Susan Sleeman Books in Order (Updated June 12, 2026)

Susan Sleeman writes clean Christian romantic suspense and cozy mystery. Her suspense books often feature private investigators, FBI agents, law-enforcement teams, cybercrime, cold cases, missing persons, and faith under pressure.

Her catalog is best read by team or family unit. Most books have a complete romance and case, but the series order keeps character relationships and team history in the right place.

Reading Order Snapshot

• Begin with Double Exposure for her early Love Inspired Suspense team fiction.
• Begin with Cold Silence if you want the Cold Harbor series in its current official order.
• Begin with Night Fall if you want one of her most popular private-security series.
• Begin with Lost Hours if you want her newest romantic-suspense series.

Susan Sleeman Romantic Suspense Books in Order

The Justice Agency Books in Order

1. Double Exposure (2012): Photographer Jennie Buchanan and investigator Ethan Justice face a murder case where the evidence points close to home.
2. Dead Wrong (2012): Kat Justice investigates a dangerous case that tests both her instincts and her ability to trust.
3. No Way Out (2013): Alyssa Wells is trapped by danger and must rely on the Justice Agency to survive.
4. Thread of Suspicion (2013): The agency follows a thin trail of evidence in a case where suspicion keeps shifting.
5. Dark Tide (2014): A water-linked danger case closes the Justice Agency sequence with another protection-driven investigation.

First Responders Books in Order

1. Silent Night Standoff (2014): A Christmas hostage crisis forces law enforcement into a tense rescue.
2. Explosive Alliance (2015): An explosives case pushes the leads into partnership before the threat can spread.
3. High-Caliber Holiday (2015): A holiday danger plot brings weapons, protection, and romantic tension together.
4. Emergency Response (2016): A responder-centered case turns a rescue role into a life-or-death investigation.
5. Silent Sabotage (2016): Sabotage drives the suspense as the characters race to uncover who is behind the attacks.
6. Christmas Conspiracy (2016): A Christmas suspense case closes the First Responders run with danger hidden behind the season.

Agents Under Fire Books in Order

1. Web of Deceit (2015): A cyber-linked investigation begins the trilogy with deception spreading through digital and personal channels.
2. Web of Shadows (2016): The danger deepens as hidden identities and online threats complicate the case.
3. Web of Secrets (2016): The trilogy closes with secrets exposed and the suspense network pulled into the open.

White Knights Books in Order

1. Fatal Mistake (2017): FBI agent Tara Rushing hunts a serial bomber while old feelings and deadly pressure collide.
2. Kill Shot (2018): A sniper case forces the White Knights team into a high-stakes investigation with little room for error.

McKade Law Books in Order

1. Holiday Secrets (2017): A Christmas mystery brings danger to the McKade world and tests old emotional ties.
2. Rodeo Standoff (2018): A rodeo setting becomes dangerous when a threat forces protection and investigation together.
3. Christmas Hideout (2018): A holiday refuge turns unsafe when danger follows the heroine into hiding.
4. Taken in Texas (2019): A kidnapping-style Texas suspense case closes the McKade Law sequence.

Cold Harbor Books in Order

Susan Sleeman’s official book list now places Cold Silence first as Book 1, even though it was published later as a prequel.

1. Cold Silence (2024): The official Cold Harbor prequel sets up the Blackwell Tactical world before the original 2017–2019 books.
2. Cold Terror (2017): The Cold Harbor team enters a danger case where protection and investigation must move fast.
3. Cold Truth (2017): A truth-focused case keeps the team digging through lies and personal risk.
4. Cold Fury (2018): The danger grows more aggressive as the Blackwell Tactical world expands.
5. Cold Case (2018): An old crime becomes active again, giving the series a stronger cold-case angle.
6. Cold Fear (2018): Fear and pursuit drive another team-centered romantic-suspense case.
7. Cold Pursuit (2018): A chase-driven investigation keeps the pressure high as the team tracks the threat.
8. Cold Dawn (2019): The original Cold Harbor run closes with a final danger case tied to the team’s world.

Truth Seekers Books in Order

1. Dead Ringer (2019): The Veritas Center series begins with forensic evidence and a case where identity matters.
2. Dead Silence (2019): A silence-covered crime forces investigators to uncover what witnesses or evidence cannot easily say.
3. Dead End (2019): The team faces a case that appears blocked until hidden clues reopen the path.
4. Dead Heat (2020): The suspense escalates as pursuit and pressure tighten around the investigation.
5. Dead Center (2020): The case pulls danger directly toward the heart of the Veritas team.
6. Dead Even (2020): The series closes with a case where justice and survival are both in balance.

Homeland Heroes Books in Order

1. Seconds to Live (2019): FBI cyber expert Taylor Mills faces a serial killer using technology to hunt victims.
2. Minutes to Die (2020): The team races against a terrorism threat where timing is part of the danger.
3. Hours to Kill (2021): The trilogy closes with another time-sensitive investigation involving federal protection and pursuit.

Nighthawk Security Books in Order

1. Night Fall (2020): The Nighthawk Security series opens with a private-security case and a family-linked team dynamic.
2. Night Vision (2020): A new danger case tests the team’s surveillance, protection, and trust.
3. Night Hawk (2021): The series continues with another high-risk assignment tied to the Nighthawk team.
4. Night Moves (2021): The team faces danger that requires both tactical skill and emotional risk.
5. Night Watch (2021): A watchful protection case keeps the suspense close and personal.
6. Night Prey (2021): The series closes with a predator-focused threat and another Nighthawk romance under pressure.

Steele Guardians Books in Order

1. Tough as Steele (2022): The Steele Guardians series begins with a family security team and a case built around protection.
2. Nerves of Steele (2022): The danger tests courage and control as another Steele sibling steps forward.
3. Forged in Steele (2022): A new case strengthens the team’s bond while forcing the leads through personal fire.
4. Made of Steele (2022): The series continues with another protector romance tied to the Steele family.
5. Solid as Steele (2023): The team faces danger that tests loyalty, trust, and endurance.
6. Edge of Steele (2023): The final Steele Guardians book pushes the family team to the edge of danger.

Shadow Lake Survival Books in Order

1. Shadow of Deceit (2023): The Shadow Lake series begins with deception, survival, and danger in a remote setting.
2. Shadow of Night (2023): Darkness and isolation shape the next suspense case.
3. Shadow of Truth (2023): The series turns toward buried truth and the cost of exposing it.
4. Shadow of Hope (2024): Hope becomes difficult to hold as danger closes around the leads.
5. Shadow of Doubt (2024): Suspicion drives the case as the characters question who can be trusted.
6. Shadow of Fear (2024): The sequence closes with fear, pursuit, and survival at the center.

Lost Lake Locators Books in Order

The Lost Lake Locators series follows six former law-enforcement officers turned private investigators in Lost Lake, Oregon. This is Susan Sleeman’s newest major romantic-suspense series.

1. Lost Hours (2025): Lost Lake Locator Nolan Orr and Sheriff Mina Park begin the series with a missing-person case tied to buried danger.
2. Lost Truth (2025): Hayden Kraus and investigative journalist Cady Vaughn search for answers in a case where truth has been hidden too long.
3. Lost Cause (2025): Former sheriff Abby Day and Detective Burke Ulrich take on a case that seems hopeless but refuses to stay closed.
4. Lost Lake (2026): Gabe Irving and Detective El Lyons investigate a body in the lake and a missing child before the killer disappears again.
5. Lost Girls (2026): Jude French and FBI Agent Lauren Benson lead the fifth locator case, centered on missing girls and escalating danger.
6. Lost Light (2026): Reece Waters and Coast Guard special agent Sawyer Ellis close the announced Lost Lake Locators arc.

Novellas

1. Special Ops Christmas (2014): A holiday romantic-suspense novella built around military danger and protection.
2. Saved by the SEAL (2017): A SEAL-centered novella where rescue, danger, and romance move quickly.

Susan Sleeman Mystery Books in Order

Garden Gate Mysteries Books in Order

1. Nipped in the Bud (2010): A cozy garden mystery where murder interrupts a quieter amateur-sleuth setting.
2. Read Between the Tines (2012): The garden mystery continues with another clue-driven case.

Antique Shop Mysteries Books in Order

1. The Christmas Riddle (2016): A holiday antique-shop mystery built around clues from the past.
2. Loom and Doom (2016): An antique-linked case turns a shop setting into a murder investigation.
3. Death Takes a Holiday (2017): The series continues with another mystery where the holiday setting hides danger.

Creative Woman Mysteries Books by Susan Sleeman

1. A Deadly Stitch (2012): A craft-themed mystery where stitching and murder become unexpectedly connected.
2. Dog Gone Shame (2013): A pet-related mystery gives the shared Creative Woman world another light investigative case.
3. A Matter of Wife or Death (2014): A domestic-sounding title turns into a murder puzzle inside the craft-mystery line.

The Morgan Brothers Books in Order

1. High-Stakes Inheritance (2010): An inheritance plot brings family danger, secrets, and romantic suspense together.
2. Behind the Badge (2011): A law-enforcement romance places duty and danger at the center of the story.
3. The Christmas Witness (2011): A Christmas witness case forces protection and faith into the same suspense thread.

Recommended Susan Sleeman Reading Order

For romantic suspense, use this path:

1. The Justice Agency
2. First Responders
3. Agents Under Fire
4. White Knights
5. McKade Law
6. Cold Harbor
7. Truth Seekers
8. Homeland Heroes
9. Nighthawk Security
10. Steele Guardians
11. Shadow Lake Survival
12. Lost Lake Locators

This order follows Sleeman’s romantic-suspense development from Love Inspired Suspense into larger team-based private security and investigator series.

For newer readers, Night Fall and Lost Hours are the cleanest modern doorways.

Chronological Order

There is no single fictional chronology that is more useful than series order.

The one exception to note is Cold Harbor. Susan Sleeman’s official list places Cold Silence first as Book 1, even though it was published years after the original Cold Harbor novels.

Can You Read Susan Sleeman Out of Order?

Yes, in many cases.

Each romantic-suspense book has its own central case and romance. The reason to read in order is not basic comprehension; it is team continuity.

Series such as Nighthawk Security, Steele Guardians, Shadow Lake Survival, and Lost Lake Locators are much smoother when read from book one.

Latest Susan Sleeman Book Status

The latest published Lost Lake Locators title is Lost Lake, released in March 2026.

The next announced books are Lost Girls in July 2026 and Lost Light in November 2026.

FAQs

What Susan Sleeman book should I read first?

Start with Double Exposure for the early romantic-suspense path.

Start with Night Fall for a strong modern security-team series.

Start with Lost Hours for her newest series.

Are Susan Sleeman’s books clean?

Yes. Susan Sleeman writes clean Christian romantic suspense and cozy mystery.

Which Susan Sleeman series is most popular?

Nighthawk Security, Cold Harbor, Truth Seekers, and Steele Guardians are among her best-known modern romantic-suspense series.

Is Cold Silence book one of Cold Harbor?

Yes. Susan Sleeman’s current official book list places Cold Silence as Book 1 of Cold Harbor.

Do I need to read the mystery books with the suspense books?

No. The cozy mysteries are separate from the romantic-suspense series.

What is Susan Sleeman’s newest series?

Lost Lake Locators is the newest major romantic-suspense series.

Conclusion

Susan Sleeman’s books are easiest to navigate by team.

Read the Justice Agency, First Responders, Agents Under Fire, Cold Harbor, Nighthawk Security, Steele Guardians, Shadow Lake Survival, and Lost Lake Locators in their own internal order.

For the best current entry point, choose Night Fall or Lost Hours. For the full career path, begin with Double Exposure and move forward by series.