Allison Brennan Books in Order (Updated June 12, 2026)

Allison Brennan is an American crime, mystery, thriller, and romantic-suspense author. She is best known for the Lucy Kincaid books and the Quinn & Costa FBI thrillers, but her bibliography also includes several earlier romantic-thriller trilogies, private-investigator mysteries, standalone thrillers, novellas, and short fiction.

The safest place for most new readers is The Third to Die, the first Quinn & Costa thriller. It begins a modern FBI Mobile Response Team series with a clear first case and an ongoing lead partnership.

Readers who want Brennan’s longest connected continuity should begin with Love Me to Death, or read the earlier No Evil Trilogy first for more Kincaid family background.

Best Starting Points

• For modern FBI thrillers, start with The Third to Die.
• For Lucy Kincaid, start with Love Me to Death.
• For private-investigator mysteries, start with Into the Fire, then continue to You’ll Never Find Me.
• For standalone thrillers, start with North of Nowhere.
• For Brennan’s early romantic suspense, start with The Prey and read each trilogy separately.

Quinn & Costa Thrillers in Order

The Quinn & Costa books follow LAPD detective Kara Quinn and FBI agent Matt Costa as they work with the FBI Mobile Response Team. This is the best current entry point for readers who want procedural thrillers with ongoing team continuity.

1. The Third to Die (2020): Kara Quinn and Matt Costa come together on the Mobile Response Team’s first major case, tracking a serial killer whose pattern repeats on a terrifying schedule.
2. Tell No Lies (2021): The team investigates the murder of a college activist in the desert Southwest, where environmental damage, corporate secrecy, and trafficking threads keep widening the case.
3. The Wrong Victim (2022): A fatal charter-boat explosion in the San Juan Islands sends Quinn, Costa, and the team into a mass-murder case with unclear motives and too few witnesses.
4. Seven Girls Gone (2023): The team enters a corrupt Louisiana bayou town where missing women, silenced witnesses, and drug trafficking have been buried for years.
5. The Missing Witness (2024): Kara returns to Los Angeles to testify in a trafficking case, but a shooting and a vanished whistleblower force her back into old LAPD and FBI dangers.
6. See How They Hide (2025): Two matching murders on opposite sides of the country lead Quinn and Costa toward Havenwood, a secretive community with a violent past.
7. Make It Out Alive (2026): Newlywed couples are vanishing from a Florida resort, and Kara and Matt’s undercover honeymoon trap becomes far more dangerous than planned.
8. Untitled Quinn & Costa Book 8 / One Last Warning (2027, provisional): A later Quinn & Costa title is listed for 2027 in bibliography sources, while the author’s printable list still labels the eighth book untitled, so treat the title and timing as subject to confirmation.

Reading note: Read Quinn & Costa in order. The cases stand alone, but Kara, Matt, and the Mobile Response Team develop across the series.

Angelhart Investigations Books in Order

Angelhart Investigations follows Margo Angelhart and her private-investigator family. The series is more family-business mystery than FBI procedural, and it should be read in order because Margo’s relationship with her family is part of the main continuity.

1. Into the Fire (2024): A prequel novella in which newly certified PI Margo Angelhart takes on a murder confession that may send an innocent young man to prison.
2. You’ll Never Find Me (2024): Margo’s solo PI work collides with her family’s investigation, forcing her back into the Angelhart firm before white-collar crime turns deadly.
3. Out of the Shadows (2025): A burglary and a dangerous family threat pull the Angelhart team into a case where intimidation, disappearance, and murder may be connected.
4. Don’t Say a Word (2025): Margo investigates a teen’s supposed overdose and uncovers signs of a drug ring, a possible cover-up, and another death tied to the same school.
5. I’ll Be Watching You (2026): Margo finally gets a lead in the case that tore her family apart, reopening questions about her father’s conviction and a conspiracy with powerful protection.

Reading note: Start with Into the Fire if you want every setup detail. Start with You’ll Never Find Me if you prefer the first full-length novel.

Regan Merritt Mysteries in Order

The Regan Merritt books are a smaller mystery series about a former U.S. marshal dealing with crime, grief, and unfinished justice. Read them in order because Regan’s personal situation matters.

1. The Sorority Murder (2021): Regan Merritt becomes involved in a cold campus murder case when a podcast investigation reopens old questions about a student’s death.
2. Don’t Open the Door (2023): Regan’s past and present collide when a murder investigation exposes old danger and forces her to question who can be trusted.

Reading note: This is a compact two-book path and a good choice for readers who want Brennan without committing to Lucy Kincaid’s long run.

Lucy Kincaid Thrillers in Order

Lucy Kincaid is Allison Brennan’s longest-running series. It follows Lucy from trauma survivor and aspiring FBI agent into increasingly complex criminal investigations.

The books should be read in order. Lucy’s career, relationships, family connections, and emotional recovery build across the series.

1. Love Is Murder (2011): A prequel novella that gives background on Lucy before the main series begins.
2. Love Me to Death (2010): Lucy Kincaid is targeted by a killer while preparing for her future in law enforcement, setting the emotional and crime-thriller foundation of the series.
3. Kiss Me, Kill Me (2011): Lucy and Sean Rogan are drawn into a murder case connected to online predators, false identities, and dangerous secrets.
4. If I Should Die (2011): Lucy and Sean face a remote, high-pressure investigation where a body, family ties, and hidden criminal activity change the stakes.
5. Vacation Interrupted (2012): A novella-sized side case that interrupts Lucy and Sean’s attempted getaway with murder and danger.
6. Silenced (2012): Lucy moves closer to the FBI world as a murder investigation exposes political secrets and a widening conspiracy.
7. Stalked (2012): Lucy is targeted again as an investigation forces her to confront obsession, surveillance, and personal danger.
8. Reckless (2013): A novella that fits between major cases and gives Lucy and Sean another shorter, high-risk investigation.
9. Stolen (2013): Sean’s past and Lucy’s present collide when cybercrime, betrayal, and a personal threat pull them into a dangerous case.
10. Cold Snap (2013): A winter-set thriller that brings Lucy, Sean, and family danger into a tense holiday-period investigation.
11. Dead Heat (2014): Lucy and Sean investigate a violent crime involving children, trafficking danger, and a case that tests Lucy’s FBI path.
12. Best Laid Plans (2015): Lucy faces a politically sensitive case while the series deepens its federal-crime and investigative-agency focus.
13. No Good Deed (2015): Lucy and Sean are pulled into a case where helping the wrong person may put them directly in a killer’s path.
14. The Lost Girls (2016): Lucy investigates missing girls and a trafficking-linked case that pushes the series into darker organized-crime territory.
15. Make Them Pay (2017): A revenge-driven threat brings violence close to Lucy and Sean, forcing personal loyalties and professional duty into conflict.
16. Two to Die For (2017): A novella collection containing Spiral and Retired, giving shorter Lucy/Max-related material for series completists.
17. Breaking Point (2018): Lucy and Sean face a case that tests both their partnership and the fragile boundaries between justice, revenge, and survival.
18. Too Far Gone (2018): The investigation turns deeply personal when family, betrayal, and danger converge around Lucy’s world.
19. Storm Warning (2019): A novella that places Lucy and Sean in a shorter suspense case involving escalating threat and fast-moving danger.
20. Nothing to Hide (2019): Lucy investigates a case involving secrets, family danger, and the kind of hidden motive that reshapes the search for truth.
21. Cut and Run (2020): Lucy and Sean face a violent, urgent case that pushes the series toward one of its later major turning points.
22. No Way Out (2020): A novella that works as a compact companion to the later Lucy books, with danger closing in quickly.
23. Cold as Ice (2020): Lucy and Sean confront a case with personal consequences, survival stakes, and a colder, more ruthless threat pattern.
24. A Deeper Fear (2021): A novella that adds one more Lucy Kincaid investigation after the main sequence’s later events.
25. Missing (2022): A collection containing Storm Warning, No Way Out, and A Deeper Fear, useful for readers who want the later novellas together.

Reading note: The novellas are optional but useful. If you want the cleanest main-novel path, read Love Me to Death through Cold as Ice, then add the novella collection Missing.

Maxine Revere Cold Case Mysteries in Order

Maxine Revere is an investigative reporter focused on cold cases. The series is separate from Lucy Kincaid at first, but crossover material makes publication order helpful.

1. Maximum Exposure (2014): A prequel story introducing Maxine Revere’s cold-case focus before the first full novel.
2. Notorious (2014): Max returns home for a funeral and is pulled back into an old murder that still divides the people who knew the victim.
3. Compulsion (2015): Max investigates a cold case where public memory, media pressure, and old lies make the truth difficult to isolate.
4. Poisonous (2016): A cyberbullying-linked death draws Max into a case where online cruelty and real-world violence overlap.
5. Two to Die For (2017): A cross-listed novella collection that includes Max-related material and is best treated as optional short fiction.
6. Shattered (2017): Max’s cold-case work intersects with the Lucy Kincaid world, making this one especially stronger after some Lucy background.
7. Abandoned (2018): Max investigates the long-buried disappearance of her own mother, bringing the series’ personal arc to the front.

Reading note: Read the Max Revere books in order. Read at least some Lucy Kincaid before Shattered if you want the crossover context.

Standalone Allison Brennan Novels in Order

These books are separate from Brennan’s main series. They can be read at any time.

1. North of Nowhere (2023): A Montana-set thriller where two children fleeing danger are caught between killers, weather, and the people trying to save them.
2. Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds (2025): A lighter mystery-thriller in which Mia Crawford’s private-island vacation turns dangerous after margin notes in an old book point toward a missing guest.
3. Whisper Creek (2026): A standalone thriller about Ellen McKenna’s Texas farm, a brutal attack, flooding storms, and a family trying to survive both natural and human threats.

Reading note: Start here if you want Allison Brennan without series commitment.

Predator Trilogy in Order

The Predator Trilogy is one of Brennan’s early romantic-thriller sequences. Read it as its own trilogy.

1. The Prey (2005): A former FBI trainee and thriller writer becomes the focus of a killer whose crimes echo her fiction and her past.
2. The Hunt (2006): Miranda Moore, a survivor of a serial killer, helps investigate new disappearances in Montana when the same predator appears to be hunting again.
3. The Kill (2006): The trilogy closes with another predator-driven investigation, tying pursuit, revenge, and romantic suspense into the final case.

Reading note: This trilogy is separate from Lucy Kincaid and Quinn & Costa.

No Evil Trilogy in Order

The No Evil Trilogy is important for readers who want early Kincaid-family background. It is not mandatory before Lucy Kincaid, but it adds context.

1. Speak No Evil (2007): A murder investigation involving violent secrets and family danger introduces important Kincaid-world elements.
2. See No Evil (2007): The second book continues the trilogy’s romantic-suspense structure with a new case and another high-risk investigation.
3. Fear No Evil (2007): The trilogy concludes with a dangerous case that connects fear, violence, and personal stakes for the Kincaid circle.

Reading note: Read this before Lucy Kincaid if you want fuller family continuity. Start Lucy directly if you prefer to begin with the main heroine.

Prison Break Trilogy in Order

The Prison Break Trilogy is an early connected romantic-suspense set built around escaped criminals and the danger they leave behind.

1. Killing Fear (2008): A killer’s escape reopens old terror and forces a survivor into another deadly confrontation.
2. Tempting Evil (2008): The second book continues the prison-break threat with a new romantic-suspense pairing and another dangerous fugitive-linked case.
3. Playing Dead (2008): The trilogy closes with hidden identity, violent pursuit, and the final consequences of the escape arc.

Reading note: Read these three together. They are separate from Lucy Kincaid.

Sacramento FBI Trilogy in Order

This trilogy follows FBI-linked cases in and around Sacramento. It is separate from Quinn & Costa and Lucy Kincaid, though it suits readers who like Brennan’s federal-investigation style.

1. Sudden Death (2009): FBI agent Megan Elliott investigates a veteran’s murder that points toward a broader pattern of torture and death.
2. Fatal Secrets (2009): The second case moves into human trafficking, secrets, and a dangerous investigation with personal and professional risk.
3. Cutting Edge (2009): The trilogy ends with a medical and criminal investigation where professional ambition, violence, and hidden motives collide.

Reading note: This is a good bridge between Brennan’s early romantic thrillers and her later procedural series.

Seven Deadly Sins Books in Order

Seven Deadly Sins is a supernatural-thriller branch. It should be treated as separate continuity from Brennan’s crime-procedural books.

1. Deliver Us From Evil (2007): A prequel novella that introduces the supernatural danger and moral stakes behind the series.
2. Original Sin (2010): The main series begins with demonic forces, occult danger, and a thriller structure different from Brennan’s FBI books.
3. Carnal Sin (2010): The supernatural threat continues with a darker case built around temptation, corruption, and escalating evil.
4. Ghostly Justice (2011/2014): A novella-length entry that adds a shorter supernatural investigation within the Seven Deadly Sins world.
5. Mortal Sin (2014): The final listed Seven Deadly Sins book brings the supernatural arc to its later ebook-only continuation.

Reading note: Do not mix this with Lucy Kincaid order. It is a separate supernatural line.

River City Mysteries in Order

River City is an ebook mystery series. These are shorter and more separate from Brennan’s flagship series.

1. Killing Justice (2012): A River City mystery involving murder, justice, and a compact crime investigation.
2. Murder in the River City (2012): A fuller River City case where local crime and personal danger drive the mystery.
3. Aim to Kill (2015): A River City investigation tied to targeted violence and a case that moves quickly.
4. Mirror, Mirror (2018): A later River City entry that adds another short-form mystery to the ebook-only line.

Reading note: Optional for most readers. Read these if you want Brennan’s shorter mystery work.

Moreno & Hart Mysteries in Order

Moreno & Hart is co-written with Laura Griffin. It is separate from Brennan’s solo series.

1. Crash and Burn (2013): Moreno and Hart begin with a fast mystery involving danger, partnership tension, and a case that moves quickly.
2. Hit and Run (2014): The team investigates a violent incident where the truth behind a crash is more complicated than it first appears.
3. Frosted (2015): A novella-length Moreno & Hart entry with a shorter mystery and seasonal suspense flavor.
4. Lost and Found (2016): The series continues with a case involving missing pieces, hidden motives, and another Moreno-Hart investigation.

Reading note: Read these in order if following the partnership, but they are not required for any Allison Brennan solo series.

Other Short Fiction, Anthologies, and Essays

These are optional. They are useful for completists, but they should not interrupt the main series order.

1. What You Can’t See (2007): A multi-author collection containing Deliver Us From Evil, which functions as the Seven Deadly Sins prequel.
2. Killer Year (2008): Contains Brennan’s Killing Justice, later associated with River City material.
3. Two of the Deadliest (2009): Includes A Capitol Obsession, a short crime story separate from the main novel series.
4. Thrillers: 100 Must Reads (2010): Includes Brennan’s essay on Rebecca, useful for readers tracking her nonfiction contributions.
5. Blood Lite II: Overbite (2010): Contains Her Lucky Day, a short story outside her main thriller continuities.
6. Love Is Murder (2012): Includes Vacation Interrupted, a Lucy Kincaid novella placed after If I Should Die.
7. 36 Hours (2013): A standalone ebook novella, separate from the major series and readable at any time.
8. Premiere (2015): Includes Their Night Off, an anthology story outside the required Brennan series order.
9. Betrayed (2017): A multi-author collection; read only if tracking Brennan’s anthology appearances.
10. Odd Partners (2019): Includes Bite Out of Crime, a short mystery contribution.
11. After Midnight (2019): Includes Ride Along, another short-fiction appearance outside the core series.
12. How to Write a Mystery (2021): Includes a nonfiction craft essay by Brennan.
13. Promophobia: Taking the Mystery out of Promoting Crime Fiction (2022): Includes Brennan’s nonfiction contribution on promotion and crime writing.
14. Birds of Prey (2022): Includes Watchers, listed as an audiobook-only anthology contribution.
15. Infinity (2023): Includes 911, a later anthology short story.

Reading note: These are optional extras, not core reading-order requirements.

Recommended Allison Brennan Reading Order

The best route depends on the kind of Brennan book you want.

For the cleanest modern thriller path:

1. The Third to Die (2020): Start here for Kara Quinn, Matt Costa, and the FBI Mobile Response Team.
2. Tell No Lies (2021): Continue the team structure and relationship development.
3. The Wrong Victim (2022): Move into the series’ broader national-case format.
4. Seven Girls Gone (2023): Follow the team into a deeper corruption case.
5. The Missing Witness (2024): Read next for Kara’s Los Angeles history and team stakes.
6. See How They Hide (2025): Continue with the Havenwood-linked dual murder case.
7. Make It Out Alive (2026): Read after the first six because Kara and Matt’s relationship and team history matter.

For the longest connected Brennan experience:

1. No Evil Trilogy: Read Speak No Evil, See No Evil, and Fear No Evil for early Kincaid-family context.
2. Lucy Kincaid Thrillers: Read from Love Me to Death through Cold as Ice, adding novellas where convenient.
3. Max Revere: Read from Notorious through Abandoned, especially before or around the Lucy crossover material.

For newer private-eye mysteries:

1. Into the Fire (2024): Use this as the Angelhart setup.
2. You’ll Never Find Me (2024): Begin the full Angelhart Investigations series.
3. Out of the Shadows (2025): Add the novella before the second full novel.
4. Don’t Say a Word (2025): Continue the family-firm arc.
5. I’ll Be Watching You (2026): Read after release as Angelhart Book 3.

Chronological Order

A full chronological order is not the best way to read Allison Brennan.

Her bibliography is split across separate series, novellas, trilogies, and shared short-fiction appearances. Publication order inside each series is clearer and avoids spoiling relationship development, career changes, and crossover reveals.

Use chronological placement only for novellas:

Into the Fire comes before You’ll Never Find Me.

Love Is Murder comes before Love Me to Death.

Vacation Interrupted fits after If I Should Die.

Reckless fits before Stolen and is also included in Cold Snap print editions.

Storm Warning, No Way Out, and A Deeper Fear are later Lucy Kincaid novellas and are collected in Missing.

Latest Release Status

As of June 6, 2026, Make It Out Alive is listed as the current Quinn & Costa Book 7.

Whisper Creek is listed as a standalone thriller coming June 23, 2026.

I’ll Be Watching You is listed as Angelhart Investigations Book 3, coming September 15, 2026.

The next Quinn & Costa book is listed in some bibliography sources as One Last Warning for 2027, while the author’s printable list still uses an untitled Book 8 placeholder. Treat that title and date as provisional until the author’s current official series page confirms it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Allison Brennan book should I read first?

Start with The Third to Die if you want modern FBI thrillers. Start with Love Me to Death if you want Lucy Kincaid.

Do I need to read Allison Brennan’s books in publication order?

No. Read by series instead. Brennan has several separate continuities, and full publication order is more confusing than helpful for new readers.

Should I read the No Evil Trilogy before Lucy Kincaid?

It is recommended but not required. No Evil gives early Kincaid-family context, but Love Me to Death is the official practical start for Lucy’s own series.

Are Lucy Kincaid and Max Revere connected?

Yes, there is crossover material. Shattered is stronger if you know some Lucy Kincaid background.

Are Quinn & Costa connected to Lucy Kincaid?

They are best treated as a separate modern FBI thriller series. Start Quinn & Costa with The Third to Die.

Is Angelhart Investigations connected to Quinn & Costa?

It is a separate private-investigator series. Read it from Into the Fire or You’ll Never Find Me.

Are the novellas required?

Most are optional. The most useful ones are Into the Fire for Angelhart and the Lucy Kincaid novellas collected in Missing.

What is Allison Brennan’s newest book?

As of this update, the current listed Quinn & Costa title is Make It Out Alive, with Whisper Creek and I’ll Be Watching You listed as 2026 upcoming releases.

Conclusion

The best Allison Brennan starting point for most new readers is The Third to Die. It opens the Quinn & Costa series cleanly and leads into Brennan’s current FBI thriller lane.

For the deepest connected reading experience, read No Evil first, then move into Lucy Kincaid, then add Max Revere. For a shorter private-eye path, begin Angelhart with Into the Fire or You’ll Never Find Me. Standalones such as North of Nowhere, Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds, and Whisper Creek can be read at any time.