Experiment In Terror Books in Order
Part ofKarina Halle Books in OrderThis page shows the Experiment in Terror books in order by Karina Halle, with quick summaries, reading order help, and series background for new readers.
Last updated: June 30, 2026
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Publication Order
17 books
Darkhouse
by Karina Halle
2011
Perry Palomino sees ghosts and stumbles into a ghost hunting webcast run by the maddening Dex Foray. A haunted lighthouse case pulls them into real terror, and into each other’s orbit.
Dead Sky Morning
by Karina Halle
2011
An investigation on isolated D’Arcy Island sends Perry and Dex into the ruins of a former leper colony. The hauntings are bad enough, but the island’s madness may destroy them first.
Lying Season
by Karina Halle
2011
A week in Seattle leaves Perry trapped between her feelings for Dex and the reality of his girlfriend. Then a malicious spirit and Dex’s shadowy past make every lie far more dangerous.
Red Fox
by Karina Halle
2011
Perry and Dex head to a desolate New Mexico town where a Navajo family is tormented by unseen forces and slaughtered sheep keep turning up. The case tests their trust as old myths turn deadly.
The Benson
by Karina Halle
2011
A stop at Portland’s famously haunted Benson Hotel gives Perry and Dex another tight, creepy case. Strange activity and rising tension make this shorter entry feel anything but small.
Into the Hollow
by Karina Halle
2012
Perry heads into the Canadian Rockies with Dex, still hurt and still unsure whether she can trust him again. An urban legend in the snow covered wilderness forces them closer than either wants.
Old Blood
by Karina Halle
2012
This Experiment in Terror side story returns to Dex and Perry for another brush with old darkness. It adds more atmosphere, more danger, and more of the series’ addictive chemistry.
On Demon Wings
by Karina Halle
2012
Something evil is no longer chasing Perry from the outside, it is inside her. As fires, voices, and terror close in, only Dex might be able to save her.
The Dex-Files
by Karina Halle
2012
A bonus collection for Experiment in Terror readers, with extra scenes, side stories, and time inside Dex’s head. It is a fun way to deepen the series without replaying the main plot.
And with Madness Comes the Light
by Karina Halle
2013
A companion piece to the Experiment in Terror world, this novella spends more time in the emotional aftermath of horror. It is for readers who want more Dex, more Perry, and more feeling.
Ashes to Ashes
by Karina Halle
2013
A haunted school on the Oregon coast brings Perry and Dex back into danger just as life seems to be improving. The dead children there want company, and they have chosen Perry.
Come Alive
by Karina Halle
2013
Told from Dex’s point of view, this installment sends the team to New Orleans to investigate a sinister voodoo sect. Keeping the show alive may be easier than keeping Perry safe.
Perception
by Karina Halle
2013
Another companion entry in the Experiment in Terror universe, this one leans into perspective and aftermath. It gives longtime readers a little more insight into the bond at the center of the series.
Dust to Dust
by Karina Halle
2014
The final main Experiment in Terror novel brings Perry and Dex up against an evil years in the making. This time it is not just their lives on the line, but everyone they love.
Came Back Haunted
by Karina Halle
2020
Perry and Dex are married and trying for normal, but normal has never really been their thing. A fresh paranormal threat pulls them back toward the terror they thought they had survived.
Ghosted
by Karina Halle
2020
When the man who disappeared from her life turns back up, a woman has to decide whether unfinished love is worth another heartbreak. This one leans into second chance ache.
In the Fade
by Karina Halle
2021
This dark, music soaked romance leans into grief, obsession, and the pull between damaged people who cannot seem to leave each other alone. The mood is as important as the plot.
Series background & context
This is the series that put a lot of readers onto Karina Halle in the first place. It starts with Perry Palomino, a twenty something who sees ghosts, feels a little untethered in her own life, and keeps stumbling into things she probably should run from. Then she meets Dex Foray, an eccentric producer with a haunted look and a talent for dragging her into danger, and the whole thing kicks into gear.
Together they make a ghost hunting web series, but Experiment in Terror is not a neat case of the week setup. Each book does send Perry and Dex somewhere new, a lighthouse, a desert town, an island campground, mountain wilderness, New Orleans, a haunted school, but the real hook is what the investigations do to them. The supernatural threats are nasty, but the emotional fallout is often just as bad.
That is the core of the series. Perry and Dex are funny, stubborn, damaged, and drawn to each other long before either of them is ready to admit it. The books build that connection slowly, while also digging into Perry’s past, Dex’s secrets, and the cost of getting close to people who live around fear for a living.
The tone is a big part of the appeal. These books can be creepy, gross, tense, and genuinely scary, but they also have humor and a lot of heart. Perry’s voice keeps the series grounded even when things get wild, and Dex brings a mix of charm and chaos that keeps every scene a little off balance.
As the series goes on, the scope gets bigger. What starts as a rough, low budget webcast turns into something more dangerous and personal, and the mythology around the characters grows with it. There are bonus stories, side material, and spin off threads, but the center always comes back to Perry and Dex and the strange, messy partnership that keeps surviving the impossible.
If you like paranormal romance that actually leans into the paranormal, this is a good fit. It is road trip horror, slow burn romance, and emotional wreckage all at once.
Edited by
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