Dee Henderson Books in Order
Browse Dee Henderson books in order with reading guides, short summaries, background on the O'Malley and Uncommon Heroes series, plus tips on where to start.
Last updated: December 17, 2025
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you).
Publication Order
28 books
The Good News Project
by Dee Henderson
2019
This brief non‑fiction book describes Henderson’s experiment of asking God each morning what He most wants her to know, then recording what follows. She explains the project, shares her own results, and invites readers to try the same focused conversation with God.
Betrayed
by Dee Henderson
2019
After serving six years of a twenty‑year sentence for a murder she swears she didn’t commit, Janelle Roberts is abruptly freed. Hiding out with someone she can trust, she works with investigators to uncover who really killed the victim—before betrayal turns deadly again.
Immortality
by Dee Henderson
2018
In Immortality, Emily and Noah meet and spend a summer talking about God, death, and what it might mean to live forever. Their conversations gradually deepen into a quiet romance and a thoughtful exploration of hope beyond this life.
Threads of Suspicion
by Dee Henderson
2017
Now on a high‑profile Missing Persons Task Force, Evie Blackwell is assigned a Chicago‑area cold case involving a vanished college student, while partner David Marshal hunts a missing private investigator. As they reopen old wounds, both detectives also face turning points in their personal lives.
An Unfinished Death
by Dee Henderson
2017
An Unfinished Death follows combat medic Connie August as she looks back on years spent in war zones and emergency rooms, wrestling with unanswered questions about healing, suffering, and why some prayers seem to go unanswered even when God’s grace is real.
Traces of Guilt
by Dee Henderson
2016
Illinois State Police detective Evie Blackwell travels to Carin County to launch a trial run of a new cold‑case task force. Working with Sheriff Gabriel Thane, she reopens two long‑unsolved missing‑persons cases and uncovers links that suggest a third, hidden crime.
Sins of the Past
by Dani Pettrey
2016
This three‑author collection gathers Dee Henderson’s novella "Missing" with stories by Dani Pettrey and Lynette Eason. Each tale uncovers a crime rooted years earlier, where long‑buried secrets, renewed danger, and gentle romance collide against a backdrop of Christian faith.
Missing
by Dee Henderson
2016
In this novella, Wyoming sheriff John Graham rushes to Chicago when his elderly mother disappears from her retirement community, leaving her purse and car behind. Partnered with lieutenant Sharon Noble, he races to untangle family history and hidden motives before time runs out.
Taken
by Dee Henderson
2015
Abducted at sixteen and forced to work for the Jacoby crime family, Shannon Bliss survives eleven years before engineering her escape by faking her death. She turns to private investigator Matthew Dane for help pursuing justice and rebuilding a life her powerful enemies would rather erase.
Undetected
by Dee Henderson
2014
Commander Mark Bishop quietly commands a ballistic missile submarine, carrying a burden of responsibility few know. Ocean scientist Gina Gray believes she has made a breakthrough that could change submarine warfare, and as they work together amid rising Pacific tensions, friendship edges toward something more.
Unspoken
by Dee Henderson
2013
Charlotte Graham, once the victim in Chicago’s most notorious kidnapping case, has rebuilt her life under a new identity and refuses to talk about those four missing years. When a family inheritance forces her back into the spotlight, coin dealer Bryce Bishop and an old case push her to finally break her silence.
Full Disclosure
by Dee Henderson
2012
Midwest Homicide Investigator Ann Silver brings FBI agent Paul Falcon a case file that might finally crack a long‑running hired‑killer investigation. As Paul digs into the evidence—and Ann’s surprising connections to powerful people—professional trust deepens into a relationship built on shared faith and hard truths.
Jennifer
by Dee Henderson
2010
Pediatrician Jennifer O'Malley loves her young patients and her busy Dallas practice, but surgeon Tom Peterson unexpectedly captures her heart. As she introduces him to her large family and begins a new walk of faith, an unexpected illness puts that fragile hope to the test.
The Witness
by Dee Henderson
2006
Years after witnessing a multiple murder, Amanda Griffin has survived by living under aliases and staying invisible. Deputy police chief Luke Granger befriends her, then is drawn into protecting Amanda and her newly wealthy sisters when old enemies realize she’s still alive.
True Courage / Kidnapped
by Dee Henderson
2004
FBI agent Luke Falcon’s cousin’s wife and young son disappear, and every clue suggests a carefully planned abduction. Working with Caroline, the only witness left, Luke follows a twisting trail of ransom demands and family secrets while trying not to lose his heart along the way.
The Rescuer
by Dee Henderson
2003
Paramedic Stephen O'Malley has spent years pulling strangers out of wrecks, but one catastrophic night forces him to fight for someone he loves. As stolen jewels surface and a kidnapping collides with a tornado, Stephen races to save his friend Meghan and confront his own weary faith.
Before I Wake
by Dee Henderson
2003
Rae Gabriella leaves the FBI after a disastrous undercover case and joins former colleague Bruce Chapel as a private investigator in Justice, Illinois. When women begin dying quietly in local hotels, Rae, Bruce, and Sheriff Nathan Justice uncover a chilling pattern that points straight to her doorstep.
True Valor
by Dee Henderson
2002
Navy pilot Gracie Yates and Air Force pararescue jumper Bruce “Striker” Stanton keep their relationship alive through letters swapped between dangerous deployments. When Gracie goes missing behind enemy lines, Bruce’s next mission becomes deeply personal: bring home the woman he loves.
True Honor
by Dee Henderson
2002
After September 11, CIA officer Darcy St. James is called back from civilian life to track a man who profited from advance knowledge of the attacks. Her intel sends Navy SEAL Sam “Cougar” Houston around the world, and their growing relationship unfolds under the pressure of war.
The Healer
by Dee Henderson
2002
Disaster specialist Rachel O'Malley helps children cope after tragedies, but a school shooting in her community leaves her emotionally drained and professionally stretched. As she and Captain Cole Parker search for a missing gun and a traumatized child, Rachel also faces her sister’s failing health.
The Truth Seeker
by Dee Henderson
2001
Forensic pathologist Lisa O'Malley loves solving puzzles, but a string of murdered women pulls her into more danger than she expects. U.S. Marshal Quinn Diamond has fallen for her and now has to keep Lisa alive while they hunt a killer who may already be watching.
The Protector
by Dee Henderson
2001
Firefighter Jack O'Malley is fearless on the job, but a serial arsonist targeting his district turns him and his crew into prey. When burn survivor Cassie Ellis realises she saw the arsonist’s face, Jack becomes her reluctant bodyguard as the fires grow more personal.
The Guardian
by Dee Henderson
2001
When a federal judge is assassinated, U.S. Marshal Marcus O'Malley is assigned to protect the sole eyewitness, a young teacher suddenly marked for death. Long days on the run draw them together, even as the assassin closes in and Marcus questions how far duty can stretch.
True Devotion
by Dee Henderson
2000
Lifeguard Kelly Jacobs has already lost one Navy SEAL husband and refuses to risk her heart again, even for Joe “Bear” Baker, her late husband’s best friend. When evidence surfaces that Nick’s death was no accident, Joe must protect Kelly from a killer who has returned.
The Negotiator
by Dee Henderson
1999
Hostage negotiator Kate O'Malley is used to walking into volatile situations, but a courthouse bombing and anonymous threats push her into the crosshairs. FBI agent Dave Richman, already protective after a previous case, must guard her life while she wrestles with faith and trust.
Danger in the Shadows
by Dee Henderson
1999
Sara, hidden in witness protection since a childhood abduction, knows staying invisible is the only way to stay alive. Falling for well‑known former pro‑football player Adam Black shatters that safety, drawing out a persistent stalker and forcing her to confront terror and faith head‑on.
God's Gift
by Dee Henderson
1998
After a serious injury ends his missionary work in Africa, James Graham returns to Chicago and finally meets Rachel Ashcroft, the stranger whose thoughtful gifts once sustained him overseas. As he helps her confront a deep sadness, friendship slowly turns into hope and love.
The Marriage Wish
by Dee Henderson
1997
Successful executive Scott Williams seems to have everything until his thirty‑eighth birthday makes him admit he wants a wife and children. When he meets widowed author Jennifer St. James, both must face grief, anger at God, and the risk of loving again.
Where should I start?
If you want her classic family romantic suspense: Danger in the Shadows → The Negotiator → The Guardian → The Truth Seeker.
If you enjoy military heroes and high-stakes missions: True Devotion → True Valor → True Honor → True Courage / Kidnapped.
If you like cold-case investigations and puzzles: Traces of Guilt → Threads of Suspicion.
If you prefer standalone contemporary thrillers: Full Disclosure → Taken → Undetected → Unspoken.
If you want quieter, relationship-focused stories: The Marriage Wish → God's Gift.
Author bio
Dee Henderson writes Christian fiction that leans toward quiet suspense, slow-building romance, and characters who talk honestly about faith in the middle of danger. She’s best known for the O’Malley novels, the Uncommon Heroes military stories, and later standalones like Full Disclosure and Taken.
She is a lifelong resident of Illinois and makes her home in Springfield. Henderson grew up as a pastor’s daughter, steeped in church life, and started scribbling stories when she was still a kid. That mix of small midwestern details and everyday Christianity shows up in nearly all her work.
Henderson studied engineering, not English. She earned a B.S. in computer science from the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign in 1988 and then spent about a decade working as an engineer. Only later did she decide to pursue writing professionally, bringing a methodical, systems-minded approach to plotting crimes and investigations.
She began writing fiction for publication in the mid‑1990s. Her early novels The Marriage Wish and God’s Gift introduced readers to her blend of contemporary romance and straightforward conversations about God, family, and second chances. Those quieter stories paved the way for the suspense-heavy books that followed.
The big turning point was the O’Malley series. A prequel, Danger in the Shadows, introduces Sara and former pro-football player Adam Black, along with FBI agent Dave Richman. The core books follow adopted siblings Kate, Marcus, Lisa, Jack, Rachel, Stephen, and Jennifer O’Malley—people in high-risk jobs like hostage negotiation, U.S. Marshals Service, forensics, firefighting, disaster counselling, and EMS—as they tackle major cases and slowly work through their own questions about faith.
From there she moved into the Uncommon Heroes books, which shift the focus to military life. True Devotion, True Valor, True Honor, and True Courage (also published as Kidnapped) follow Navy SEALs, Air Force pararescue jumpers, CIA officers, and an FBI agent, along with the families and spouses who wait for them to come home. The stories weave rescue missions, intelligence work, and the cost of service together with steady, faith-centered relationships.
Henderson has also written a long run of standalones. The Witness and Before I Wake explore small-town law enforcement and private investigators dealing with serial crimes. Full Disclosure pairs Midwest homicide investigator Ann Silver with FBI agent Paul Falcon as they chase a contract killer and uncover Ann’s complicated past. Later novels like Unspoken, Undetected, and Taken lean into intricate investigations, long conversations, and low-heat romance, often linking back to characters and agencies from earlier books.
More recently she launched the Evie Blackwell Cold Case novels, beginning with Traces of Guilt and Threads of Suspicion. Evie is an Illinois State Police detective tapped for a governor’s task force that reopens missing-persons and murder files, giving Henderson room to show painstaking cold-case work alongside the emotional weight those cases carry for families and investigators.
Across this body of work, Henderson’s books have picked up a range of industry recognition rather than splashy headlines. She has won or been nominated for the RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, the Holt Medallion, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Golden Quill. Several titles have landed on national bestseller lists, and Full Disclosure reached the New York Times list as well as appearing on USA Today.
Alongside the suspense, she’s also written more reflective projects such as The Good News Project, Immortality, and An Unfinished Death, which blend storytelling with devotional-style questions about God, healing, and what it means to trust Him with unanswered prayers.
Henderson is single and continues to live in Illinois, attending the same church she grew up in. Away from the page she enjoys painting, reading, walking her neighborhood, and spending time with her dogs. She stays in touch with readers by email and often asks for their prayers as she works on the next story.
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.














































Comments
Did we miss something? Have feedback?
Help us improve this page by sharing your thoughts