Elizabeth Lowell Books in Order (Updated July 19, 2026)

Elizabeth Lowell is the principal romance and romantic-suspense pen name of Ann Maxwell. Under that name, she has written connected family romances, historical series, artifact-centered thrillers, international suspense, and numerous standalone novels.

Her books do not form one continuous universe. The Donovans, Rarities Unlimited, St. Kilda Consulting, the Only series, and her other named sequences should each be treated as separate reading paths.

There is also an important authorship boundary. Ann Maxwell’s science-fiction novels and the books written jointly with her husband, Evan Maxwell, are part of the same author’s wider bibliography, but they were not originally published as Elizabeth Lowell books. They are covered separately near the end of this guide.

The Fastest Way to Choose an Order

Start according to the kind of book you want:

1. Romantic suspense: Begin with Amber Beach, Moving Target, or Always Time to Die.
2. Western historical romance: Begin with Only His.
3. Medieval historical romance: Begin with Untamed.
4. Connected contemporary romance: Begin with A Woman Without Lies, Fever, or Reckless Love, depending on the family series.
5. Standalone suspense: Begin with Tell Me No Lies or one of the later novels such as Night Diver.

The safest rule is to read each named series in publication order. Most individual romances resolve within one volume, but relatives, associates, businesses, and previous couples often return.

Elizabeth Lowell Series Map

Elizabeth Lowell’s main series are:

1. Angel, Hawk and Raven
2. McCalls
3. MacKenzie-Blackthorn, also associated with the Rocking M Ranch
4. Only
5. Maxwells
6. Medieval
7. Donovans
8. Rarities Unlimited
9. St. Kilda Consulting

Several editions and booksellers use slightly different series names. Those differences usually reflect marketing or reissue decisions rather than separate continuities.

Angel, Hawk and Raven Books in Order

This two-book contemporary romance sequence follows connected characters in the Pacific Northwest.

1. A Woman Without Lies

A Woman Without Lies (1985): Glass artist Angel discovers love and danger in the San Juan Islands when Hawk enters her carefully protected life and challenges the emotional distance created by loss.

The novel introduces the setting and relationships that connect it to Love Song for a Raven.

2. Love Song for a Raven

Love Song for a Raven (1987): Raven rescues Janna from a violent coastal storm, but the isolation that brings them together also forces both characters to confront mistrust and closely held secrets.

Some editions shorten the title to Love Song. It should still be counted as the same second book.

Should Angel, Hawk and Raven Be Read in Order?

Yes, although both central romances are largely self-contained.

A Woman Without Lies establishes the connected characters and emotional background. Reading it first gives returning appearances in Love Song for a Raven more context.

McCalls Books in Order

The McCalls series consists of two connected contemporary romances built around family relationships, ambition, and dangerous settings.

1. Fever

Fever (1988): Artist Rye McCall enters the life of a woman who has kept passion at a distance, creating a relationship in which creative ambition and emotional risk become difficult to separate.

This book introduces the McCall family connection used by the sequel.

2. Dark Fire

Dark Fire (1988): A journey into Ecuador’s cloud forest forces a guarded woman to rely on Trace McCall while physical danger and unresolved attraction intensify around them.

The change of location makes the second book feel more adventurous, but its family continuity places it after Fever.

MacKenzie-Blackthorn Books in Order

This series is also called the Rocking M Ranch series in some editions. It follows members of the MacKenzie and Blackthorn families through Western and contemporary romances.

The official series grouping includes six novels, although several third-party lists omit Sweet Wind, Wild Wind or place Warrior differently.

1. Reckless Love

Reckless Love (1989): Janna Wayland helps an injured man recover in the wilderness, only to discover that the stranger she saved carries both a dangerous past and a powerful need for revenge.

The book opens the broader family continuity and introduces the Western landscape associated with later installments.

2. Fire and Rain

Fire and Rain (1989): Luke MacKenzie returns to a family ranch carrying old resentments, while Carla McQueen’s presence forces him to reconsider the future he has rejected.

Family history matters more here than in the opener, making publication order the clearest approach.

3. Outlaw

Outlaw (1991): Tennessee Blackthorn agrees to protect a woman whose arrival at the ranch brings personal complications and a threat neither of them can ignore.

The romance is complete within the volume, but returning family connections place it firmly inside the sequence.

4. Granite Man

Granite Man (1991): Mariah MacKenzie returns to her family’s Colorado ranch and collides with Cash McQueen, a man whose emotional reserve is as difficult to overcome as the conflict surrounding them.

This installment expands the MacKenzie side of the family and revisits the ranch setting established earlier.

5. Warrior

Warrior (1991): Former CIA operative Nevada Blackthorn retreats from his violent past, but a woman seeking safety forces him to use the skills he has tried to leave behind.

Some records use an earlier copyright or reissue date. Within the connected series, it is normally read after Granite Man.

6. Sweet Wind, Wild Wind

Sweet Wind, Wild Wind (1987): Lara Chandler returns to the land and man she left behind, reopening a relationship shaped by pride, family expectations, and an old misunderstanding.

This novel was published before several other MacKenzie-Blackthorn books, but Lowell’s official site groups it with the series. Readers prioritizing character chronology commonly place it at the end of the connected family sequence.

Best MacKenzie-Blackthorn Reading Order

Use this order for the smoothest family progression:

1. Reckless Love
2. Fire and Rain
3. Outlaw
4. Granite Man
5. Warrior
6. Sweet Wind, Wild Wind

Readers following strict original publication dates may encounter Sweet Wind, Wild Wind earlier. Its loose connection means either placement is workable, but the six-book grouping above keeps the main Rocking M sequence together.

Only Books in Order

The Only series is a six-book Western historical romance sequence. The first four novels follow the Moran family and closely connected characters, while Autumn Lover and Winter Fire extend the same frontier world through the Maxwell family.

This is one of Lowell’s series where order matters most. Siblings and earlier couples return, and later books assume knowledge of previous family relationships.

1. Only His

Only His (1991): Willow Moran travels west with valuable horses and accepts the protection of Caleb Black, unaware that his desire for revenge is tied to her family.

The book establishes the Moran siblings and the Colorado frontier setting.

2. Only Mine

Only Mine (1992): Wolfe Lonetree helps Lady Jessica escape an unwanted marriage, but their arrangement carries her into a Western life for which neither wealth nor social training has prepared her.

The story expands the cultural and family connections introduced in Only His.

3. Only You

Only You (1992): Cardsharp Evelyn Starr Johnson wins the help of sharpshooter Reno Moran while searching for a stolen treasure map and the gold connected to her foster parents’ deaths.

Reno’s family history makes the novel more effective after the first two books.

4. Only Love

Only Love (1995): Wanderer Whip Moran protects Shannon Conner from violent neighbors, then discovers that remaining emotionally detached may be harder than surviving the Colorado wilderness.

This completes the central Moran sibling sequence.

5. Autumn Lover

Autumn Lover (1996): Elyssa Sutton hires Hunter Maxwell to save her Nevada ranch, unaware that he has arrived with a personal grievance and little reason to trust her.

The novel begins the Maxwell branch of the wider frontier continuity.

6. Winter Fire

Winter Fire (1996): Sarah Kennedy arrives as a mail-order bride but finds herself drawn into the life of Case Maxwell, a man whose family obligations and distrust complicate their growing attachment.

This closes the published Only sequence and should follow Autumn Lover.

Maxwells Books in Order

Some catalogs list the final two Only novels separately as the Maxwells series:

1. Autumn Lover (1996): Hunter Maxwell agrees to help Elyssa save her ranch while concealing the revenge that brought him there.
2. Winter Fire (1996): Case Maxwell’s plans change when a mail-order bride arrives with more courage and secrets than he expected.

This is not a separate continuity. The two books are a connected branch of the Only series.

Readers can begin with Autumn Lover if they only want the Maxwell romances, but reading the four Moran novels first gives the fullest picture of the shared Western world.

Medieval Books in Order

Lowell’s Medieval trilogy follows linked characters in a historical world shaped by war, loyalty, political marriages, and beliefs about supernatural gifts.

The romances resolve individually, but the three books belong to one deliberate sequence.

1. Untamed

Untamed (1993): Norman warrior Dominic le Sabre marries the Saxon Lady Margaret, whose people believe she possesses mystical powers capable of determining the future of his bloodline.

The book establishes the political conflict and supernatural atmosphere surrounding the trilogy.

2. Forbidden

Forbidden (1993): Amber healer Ariana becomes entangled with a warrior whose past and ambitions place trust between them under severe pressure.

Returning characters and political consequences connect this story to Untamed.

3. Enchanted

Enchanted (1994): Lady Ariane enters a marriage burdened by trauma, misunderstanding, and expectations that neither she nor Simon can fulfill without confronting the past.

This is the emotional conclusion of the trilogy and works best after the first two books.

Donovan Books in Order

The Donovan series follows a powerful family involved in international trade, rare gems, art, and political intrigue.

Each book centers on a different Donovan sibling or close family connection. The suspense plots stand alone, but the family business and recurring characters make publication order worthwhile.

1. Amber Beach

Amber Beach (1997): Honor Donovan searches for her missing brother and a fortune in stolen amber with the help of Jake Mallory, a boatman who has his own reasons to distrust the Donovan family.

The mystery of the lost Amber Room establishes the series’ combination of romance, international crime, and valuable objects.

2. Jade Island

Jade Island (1998): Kyle Donovan and archaeologist Lianne Blakely become caught in a deadly struggle over ancient jade, family loyalties, and the criminal trade surrounding rare artifacts.

Kyle’s role in Amber Beach makes this a direct family continuation even though the central romance changes.

3. Pearl Cove

Pearl Cove (1999): Archer Donovan travels to Australia after his brother’s widow asks for help uncovering the truth behind a murder and a missing fortune in rare black pearls.

The third book widens the series geographically while keeping Donovan International at the center.

4. Midnight in Ruby Bayou

Midnight in Ruby Bayou (2000): Faith Donovan hires Owen Walker to protect a priceless ruby necklace, but the object draws them into a conspiracy involving family secrets and lethal competition.

This closes the four-book Donovan sequence and gives the remaining Donovan sibling a central story.

Do the Donovan Books Need to Be Read in Order?

Publication order is recommended but not mandatory.

Each volume resolves its central crime and romance. However, later books refer to earlier family events, reveal the status of previous couples, and assume familiarity with Donovan International.

For a first read, begin with Amber Beach.

Rarities Unlimited Books in Order

Rarities Unlimited is a romantic-suspense series centered on experts who authenticate, value, buy, and protect rare objects.

Ancient manuscripts, gold artifacts, paintings, and gemstones drive the investigations. The professional organization connects the novels even as the central couple changes.

1. Moving Target

Moving Target (2001): Serena Charters inherits pages from an illuminated manuscript and turns to appraiser Erik North after the legacy makes her the target of someone willing to kill for the remaining pages.

The novel introduces Rarities Unlimited and establishes how historical objects can carry present-day danger.

2. Running Scared

Running Scared (2002): Gold expert Risa Sheridan investigates an ancient Celtic artifact for casino owner Shane Tannahill, only to find that the object is connected to murder and a long-hidden treasure.

Rarities Unlimited provides the professional link to the first book, but the case and romance are new.

3. Die in Plain Sight

Die in Plain Sight (2003): Lacey Quinn inherits her grandfather’s paintings and discovers that their images may contain evidence of murders someone is still determined to conceal.

Security specialist Ian Lapstrake helps trace the history behind the artwork while protecting Lacey from escalating attacks.

4. The Color of Death

The Color of Death (2004): Gem cutter Kate Chandler searches for her missing brother after a rare sapphire draws her into theft, betrayal, and a market where valuable stones can make witnesses disappear.

Some official web categories omit this title from the Rarities Unlimited archive, but established bibliographic listings commonly identify it as the fourth series novel.

Rarities Unlimited Reading Advice

Read the books from Moving Target through The Color of Death.

The cases are self-contained, so an art or gemstone enthusiast can select by subject. Publication order remains preferable because the organization and returning professional relationships develop in the background.

St. Kilda Consulting Books in Order

St. Kilda Consulting is a private intelligence and security organization handling threats that ordinary police, corporate investigators, or government agencies cannot easily resolve.

The five novels share an operational network rather than one continuing protagonist. Previous agents and cases may be referenced, but every book introduces a new principal mission.

1. Always Time to Die

Always Time to Die (2005): Genealogist Carolina May investigates the history of a powerful New Mexico family and discovers evidence that could expose illegitimacy, murder, and a political dynasty built on concealed bloodlines.

St. Kilda enters when family history becomes a present security threat.

2. The Wrong Hostage

The Wrong Hostage (2006): Judge Grace Silva turns to St. Kilda operative Joe Faroe after a Mexican cartel takes her son and demands that she deliver a man hidden inside the federal protection system.

Joe’s history with Grace makes the mission both personal and politically dangerous.

3. Innocent as Sin

Innocent as Sin (2007): Private banker Kayla Shaw is framed as a money launderer, while St. Kilda agent Rand McCree pursues the criminal connected to his twin brother’s murder.

The case brings international finance and personal revenge into the same operation.

4. Blue Smoke and Murder

Blue Smoke and Murder (2008): River guide Jill Breck asks St. Kilda for help after her aunt dies in a suspicious fire and a group of family paintings attracts violent attention from the Western art market.

Zach Balfour must protect Jill while determining why collectors are prepared to kill for apparently obscure landscapes.

5. Death Echo

Death Echo (2010): Former CIA officer Emma Cross investigates the theft of a yacht and joins MacKenzie Durand in uncovering a network involving duplicate vessels, organized crime, and an approaching attack.

This is the fifth published St. Kilda novel and the last confirmed installment.

Is St. Kilda Connected to Rarities Unlimited?

No direct shared continuity is required.

Both series use professional organizations, specialists, valuable objects, and international threats, which gives them a similar style. They are nevertheless cataloged as separate series with different teams and organizational structures.

Elizabeth Lowell Standalone Novels in Publication Order

These novels are not required reading for any of the named series. Alternate titles are noted so readers do not accidentally buy the same story twice.

To the Ends of the Earth

To the Ends of the Earth (1983): Photographer Cat Cochran accepts a demanding assignment involving a powerful man, only to find professional boundaries giving way under emotional pressure.

The book has also been published as The Danvers Touch.

Lover in the Rough

Lover in the Rough (1983): A rugged expedition brings two strong-willed people together in an environment where physical risk makes their mutual distrust increasingly costly.

This is an independent adventure romance.

Remember Summer

Remember Summer (1984): Raine Smith becomes involved in security surrounding an international sporting event, where terrorism and a dangerous attraction threaten the controlled life she has built.

The novel has also appeared as Summer Games.

Forget Me Not

Forget Me Not (1984): A woman recovering from memory loss must decide whether the man claiming a place in her past can be trusted with her future.

The uncertainty surrounding identity and memory drives both the suspense and romance.

Where the Heart Is

Where the Heart Is (1985): A constantly traveling man meets a woman whose sense of home challenges the emotional detachment he has treated as freedom.

Some editions use the title Travelling Man or Traveling Man.

Beautiful Dreamer

Beautiful Dreamer (1985): Hope Gardener struggles to protect her desert ranch and turns to Rio, a man whose knowledge of the land may be the only way to save both the property and her future.

The book was also published as Valley of the Sun.

This Time Love

This Time Love (1986): Former lovers are reunited by an archaeological project and must confront the assumptions and decisions that ended their first relationship.

The book has also appeared under the title Sequel.

The Fire of Spring

The Fire of Spring (1986): A relationship develops against a setting of renewal and emotional risk, forcing two guarded people to decide whether a temporary connection can become permanent.

This is a standalone contemporary romance.

Eden Burning

Eden Burning (1986): A volcano researcher returns to an island marked by an earlier eruption and becomes involved with a man whose history there is as volatile as the landscape.

The novel has also been published as Fires of Eden.

Tell Me No Lies

Tell Me No Lies (1986): Art expert Lindsay Danner is drawn into an international investigation involving ancient Chinese bronzes, political manipulation, and a man whose motives remain uncertain.

This early romantic-suspense novel anticipates the artifact-centered investigations of Rarities Unlimited but is not part of that series.

Too Hot to Handle

Too Hot to Handle (1986): A woman accustomed to controlling her own life encounters a relationship that becomes more intense and difficult to contain than either partner expected.

This is an independent contemporary romance.

Chain Lightning

Chain Lightning (1988): Mandy Blythe’s tropical escape is disrupted by Damon Sutter, whose presence turns an intended retreat into a tense confrontation with attraction and personal history.

The novel is a standalone despite later appearances in multi-book editions.

Death Is Forever

Death Is Forever (1992): Archaeologist Erin Windsor and intelligence operative Cole Blackburn search for a legendary diamond cache while betrayal and international competition close around them.

The book was originally connected to Ann Maxwell’s The Diamond Tiger and is often described as a revised or alternatively titled edition rather than an entirely separate story.

Beautiful Sacrifice

Beautiful Sacrifice (2012): Archaeologist Lina Taylor and former immigration officer Hunter Johnston investigate a series of deaths linked to Maya artifacts and a ritual timed to a rare celestial event.

The book combines archaeological suspense with a complete standalone romance.

Dangerous Refuge

Dangerous Refuge (2013): Environmental conservancy specialist Shaye Townsend and rancher Tanner Davis clash over a Nevada property after a suspicious death suggests that someone is manipulating both the land and its inheritance.

Their conflict develops into a joint investigation as the danger surrounding the disputed ranch increases.

Night Diver

Night Diver (2014): Kate Donnelly returns to the Caribbean diving business she fled years earlier and joins Holden Cameron in investigating missing treasure, damaged equipment, and deaths around a family salvage operation.

The underwater setting and search for historical wealth make this a fully independent romantic-suspense story.

Perfect Touch

Perfect Touch (2015): Art consultant Sara Medina travels to Wyoming to evaluate a major private collection, while ranch owner Jay Vermilion attempts to protect both the artwork and his family property from a calculated threat.

This is the latest original novel published under the Elizabeth Lowell name.

Elizabeth Lowell Standalone Reading Order

No internal chronology links the standalone novels.

They may be read in publication order to follow Lowell’s development from category romance to longer romantic suspense, but readers can safely select by setting or subject.

For suspense, the strongest entry points are Tell Me No Lies, Beautiful Sacrifice, Dangerous Refuge, Night Diver, and Perfect Touch.

Collections, Omnibus Editions, and Reissues

Elizabeth Lowell’s backlist has appeared in many paired and multi-author editions. These should not be inserted into a reading order as new novels.

The Rocking M Collection

The Rocking M Collection (2015): A digital collection packaging the connected MacKenzie-Blackthorn ranch romances.

Status: Previously published material.

Amber Beach / Jade Island / Pearl Cove

Amber Beach / Jade Island / Pearl Cove (2002): An omnibus containing the first three Donovan novels.

Status: Previously published material; Midnight in Ruby Bayou is not included.

Winter Fire / To the Ends of the Earth / Remember Summer

Winter Fire / To the Ends of the Earth / Remember Summer (2001): A three-book volume combining one Only-series novel with two unrelated standalones.

Status: Mixed-continuity reprint collection.

Forget Me Not / Beautiful Dreamer

Forget Me Not / Beautiful Dreamer (2005): A paired edition containing two independent early romances.

Status: Previously published material.

Too Hot to Handle / Sweet Wind, Wild Wind

Too Hot to Handle / Sweet Wind, Wild Wind (2006): A two-book edition combining a standalone romance with a MacKenzie-Blackthorn title.

Status: Mixed-continuity reissue.

Fire and Rain / Outlaw

Fire and Rain / Outlaw (2007): A paired edition containing the second and third MacKenzie-Blackthorn books.

Status: Previously published series material.

Granite Man / Warrior

Granite Man / Warrior (2007): A paired edition containing two later MacKenzie-Blackthorn romances.

Status: Previously published series material.

Desert Rain / Lover in the Rough / Beautiful Dreamer

Desert Rain / Lover in the Rough / Beautiful Dreamer (2009): A three-story reissue containing early contemporary and adventure romances.

Status: Previously published material; titles may vary by edition.

Eden Burning / This Time Love

Eden Burning / This Time Love (2017): A paired reissue of two independent romances.

Status: Previously published material.

Forget Me Not / Reckless Love

Forget Me Not / Reckless Love (2017): A paired volume combining a standalone novel with the opening MacKenzie-Blackthorn romance.

Status: Mixed-continuity reissue.

To the Ends of the Earth / Remember Summer

To the Ends of the Earth / Remember Summer (2017): A two-book reissue of independent early romances.

Status: Previously published material.

Books Published as Ann Maxwell

Elizabeth Lowell is a pen name used by Ann Maxwell. Her Ann Maxwell bibliography includes science fiction and suspense that should be kept separate from the Elizabeth Lowell romance series.

The Dancer and Concord Science-Fiction Books in Order

The Dancer novels belong to a wider science-fiction setting sometimes called the Concord universe. The author has explained that the books share a universe, although not every title is a direct continuation.

1. Fire Dancer

Fire Dancer (1982): A gifted woman enters a dangerous interstellar culture where extraordinary powers, political pressure, and the remnants of older civilizations shape her fate.

This is the best starting point for the central Dancer sequence.

2. Dancer’s Luck

Dancer’s Luck (1983): The Concord setting expands as survival and political maneuvering test characters living with powers that make them valuable and vulnerable.

Read it after Fire Dancer for the clearest progression.

3. Dancer’s Illusion

Dancer’s Illusion (1983): The Dancer storyline moves toward deeper questions about power, identity, and the forces controlling the interstellar society around its protagonists.

This completes the core three-book sequence.

4. Timeshadow Rider

Timeshadow Rider (1986): A new interstellar adventure explores time, power, and conflict within the same broad Concord universe.

It is best treated as a tangential sequel rather than Dancer book four in a tightly continuous plot.

Other Ann Maxwell Science-Fiction Novels

Change

Change (1975): A speculative story examines transformation and survival within a society whose rules make personal change politically dangerous.

This was Ann Maxwell’s first published novel.

The Singer Enigma

The Singer Enigma (1976): A mystery surrounding an unusual singer develops into a science-fiction investigation of identity, culture, and hidden power.

The book is independent of the later Dancer sequence.

A Dead God Dancing

A Dead God Dancing (1979): A world shaped by the remnants of vanished powers faces conflict over the meaning and influence of a supposedly dead god.

The novel shares themes and broad universe-building with Maxwell’s other science fiction.

Name of a Shadow

Name of a Shadow (1980): Political and personal danger converge around identity, secrecy, and the legacy of forces no longer fully understood.

This is a standalone science-fiction novel.

The Jaws of Menx

The Jaws of Menx (1981): Characters confronting an alien threat must survive a hostile environment while determining what the Menx represent and how they can be resisted.

The novel belongs to Maxwell’s early science-fiction period rather than the Elizabeth Lowell romance bibliography.

Collaborative Suspense Published as Ann Maxwell

Ann and Evan Maxwell jointly wrote several suspense novels under the Ann Maxwell name.

The Diamond Tiger

The Diamond Tiger (1992): An archaeologist and a dangerous operative pursue a legendary diamond cache through international intrigue and lethal competition.

A revised or alternatively titled version has been published as Elizabeth Lowell’s Death Is Forever.

The Secret Sister

The Secret Sister (1993): A woman investigating her family history discovers a hidden sibling connection and secrets capable of placing both identity and inheritance in danger.

This is a standalone collaborative suspense novel.

The Ruby

The Ruby (1995): A rare gemstone draws its central characters into international pursuit, betrayal, and a criminal struggle over wealth.

Some official listings associate this book with Risk Ltd.

Shadow and Silk

Shadow and Silk (1997): International danger forces two people into an uneasy alliance involving covert interests, deception, and a threat hidden behind wealth and influence.

It is also associated with Risk Ltd. in the author’s official series categories.

A. E. Maxwell’s Fiddler and Fiora Mysteries

Ann and Evan Maxwell wrote eight crime novels as A. E. Maxwell. These feature Fiddler and Fiora, a former married couple whose financial, emotional, and investigative lives remain entangled.

They are a separate mystery continuity and should be read in publication order.

1. Just Another Day in Paradise

Just Another Day in Paradise (1985): Fiddler and Fiora become involved in a Southern California crime where money, personal loyalties, and their complicated former marriage intersect.

The novel introduces their unusual investigative partnership.

2. The Frog and the Scorpion

The Frog and the Scorpion (1986): A new case tests whether Fiddler and Fiora can work together when betrayal appears built into both the crime and the people surrounding it.

The title reflects the novel’s concern with trust and destructive patterns.

3. Gatsby’s Vineyard

Gatsby’s Vineyard (1987): Wealth and cultivated appearances conceal criminal motives as Fiddler and Fiora investigate danger inside an exclusive social world.

The series’ financial and relationship tensions continue beneath the individual mystery.

4. Just Enough Light to Kill

Just Enough Light to Kill (1988): Fiddler and Fiora confront a case in which incomplete knowledge is as dangerous as the people manipulating it.

Their evolving post-marriage relationship remains central to the investigation.

5. The Art of Survival

The Art of Survival (1989): A crime involving valuable interests and calculated risk forces the pair to use different skills simply to remain alive.

The mystery continues the series’ blend of finance, crime, and personal history.

6. Money Burns

Money Burns (1991): A financial scheme turns lethal, placing Fiora’s expertise and Fiddler’s instincts against people prepared to destroy anyone following the money.

Read it after the earlier cases to preserve the development of their partnership.

7. The King of Nothing

The King of Nothing (1992): Status and apparent power prove unstable as Fiddler and Fiora investigate a man whose influence may rest on deception.

The novel continues the connected mystery sequence.

8. Murder Hurts

Murder Hurts (1993): The final published Fiddler and Fiora case forces the former couple into another dangerous investigation where emotional consequences cannot be separated from the crime.

This is the eighth and latest novel in the series.

Other Pen Names and Separate Works

Ann Maxwell has used additional names for books outside the Elizabeth Lowell bibliography.

Golden Empire (1979), published as A. E. Maxwell: A work of historical fiction about ambition, settlement, and the forces shaping wealth and power in the American West.

The Redwood Empire (1987), published as A. E. Maxwell: A historical novel centered on the people and industries that built fortunes around Northern California’s redwood country.

The Golden Mountain (1990), published as Annalise Sun: A historical family saga following Chinese immigrants and their descendants through struggle, survival, and the creation of a new life in America.

Thunderheart (1992), published as Lowell Charters: A novelization of the film about an FBI agent investigating a killing on a Native American reservation and confronting the political history behind the case.

The Year-Long Day (1976), written with Evan Maxwell and Ivar Ruud: A nonfiction account connected to Arctic life and the realities of surviving an extreme northern environment.

These works are separate from every Elizabeth Lowell romance series.

Latest Elizabeth Lowell Book

The latest original novel published as Elizabeth Lowell is Perfect Touch, released in 2015.

It follows art consultant Sara Medina and ranch owner Jay Vermilion as a valuable collection, a disputed inheritance, and a growing threat bring them together in Wyoming.

Later releases connected to Lowell’s name have primarily been digital editions, collections, or reissues of older work. The restored Concord science-fiction editions made Ann Maxwell’s backlist newly available, but they were not newly written novels.

No new Elizabeth Lowell novel or firmly scheduled forthcoming title had been announced by July 19, 2026. The author’s official FAQ also indicates that she does not currently have additions to her established series on her planning board.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the first Elizabeth Lowell book?

The first novel published under the Elizabeth Lowell name was Summer Thunder in 1982.

Later editions and bibliographies may list revised or alternate versions under different titles, which is why some publication-order lists begin with To the Ends of the Earth or Lover in the Rough.

Ann Maxwell’s first published novel overall was Change in 1975.

What is the best Elizabeth Lowell series to start with?

For romantic suspense, start with Amber Beach.

For historical Western romance, start with Only His.

For suspense involving art and rare objects, start with Moving Target.

For security and international operations, start with Always Time to Die.

Should the Only series be read in order?

Yes.

The Moran and Maxwell families are connected, previous couples return, and later books assume familiarity with earlier relationships.

Are Autumn Lover and Winter Fire part of the Only series?

Yes.

They are also marketed as the two-book Maxwells series, but that label describes a branch of the same broader Western continuity.

How many Donovan books are there?

There are four Donovan novels:

1. Amber Beach
2. Jade Island
3. Pearl Cove
4. Midnight in Ruby Bayou

No fifth Donovan novel has been confirmed.

How many Rarities Unlimited books are there?

The commonly accepted sequence contains four books:

1. Moving Target
2. Running Scared
3. Die in Plain Sight
4. The Color of Death

Some versions of the author’s website display only the first three in the series archive, but established bibliographic records list The Color of Death as book four.

Are Rarities Unlimited and St. Kilda Consulting connected?

They have similar romantic-suspense structures, but they are separate series.

No crossover reading order is required.

Do the Elizabeth Lowell books connect to the Ann Maxwell novels?

They were written by the same author, but they do not all share continuity.

The Elizabeth Lowell romances, Ann Maxwell science fiction, collaborative Ann Maxwell suspense, and A. E. Maxwell mysteries should be treated as separate bodies of work.

Is Death Is Forever the same as The Diamond Tiger?

The books are closely related and are commonly cataloged as alternate or revised versions of the same underlying story.

Readers generally do not need to buy both for a complete reading order.

Is Love Song the same book as Love Song for a Raven?

Yes.

Love Song is an alternate title used for Love Song for a Raven.

What is Elizabeth Lowell’s latest book?

Her latest original novel under that name is Perfect Touch, published in 2015.

More recent listings may represent reissues of earlier romances or restored editions of science-fiction novels originally published as Ann Maxwell.

A Practical Complete Reading Plan

Readers who want Lowell’s connected romantic suspense should move through three independent sequences:

1. The Donovans, beginning with Amber Beach
2. Rarities Unlimited, beginning with Moving Target
3. St. Kilda Consulting, beginning with Always Time to Die

Those series do not need to be combined into one chronology.

Readers interested in historical romance should begin the Only series with Only His, then continue through the four Moran books and the two Maxwell books. The Medieval trilogy should be read separately, beginning with Untamed.

The early contemporary family romances are best handled as smaller reading blocks: Angel, Hawk and Raven; McCalls; and MacKenzie-Blackthorn.

For most new readers, Amber Beach is the clearest introduction to Elizabeth Lowell’s mature romantic-suspense style. Only His is the better first choice for readers primarily interested in her historical romances.