different from other detective novels?
Is the International Detectives series clean or family-friendly??
Can each book be read as a standalone or should they be read in order?
Is there a romantic element to the International Detectives series?
How does the International Detectives series compare to the Eden Black series?
What formats and languages are the International Detectives books available in?
