Kay Hooper has written in several distinct modes: paranormal crime thrillers, romantic suspense, fantasy romance, historical romance, and shorter category romances. She also published several early novels under the name Kay Robbins.
The main continuity is the Bishop/Special Crimes Unit universe. That universe includes the 20-book Bishop/SCU sequence and the three-book Bishop Files companion trilogy.
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The rest of Hooper’s bibliography is divided among older connected romance series, independent novels, multi-author projects, and stories later republished in collections. Those books should not be folded into the Bishop reading order.
Pick the Right Reading Path
Readers do not need to approach Kay Hooper’s entire bibliography as one sequence.
- For paranormal crime and FBI investigations: Start with Stealing Shadows.
- For the fullest Bishop-universe experience: Read the Bishop/SCU books in publication order and place the Bishop Files trilogy at its publication points.
- For romantic crime capers: Start the Quinn/Thief sequence with Once a Thief.
- For classic connected romance: Choose the Hagen series and begin with In Serena’s Web.
- For standalone romance or suspense: The independent books can generally be selected by premise rather than date.
How the Bishop/Special Crimes Unit Series Is Built
The first 18 Bishop/SCU novels are arranged as six linked trilogies:
- The Shadows Trilogy
- The Evil Trilogy
- The Fear Trilogy
- The Blood Trilogy
- The Haven Trilogy
- The Dark Trilogy
Hidden Salem and Curse of Salem then form a connected Salem storyline.
Each book normally has its own investigation and central protagonists. Noah Bishop, Miranda Bishop, the FBI’s psychic Special Crimes Unit, and the private organization Haven provide the continuing framework.
Publication order is the safest route because later books reveal new psychic abilities, relationships, team memberships, and consequences from earlier investigations.
Bishop/Special Crimes Unit Books in Order
The Shadows Trilogy
1. Stealing Shadows
Stealing Shadows (1997): Psychic Cassie Neill retreats to a small town after a disastrous case, only to sense a serial killer preparing to strike and find herself working with skeptical district attorney Ben Ryan.
This is the correct opening book even though the Special Crimes Unit is not yet fully established. It introduces the psychic-crime framework and characters who matter to the larger continuity.
2. Hiding in the Shadows
Hiding in the Shadows (2000): Faith Parker awakens from a coma with missing memories, a new identity under suspicion, and a dangerous connection to crimes she cannot consciously recall.
The novel expands the paranormal rules introduced in Stealing Shadows and moves the series closer to the formal SCU structure.
3. Out of the Shadows
Out of the Shadows (2000): Sheriff Miranda Knight investigates child murders in her hometown as Noah Bishop arrives with an FBI team and a deeply personal history neither of them can ignore.
This is the point at which Bishop and the Special Crimes Unit move firmly into the center of the series. It also establishes one of its most important continuing relationships.
The Evil Trilogy
4. Touching Evil
Touching Evil (2001): Psychic sketch artist Maggie Barnes reconstructs attackers from victims’ memories while helping detective John Garrett hunt a serial predator with whom she shares a frightening connection.
The book begins a new trilogy but continues the SCU’s development and its methods for using psychic evidence.
5. Whisper of Evil
Whisper of Evil (2002): Nell Gallagher returns to her hometown as a series of killings exposes the secrets of powerful men, while her own hidden abilities make the case increasingly personal.
The investigation stands on its own, but Bishop’s network and the series’ larger understanding of psychic talents continue to grow.
6. Sense of Evil
Sense of Evil (2003): Isabel Adams joins police chief Rafe Sullivan to stop a killer targeting blond women, using an unusual psychic gift that also places her directly in danger.
This closes the Evil Trilogy and should be read after Touching Evil and Whisper of Evil to preserve the gradual expansion of the SCU team.
The Fear Trilogy
7. Hunting Fear
Hunting Fear (2004): Psychic tracker Lucas Jordan searches for people taken by a kidnapper who turns captivity into a deadly contest and deliberately challenges Lucas’s abilities.
The novel begins the Fear Trilogy with a case designed to test an SCU agent’s power as much as his investigative judgment.
8. Chill of Fear
Chill of Fear (2005): Quentin Hayes returns to an old hotel to solve the childhood disappearance that has haunted him, joining Diana Brisco as paranormal activity intensifies around them.
The enclosed hotel setting gives the book a strong supernatural mystery while extending the emotional consequences of the trilogy’s first installment.
9. Sleeping with Fear
Sleeping with Fear (2006): SCU agent Riley Crane wakes with gaps in her memory, weakened clairvoyance, and evidence that she has been living a life she cannot remember.
The third Fear book turns the psychic investigation inward by making Riley uncertain of her own recent actions and abilities.
The Blood Trilogy
10. Blood Dreams
Blood Dreams (2007): Dani Justice’s recurring visions warn that a serial killer is approaching her town, forcing her to work with sheriff Marc Purcell and confront a future she may be unable to change.
This begins a trilogy in which an organized enemy increasingly targets psychics and the people surrounding Bishop.
11. Blood Sins
Blood Sins (2008): New Haven operative Tessa Gray infiltrates an isolated religious compound where women have died under circumstances linked to a powerful and dangerous leader.
The novel moves beyond an individual killer and deepens the organized threat facing Bishop’s network.
12. Blood Ties
Blood Ties (2010): Members of the Special Crimes Unit become the targets of an enemy intent on destroying Bishop through the psychics he has trained and protected.
This is a direct trilogy conclusion. Reading it before the previous Blood books would reveal alliances, survival outcomes, and the scale of the opposing conspiracy.
The Haven Trilogy
13. Haven
Haven (2012): Emma Rayburn returns to Baron Hollow after disturbing dreams about her estranged sister Jessie, only to uncover buried violence and a threat connected to Haven’s psychic investigators.
The novel formally brings Haven, the civilian counterpart to Bishop’s FBI unit, into greater prominence.
14. Hostage
Hostage (2013): Haven operative Luther Brinkman and FBI agent Callie Davis are drawn into a violent standoff and discover that the supposed rescuers may be the real targets.
The second Haven book further connects the private psychic organization with federal investigations.
15. Haunted
Haunted (2014): Bishop sends psychic operative Hollis Templeton to investigate a rural killing whose supernatural echoes suggest that the danger reaches beyond an ordinary murderer.
The case develops Hollis’s role within the larger team and completes the Haven Trilogy’s progression.
The Dark Trilogy
16. Fear the Dark
Fear the Dark (2015): An SCU team enters a small town where people have vanished without explanation and the remaining residents appear unable, or unwilling, to recognize the pattern.
The first Dark novel begins a connected escalation involving psychic interference and an enemy capable of concealing its influence.
17. Wait for Dark
Wait for Dark (2017): Investigator Hollis Templeton and telepath Reese DeMarco examine a string of seemingly accidental deaths while an unseen presence closes in on the survivors.
The investigation advances Hollis and Reese’s continuing partnership and should remain after Fear the Dark.
18. Hold Back the Dark
Hold Back the Dark (2018): Psychics receive an irresistible summons to the isolated town of Prosperity, where an external force is turning ordinary residents toward sudden violence.
This concludes the Dark Trilogy and gathers several psychic characters into a confrontation that depends on developments from the two preceding books.
The Salem Books
19. Hidden Salem
Hidden Salem (2020): Nellie Cavendish travels to Salem to investigate her family history as SCU agent Grayson Sheridan discovers a town shaped by concealed psychic power and old violence.
The book opens a two-part Salem storyline. Its central mystery is not fully separated from the events of the next novel.
20. Curse of Salem
Curse of Salem (2021): Bishop’s team returns to Salem when renewed deaths show that the danger beneath the town survived the previous investigation.
This is a direct continuation of Hidden Salem. It should not be treated as an independent starting point despite being the twentieth numbered SCU novel.
Bishop/Special Crimes Unit Order by Trilogy
Readers who want the cleanest visual breakdown can follow this sequence:
Shadows
- Stealing Shadows (1997): Cassie Neill senses that a serial killer is preparing to strike.
- Hiding in the Shadows (2000): Faith Parker awakens without the memories needed to explain her dangerous past.
- Out of the Shadows (2000): Miranda Knight and Noah Bishop investigate child murders while confronting their shared history.
Evil
- Touching Evil (2001): A psychic sketch artist helps identify a predator through victims’ memories.
- Whisper of Evil (2002): A hometown murder investigation exposes the secrets of influential men.
- Sense of Evil (2003): A psychic investigator and police chief hunt a serial killer targeting blond women.
Fear
- Hunting Fear (2004): A psychic tracker faces a kidnapper who uses victims as bait.
- Chill of Fear (2005): An old hotel becomes the center of a childhood disappearance and present paranormal danger.
- Sleeping with Fear (2006): An SCU agent wakes with missing memories and unreliable powers.
Blood
- Blood Dreams (2007): A clairvoyant’s visions predict the arrival of a serial killer.
- Blood Sins (2008): A Haven operative enters a fortified religious compound to investigate murdered women.
- Blood Ties (2010): An enemy attacks the SCU in an attempt to destroy Bishop.
Haven
- Haven (2012): Two estranged sisters become involved in a psychic investigation rooted in their hometown.
- Hostage (2013): A Haven operative and FBI agent discover that a rescue operation is also a trap.
- Haunted (2014): Hollis Templeton investigates a murder with disturbing supernatural dimensions.
Dark
- Fear the Dark (2015): An SCU team searches for the cause of unexplained disappearances.
- Wait for Dark (2017): A sequence of apparent accidents hides deliberate supernatural violence.
- Hold Back the Dark (2018): Psychics converge on a town whose residents are being driven to kill.
Salem
- Hidden Salem (2020): A family-history search reveals an occult struggle inside a secretive town.
- Curse of Salem (2021): The SCU returns when Salem’s hidden threat begins killing again.
Where the Bishop Files Trilogy Fits
The Bishop Files is not a separate universe. It is an official companion trilogy involving Bishop, Miranda, psychic abilities, and a conspiracy kept largely outside the formal knowledge of the FBI and SCU.
The safest option is to read the trilogy by its own publication dates alongside the main series:
- The First Prophet after Blood Ties
- A Deadly Web after Haunted
- Final Shadows after Wait for Dark
This preserves the order in which readers originally learned about the conspiracy.
Readers who prefer not to interrupt the main SCU trilogies may instead finish through Hold Back the Dark and then read all three Bishop Files books together. That route is workable, but publication order gives the best balance of revelation and continuity.
Bishop Files Books in Order
1. The First Prophet
The First Prophet (2012): Sarah Gallagher wakes from a coma with uncontrolled psychic abilities and becomes the target of a conspiracy determined to neutralize people who can expose it.
Novelist Tucker Mackenzie becomes involved after Sarah’s home is destroyed by fire. Bishop and Miranda operate behind the scenes because the threat cannot safely be revealed to the full SCU.
2. A Deadly Web
A Deadly Web (2015): John Brodie attempts to protect psychic Tasha Solomon as the conspiracy expands its campaign against people with unusual abilities.
This is a direct middle installment. The identities and objectives introduced in The First Prophet are necessary to understand the larger conflict.
3. Final Shadows
Final Shadows (2018): Tasha, Brodie, Bishop, and Miranda confront the organization behind the attacks as the hidden war reaches its decisive stage.
The novel completes the Bishop Files conspiracy. It should be read only after the first two books.
Recommended Bishop-Universe Reading Order
This combined sequence preserves publication order without breaking the internal trilogies more than necessary:
- Stealing Shadows (1997): A psychic senses the approach of a serial killer.
- Hiding in the Shadows (2000): A coma survivor searches for her missing identity.
- Out of the Shadows (2000): Bishop and Miranda investigate child murders.
- Touching Evil (2001): A psychic artist tracks an attacker through victims’ memories.
- Whisper of Evil (2002): A returning investigator uncovers murder beneath hometown respectability.
- Sense of Evil (2003): A killer targeting blond women challenges a psychic investigator.
- Hunting Fear (2004): A psychic tracker follows a kidnapper’s calculated trail.
- Chill of Fear (2005): An old hotel holds the answer to a childhood disappearance.
- Sleeping with Fear (2006): A psychic agent wakes without her recent memories.
- Blood Dreams (2007): Visions warn that a killer is approaching.
- Blood Sins (2008): A Haven operative infiltrates a dangerous religious compound.
- Blood Ties (2010): An enemy attacks Bishop through the SCU.
- The First Prophet (2012): A newly psychic woman discovers a conspiracy targeting gifted people.
- Haven (2012): Estranged sisters confront violence buried in their hometown.
- Hostage (2013): A rescue operation becomes a hunt for two psychic investigators.
- Haunted (2014): Hollis Templeton investigates a supernatural rural murder.
- A Deadly Web (2015): Brodie protects a psychic marked by the hidden conspiracy.
- Fear the Dark (2015): Disappearances draw the SCU into a town unable to see its own danger.
- Wait for Dark (2017): Apparent accidents conceal an attacking force.
- Final Shadows (2018): The Bishop Files conspiracy reaches its final confrontation.
- Hold Back the Dark (2018): Psychics are summoned to a town consumed by violence.
- Hidden Salem (2020): Nellie’s family search uncovers a secret psychic community.
- Curse of Salem (2021): The unresolved danger in Salem rises again.
Is There a Chronological Bishop Order?
Kay Hooper uses compressed “story time” rather than allowing the characters to age in exact real time between publication years. Roughly speaking, each trilogy occupies about a year or less within the fictional timeline.
That makes a speculative calendar-based chronology less useful than publication order. The books already reveal relationships, abilities, and team history in the intended sequence.
The Bishop Files can be moved into one uninterrupted block, but there is no strong reason to rearrange the 20 main SCU novels.
Quinn/Thief Books in Order
The Quinn books combine romance, mystery, international crime, stolen art, and the adventures of a master thief. They do not connect to the Bishop universe.
1. Once a Thief
Once a Thief (2002): Morgan West becomes involved with enigmatic thief Quinn when a valuable collection attracts criminals, investigators, and competing private agendas.
The book establishes Quinn and Morgan’s relationship and introduces the criminal world that drives the sequel.
2. Always a Thief
Always a Thief (2003): Quinn and Morgan face another dangerous theft as unresolved enemies and shifting loyalties place both their partnership and survival at risk.
This is a direct continuation. Read it after Once a Thief rather than treating the two books as interchangeable romantic mysteries.
What Happened to Men of Mysteries Past?
Four earlier romances were later reimagined and rewritten into the Quinn/Thief novels:
- The Touch of Max
- Hunting the Wolfe
- The Trouble with Jared
- All for Quinn
They are not four required prequels to Once a Thief. The later Quinn novels reuse and substantially reshape material from them.
Readers interested in current Quinn continuity should begin with Once a Thief. The original four books are best approached as earlier versions rather than additional chapters.
A third Quinn book was discussed on the author’s older website, but no title or publication date had been reliably confirmed by July 19, 2026.
Men of Mysteries Past Books in Order
1. The Touch of Max
The Touch of Max (1993): A mysterious and capable hero becomes involved in a romance shaped by danger, secrets, and the adventure framework later reworked for the Quinn books.
This is the earliest book in the original four-part sequence.
2. Hunting the Wolfe
Hunting the Wolfe (1993): A pursuit involving the elusive Wolfe mixes romantic attraction with hidden motives and criminal intrigue.
Some official listings spell the title Hunting the Wolfe, while shortened bibliographies occasionally omit the final “e.”
3. The Trouble with Jared
The Trouble with Jared (1993): Jared’s secrets and dangerous associations draw the central romance into the continuing mystery surrounding the connected men.
Read it after Hunting the Wolfe for the intended sequence of introductions.
4. All for Quinn
All for Quinn (1993): Quinn moves to the foreground in a romantic adventure that provided important foundations for the later rewritten Thief series.
This closes the original sequence but is not a substitute for the substantially revised Once a Thief and Always a Thief.
Hagen Series Books in Order
The Hagen books are also sometimes labeled the Raven series. They form an 11-book connected romantic-adventure sequence.
Publication order is recommended because characters and relationships recur, even when each volume emphasizes a different couple or mission.
1. In Serena’s Web
In Serena’s Web (1987): Serena becomes caught in a web of danger and deception that introduces the people and covert relationships behind the Hagen sequence.
This is the proper series entry point.
2. Raven on the Wing
Raven on the Wing (1987): Raven takes part in a dangerous assignment where secrecy and attraction complicate the mission.
The book expands the network introduced in In Serena’s Web.
3. Rafferty’s Wife
Rafferty’s Wife (1987): Rafferty’s unexpected marital situation places a personal relationship inside the series’ continuing world of risk and concealed identities.
It is connected to the earlier books but gives its central couple a largely complete story.
4. Zach’s Law
Zach’s Law (1987): Zach’s determination to protect a woman in danger forces him to balance his own rules against an increasingly personal commitment.
The series’ recurring protective and investigative framework remains in place.
5. The Fall of Lucas Kendrick
The Fall of Lucas Kendrick (1988): Lucas Kendrick meets the person capable of disrupting his guarded life while outside danger narrows his choices.
The title is sometimes misspelled “Kenrick” in reproduced lists; Kendrick is the standard book title.
6. Unmasking Kelsey
Unmasking Kelsey (1988): Kelsey’s carefully controlled identity begins to unravel when an assignment and a developing romance expose the person behind the mask.
Its placement matters because the Hagen organization and recurring cast are already established.
7. Outlaw Derek
Outlaw Derek (1988): Derek’s dangerous reputation and hidden loyalties shape a romance in which neither trust nor innocence can be assumed.
This continues the sequence’s movement between covert adventure and relationship-centered suspense.
8. Shades of Gray
Shades of Gray (1988): Conflicting loyalties make it difficult to separate right from wrong as the central couple becomes involved in another Hagen-connected operation.
The book’s moral uncertainty is more meaningful after the preceding character introductions.
9. Captain’s Paradise
Captain’s Paradise (1988): A sea-going adventure forces a guarded captain into close partnership with a woman who challenges both his plans and emotional distance.
It remains part of the Hagen sequence despite its change of setting.
10. It Takes a Thief
It Takes a Thief (1989): A skilled thief becomes central to a romantic adventure involving valuable property, pursuit, and uncertain allegiances.
This title should not be confused with the later Quinn novel Once a Thief.
11. Aces High
Aces High (1989): The final Hagen installment brings another high-risk assignment into conflict with a developing relationship.
Read it last to preserve returning-character appearances and the series’ concluding position.
Once Upon a Time Books in Order
This seven-book series uses fairy-tale motifs in contemporary romantic stories. The books share a thematic and connected-series identity but are not one continuous suspense plot.
1. Golden Threads
Golden Threads (1989): A romance built around chance, connection, and seemingly fated ties begins Hooper’s modern fairy-tale sequence.
It sets the series’ pattern of using familiar storybook ideas in contemporary relationships.
2. The Glass Shoe
The Glass Shoe (1989): Cinderella imagery shapes a romance in which appearances, social expectations, and personal identity complicate the central relationship.
The book is thematically linked rather than dependent on an unresolved plot from Golden Threads.
3. What Dreams May Come
What Dreams May Come (1990): Dreams, longing, and the possibility of an extraordinary connection drive this fantasy-tinged romance.
Official lists vary slightly in where they display this title, but publication records place it before Through the Looking Glass.
4. Through the Looking Glass
Through the Looking Glass (1990): A heroine crosses into a situation where ordinary assumptions no longer hold, using storybook imagery to explore romance and altered perception.
Its title draws on Lewis Carroll, but the novel remains part of Hooper’s own modern romance sequence.
5. The Lady and the Lion
The Lady and the Lion (1990): A beauty-and-the-beast pattern brings together a guarded man and a woman prepared to look beyond his intimidating exterior.
It can be understood independently while remaining part of the Once Upon a Time collection.
6. Star-Crossed Lovers
Star-Crossed Lovers (1990): Two people divided by circumstance and opposition must decide whether their relationship can survive the forces keeping them apart.
The romantic conflict uses a familiar tragic-love framework without requiring a tragic ending.
7. The Matchmaker
The Matchmaker (1991): A character determined to arrange other people’s happiness finds personal plans disrupted by an unexpected romantic connection.
This is the final published book in the series.
Lane Montana and Trey Fortier Books in Order
These two mysteries feature recurring investigators Lane Montana and Trey Fortier. They are separate from Bishop/SCU.
1. Crime of Passion
Crime of Passion (1991): A murder investigation brings Lane Montana and Trey Fortier into a case where emotional motives and concealed relationships complicate the evidence.
The book introduces the investigative pair and their working dynamic.
2. House of Cards
House of Cards (1991): Lane and Trey investigate another crime built around deception, unstable alliances, and carefully constructed appearances.
Read it second because the protagonists’ relationship carries forward from Crime of Passion.
Delaney Family Books by Kay Hooper
The Delaney Family is a multi-author continuity created with Iris Johansen and Fayrene Preston. A complete Delaney reading order includes books by all three writers.
The following are Kay Hooper’s contributions.
Rafe, the Maverick
Rafe, the Maverick (1986): Rafe Delaney’s independent nature drives a contemporary romance within the Shamrock Trinity branch of the larger family saga.
Status: Included in the multi-author Delaney continuity.
Adelaide, the Enchantress
Adelaide, the Enchantress (1987): Adelaide Delaney takes the central role in a romance that continues the family connections through the Delaneys of Killaroo branch.
Status: Included in the multi-author Delaney continuity.
Golden Flames
Golden Flames (1988): A historical Delaney romance follows an earlier generation through passion, conflict, and the family history developed across the Untamed Years books.
This is not the same book as the Once Upon a Time novel Golden Threads.
Velvet Lightning
Velvet Lightning (1988): Another historical branch of the Delaney family faces a volatile romance set against danger and inherited family tensions.
It belongs to the second Untamed Years grouping within the multi-author sequence.
The Delaney Christmas Carol
The Delaney Christmas Carol (1992): A Christmas-set story revisits the Delaney family in a standalone seasonal prequel connected to the wider saga.
It can be read after Hooper’s other Delaney contributions or within the full multi-author order.
Standalone Novels in Publication Order
These books do not belong to the Bishop universe or to one of Hooper’s principal connected series. Several are early category romances, and some were originally published as Kay Robbins.
1980s Standalones
Lady Thief
Lady Thief (1981): A Regency-era romantic adventure centers on a woman whose secretive actions and unconventional independence place her outside the expectations of polite society.
This was Kay Hooper’s first published novel.
Return Engagement
Return Engagement (1982): Former lovers are brought together again and must decide whether the conflict that separated them still controls their future.
The book was originally published under the name Kay Robbins.
Mask of Passion
Mask of Passion (1982): A romance shaped by concealed feelings and misleading appearances forces its protagonists to look beyond the roles they present to others.
This is an independent early romance.
Breathless Surrender
Breathless Surrender (1982): Emotional resistance gives way under sustained attraction as the central couple confronts the reasons they have kept their distance.
It does not connect to Hooper’s later romantic-suspense series.
Taken by Storm
Taken by Storm (1983): A forceful romantic encounter overturns the heroine’s plans and brings her into conflict with a man as determined as she is.
It was first issued under the Kay Robbins name.
Kissed by Magic
Kissed by Magic (1983): A romance with a light touch of enchantment asks whether an apparently impossible connection can survive ordinary doubts.
It was originally credited to Kay Robbins and was later paired with Belonging to Taylor in an omnibus.
Elusive Dawn
Elusive Dawn (1983): A difficult-to-reach future becomes possible when the central couple confronts the emotional barriers keeping them apart.
The novel was published under the Kay Robbins name.
On Wings of Magic
On Wings of Magic (1983): Fantasy and romance combine in a story where love becomes tied to forces beyond everyday explanation.
The book is a standalone rather than a sequel to Kissed by Magic.
C.J.’s Fate
C.J.’s Fate (1984): C.J.’s carefully ordered future changes when an unexpected relationship forces her to reconsider what she believes is inevitable.
This is an independent Loveswept romance.
Something Different
Something Different (1984): A heroine looking for a change encounters a relationship that refuses to follow familiar romantic expectations.
The story was later republished in a two-book volume with Pepper’s Way.
Pepper’s Way
Pepper’s Way (1984): Pepper’s independent approach to life meets resistance from a man whose presence redirects both her choices and her emotional plans.
It remains a self-contained romance.
Moonlight Rhapsody
Moonlight Rhapsody (1984): A moonlit, music-inflected romance develops around emotional attraction and the difficulty of separating imagination from lasting commitment.
The book was published as Kay Robbins.
If There Be Dragons
If There Be Dragons (1984): A woman facing an intimidating emotional challenge discovers that the apparent “dragon” in her path may be more vulnerable than he seems.
The title uses fairy-tale language but predates the formal Once Upon a Time series.
Eye of the Beholder
Eye of the Beholder (1985): A romance tests the difference between public appearance and the more personal truth seen by someone willing to look closely.
It was originally issued under the Kay Robbins name.
Illegal Possession
Illegal Possession (1985): Questions of control, independence, and emotional claim drive a relationship in which neither protagonist is prepared to be treated as property.
This is a standalone Loveswept romance.
Belonging to Taylor
Belonging to Taylor (1986): Taylor’s relationship forces both partners to distinguish genuine commitment from possessiveness and expectation.
It was published as Kay Robbins and later collected with Kissed by Magic.
Time After Time
Time After Time (1986): A romance shaped by repetition, timing, and second chances asks whether two people can finally make the right choice.
The novel stands outside Hooper’s named series.
On Her Doorstep
On Her Doorstep (1986): An unexpected arrival disrupts a woman’s settled life and places a developing relationship directly in her path.
It was originally published under the Kay Robbins byline.
Larger Than Life
Larger Than Life (1986): A charismatic man whose reputation exceeds ordinary expectations becomes the center of a romance that must separate the public image from the private person.
The book was initially available through the Loveswept book club.
Rebel Waltz
Rebel Waltz (1986): A strong-willed couple enters a romance built around resistance, attraction, and two people unwilling to surrender control easily.
It is a standalone contemporary romance.
Summer of the Unicorn
Summer of the Unicorn (1988): A guardian of the last unicorn encounters a man whose arrival threatens her isolation and changes the fate of her magical world.
This is a standalone fantasy romance with no connection to Bishop’s psychic mythology.
Enemy Mine
Enemy Mine (1989): Two people positioned as adversaries are forced into close cooperation and discover that the danger around them may be easier to understand than their growing attachment.
The book is a self-contained adventure romance.
1990s Standalones
The Haviland Touch
The Haviland Touch (1991): An expert with a talent for locating valuable objects becomes involved in a search where trust, danger, and romantic attraction are closely linked.
It is an adventure romance rather than a Bishop-era psychic thriller.
Christmas Future
Christmas Future (1992): A seasonal romance uses the Christmas period to confront past choices and the future its central characters might still create together.
It was published as a Bantam Fanfare holiday title.
The Wizard of Seattle
The Wizard of Seattle (1993): A powerful wizard and a woman tied to his destiny become involved in a fantasy romance spanning magic, danger, and different worlds.
This is a standalone fantasy novel, not part of the Bishop universe.
The Haunting of Josie
The Haunting of Josie (1994): Josie’s new home brings an apparent ghost, an enigmatic neighbor, and a romantic mystery in which the supernatural may be offering guidance rather than danger.
The novel blends a light haunting with romance.
Amanda
Amanda (1995): A woman arrives claiming to be the long-missing heir to a wealthy family, forcing those around her to decide whether she is Amanda or an impostor pursuing the estate.
This marks Hooper’s move toward longer romantic suspense built around identity and family secrets.
After Caroline
After Caroline (1996): Joanna Flynn survives an accident and begins experiencing disturbing connections to a dead woman named Caroline, leading her to a town where Caroline’s death remains unresolved.
The novel uses psychic impressions within a standalone suspense plot.
Finding Laura
Finding Laura (1997): Laura Sutherland buys an unusual mirror and becomes involved with a powerful family after the object links her to a death, a hidden legacy, and dangerous secrets.
It is a standalone paranormal romantic-suspense novel.
Haunting Rachel
Haunting Rachel (1998): Rachel Grant’s fiancé was believed dead, but his possible return forces her to question identity, memory, and the motives of the man now standing before her.
The book is independent despite its thematic similarity to Hooper’s other supernatural suspense novels.
Arts Magica
Arts Magica (1999): This shorter work uses magic and romance within a self-contained story originally published in the Yours 2 Keep collection.
Status: Short fiction rather than a full-length series novel.
Later Standalone and Collaborative Work
I’d Kill for That
I’d Kill for That (2004): Multiple authors contribute to a shared serial novel about rivalry, wealth, secrets, and murder inside an exclusive community.
Kay Hooper wrote part of the collaborative narrative rather than the entire book. It is not connected to Bishop/SCU.
Short Stories and Collection Contributions
These works are easy to mistake for standalone novels because some have been republished or listed individually.
Holiday Spirit
Holiday Spirit (1991): A Christmas romance contributed to the multi-author collection Christmas Love Stories.
Status: Short story; separate continuity.
Christmas Future
Christmas Future (1992): A seasonal romantic story about confronting earlier choices and deciding what kind of future remains possible.
Status: Published independently as a short holiday romance.
Masquerade
Masquerade (1994): A romance involving hidden identity and deceptive appearances, originally published in the multi-author Hearts of Gold collection.
Status: Shorter collected work.
Almost an Angel
Almost an Angel (1995): A guardian-angel-themed romance contributed to the multi-author collection My Guardian Angel.
Status: Short fiction; unrelated to Bishop/SCU.
Arts Magica
Arts Magica (1999): Magic affects a self-contained romance in Hooper’s contribution to the Yours 2 Keep collection.
Status: Short fiction.
Collections and Omnibus Editions
The following volumes mostly repackage existing material. They should not be added to a reading-order count as entirely new stories.
Christmas Love Stories
Christmas Love Stories (1991): A multi-author holiday anthology containing Kay Hooper’s story Holiday Spirit.
Kissed by Magic / Belonging to Taylor
Kissed by Magic / Belonging to Taylor (1992): A two-in-one edition containing two earlier Kay Robbins romances.
Hearts of Gold
Hearts of Gold (1994): A multi-author collection that includes Hooper’s Masquerade.
My Guardian Angel
My Guardian Angel (1995): A multi-author collection containing Almost an Angel.
Yours 2 Keep
Yours 2 Keep (1999): A multi-author collection containing Hooper’s Arts Magica.
Enchanted
Enchanted (2003): An omnibus bringing together previously published romances with magical or fantasy elements.
Elusive
Elusive (2004): A reprint volume collecting earlier Kay Hooper romance material rather than presenting a new continuing series.
The Real Thing
The Real Thing (2004): An omnibus edition containing previously released romantic stories.
Amanda / Haunting Rachel
Amanda / Haunting Rachel (2005): A two-novel edition combining the identity mystery Amanda with the supernatural suspense novel Haunting Rachel.
Gifts of Love
Gifts of Love (2006): A multi-author collection with Lisa Kleypas that republishes earlier seasonal romance material.
Something Different / Pepper’s Way
Something Different / Pepper’s Way (2007): A paired reissue of two independent early Loveswept romances.
Alternate Titles, Rewrites, and Naming Problems
Kay Hooper bibliographies often disagree because the same material appears in original editions, rewrites, two-in-one volumes, and multi-author collections.
The most important distinctions are:
Kay Robbins books: Return Engagement, Taken by Storm, Kissed by Magic, Elusive Dawn, Moonlight Rhapsody, Eye of the Beholder, Belonging to Taylor, and On Her Doorstep were originally published under Hooper’s alternate name.
Men of Mysteries Past: These four romances were later substantially reimagined as Once a Thief and Always a Thief. They are earlier versions, not mandatory prequels.
Hagen/Raven: Both labels refer to the same 11-book connected series.
Delaney Family: Hooper wrote only part of this multi-author continuity, so a Kay Hooper-only list will not show the complete family sequence.
Collections: Omnibus editions should not be counted as new books when they contain stories or novels already read.
Latest Kay Hooper Book
Kay Hooper’s latest original novel is Curse of Salem, the twentieth Bishop/Special Crimes Unit book.
The ebook was released in December 2021. A mass-market paperback edition followed in October 2022, which explains why some catalogs assign the book a 2022 date.
Curse of Salem continues directly from Hidden Salem. It is not a separate Salem series opener and should not be read before that novel.
No later original novel or firmly scheduled forthcoming Kay Hooper title had been reliably confirmed as of July 19, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the first Kay Hooper book?
Lady Thief, published in 1981, is Kay Hooper’s first novel.
Readers beginning her modern paranormal crime work should instead start with Stealing Shadows.
What is the first Bishop/Special Crimes Unit book?
Stealing Shadows is the first book in the published sequence.
The formal SCU becomes more visible in Out of the Shadows, but readers should not skip the first two Shadows novels.
How many Bishop/Special Crimes Unit books are there?
There are 20 main Bishop/SCU novels through Curse of Salem.
The three Bishop Files novels are companion books in the same broad universe, bringing the combined total to 23 novels.
Should the Bishop books be read in order?
Yes.
Individual crimes are often resolved within one book, but characters, psychic abilities, romances, organizations, and enemies carry forward.
Can each Bishop trilogy be read separately?
A trilogy can provide a manageable reading block, but later trilogies assume some familiarity with Bishop, Miranda, the SCU, and Haven.
Starting with the Shadows Trilogy remains the safest route.
Is the Bishop Files series connected to Bishop/SCU?
Yes.
Bishop and Miranda are involved, but the central conspiracy is deliberately kept outside the full knowledge of the FBI and Special Crimes Unit.
When should I read the Bishop Files?
Use publication order for the smoothest experience:
- The First Prophet after Blood Ties
- A Deadly Web after Haunted
- Final Shadows after Wait for Dark
Reading the three together after Hold Back the Dark is an acceptable alternative.
Are Hidden Salem and Curse of Salem connected?
Yes.
Curse of Salem continues the unresolved threat from Hidden Salem, so the two should be read consecutively.
Are the Quinn books part of Bishop/SCU?
No.
The Quinn/Thief books are romantic crime adventures centered on a master thief and stolen valuables. They have no established connection to Bishop’s psychic investigators.
Do I need to read Men of Mysteries Past before the Quinn books?
No.
Those four earlier romances were reimagined and rewritten into Once a Thief and Always a Thief. Begin with the later novels for the current Quinn storyline.
Did Kay Hooper publish under another name?
Yes.
Several early romances were published as Kay Robbins. They are still Kay Hooper books, but they do not form a single Kay Robbins series.
Are the Delaney books all written by Kay Hooper?
No.
The Delaney continuity was a multi-author project. Kay Hooper contributed several books, while Iris Johansen and Fayrene Preston wrote other installments.
What is Kay Hooper’s latest book?
The latest original novel is Curse of Salem.
It first appeared as an ebook in 2021 and later as a paperback in 2022.
The Best Order for a New Reader
Begin with the Shadows Trilogy:
- Stealing Shadows
- Hiding in the Shadows
- Out of the Shadows
Continue through the five following SCU trilogies in publication order, inserting the Bishop Files books according to their release dates. Finish with Hidden Salem and Curse of Salem.
Readers interested only in Hooper’s romances should choose a separate lane rather than beginning with Bishop. The Hagen books offer the longest connected classic-romance sequence, while Once a Thief is the clearest entry into her romantic crime-adventure work.
The central rule is simple: keep Bishop/SCU and Bishop Files together, but treat the Hagen, Once Upon a Time, Quinn, Delaney, and standalone books as separate continuities.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.