Kansas book series in reading order

Kim Vogel Sawyer writes Christian fiction, including Christian romance and Christian historical novels, with Mennonites and Kansas among the recurring subjects. The catalogue counts 62 books, opening with A Seeking Heart (2002) and reaching Where We Belong (2026). Heart of the Prairie, Mountain Lakes, Katy Lambright, Kansas Weddings, the Sommerfield Trilogy and the Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy are among the series.

Beverly Jenkins

60 books• 11 series

Beverly Jenkins writes historical and contemporary romance with a focus on 19th-century African American life. Born in Detroit in 1951, Jenkins was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in 2013, and in 1999 the African American Literature Book Club named her among the top 50 favourite African American writers of the 20th century. The catalogue holds 60 books from Night Song (1994) to Calling All Blessings (2025), including the Blessings, Old West, Le Veq Family and Grayson Family series. Recorded subjects include mail order brides, Kansas, and city and town life.

Tracie Peterson, born 1959, writes Christian fiction, mostly historical novels carrying romance and faith themes. Peterson used the pen name Janelle Jamison early on and has written joint novels with other Christian authors; Bethany House publishes many of the titles. Several Peterson series feature Harvey Girls, the waitstaff of the Fred Harvey Company. The catalogue lists 153 books from A Kingdom Divided (1991) to Devoted to Love (2026), across series such as Heirs of Montana, Westward Chronicles, Ribbons West, Yukon Quest, Shannon Saga and Desert Roses. Peterson lives in Montana and runs Peterson Ink with husband Jim.

Nancy Mehl writes Christian mystery and suspense, with Mennonite communities and Kansas settings among the subjects. Graven Images (2001) opens the catalogue, and the Ivy Towers and Curl Up and Dye mysteries come early. Kaely Quinn Profiler, the Quantico Files, Ryland & St. Clair and Defenders of Justice turn to suspense. Thirty-six titles are catalogued, reaching Fatal Finale in 2026.

Lori Copeland, born June 12, 1941, is an American novelist with more than 95 books, who wrote romance before moving to Christian fiction. The catalogue records 101 books from 1983, the year of A Tempting Stranger and Playing for Keeps, to Barefoot Hearts (2020). Series include Heavenly Daze, Men of the Saddle, Amish of Apple Grove, Sisters of Mercy Flats, Morning Shade Mysteries and Belles of Timber Creek. Westerns, historical romance, widows and Texas appear in the subjects.

Carla Cassidy, born Carla Bracale in Kansas, is an American romance novelist who has published since 1988. The first novels carried the maiden name Carla Bracale, later ones the married name Cassidy, and one fantasy novel appeared under the name Carla Cook. The catalogue lists 184 books, from Falling for You (1988, as Carla Bracale) to The Final Victim (2026). Series include Cowboys of Holiday Ranch, Wild West Bodyguards, Scarecrow Murders, Mustang, Montana, Lawmen of Black Rock, Cherokee Corners, Men of Wolf Creek and Kings of Coyote Creek. Subjects include romantic suspense, cowboys, bodyguards and serial murderers.

Nancy Pickard

26 books• 3 series

Nancy Pickard, born September 19, 1945, in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American crime novelist. Pickard has won five Macavity Awards, four Agatha Awards, an Anthony Award and a Shamus Award, the only author to take all four. Pickard served on the Mystery Writers of America board, holds a journalism degree from the University of Missouri, and began writing at 35. The Scent of Rain and Lightning became a film in 2017. The catalogue lists 26 books, among them Generous Death (1984), Say No to Murder (1985) and Marriage Is Murder (1987), with Jenny Cain and Marie Lightfoot as series.

James Reasoner writes westerns and frontier fiction, and the 193 catalogued books run from Texas Wind (1980) to Blood on the Border (2026). Civil War history, Texas and military fiction also appear among the subjects. Reasoner's series include Stagecoach Station, Abilene, Cody's Law, Wind River, Outlaw Ranger, Tales From Deadwood and the Walker, Texas Ranger tie-ins. Lee Goldberg, William Rabkin and Livia Reasoner are each co-credited on 1 book.