Karen Cleveland Books in Order (Updated February 22, 2026)

Karen Cleveland is a former CIA counterterrorism analyst turned novelist. Her fiction sits in the spy-thriller space, but each book tells a complete story with a new cast, so you don’t need a strict sequence to avoid spoilers.

Start with the scenario that hooks you fastest

• “My partner is the secret I’m chasing.” Read Need to Know first.
• “My child might be in danger, and I can’t prove it.” Try Keep You Close.
• “One split-second choice at work could destroy my family.” Pick You Can Run.
• “The new neighbors feel wrong, and the job makes it worse.” Go with The New Neighbor.

How the books relate (simple rules, not a map)

• No shared series timeline: these are standalones, not sequels.
• Reading order is preference-based: choose by premise, or follow publication order if you like seeing her themes evolve.
• Date note: some editions list different years by region and format (hardback vs paperback), so the order below is the reliable part.

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Publication order (one line per book)

1. Need to Know (2018): A CIA analyst’s work uncovers a truth that lands inside her marriage, forcing loyalty to collide with national security.
2. Keep You Close (2019): An FBI agent confronts a nightmare allegation close to home, where every protective instinct risks becoming evidence.
3. You Can Run (2021): A CIA analyst makes a decision to save her son, then has to survive the consequences while never knowing who’s truly on her side.
4. The New Neighbor (2022): A CIA-linked neighborhood turns volatile when a new family arrives and paranoia becomes a professional hazard as well as a personal one.

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Recommended reading order (three clean options)

Option A: “I want the clearest ‘first Karen Cleveland’ experience”

1. Need to Know
2. You Can Run
3. The New Neighbor
4. Keep You Close

Option B: “I’m here for domestic tension with an intelligence twist”

1. The New Neighbor
2. Need to Know
3. Keep You Close
4. You Can Run

Option C: “Just give me publication order”

Read 1 → 4 from the list above.

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Latest release status

• Most recent novel currently confirmed: The New Neighbor (first published in 2022; later editions released afterward).
• Upcoming titles: I did not find a reliably confirmed next novel announcement as of February 22, 2026.

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FAQs

Do I have to read these in order?
No. There are no sequels in the main continuity, so you can start anywhere.

Which book is best if I want more classic spy-tradecraft energy?
Need to Know is the most direct entry point for the “home life vs intelligence work” collision.

Why do publication years look inconsistent online?
Different markets and formats can show different dates. If you’re building a checklist, use the title order above and treat dates as edition-specific.

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Conclusion

If you want the safest starting point, begin with Need to Know. If you’d rather start with her most neighborhood-paranoia setup, begin with The New Neighbor. After that, you can read the rest in any order without worrying about series spoilers.