Elemental Assassin Books in Order
Part ofJennifer Estep Books in OrderSee the Elemental Assassin series by Jennifer Estep in order, with book summaries, world background, and guidance on where to start Gin Blanco's gritty urban fantasy adventures.
Last updated: January 17, 2026
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Publication Order
29 books
Stings and Stones
by Jennifer Estep
2023
This collection gathers Elemental Assassin short stories that span Gin’s career, along with tales told by Finn, Jo Jo, Bria, Mab, and others. Readers get glimpses of early jobs, ghostly loves, villain origins, and quiet moments between the fights.
Spider and Frost
by Jennifer Estep
2023
On a scenic train trip, assassin Gin Blanco crosses paths with Gwen Frost, Champion of Nike, guarding dangerous artifacts. When Reapers strike mid journey, the two heroines must figure out whether they can trust each other and survive.
Heart Stings
by Jennifer Estep
2023
Ice and metal elemental Lorelei Parker enjoys a rare stretch of peace after her grandmother’s wedding. When a ruthless crime boss threatens her business, she has to rely on her own magic and decide whether to trust enigmatic vampire Hugh Tucker.
Last Strand
by Jennifer Estep
2021
Every thread in Gin’s long war against the Circle comes together when she targets its ruthless head. Racing the clock to protect her friends and Ashland itself, she must weave one final plan or die in the attempt.
Winter’s Web
by Jennifer Estep
2019
A winter festival trip brings Gin and friends to a mountain resort hosting games, food, and a dangerous tournament. When an assassination attempt interrupts the fun, Gin fights to keep her people alive far from home turf.
Sharpest Sting
by Jennifer Estep
2019
As Gin finally closes in on the Circle’s mysterious leader, betrayals slice closer than ever. Family secrets, shifting loyalties, and one last terrible choice force her to decide what she is willing to sacrifice for victory.
Venom in the Veins
by Jennifer Estep
2018
A charity auction featuring Mab Monroe’s old possessions draws thieves and killers to Ashland’s museum. When the event turns deadly, Gin discovers a new enemy tied to her past and to the Circle that has haunted her life.
Haints and Hobwebs
by Jennifer Estep
2018
On Halloween, Gin investigates a supposedly haunted house for a worried client. The ghosts turn out to be human and armed, and Gin has to separate local legends from a very real plot before anyone else gets hurt.
Snared
by Jennifer Estep
2017
Investigating a missing girl pulls Gin into the orbit of a tech savvy serial killer who treats people like prey. To stop him, she has to follow a trail of bodies and outmaneuver a predator who thinks she is his next trophy.
Unwanted
by Jennifer Estep
2016
From Finn’s point of view, this novella explores his grief and anger after confronting his mother’s betrayal. When a dangerous loose end from that heist surfaces, he has to decide what kind of man he wants to be.
Unraveled
by Jennifer Estep
2016
A trip to a Wild West themed resort promises fun for Gin and her friends, until the tourist playground reveals a darker history. Corrupt owners and hidden graves turn their vacation into another fight for survival.
Nice Guys Bite
by Jennifer Estep
2016
Silvio Sanchez rarely takes time off from running Gin’s empire, but a promising date lures him out for the night. When giants crash his quiet evening, the meticulous vampire must improvise if he wants to live to see dessert.
Bitter Bite
by Jennifer Estep
2016
Finn’s long lost mother sweeps back into his life with apologies and secrets. Gin is sure the reunion hides a con, but exposing the truth means facing a scheme that could shatter Finn and cost lives at the bank.
Spider's Trap
by Jennifer Estep
2015
Now firmly in charge of Ashland’s underworld, Gin tries to keep the peace among rival bosses. A cunning new foe turns a celebration into a bloodbath, proving that wearing the crown can be as deadly as any job.
Poison Promise
by Jennifer Estep
2014
A deadly new drug floods Ashland’s streets, and one of Gin’s employees becomes a target for the dealers. Taking on the brutal kingpin behind the operation draws Gin into some of the ugliest corners of her city.
Black Widow
by Jennifer Estep
2014
Recovering from recent battles, Gin thinks she might finally catch a break. Instead, a deceptively sweet enemy launches a meticulous plan to destroy her, forcing the Spider to fight back from the edge of defeat.
The Spider
by Jennifer Estep
2013
Gin looks back on one of her earliest big jobs, a contract that went sideways and changed her life. The flashback reveals how she earned her reputation, the mistakes she made, and the lessons she never forgot.
Kiss of Venom
by Jennifer Estep
2013
Told from Owen Grayson’s point of view, this novella follows him as he struggles with guilt over past choices and faces a new threat. Protecting Gin means confronting his own mistakes and what he is willing to sacrifice.
Heart of Venom
by Jennifer Estep
2013
When someone from Jo Jo’s past returns with cruel intentions, Gin races into the Appalachian wilderness to save her friend. The rescue mission uncovers a vicious enemy and tests just how far Gin will go for family.
Deadly Sting
by Jennifer Estep
2013
Gin attends a glamorous gala at Ashland’s fanciest museum, only to be caught in a heist turned hostage situation. Trapped with thieves and priceless loot, she uses knives and elemental power to reclaim the night.
Carniepunk: Parlor Tricks
by Jennifer Estep
2013
During a visit to a traveling carnival, Gin senses something darker than rigged games and cheap prizes. When a magical con turns deadly, she has to unravel the trick before the midway becomes a massacre.
Widow's Web
by Jennifer Estep
2012
When a dangerous femme fatale with ties to Gin’s lover strolls into town, the Spider’s personal and professional lives collide. Gin must decide who to trust as jealousy, lies, and lethal magic swirl around them.
Thread of Death
by Jennifer Estep
2012
At a high profile funeral for a fallen enemy, Gin expects sharp words, not fresh attempts on her life. Old grudges and new schemes collide, forcing the Spider to strike back even while the city pretends to mourn.
By a Thread
by Jennifer Estep
2012
Escaping Ashland for a beach town, Gin hopes for rest but finds another underworld boss tormenting an old friend. Standing up for the locals reignites her assassin instincts and proves trouble follows her everywhere.
Tangled Threads
by Jennifer Estep
2011
Mab Monroe hires an out of town assassin to kill the Spider, turning Gin from hunter to hunted. To survive, she has to outthink a rival killer, protect the people she loves, and decide how far she will go for revenge.
Spider’s Revenge
by Jennifer Estep
2011
The final showdown with Mab Monroe is here. As Ashland trembles under elemental fire, Gin risks everything to stop the crime queen who destroyed her family, even if it means not making it out of the fight alive.
Web of Lies
by Jennifer Estep
2010
Trying to enjoy retirement, Gin Blanco is dragged back into the game when a local woman and her grandfather are targeted by a ruthless mining tycoon. Protecting them means revealing the Spider again.
Venom
by Jennifer Estep
2010
Ashland’s most sadistic giant sets his sights on a new victim, pulling Gin into a rescue that quickly becomes personal. Taking him down forces her to expose more of her past and deepen her war with Mab Monroe.
Spider's Bite
by Jennifer Estep
2010
Gin Blanco, an assassin called the Spider, is double crossed on what should be a simple hit and framed for murder. Hunted by criminals and a determined detective, she must uncover who set her up and why.
Series background & context
The Elemental Assassin series is set in Ashland, a fictional Southern city where mob families, monsters, and magic all operate in the open. At the center of it all is Gin Blanco, an assassin known on the streets as the Spider. Gin can control Ice and Stone, a rare combination of elemental power that makes her very good at her job and very hard to kill.
By day, Gin runs the Pork Pit, a hole in the wall barbecue restaurant that doubles as neutral ground, information hub, and found family kitchen. At night, she takes contracts on some of the worst people Ashland has to offer, balancing paid hits with jobs that are more about justice than money. Her foster brother Finn, a charming banker with a weakness for suits and schemes, handles the finances and happily inserts himself into her life whether she wants him there or not.
The wider world is packed with dangerous players. Giants serve as muscle, dwarves run everything from beauty salons to black market clinics, and vampires prefer business and politics to brooding in the dark. Elementals who wield Air, Fire, Ice, or Stone sit at the top of the power heap, and many of them use their magic to control entire neighborhoods or industries. Early books revolve around Gin’s long game against Mab Monroe, a ruthless Fire elemental who ordered the murder of Gin’s family, and the secretive Circle that profits from nearly every crime in the region.
Across the novels and novellas, readers see Gin at different points in her life. Some stories follow her current battles as the de facto queen of Ashland’s underworld, trying to protect the city from outside threats and old enemies. Others flash back to her teenage years with Fletcher Lane, the assassin who took her in, trained her, and quietly tried to steer her toward a different kind of life.
Tonally, the series is dark but not joyless. Gin is blunt, practical, and occasionally funny in the way only someone who has seen too much can be. Food, especially the dishes she cooks for the people she cares about, shows up in nearly every book, anchoring the fights and vendettas in something homely and human. Her circle includes cops, thieves, elemental healers, and blue collar workers, and the relationships among them matter as much as the next big fight.
If you like urban fantasy built around one capable heroine, with clear action scenes, ongoing mysteries about shadowy organizations, and a strong sense of place, Elemental Assassin is Estep’s flagship series. Each novel brings a new scheme or villain to unravel, but the books also build on one another, gradually untangling Gin’s past and the true reach of the Circle that has shaped her life.
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