Heroes for Hire Books in Order
Part ofShirlee McCoy Books in OrderSee all the Heroes for Hire books by Shirlee McCoy in order, with short summaries, series notes, and a simple guide to the best place to begin.
Last updated: July 4, 2026
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Heroes for Hire books in publication order
9 books
Running Blind
by Shirlee McCoy
2010
After escaping a Mexican gang, Jenna returns home half-blind and accused of crimes she did not commit. Former Marine Nikolai Jansen helps her clear her name and uncover what really happened to her friend.
Running for Cover
by Shirlee McCoy
2010
After Morgan Alexandria is brutally attacked, retired homicide detective Jackson Holt becomes the one man standing between her and the people hunting her. Protecting Morgan means uncovering a mystery that is darker than either of them expected.
Running Scared
by Shirlee McCoy
2010
Teacher Maggie Tennyson helps reunite a boy with the father who thought he was lost forever, then finds herself in fresh danger. Private investigator Kane Dougherty is determined to protect her and learn what she is running from.
Lone Defender
by Shirlee McCoy
2011
Stranded in the desert with danger closing in, a woman has no choice but to trust the man trying to get her out alive. Surviving the wilderness is only the start of the fight.
Private Eye Protector
by Shirlee McCoy
2011
A private investigator takes on a case that quickly becomes personal when the woman he is guarding is targeted again. Every clue draws them deeper into a threat neither can ignore.
Navy SEAL Rescuer
by Shirlee McCoy
2012
After serving time for crimes she did not commit, Catherine Miller wants only peace at her farmhouse. When attacks begin, former Navy SEAL Darius Osborne steps in, and together they face a killer determined to finish the job.
Undercover Bodyguard
by Shirlee McCoy
2012
Bakery owner Shelby Simons knows someone is after her, but accepting protection from former SEAL Ryder Malone is a different matter. Working undercover, Ryder must stop the stalker before the danger turns deadly.
Defender for Hire
by Shirlee McCoy
2013
A woman in danger turns to a seasoned protector when trouble closes in faster than she can outrun it. As they dig into the case, buried secrets make survival and trust equally hard.
Fugitive
by Shirlee McCoy
2013
When widow Laney Jefferson opens her door to a wounded, handcuffed stranger, she finds the boy she once trusted, now a wrongfully convicted lawman on the run. Helping Logan prove his innocence puts them both in the killer's sights.
Heroes for Hire books in chronological order

Running for Cover
by Shirlee McCoy
2010Heroes for Hire, Book 1
Running Scared
by Shirlee McCoy
2010Heroes for Hire, Book 2
Running Blind
by Shirlee McCoy
2010Heroes for Hire, Book 3
Lone Defender
by Shirlee McCoy
2011Heroes for Hire, Book 4
Private Eye Protector
by Shirlee McCoy
2011Heroes for Hire, Book 5
Undercover Bodyguard
by Shirlee McCoy
2012Heroes for Hire, Book 6
Navy SEAL Rescuer
by Shirlee McCoy
2012Heroes for Hire, Book 7
Fugitive
by Shirlee McCoy
2013Heroes for Hire, Book 8
Defender for Hire
by Shirlee McCoy
2013Heroes for Hire, Book 9
Series background & context
At the center of Heroes for Hire is a loose circle of private investigators, former cops, military veterans, and security specialists who make a living stepping into other people's worst days. Each book follows a new couple, but the stories are linked by shared history, returning faces, and the sense that one rescue always leads to another.
The setup is simple and effective. A woman is in trouble, often badly. She may be hiding from a stalker, running from a false accusation, searching for a missing child, or trying to survive long enough to understand why she is being targeted. The hero's job is to keep her alive. McCoy gets a lot of tension out of that basic promise.
These are protection stories first, love stories second, and that balance is the fun.
What makes the series work is that the danger never feels detached from the characters' private lives. The heroes are capable, but they are not untouched. They carry military scars, failed relationships, guilt, or old grief. The heroines are just as bruised. They are not waiting to be rescued so much as forced to accept help when their own options run out.
Expect kidnappings, ambushes, hidden identities, and secrets that refuse to stay buried. Expect faith and second chances too. If you like connected romantic suspense where trust has to be rebuilt under pressure, Heroes for Hire is one of McCoy's clearest examples of what she does well.
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