JK Brandon Books in Order
Browse J.K. Brandon books in order, with quick summaries, Howl series background, and practical guidance on the best place to start reading.
Last updated: July 14, 2026
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JK Brandon books in publication order
15 books
A Howl in the Night
by JK Brandon
2001
Taser, a black Labrador with painful memories of the dog pound, has finally found a loving home in Scottsdale. After a woman is murdered nearby, he and Meatloaf investigate, fearing that Robert may move and Taser could lose everything again.
A Howl at Midnight
by JK Brandon
2012
This PG version of *A Howl in the Night* follows Taser, a black Labrador determined to protect his safe new home. When a woman is murdered in his Scottsdale neighborhood, Taser and Meatloaf investigate before Robert decides to move.
A Howl for Help
by JK Brandon
2012
When trouble reaches their Scottsdale community, Taser and Meatloaf answer the call in their own canine way. The dogs must piece together what the humans cannot say plainly while keeping their pack, and their homes, out of danger.
A Kind Word and a Gun
by JK Brandon
2012
A compact stand-alone suspense story from J.K. Brandon. It is a quick choice for readers who want a tense crime read with the author's interest in danger, hard choices, and firearms close to the action.
Tactical Reload
by JK Brandon
2012
A short stand-alone suspense read from J.K. Brandon, built for readers who enjoy crime fiction with a tactical edge. The story delivers a brisk dose of danger and pressure in the author's direct thriller style.
The Kennedy Rifle
by JK Brandon
2012
Firearms expert Michael Cole has spent years researching his father's claim that a second gunman shot him during JFK's assassination. When Kate Marlowe offers a lead on the hidden rifle, they enter a deadly hunt involving collectors, criminals, and a long-buried conspiracy.
The Steel Violin
by JK Brandon
2012
Ballistics expert Michael Cole is handed a rare sniper rifle by the wife of a Scottsdale millionaire, then quickly becomes a target himself. With Sonia Tomei, he races to stop a plot aimed at the chairman of the Federal Reserve.
The Twilight Howl
by JK Brandon
2012
Taser and Meatloaf return for another mystery in the Scottsdale neighborhood they are determined to protect. Told through a dog's sharp senses and imperfect grasp of people, the story mixes suspense, pack loyalty, and humor.
Howling through Darkness
by JK Brandon
2013
Taser and Meatloaf leave their comfortable routines behind when danger pushes the Scottsdale pack into unfamiliar territory. Desert hazards, human secrets, and a dog's need to protect home keep the mystery moving.
Less Howl, More Wag
by JK Brandon
2013
Taser and Meatloaf face fresh trouble in their Scottsdale canine community, where a stranger can change the balance of the pack. A mystery affecting the humans gives Taser another reason to rely on courage and instinct.
Murder Most Howl
by JK Brandon
2013
Another crisis puts Taser's pack on alert, forcing him to balance old fears with his responsibility as a leader. The case blends neighborhood suspense with the funny, anxious, and fiercely loyal way dogs see human trouble.
Shoot First, Howl Later
by JK Brandon
2014
Taser and Meatloaf are drawn into another dangerous case where the people they depend on need protection. With incomplete knowledge of human motives and plenty of canine nerve, the pack follows the scent of trouble.
Howl of the Wild
by JK Brandon
2015
A quiet getaway turns dangerous when Taser, Meatloaf, their pack, and their owners are cut off at a cabin by stormy weather and rising water. As deaths follow, the dogs must identify the killer before the danger closes in.
Howl No Evil
by JK Brandon
2016
Taser, Meatloaf, and their fellow dogs face another threat to the people and neighborhood they call home. The mystery unfolds through canine instincts, partial clues, and Taser's stubborn determination to keep his pack safe.
Dead Dogs Don't Howl
by JK Brandon
2017
A short return to Taser and Meatloaf's Scottsdale world, where the safety of the pack is never something to take for granted. This final Howl story keeps its focus on canine loyalty, danger, and the bond between dogs and their people.
Where to start with JK Brandon
For canine mysteries: A Howl in the Night → The Twilight Howl → A Howl for Help.
For a younger-reader entry point: A Howl at Midnight.
For conspiracy thrillers: The Kennedy Rifle → The Steel Violin.
For the full Howl run: A Howl in the Night → Howling through Darkness → Dead Dogs Don't Howl.
JK Brandon sub-series and character series
Howl books in order
Explore this series
A Howl in the Night
by JK Brandon
2001Howl, Book 1
A Howl at Midnight
by JK Brandon
2012Howl, Book 2
A Howl for Help
by JK Brandon
2012Howl, Book 4
The Twilight Howl
by JK Brandon
2012Howl, Book 3
Howling through Darkness
by JK Brandon
2013Howl, Book 5
Less Howl, More Wag
by JK Brandon
2013Howl, Book 7
Murder Most Howl
by JK Brandon
2013Howl, Book 6
Shoot First, Howl Later
by JK Brandon
2014Howl, Book 8
Howl of the Wild
by JK Brandon
2015Howl, Book 9
Howl No Evil
by JK Brandon
2016Howl, Book 10
Dead Dogs Don't Howl
by JK Brandon
2017Howl, Book 11
Howl books in chronological order

A Howl in the Night
by JK Brandon
2001Howl, Book 1
A Howl at Midnight
by JK Brandon
2012Howl, Book 2
The Twilight Howl
by JK Brandon
2012Howl, Book 3
A Howl for Help
by JK Brandon
2012Howl, Book 4
Howling through Darkness
by JK Brandon
2013Howl, Book 5
Murder Most Howl
by JK Brandon
2013Howl, Book 6
Less Howl, More Wag
by JK Brandon
2013Howl, Book 7
Shoot First, Howl Later
by JK Brandon
2014Howl, Book 8
Howl of the Wild
by JK Brandon
2015Howl, Book 9
Howl No Evil
by JK Brandon
2016Howl, Book 10
Dead Dogs Don't Howl
by JK Brandon
2017Howl, Book 11
Standalone JK Brandon books
Author bio
J.K. Brandon writes mysteries and thrillers with a strong Arizona connection. His work ranges from conspiracy-driven suspense to the unusual, dog-narrated cases of the Howl books. The settings often bring readers to Scottsdale and the surrounding desert, where ordinary routines can turn risky fast.
Before turning to fiction, Brandon worked in several very different fields, including homebuilding, retail, architecture, manufacturing, and financial trading. It is a varied path, and it gives his books an interest in practical details, from business pressures to firearms and ballistics.
Then he found his way to writing.
His best-known premise belongs to the Howl series, which begins with A Howl in the Night. Taser, a black Labrador with a rough past, has finally found safety with his owner Robert in Scottsdale. When murder disrupts the neighborhood, Taser and his friend Meatloaf take matters into their own paws. The stories treat dogs as thinking, bickering, loyal members of a local pack, while keeping the danger aimed at the human world around them.
That combination is the point. These are mysteries with canine narrators, not simple talking-animal tales. Taser does not understand every human conversation, and that gap between what dogs notice and what people explain gives the series much of its tension and humor. The books also make room for threats from the desert, shifting pack loyalties, and the fear of losing a safe home.
Brandon later offered A Howl at Midnight, a younger-reader, PG version of the first Taser story. Other Howl titles, including The Twilight Howl, Howling through Darkness, and Howl of the Wild, continue to follow Taser, Meatloaf, and their fellow dogs through mysteries that place the pack and its people in danger.
His Michael Cole novels take a different route. In The Kennedy Rifle, Phoenix-based firearms and ballistics expert Michael Cole is pulled back into his long-running interest in the JFK assassination when Kate Marlowe arrives with a story about a hidden rifle. The Steel Violin sends Cole into another high-pressure case involving a rare precision weapon and people willing to kill for it. These books lean into chase scenes, weapons knowledge, desert locations, and conspiracies with real consequences.
Brandon has lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, with his wife and black Labradors. He has also listed sport bikes and precision rifle shooting among his interests, details that fit the worlds he builds without overwhelming the people, or dogs, at the center of them.
For readers, the choice is simple. Pick the Howl books for a mystery seen from ground level, nose first. Pick Michael Cole for a more traditional, firearms-focused thriller.
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.



















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