New Orleans (La.) book series in reading order

by Barbara Hambly

by J.M. Redmann

by Tony Dunbar

by O’Neil de Noux

by Mallory Kane

Barbara Hambly

119 books• 23 series

Barbara Hambly, an American novelist and screenwriter born August 28, 1951, works across fantasy, science fiction, mystery and historical fiction. The Benjamin January mysteries follow a free man of color, a musician and physician, in antebellum New Orleans. Hambly's other series include James Asher, Darwath, Sun Wolf and Starhawk and the Windrose Chronicles, and the science fiction extends into Star Trek and Star Wars settings. Historical novels about Mary Todd Lincoln and Abigail Adams are also part of the output. The 119 catalogued books run from The Time of the Dark (1982) to Death in the Palace (2026).

Laura Childs writes cozy mysteries in three series: the Tea Shop Mysteries, with Theodosia Browning in Charleston, South Carolina, the Scrapbooking Mysteries and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries. Death by Darjeeling (2001) opens the catalogue, which holds 56 books and reaches Death at a Firefly Tea. Buttermint Bomb is scheduled for 2027.

Sherrilyn Kenyon

117 books• 29 series

Sherrilyn Kenyon, born December 11, 1965, is an American writer of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, best known for the Dark-Hunter series. Under the pseudonym Kinley MacGregor, Kenyon writes historical fiction with paranormal elements. The books have sold over 70 million copies in more than 100 countries. The catalogue lists 117 titles from The Wager (1992) to Hell's Half Acre (2026), among them series such as League: Nemesis Rising, Dream-Hunter, B.A.D. Agency and Chronicles of Nick. Two early non-fiction titles are writer's guides from 1994 and 1995.

Julie Smith, born November 25, 1944, is an American mystery writer whose sixth book, New Orleans Mourning, won the 1991 Edgar Award for Best Novel. Skip Langdon, Talba Wallis, Rebecca Schwartz and Paul MacDonald are series, and subjects include policewomen, New Orleans, women lawyers and San Francisco. The catalogue lists 31 books, starting with Death Turns a Trick (1982) and ending with The Big Crazy (2019). The Axeman's Jazz (1991) and Jazz Funeral (1993) are listed titles.

New Orleans is the constant in O'Neil de Noux's crime fiction. The LaStanza New Orleans Police novels, Lucien Caye Private Eye, John Raven Beau and the Jacques Dugas mysteries are all set there. 77 catalogued books run from Grim Reaper (1988) to Ain't That New Orleans (2026). De Noux took Shamus Awards for best private eye short story in 2007 and 2020 and a Derringer in 2008, and was named Literary Artist of the Year for 2015 by the St. Tammany Parish Commission on Cultural Affairs. The median book runs 235 pages.

Tony Dunbar is the creator of Tubby Dubonnet, the fictitious character behind one of two Dunbar series; the other is Florida Fables. Subjects on the listing include lawyers, New Orleans, Louisiana, bank robberies, Carnival and Hurricane Katrina. The catalogue lists 16 books starting with Crooked Man (1994), followed by City of Beads (1996) and Shelter from the Storm (1997). Tubby Meets Katrina (2006) comes later, and The Story of the Sarasota Assassination Society (2022) is the newest.

J.M. Redmann is the author of the Micky Knight mysteries, catalogued under subjects that include lesbian private investigators, women sleuths and New Orleans, Louisiana. The 13 books run from Death by the Riverside (1990) to A Streetcar Named Shenanigans (2026). Deaths of Jocasta (1992), Lost Daughters (1998), Water Mark (2010) and The Girl on the Edge of Summer (2017) sit in between. Redmann is still publishing.

Faith Hunter

61 books• 9 series

Faith Hunter is the fantasy pen name of Gwendolyn Faith Hunter, an American author and blogger who writes thrillers as Gwen Hunter. Thrillers written with Gary Leveille appear under the joint name Gary Hunter. Hunter co-founded the writer assistance blog MagicalWords.net and built a role-playing game on the Rogue Mage series. The catalogue lists 61 books, from Bloodring (2006) to Junkyard Riders (2026). Jane Yellowrock, Soulwood, Junkyard Cats and Thorn St. Croix are among the series. Subjects include vampires, shapeshifting, New Orleans and Cherokee Indians.

Ali Vali writes lesbian romance and romantic suspense, with 41 books catalogued from All It Took Was You (2001) to Journey to Amazonia (2026). Cain Casey is a series, and The Devil Inside (2006), The Devil Unleashed (2006) and Deal with the Devil (2008) are among the listed titles. Genesis Clan, Harry & Desi's, Sept Savoie & Keegan Blanchard, Blue Skies and Waves are other series. Subjects include New Orleans, organized crime, women lawyers, restaurateurs and lesbian police officers.

Lisa Jackson

189 books• 27 series

Lisa Jackson, born Susan Lisa Jackson in 1952, is an American author of romance and romantic suspense novels, with more than 75 to that name. The catalogue holds 189 Lisa Jackson books, from A Twist of Fate (1983) to Not What It Seems (2026). Subjects across the list include serial murders, women detectives, Montana and contemporary romance. Jackson's series include Selena Alvarez/Regan Pescoli, McCaffertys, Cahills / San Francisco, Savannah and the Dark Jewels Trilogy, plus a historical trilogy issued as Susan Lynn Crose. New Jackson titles continue to appear.

Heather Graham is the name under which Heather Graham Pozzessere, an American writer born on 15 March 1953, publishes mainly romance fiction; Shannon Drake is a further pen name. Graham's work has been published in about 25 languages, with more than 75 million copies printed. The catalogue records 311 books from Tender Taming (1983) to Destiny Rising (2026). Krewe of Hunters, Harrison Investigation, Cafferty & Quinn, Alliance Vampires, Keepers: L.A., New York Confidential and Finnegan Connection are among the Graham series. Subjects span historical, paranormal, contemporary and suspense romance.

Erica Spindler, born in 1957, is a New York Times bestselling writer of romantic thrillers. The catalogue lists 38 Spindler books, from Heaven Sent (1988) to The Detective's Daughter (2022), and no new title has appeared since. Early titles include Chances Are (1989), Read Between the Lines (1989), Magnolia Dawn (1993) and Night Jasmine (1993). Series include Stacy Killian, Kitt Lundgren, Lightkeepers, Malones and Blossoms of the South. Subjects include serial murder, stalkers, psychological suspense and New Orleans.

Rochelle Alers, born August 7, 1943, is an American romance novelist who has also written as Susan James and Rena McLeary. The catalogue lists 95 books from Careless Whispers (1988) to A Maverick of Honor (2026). Subjects cover African American romance, contemporary and historical romance, widows and New Orleans. Series include Hideaway Legacy, Eatons, Wickham Falls Weddings, Cavanaugh Island, Blackstones of Virginia and Whitfield Brides. Hideaway (1995) is among the titles.

Greg Herren

33 books• 3 series

New Orleans is the constant in Greg Herren's crime fiction. Born in 1961, Herren is an American writer and editor who works in mystery, young adult fiction and erotica, and who also publishes as Todd Gregory. The 2008 Lambda Literary Awards named Murder in the Rue Chartres best gay mystery; a year earlier, the anthology Love, Bourbon Street, co-edited with Paul J. Willis, won its own category. Three series carry the novels: Scotty Bradley, Chanse MacLeod and Killer Queen Mystery. 33 titles span 2002 to Hurricane Season Hustle in 2026.

Don Bruns writes mystery and detective fiction, and the catalogue names Skip Moore and James Lessor as fictitious characters. Other subjects include private investigators, journalists, caterers, corrupt practices, Vodou, New Orleans and Florida. The series credited to Bruns are Lessor and Moore Mystery and Quentin Archer Mystery. The 15 catalogued books start with Jamaica Blue (2002) and Barbados Heat (2003), and later titles include Stuff to Die For (2006), Bahama Burnout (2009) and Too Much Stuff (2011). No Second Chances (2018) is the newest.

Steven Womack is an American crime writer with two series, Harry James Denton and Jack Lynch. The catalogue lists 12 books from Murphy's Fault (1990) to Fade Up From Black (2022). Smash Cut, Dead Folks' Blues, The Software Bomb, Torch Town Boogie and Way Past Dead are among them. Subject tags cover private investigators in Nashville, Tennessee, as well as New Orleans, journalists and computer crimes.

Bill Loehfelm's eight catalogued books fall into three groups the listing names: the Maureen Coughlin series, standalone novels, and non-fiction. Policewomen, women sleuths, crime and murder head the recorded subjects, with New Orleans and New York as settings. Heroes & Villains - Osama bin Laden (2003) is the earliest title and The Devil's Muse / Can the Devil Catch Fire? (2017) the most recent. All eight books carry a page count, 2,318 pages in total at a median of 314.

Suzanne Johnson writes fantasy and paranormal romance. The catalogue records 8 books published between 2012 and 2018, with two series under the name: Sentinels of New Orleans and Fae Hunters. Subjects filed against the books record New Orleans, the occult and supernatural, voodooism, wizards, magic, serial murders and mystery and detective fiction. Royal Street (2012) is the earliest title and Frenchman Street (2018) the newest, with River Road (2012), Elysian Fields (2013), Pirate's Alley (2015) and Belle Chasse (2016) in between.

Nevada Barr

24 books• 5 series

Nevada Barr is an American writer of mystery fiction, born in 1952. The Anna Pigeon novels are Barr's best known work: Anna Pigeon is a woman park ranger, and the books are set in national parks and other protected areas of the United States. Barr's 24 catalogued titles run from Bittersweet (1984) to What Rose Forgot (2019), and the catalogue also lists standalone novels, short fiction and non-fiction. An Anna Pigeon television series takes the character's name and starts in 2026.

Rumble on the Bayou (2006) is the first of 64 Jana DeLeon books in the catalogue, which reaches Marsh Mystics (2026). DeLeon's series include Miss Fortune Mystery, Ghost-in-Law, Shaye Archer, Mystere Parish: Family Inheritance, Tempest Island and Marina at Midlife. Subjects cover romantic suspense, humorous mystery, murder, missing persons, private investigators, plantations and New Orleans. Early titles include Trouble in Mudbug (2009), Bayou Bodyguard (2011) and Louisiana Longshot (2012).

JoAnn Ross, an American writer, has published more than 100 novels since 1983 across romance, romantic suspense and women's fiction, and has also written as JoAnn Robbins and JoAnn Robb. She belongs to the Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll of best-selling authors and holds Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards in both category and contemporary single title. The catalogue lists 114 books from Winning Season (1983) to Just One Look (2022) and marks the run as dormant. Series include Shelter Bay, Honeymoon Harbor, Castlelough, High Risk, Lucky Penny, Callahan Brothers, Stewart Sisters and New Orleans Knights. Subjects include Navy SEALs, private investigators and first loves.

Urban fantasy and paranormal romance are Chloe Neill's genres. Neill, born May 17, 1975, is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Chicagoland Vampires and Devil's Isle series. The catalogue lists 34 books from Some Girls Bite (2009) to Ember Eternal (2025), also covering Heirs of Chicagoland, Captain Kit Brightling and Souls Burn Brightest. Vampires, magic, good and evil, and the city of Chicago recur among the recorded subjects.

Stella Cameron was born on December 5, 1943 on the southern coast of England and grew up an avid reader with a parallel love of writing. The catalogue counts 76 books from 1985, when Faces of a Clown and Moontide appeared, to The Playing Fields (2022). Some early titles, such as Love Beyond Question (1985) and Full Circle (1986), carry the name Alicia Brandon. Series include Alex Duggins, Rossmara Family, Mayfair Square, Court of Angels, Chimney Rock, Elliot Brothers, New Orleans PD and Navy SEALs. Subjects span romantic suspense, contemporary and historical romance, murder, Louisiana and the Cotswold hills.

James Sallis, who lived from 1944 to 2026, was an American crime writer, poet, science fiction writer and biographer. The Lew Griffin novels, set in New Orleans, follow a detective through a series that opens with The Long-Legged Fly (1992); Drive, published in 2005, became a film of the same name in 2011. Sallis also wrote about music, starting the catalogue with The Guitar Players: One Instrument and Its Masters in American Music (1982). Thirty-eight titles are catalogued in all.