J.T. Ellison Books in Order (Updated February 22, 2026)

J.T. Ellison writes in multiple continuities: one long Nashville-set police series (Taylor Jackson), a shorter medical-examiner series (Samantha Owens), an international spy-thriller series co-written with Catherine Coulter (A Brit in the FBI), and a set of standalone thrillers. Order matters inside each series because relationships and career shifts carry forward.

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Continuity compass (pick the lane you want)

Lane 1: Longest, most character carryover: Taylor Jackson (start at #1)
Lane 2: Tighter, forensic-driven arc: Dr. Samantha Owens (start at #1)
Lane 3: Co-written, globe-trotting espionage: A Brit in the FBI (start at #1)
Lane 4: One-and-done commitment: Standalones (any order)

If you want one decisive starting point: Taylor Jackson #1, All the Pretty Girls.

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“Start with the one that matches your mood”

• High-intensity police procedural with long-term stakes: All the Pretty Girls (Taylor Jackson #1)
• Medical examiner + conspiracy energy: A Deeper Darkness (Samantha Owens #1)
• International cat-and-mouse, co-written: The Final Cut (A Brit in the FBI #1)
• Standalone domestic-suspense pivot: No One Knows
• Most recent (published): Last Seen (2025)
• Next confirmed release: You Know Why (2026)

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Taylor Jackson series (publication order)

Read these in order. Even when the case is “new,” the professional and personal fallout isn’t.

1. All the Pretty Girls (2007): A killer’s pattern forces Taylor into escalating stakes and introduces the relationship web the series keeps building on.
2. 14 (2008): A case built around timing and pressure, tightening Taylor’s world rather than expanding it.
3. Judas Kiss (2009): Betrayal themes land harder here because the series has already established who Taylor trusts.
4. The Cold Room (2010): A chilling investigation that pushes the team into more extreme psychological territory.
5. The Immortals (2010): A darker, wider-scope case that tests how far obsession can masquerade as purpose.
6. So Close the Hand of Death (2011): Grief and rage become investigative fuel, and the choices made here echo later.
7. Where All the Dead Lie (2011): A culmination-style entry that leans on everything the series has taught you about Taylor’s instincts.
8. Field of Graves (2016): A later-era Taylor book that assumes you know her history, and uses that history as pressure.
   8.5. Whiteout (novella): Optional, but best placed after Field of Graves if you’re reading everything in sequence.
9. The Wolves Come at Night (2023): A return-to-Taylor entry with high personal stakes and a sense of consequences coming due.

Chronological order: For Taylor Jackson, chronological and publication order match closely, so publication order is the cleanest choice.

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Dr. Samantha Owens series (publication order)

This series is its own continuity and reads best straight through.

1. A Deeper Darkness (2012): A medical examiner’s work becomes entangled with institutional secrets and personal risk.
2. Edge of Black (2012): Momentum-forward escalation, read directly after book 1 for maximum clarity.
3. When Shadows Fall (2014): A “past coming back” structure that assumes you understand Sam’s baseline.
4. What Lies Behind (2015): A closure-leaning entry that pays off the series’ accumulated tension.

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A Brit in the FBI series (with Catherine Coulter) (publication order)

Co-written international thrillers following Nicholas Drummond and partner Michaela “Mike” Caine. Read in order.

1. The Final Cut (2013)
2. The Lost Key (2014)
3. The End Game (2015)
4. The Devil’s Triangle (2017)
5. The Sixth Day (2018)
6. The Last Second (2019)

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Standalone thrillers (publication order)

These are not connected by plot or recurring main characters. Choose freely, or follow this list if you like seeing an author’s style evolve.

1. No One Knows (2016): A marriage cracks under the weight of disappearance, suspicion, and the stories people tell themselves to survive.
2. Lie to Me (2017): A relationship thriller built around the question “What if the version you love isn’t real?”
3. Tear Me Apart (2018): A family-centered mystery where identity and truth pull in opposite directions.
4. Good Girls Lie (2019): A closed-environment suspense setup where status and secrecy control the rules.
5. Her Dark Lies (2021): A destination-wedding pressure cooker where the setting amplifies every private crack.
6. It’s One of Us (2023): A family-invasion premise where belonging becomes a threat instead of a comfort.
7. A Very Bad Thing (2024): A high-stakes spiral triggered by a single disastrous event that refuses to stay contained.
8. Last Seen (2025): A search-for-truth thriller where memory, community, and “official explanations” don’t align.

Upcoming (confirmed):

• You Know Why (2026): A domestic thriller where a disappearance detonates a family’s assumptions.

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Shorts & novellas (optional extras)

These are best treated as “bonus reading” rather than required steps.

• These Cold Strangers (Amazon Original; short story)
• Whiteout (Taylor Jackson novella; place after Field of Graves if you’re reading the full Taylor sequence)

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A practical “recommended order” for new readers

If you want one continuous experience with the fewest spoilers:

1. Taylor Jackson series in order (#1 → #9), inserting Whiteout after Field of Graves if you want the novella.

If you want a shorter, complete arc:

1. Samantha Owens #1-#4.

If you want standalones only:
Start with No One Knows, then jump by premise (wedding, school, family, etc.).

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Latest release status

• Most recent published novel: Last Seen (2025)
• Next confirmed novel: You Know Why (August 25, 2026)

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FAQs

Do I need to read Samantha Owens before Taylor Jackson (or vice versa)?
No. They’re separate series lines. If you want the safest path, keep each series in its own order.

Are the Brit in the FBI books part of J.T. Ellison’s Nashville universe?
No. They’re a separate, co-written espionage continuity.

What if I already read a later Taylor Jackson book first?
You can continue forward, but you’ll get the most context (and the least accidental spoilers) by circling back to All the Pretty Girls and reading in order.