Which book should I read first?

A friend of mine just asked me the quintessential question of my work:

Are they a series or do they stand alone?

A truly complicated question. I like to look at my books as being locations in a universe. They share the same timeline, but each is unique in setting and characters (so far, more on that later). They stem from the origin story, TRENCH, which may come to exist as a prequel someday. In chronological order:

1. unReQuiTeD– (2006) Conor O’Brien is a man hanging on for dear life. A decorated homicide detective, Conor has been on a downward spiral for the last five years, since his beautiful wife disappeared on 9/11. Before he hits rock bottom, he gets a revelation. Maybe his wife didn’t die in the rubble of the World Trade Center. He’s forced to stare down his demons and track down the serial killer that stole his perfect life.
2. Jackson Falls– (2010) Four friends on the cusp of rock and roll stardom have their future brought to a screaming halt by a tragic accident. Scattered to the four corners of the earth, they face unique challenges over the next three decades. Brought together by circumstance for their 30th high school reunion, they are finally forced to reckon with the night that ripped them apart.
3. Fiona’s Rules– (2016) Joe Calloway has the perfect life; a beautiful, famous girlfriend, a lucrative IT job in banking, a penthouse apartment with a view of Denver and the front range. A call sends Joe scrambling back to his childhood home in the Piedmont Triad, a place he’d sworn never to return. Reality smacks Joe in the face. He’s forced to reexamine the choices he’s made in life and make the ultimate choice. Does he have the wherewithal to save his crumbling southern town? If so, he just might lose everything…
4. blues- (TBD 2016-17) Conor O’Brien returns as the head of an elite agency that specializes in personal security for the rich, powerful and famous. Mayhem is sure to ensue.
5. Cross Creek- (TBD 2017) The sequel to Jackson Falls

Re: the original question: The books are all stand-alone, so far, 99% independent from each other. They can be read in any order. I would advise anyone new to the universe to read them in the following order:

Fiona’s Rules

unReQuiTed

Jackson Falls

blues

Cross Creek

As the story lines grow longer, the webs between them will grow stronger. Fiona’s Rules will get you into the game.