You’re standing at the edge of a cliff in the pouring rain. Or maybe you’re cleaning toilets for minimum wage while a mysterious package waits at your door. If you’ve cracked open an Elle Thorpe book, you know things get messy, fast. But honestly, the real mess isn't the murder or the "why choose" romance—it’s trying to figure out the elle thorpe reading order without losing your mind.
Elle Thorpe has basically built an entire city in her head. Saint View is a place where everybody is connected, secrets are buried under the floorboards, and the timeline jumps around more than a caffeinated kangaroo. If you pick up Wife Number One before you’ve met the psychos or the prisoners, you’re gonna be spoiled. Big time.
The Saint View Universe: Where to Actually Start
Most people tell you to just read by publication date. Bad advice. Seriously. If you want the emotional payoff of seeing characters cross over from one series to another, you need a plan.
The Saint View books are grouped into trilogies. Each trilogy usually follows one woman and her—let's be real—multiple boyfriends. But these stories aren't isolated. They're all threads in the same dirty, blood-stained rug.
1. Saint View High
This is the "baby" of the group, though it's hardly innocent. It’s where most readers should dip their toes in. It introduces the town's vibe and some side characters who become major players later.
- Devious Little Liars
- Dangerous Little Secrets
- Twisted Little Truths
2. Saint View Prison
Things get darker here. Way darker. We move from high school drama to actual life-and-death stakes behind bars. This trilogy is legendary for its tension.
- Locked Up Liars
- Solitary Sinners
- Fatal Felons
3. Saint View Psychos
You've likely seen these covers on TikTok. They’re iconic. This is where the world-building really expands, and the "Psychos" start interacting with the "Prison" crew.
- Start a War
- Half the Battle
- It Ends With Violence
4. Saint View Rebels & The Strip
These two series happen in a similar timeframe and flesh out the "underbelly" of the city. The Rebels bring in that gritty biker energy, while the Strip series (which recently wrapped up with Caged Bird in 2025) takes us into the clubs.
- Rebel Revenge
- Rebel Obsession
- Rebel Heart
- Evil Enemy (Strip Book 1)
- Unholy Sins (Strip Book 2)
- Killer Kiss (Strip Book 3)
- Caged Bird (Strip Book 4)
Why the Saint View Murder Squad Changes Everything
By the time you get to the newer stuff, like the Saint View Murder Squad series, the town is a powder keg. If you jump straight into X's and O's, you'll be asking "Who is this guy?" and "Why is everyone afraid of him?" every five minutes.
The Murder Squad books—X's and O's, Whips and Chains, and Reaper and Ruin—are the payoff for everything that came before. They lean heavily on the established lore. If you haven't read the Prison or Psychos trilogies, the cameos in these books won't hit. You’ll just be confused.
Don't Forget the Cowboys (The Outliers)
Kinda weirdly, Elle also writes about cowboys. The Dirty Cowboy and Buck Cowboys series are like the spicy, rural cousins of the Saint View crew.
Do you have to read these to understand the murder mysteries? No. But should you? Yeah, probably. They offer a breather from the heavy trauma of the city. 25 Reasons to Hate Christmas and Cowboys is a classic "hate-to-love" trope that shows Elle's range before she went full-blown dark romance.
- Talk Dirty, Cowboy
- Ride Dirty, Cowboy
- Sexy Dirty Cowboy
- Mother Bucker (The title alone, right?)
The Only You series is her older, small-town romance stuff. It’s sweet, it’s emotional, and it’s a far cry from the "reverse harem" (now commonly called "why choose") chaos she’s known for now. It includes Only the Positive, Only the Perfect, and Only the Lies.
The Secret Ingredient: The "Slayers vs. Sinners" Twist
In 2024, Elle dropped the Slayers vs. Sinners trilogy. This was a turning point.
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- Wife Number One
- Torn in Two
- Three to Fall
This series bridged the gap between the older street-level gangs and the newer, more organized crime elements we see in the 2025 releases. It’s sort of the "Phase 4" of the Saint View Cinematic Universe. If you skip this, the power dynamics in the Murder Squad books make zero sense.
Navigating the 2026 Releases
As we move through 2026, the Saint View universe is expanding into Blood and Ink. This new arc focuses on the tattoo culture and underground information networks of the city.
The elle thorpe reading order is becoming less of a list and more of a map. The best way to tackle it today? Follow the money—or the blood. Start with the "High" series for the foundation, "Prison" and "Psychos" for the core, and then move into the "Murder Squad" and "Slayers" for the big finale vibes.
Actionable Tips for Your Reading Journey
- Check the Trigger Warnings: Seriously. Elle doesn't hold back. If it says "dark," she means it.
- Read the Trilogies in Order: You can technically jump between series (like reading Psychos before Rebels), but never read the books within a trilogy out of order. They are one continuous story split into three parts.
- Join the Community: The "Saint View" fans are intense. If you're confused about a cameo, there’s usually a Wiki or a Facebook group that has mapped out every single background character.
- Watch the Crossovers: Pay attention to the names of the bars and the last names of the side characters. A random lawyer in one book might be the main villain's brother in another.
Get your notebook ready. Saint View is a dangerous place to get lost without a guide.
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Next Steps for Readers
To stay on track, download a printable checklist of the Saint View Universe from the author's official site to mark off each trilogy as you complete it. Once you finish the Saint View High trilogy, move immediately to Saint View Prison to understand the backstories of the characters that appear in the later Murder Squad books.