Reading the Allison Brennan books in order means choosing among romantic-suspense trilogies, long-running crime series, supernatural thrillers, and standalones. Brennan began publishing with The Prey in 2005, and her work now ranges from Lucy Kincaid and Quinn & Costa to the Angelhart family’s private-investigation cases.
Her earlier novels lean more heavily into romantic suspense, while many of her later books focus on FBI teams, cold cases, private investigators, and families pulled into dangerous mysteries. This guide brings together the novels, novellas, collections, and short fiction readers are most likely to look for.
Jump to:
- Allison Brennan Books by Series
- Allison Brennan Standalone Novels and Novellas
- Allison Brennan Short Stories and Anthology Contributions
- About Allison Brennan
Allison Brennan Books by Series
Predator Trilogy Books
Allison Brennan’s debut novel begins this romantic-suspense trilogy. Each book follows a different couple and case, so the central mysteries can stand alone. I still recommend reading the trilogy in order because characters and connections carry from one book to the next.
No Evil Books
The No Evil trilogy features connected romantic-suspense stories and recurring characters from Brennan’s earlier books. Fear No Evil introduces Lucy Kincaid and covers the attack that later shapes her own series. If Lucy is your main interest, I’d read this trilogy first for the added backstory, though her series can still be started on its own.
- Speak No Evil (2007)
- See No Evil (2007)
- Fear No Evil (2007)
Seven Deadly Sins Books
The Seven Deadly Sins series blends supernatural suspense, paranormal romance, demons, and black magic. These stories build on one another, so I recommend beginning with the prequel novella and continuing in the order below.
- Deliver Us From Evil (2007) (Prequel Novella)
- Original Sin (2010)
- Carnal Sin (2010)
- Ghostly Justice (2011) (Novella)
- Mortal Sin (2014)
Deliver Us From Evil first appeared in the 2007 anthology What You Can’t See, while Ghostly Justice first appeared in the 2011 anthology Entangled. Their linked standalone editions were published later.
Prison Break Trilogy
The Prison Break trilogy follows three different protagonists and investigations after a mass prison escape. Each book resolves its main case, but I prefer publication order because the shared premise and recurring characters connect the trilogy.
- Killing Fear (2008)
- Tempting Evil (2008)
- Playing Dead (2008)
Sacramento FBI Trilogy Books
The Sacramento FBI trilogy pairs a different couple and investigation in each romantic-suspense novel. The cases can be read separately, but my advice is to follow the publication order for the recurring characters and continuing relationships.
- Sudden Death (2009)
- Fatal Secrets (2009)
- Cutting Edge (2009)
Lucy Kincaid Books
Lucy Kincaid survived a violent attack as a teenager and begins her own series determined to join the FBI. Her career develops across the books as she works investigations alongside private investigator and security expert Sean Rogan. Because the personal and professional storylines continue, I recommend the integrated publication order below for a first read.
Lucy Kincaid Books in Publication Order
- Love Me to Death (2010)
- Love Is Murder (2011) (Prequel Novella)
- Kiss Me, Kill Me (2011)
- If I Should Die (2011)
- Silenced (2012)
- Vacation Interrupted (2012) (Novella)
- Stalked (2012)
- Reckless (2013) (Novella)
- Stolen (2013)
- Cold Snap (2013)
- Dead Heat (2014)
- Best Laid Plans (2015)
- No Good Deed (2015)
- The Lost Girls (2016)
- Make Them Pay (2017)
- “Spiral” (2017) (Novella; found in Two to Die For)
- Breaking Point (2018)
- Too Far Gone (2018)
- Storm Warning (2019) (Novella)
- Nothing to Hide (2019)
- Cut and Run (2020)
- No Way Out (2020) (Novella)
- Cold as Ice (2020)
- A Deeper Fear (2021) (Novella)
The 2022 collection Missing gathers Storm Warning, No Way Out, and A Deeper Fear. It is a convenient way to buy those three novellas, but it does not add a new Lucy Kincaid story.
If I Should Die includes Love Is Murder, Cold Snap includes Reckless, and Best Laid Plans includes the Max Revere prequel novella Maximum Exposure. I’d check the edition details before buying a novella separately.
Lucy Kincaid Books in Chronological Order
The chronological order changes only the opening of the series by placing the prequel novella Love Is Murder before Love Me to Death. I prefer publication order for a first read, but this sequence works well for a reread or for anyone who wants Lucy’s story to begin at the earliest point in the timeline.
- Love Is Murder (Novella)
- Love Me to Death
- Kiss Me, Kill Me
- If I Should Die
- Silenced
- Vacation Interrupted (Novella)
- Stalked
- Reckless (Novella)
- Stolen
- Cold Snap
- Dead Heat
- Best Laid Plans
- No Good Deed
- The Lost Girls
- Make Them Pay
- “Spiral” (Novella; found in Two to Die For)
- Breaking Point
- Too Far Gone
- Storm Warning (Novella)
- Nothing to Hide
- Cut and Run
- No Way Out (Novella)
- Cold as Ice
- A Deeper Fear (Novella)
The Lucy Kincaid novella Love Is Murder is a different work from the 2012 multi-author anthology of the same title, which contains Vacation Interrupted.
River City Books
The River City Mysteries begin with a collection of three previously published stories set in Sacramento. After that, the sequence continues with two more stories and the novella Mirror, Mirror.
- Killing Justice: Three Stories of Suspense, Seduction, and Murder (2012) (Collection)
- Murder in the River City (2012)
- Aim to Kill (2015)
- Mirror, Mirror (2018) (Novella)
Killing Justice collects “Killing Justice,” which first appeared in Killer Year in 2008; “A Capitol Obsession,” from Two of the Deadliest in 2009; and “Above Reproach,” from Guns and Roses in 2012. Mirror, Mirror first appeared in Betrayed, and the linked version is the revised standalone edition.
Moreno & Hart Mysteries Books
Allison Brennan and Laura Griffin created the Moreno & Hart Mysteries together. The series follows Scarlet Moreno and Krista Hart from their law-enforcement careers into private investigation. I recommend publication order because the partners’ history and the larger mystery surrounding the night they met unfold across the books.
- Crash and Burn (2013)
- Hit and Run (2014)
- Frosted (2015) (Novella)
- Lost and Found (2016)
Max Revere Books
Maxine Revere is an investigative reporter who reopens murders and cold cases through her television work. Each case has its own resolution, but Max’s personal history develops throughout the series. I’d read the novels and novellas in publication order.
- Maximum Exposure (2014) (Prequel Novella)
- Notorious (2014)
- Compulsion (2015)
- Poisonous (2016)
- “Retired” (2017) (Novella; found in Two to Die For)
- Shattered (2017)
- Abandoned (2018)
Two to Die For contains two separate novellas: “Spiral,” featuring Lucy Kincaid and Sean Rogan, and “Retired,” featuring Max Revere. Shattered is also a crossover between the Max Revere and Lucy Kincaid series.
Quinn & Costa Thriller Books
The Quinn & Costa thrillers follow LAPD detective Kara Quinn and FBI special agent Mathias “Matt” Costa as they work cases with the Mobile Response Team. Each investigation is resolved within its book, but Kara, Matt, and the team continue developing across the series. I recommend reading them in order.
- The Third to Die (2020)
- Tell No Lies (2021)
- The Wrong Victim (2022)
- Seven Girls Gone (2023)
- The Missing Witness (2024)
- See How They Hide (2025)
- Make It Out Alive (2026)
- One Last Warning (2027)
Regan Merritt Books
The Regan Merritt mysteries follow a former U.S. Marshal drawn into murder investigations after leaving the service. The Sorority Murder is the first Regan Merritt book, not the name of the series. I recommend reading these two novels in order because Regan’s personal story continues from the first case into the second.
- The Sorority Murder (2021)
- Don’t Open the Door (2023)
Angelhart Investigations Books
The Angelhart Investigations series follows Margo Angelhart and her family of Arizona private investigators. The opening novella introduces Margo before the first full-length novel, so I’d start there and continue in publication order.
- Into the Fire (2024) (Prequel Novella)
- You’ll Never Find Me (2024)
- Out of the Shadows (2025) (Novella)
- Don’t Say a Word (2025)
- I’ll Be Watching You (2026)
Allison Brennan Standalone Novels and Novellas
These Allison Brennan books are not part of an ongoing series and can be read in any order. I’d choose a starting point by premise: North of Nowhere, Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds, and Whisper Creek are full-length novels, while 36 Hours is a novella.
- 36 Hours (2013) (Novella)
- North of Nowhere (2023)
- Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds (2025)
- Whisper Creek (2026)
Allison Brennan Short Stories and Anthology Contributions
Brennan has also contributed short fiction to multi-author collections. Series-connected stories such as Deliver Us From Evil, Ghostly Justice, Vacation Interrupted, and the stories collected in Killing Justice are already listed in their series sections above. The remaining fiction contributions are listed here by the story’s first publication year.
- “Her Lucky Day” (2010) (Short Story; found in Blood Lite II: Overbite)
- “Their Night Off” (2015) (Short Story; found in Premiere)
- “Bite Out of Crime” (2019) (Short Story; found in Odd Partners)
- “Ride Along” (2019) (Short Story; found in After Midnight: Tales from the Graveyard Shift)
- “Watchers” (2022) (Short Story; audiobook only, found in Birds of Prey: The Harlan Coben Challenge)
- “911” (2023) (Short Story; found in Infinity: A Suspense Magazine Anthology)
About Allison Brennan
Allison Brennan worked as a legislative consultant for the California State Legislature before pursuing fiction. Her debut novel, The Prey, was published in 2005 after years of writing and submitting manuscripts.
Brennan writes mysteries, thrillers, and romantic suspense centered on investigators, law-enforcement officers, private detectives, and families caught in dangerous cases. Her bibliography moves from self-contained romantic-suspense trilogies into longer crime series while keeping personal relationships and recurring characters at the center.
Looking for more books in order?
If you want more thriller authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Thriller Books in Order index.