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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

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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 NightThe Twilight HowlA Howl for Help.
For a younger-reader entry point: A Howl at Midnight.
For conspiracy thrillers: The Kennedy RifleThe Steel Violin.
For the full Howl run: A Howl in the NightHowling through DarknessDead Dogs Don't Howl.

JK Brandon sub-series and character series

Howl books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "A Howl in the Night"

    A Howl in the Night

    by JK Brandon

    2001Howl, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "A Howl at Midnight"

    A Howl at Midnight

    by JK Brandon

    2012Howl, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "A Howl for Help"

    A Howl for Help

    by JK Brandon

    2012Howl, Book 4
  4. Book cover for "The Twilight Howl"

    The Twilight Howl

    by JK Brandon

    2012Howl, Book 3
  5. Book cover for "Howling through Darkness"

    Howling through Darkness

    by JK Brandon

    2013Howl, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Less Howl, More Wag"

    Less Howl, More Wag

    by JK Brandon

    2013Howl, Book 7
  7. Book cover for "Murder Most Howl"

    Murder Most Howl

    by JK Brandon

    2013Howl, Book 6
  8. Book cover for "Shoot First, Howl Later"

    Shoot First, Howl Later

    by JK Brandon

    2014Howl, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Howl of the Wild"

    Howl of the Wild

    by JK Brandon

    2015Howl, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "Howl No Evil"

    Howl No Evil

    by JK Brandon

    2016Howl, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "Dead Dogs Don't Howl"

    Dead Dogs Don't Howl

    by JK Brandon

    2017Howl, Book 11

Howl books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "A Howl in the Night"

    A Howl in the Night

    by JK Brandon

    2001Howl, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "A Howl at Midnight"

    A Howl at Midnight

    by JK Brandon

    2012Howl, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Twilight Howl"

    The Twilight Howl

    by JK Brandon

    2012Howl, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "A Howl for Help"

    A Howl for Help

    by JK Brandon

    2012Howl, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Howling through Darkness"

    Howling through Darkness

    by JK Brandon

    2013Howl, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Murder Most Howl"

    Murder Most Howl

    by JK Brandon

    2013Howl, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Less Howl, More Wag"

    Less Howl, More Wag

    by JK Brandon

    2013Howl, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Shoot First, Howl Later"

    Shoot First, Howl Later

    by JK Brandon

    2014Howl, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Howl of the Wild"

    Howl of the Wild

    by JK Brandon

    2015Howl, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "Howl No Evil"

    Howl No Evil

    by JK Brandon

    2016Howl, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "Dead Dogs Don't Howl"

    Dead Dogs Don't Howl

    by JK Brandon

    2017Howl, Book 11

Standalone JK Brandon books

  1. Book cover for "A Kind Word and a Gun"

    A Kind Word and a Gun

    by JK Brandon

    2012
  2. Book cover for "Tactical Reload"

    Tactical Reload

    by JK Brandon

    2012
  3. Book cover for "The Kennedy Rifle"

    The Kennedy Rifle

    by JK Brandon

    2012
  4. Book cover for "The Steel Violin"

    The Steel Violin

    by JK Brandon

    2012

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

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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