Coltons of Kansas Books in Order

Coltons of Kansas is part of a shared romantic-suspense world centered on the large, well-connected Colton family. Each installment gives a different family member or ally a dangerous case, a personal mystery, and a romance complicated by the urgent need to stay alive.

Cindy Dees's contribution is Colton in the Line of Fire. It follows forensic scientist Yvette Colton and detective Reese Carpenter as they investigate a cold-case double murder. When Yvette is attacked, the investigation stops being an intellectual puzzle and becomes a direct threat to her and the wider Colton family.

The family is the through line.

The Kansas setting gives the book a fresh branch of the larger Colton universe, while the suspense comes from a killer who is prepared to strike again. Yvette and Reese begin with opposing working styles, which gives their partnership some friction even before attraction enters the picture.

Readers can expect a quick, self-contained romantic suspense story: investigative work, family loyalties, a determined heroine, and a protective detective who has to learn that keeping someone safe is not the same as taking over. The wider series is written by several authors, so each book offers a new couple and a new angle on the family.

You can begin with Colton in the Line of Fire without prior knowledge. Readers following the complete shared series may prefer to read the Kansas installments in their published order.