Order of Book Series
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Patricia Ryan Books in Order

Patricia Ryan has written 31 books, published between 1995 and 2012. The first book is A Burning Touch (1995) and the newest is Writing the Novel They Can't Put Down (2012). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
31
Published
1995–2012
Pages on record
6,387 in 22 of 31 books
Reading time
106–160 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 6,387 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 22 of 31 titles with a page count on record.

See all 31 books in order Printable Patricia Ryan checklist

Patricia Burford Ryan, born August 9, 1954 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, writes romance as Patricia Ryan and mysteries as P.B. Ryan, and is the twin sister of the romance writer Pamela Burford. A Golden Heart award came in 1994, in the short contemporary series category, along with two Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Awards, and Silken Threads took the Romance Writers of America RITA for Best Long Historical Romance of 2000. The catalogue lists 31 titles from A Burning Touch (1995) to Writing the Novel They Can't Put Down (2012), with Nell Sweeney recurring as a character. Series include Nell Sweeney Mysteries, Hidden Grotto, North Moon Bay, Hot City Nights and Hero For Hire.

How many Patricia Ryan books are there?

Patricia Ryan has 31 books, released between 1995 and 2012. They include 10 series and 5 titles listed outside any series.

Patricia Ryan Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 31 Patricia Ryan books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. Cover of A Burning Touch by Patricia Ryan, book 1 of the Hot City Nights series (1995)
  2. Cover of Falcon's Fire by Patricia Ryan, book 1 of the Fairfax Family series (1995)
  3. Cover of The Return of the Black Sheep by Patricia Ryan, book 1 of the Rebels & Rogues series (1995)
  4. Cover of For the Thrill of It! by Patricia Ryan (1996)
  5. Cover of Heaven's Fire by Patricia Ryan, book 2 of the Fairfax Family series (1996)
  6. Cover of Secret Thunder by Patricia Ryan, book 1 of the Perigueux Family series (1997)
  7. Cover of Twice the Spice by Patricia Ryan, book 2 of the Double Dare series (1997)
  8. Cover of In Hot Pursuit by Patricia Ryan, book 1 of the Hero For Hire series (1998)
  9. Cover of Wild Wind by Patricia Ryan, book 2 of the Perigueux Family series (1998)
  10. Cover of Silken Threads by Patricia Ryan, book 1 of the Wexford Family series (1999)
  11. Cover of The Sun and the Moon by Patricia Ryan, book 2 of the Wexford Family series (2000)
  12. Cover of All of Me by Patricia Ryan (2000)
  13. Cover of Million Dollar Baby by Patricia Ryan (2000)
  14. Cover of Still Life with Murder by Patricia Ryan, book 1 of the Nell Sweeney Mysteries series (2003)
  15. Cover of Murder in a Mill Town by Patricia Ryan, book 2 of the Nell Sweeney Mysteries series (2004)
  16. Cover of Death on Beacon Hill by Patricia Ryan, book 3 of the Nell Sweeney Mysteries series (2005)
  17. Cover of Murder on Black Friday by Patricia Ryan, book 4 of the Nell Sweeney Mysteries series (2005)
  18. Cover of Murder In the North End by Patricia Ryan, book 5 of the Nell Sweeney Mysteries series (2006)
  19. Cover of House of Dark Delights by Patricia Ryan, book 1 of the Hidden Grotto series (2007)
  20. Cover of Bound in Moonlight by Patricia Ryan, book 2 of the Hidden Grotto series (2007)
  21. Cover of A Bucket of Ashes by Patricia Ryan, book 6 of the Nell Sweeney Mysteries series (2007)
  22. Cover of In the Garden of Sin by Patricia Ryan, book 4 of the Hidden Grotto series (2009)
  1. 1
    A Burning TouchHot City Nights #11995 · 219 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1995219
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    Falcon's FireFairfax Family #11995 · 384 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1995384
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    The Black Sheep / Hale's PointNorth Moon Bay #11995 · confirmed 2/4
    1995–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    The Return of the Black SheepRebels & Rogues #11995 · 218 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1995218
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    For the Thrill of It!1996 · 216 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1996216
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    Heaven's FireFairfax Family #21996 · 352 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1996352
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    The Marriage ArrangementNorth Moon Bay #21996 · confirmed 2/4
    1996–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    Good to Be BadDouble Dare #11997 · confirmed 2/4
    1997–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    Secret ThunderPerigueux Family #11997 · 384 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1997384
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Twice the SpiceDouble Dare #21997 · 218 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1997218
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    In Hot PursuitHero For Hire #11998 · 211 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1998211
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    Deep in the NightHot City Nights #21998 · confirmed 2/4
    1998–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Wild WindPerigueux Family #21998 · 382 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1998382
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    Silken ThreadsWexford Family #11999 · 340 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1999340
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    Pure and Simple1999 · confirmed 2/4
    1999–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    The Sun and the MoonWexford Family #22000 · 338 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2000338
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    All of Me2000 · confirmed 2/4
    2000–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    Arm CandyHot City Nights #32000 · confirmed 2/4
    2000–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    My Best Friend's GirlNorth Moon Bay #32000 · confirmed 2/4
    2000–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    Million Dollar Baby2000 · 224 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2000224
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    Still Life with MurderNell Sweeney Mysteries #12003 · 309 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2003309
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    Murder in a Mill TownNell Sweeney Mysteries #22004 · 260 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2004260
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    Death on Beacon HillNell Sweeney Mysteries #32005 · 259 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2005259
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    Murder on Black FridayNell Sweeney Mysteries #42005 · 230 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2005230
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    Murder In the North EndNell Sweeney Mysteries #52006 · 278 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2006278
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    House of Dark DelightsHidden Grotto #12007 · 324 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2007324
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    Bound in MoonlightHidden Grotto #22007 · 336 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2007336
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    A Bucket of AshesNell Sweeney Mysteries #62007 · 288 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2007288
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 29
    Whispers of the FleshHidden Grotto #32008 · 305 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2008305
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    In the Garden of SinHidden Grotto #42009 · 312 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2009312
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  31. 31
    Writing the Novel They Can't Put Down2012 · confirmed 2/4
    2012–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Patricia Ryan books grouped by series

Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. None of these groups has a reading-order page of its own on this site.

Nell Sweeney Mysteries in order

6 books
  1. 1. Still Life with Murder
  2. 2. Murder in a Mill Town
  3. 3. Death on Beacon Hill
  4. 4. Murder on Black Friday
  5. 5. Murder In the North End
  6. 6. A Bucket of Ashes

Hidden Grotto in order

4 books
  1. 1. House of Dark Delights
  2. 2. Bound in Moonlight
  3. 3. Whispers of the Flesh
  4. 4. In the Garden of Sin

Hot City Nights in order

3 books
  1. 1. A Burning Touch
  2. 2. Deep in the Night
  3. 3. Arm Candy

North Moon Bay in order

3 books
  1. 1. The Black Sheep / Hale's Point
  2. 2. The Marriage Arrangement
  3. 3. My Best Friend's Girl

Fairfax Family in order

2 books
  1. 1. Falcon's Fire
  2. 2. Heaven's Fire

Double Dare in order

2 books
  1. 1. Good to Be Bad
  2. 2. Twice the Spice

Perigueux Family in order

2 books
  1. 1. Secret Thunder
  2. 2. Wild Wind

Wexford Family in order

2 books
  1. 1. Silken Threads
  2. 2. The Sun and the Moon

Rebels & Rogues in order

1 book
  1. 1. The Return of the Black Sheep

Hero For Hire in order

1 book
  1. 1. In Hot Pursuit

Standalone books

5 books

5 Patricia Ryan titles here are not listed as part of any series.

Do you have to read Patricia Ryan books in order?

You only need to read Patricia Ryan books in order within each series: the books listed here span 10 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.

Where to start with Patricia Ryan

Start with A Burning Touch (1995), the earliest published title.

What is the newest Patricia Ryan book?

Writing the Novel They Can't Put Down (2012) is the newest Patricia Ryan book released so far.

Is there a new Patricia Ryan book coming?

No next Patricia Ryan book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Patricia Ryan at a glance

No recent titles
The newest Patricia Ryan title on record dates from 2012, 14 years ago. No later title is catalogued.
Release pace
Patricia Ryan books have appeared more than one a year on average.
Length
6,387 pages across the 22 of 31 books with a recorded length, a median of 296 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Patricia Ryan books, 15 of 31, were published in the 2000s.

What the Patricia Ryan books are about

23 of the 31 Patricia Ryan books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: mystery & detective is tagged on 6 of 23. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.