J.L. Drake Books in Order (Updated February 25, 2026)

J.L. Drake writes dark romantic suspense with one big shared-universe lane (often called the “World of Mayhem”), plus a separate early trilogy that you can read at any time.

The only time order really bites is when you jump into a spin-off before you’ve met the people and backstory it assumes.

Instead of one “right” approach, use one of these routes:

• Route A (most coherent): follow the World of Mayhem master order once, straight through.
• Route B (series-only): pick one series and read it in order, staying inside that bubble.
• Route C (read-anytime): read the Darkness trilogy whenever you want something separate.

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Route A: World of Mayhem master reading order (best for continuity)

This is the cleanest way to catch crossovers in the intended sequence.

1. Broken (2015): The catalyst story that sets the emotional stakes and introduces the core rescue/safehouse orbit.
2. Shattered (2015): The fallout book where survival turns into pursuit and the past stops staying buried.
3. Mended (2015): Recovery meets reckoning, closing the trilogy while leaving the wider world ready to expand.
4. Honor (2016): A new couple steps into the spotlight as the Blackstone offshoot begins building its own arc.
5. Escape (2016): A second-chance, high-risk rescue thread deepens the Blackstone world and its enemies.
6. Trigger (2017): The Devil’s Reach lane opens with a darker edge and a more volatile moral center.
7. Demons (2018): Consequences stack, and loyalty becomes the only currency that consistently matters.
8. Unleashed (2021): The trilogy’s pressure peaks, where vengeance and protection collide at full volume.
9. Freedom (2019): Blackstone returns with trust under strain and a mission-shaped relationship that can’t stay “compartmentalized.”
10. Omerta (2023): A short story detour that reads like connective tissue, best placed here if you’re doing the full universe.
11. Courage (2020): A last Blackstone installment that plays like a culmination of everything the team has learned the hard way.
12. Behind My Words (2020): A standalone-style pivot in voice and focus, designed to be read without needing a new trilogy commitment.
13. Christmas at the Cabin (2020): A seasonal companion in the same “standalone pocket,” meant as a breather between heavier arcs.
14. Quiet Wealth (2021): A mafia-romance track begins, introducing a separate power structure that still feels adjacent to the broader world.
15. Quiet Secrets (2021): Hidden loyalties surface and the cost of “family first” starts to show.
16. Quiet Power (2022): Control becomes the theme, and leverage starts replacing trust.
17. Quiet Empire (2022): The endgame book where the series cashes out its promises, protection, possession, and payoff.
18. Shadows (2023): A new team and mission lens, tying the legacy of earlier books into a fresh operational setting.
19. Whiskey (2023): The danger moves closer to home, forcing tighter decisions and sharper boundaries.
20. Alpha (2023): Leadership and responsibility take center stage as the series escalates its scope.
21. Tango (2023): The capstone that pushes the team through a final, high-stakes convergence.
22. Grim (2024): A new trilogy begins with a darker, more ruthless energy and a clean “Book 1” entry point.
23. Havoc (2024): The middle book turns the screws, expanding the threat and narrowing the exits.
24. Sins (2024): The conclusion focuses on consequences, what can be won, what can’t be undone.
25. Extraction (2025): A new cast and mission opens the Stonewall lane, with a fresh front door into the universe.
26. Embedded (2025): The follow-up deepens the Stonewall fallout and keeps the danger close, ending this currently-published run.

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Route B: If you only want one series (safe mini-orders)

Broken Trilogy (core foundation)

1. Broken (2015): Origin of the world’s emotional baseline and the protective “safehouse” logic.
2. Shattered (2015): The chase and the consequences, where survival isn’t the same as safety.
3. Mended (2015): Closure with scars, resolution that still leaves threads for spin-offs.

Blackstone series (spin-off lane)

1. Honor (2016): Blackstone steps forward as its own series identity.
2. Escape (2016): The series leans into rescue, control, and hard-won second chances.
3. Freedom (2019): A relationship tested by duty and the price of secrets.
4. Courage (2020): The final Blackstone installment, best read after the first three.

Devil’s Reach trilogy (darker trilogy)

1. Trigger (2017): A brutal worldview meets an unexpected “weak point.”
2. Demons (2018): The past pushes back harder than anyone plans for.
3. Unleashed (2021): Vengeance becomes action, and alliances get tested under fire.

Quiet Mafia series (four-book arc)

1. Quiet Wealth (2021): The entry point into the mafia-romance power structure.
2. Quiet Secrets (2021): Betrayals surface and paranoia starts looking practical.
3. Quiet Power (2022): Influence turns into pressure, and pressure turns into control.
4. Quiet Empire (2022): The capstone where the series commits to its endgame.

Dark Water series (spin-off lane)

1. Shadows (2023): New setting, familiar legacy, best read after the earlier universe foundations.
2. Whiskey (2023): The safehouse rules get stress-tested by fresh threats.
3. Alpha (2023): Leadership and escalation drive the pivot points.
4. Tango (2023): The conclusion with the biggest convergence energy.

Havoc of Sins trilogy

1. Grim (2024): A colder, harsher opening with a distinct new trilogy tone.
2. Havoc (2024): The escalation book, more risk, fewer clean options.
3. Sins (2024): The payback book, where choices come due.

Stonewall (currently two books published)

1. Extraction (2025): The new-cast entry that plays like a fresh “Season 1.”
2. Embedded (2025): The direct continuation, do not read first.

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Route C: Read-anytime lane (separate continuity)

The Darkness trilogy is its own experience and can be read without touching the World of Mayhem list.

1. Darkness Lurks (2014): A darker, earlier J.L. Drake tone with no crossover homework required.
2. Darkness Follows (2015): The middle book tightens the danger and narrows trust.
3. Darkness Falls (2015): The conclusion, built for payoff after the first two.

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What’s latest, and what’s next

• Most recent published fiction in the main lanes: Embedded (2025) (Stonewall).
• Upcoming (not fully consistent across listings): Breathe Me In (Long Lies) is widely listed for mid-2026, but the author’s site does not clearly confirm a public release date in the same way it does for already-live titles. Treat the date as provisional.

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FAQ

Do I have to follow the master order?
No. It’s just the smoothest way to catch crossovers without backtracking.

Can I start with Stonewall?
Yes, Extraction (2025) is a workable “new cast” entry. You’ll miss some universe texture, but you won’t be lost.

Where does the Omerta short story fit?
If you’re doing the full universe run, place it between Freedom and Courage, where it’s commonly slotted as connective tissue.