Kiki Swinson Books in Order
Explore Kiki Swinson books in order, with quick summaries, series guides, character notes, and easy help finding the best place to start.
Last updated: June 7, 2026
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Publication Order
59 books
Wifey
by Kiki Swinson
2004
Kira has the salon, the house, and the feared drug dealer husband, Ricky. But when his cheating and a federal threat close in, she has to decide whether loyalty matters more than getting out alive.
I'm Still Wifey
by Kiki Swinson
2005
With Ricky serving federal time, Kira is left angry, restless, and hungry for revenge on the people who played her. Every move she makes pulls her deeper into fresh drama and new danger.
Mad Shambles
by Kiki Swinson
2005
Delyah, Almirah, and Lisa are best friends trying to hold each other together through personal chaos. Their bond is strong, but every choice around them threatens to drag the trio into more trouble.
Life After Wifey
by Kiki Swinson
2007
Nikki has information that could send dangerous people away for life, including the boyfriend now sharing her bed. To survive, she has to play the streets better than the men hunting her.
The Candy Shop
by Kiki Swinson
2007
Faith Simmons was a respected assistant principal with a family and a home. Then heroin takes hold, and she starts selling, stealing, and destroying her own life to keep the high going.
A Sticky Situation
by Kiki Swinson
2008
Federal parole officer Maxine Shaw breaks every rule when she falls for parolee Seth Richardson. When his former partner Samantha comes home from prison, desire, jealousy, and career risk collide.
Still Wifey Material
by Kiki Swinson
2008
After leaving witness protection, Kira learns that people she cared about have been murdered and heads to Houston for a fresh start. There she meets a wealthy nightclub owner whose secrets may get her killed.
Notorious
by Kiki Swinson
2009
After the chaos in Miami, Yoshi Lomax heads back to Norfolk hoping to stay low. Instead she witnesses a brutal murder and becomes the next target of a ruthless dealer.
Playing Dirty
by Kiki Swinson
2009
Criminal defense attorney Yoshi Lomax has built a career by bribing, seducing, and manipulating the system. When she takes on Haitian mob boss Sheldon Chisholm, someone starts sabotaging every move she makes.
Cheaper to Keep Her
by Kiki Swinson
2010
Lynise gets pulled from strip-club shifts into a spoiled life with Duke Carrington, a charming heavy hitter who seems to want only her. Once he starts looking for a replacement, Lynise starts plotting revenge.
Heist
by Kiki Swinson
2010
This crime-fiction pairing opens with Swinson's story of Shannon Marshall, who loses her luxury life when her husband is sent to prison. To get it back, she signs on for a reckless stickup with deadly consequences.
Still Candy Shopping
by Kiki Swinson
2010
Faith Simmons wants rehab to give her back the daughter and life she lost to heroin. But painful news sends her spiraling again, and survival becomes the only goal left.
Wife Extraordinaire
by Kiki Swinson
2010
Two couples sign up for a wife-swapping reality show hoping for quick money. Instead, the switch stirs up jealousy, crossed loyalties, and a chain of consequences nobody can cleanly walk away from.
Wifey 4 Life
by Kiki Swinson
2010
Kira leaves her quiet island life to attend her cousin Nikki's funeral in Virginia. The moment word gets out, a bounty lands on her head and going home becomes a fight for survival.
Cheaper to Keep Her 2
by Kiki Swinson
2011
Lynise has been betrayed by her ex-best friend and by Duke Carrington, the man who once spoiled her. Now she is ready to prove exactly why crossing her was a costly mistake.
Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless
by Kiki Swinson
2011
Money, status, and luxury set the stage for this gritty urban drama about people living flashy while hiding dangerous secrets. The higher they climb, the nastier the betrayals become.
New York's Finest
by Kiki Swinson
2011
Flight attendant Naomi Foxx helps her brother Reggie run a slick drug-smuggling operation through the airport. When the organization starts collapsing, she has to choose between loyalty and escape.
Wife Extraordinaire Returns
by Kiki Swinson
2011
After surviving a near-fatal shooting, Trice tries to recover with Troy at her side. But pregnancy, prison visits to Leon, and Charlene's growing hatred turn the fallout into something even more dangerous.
A Gangster and A Gentleman
by Kiki Swinson
2012
This two-novella volume opens with Swinson's tale of Melody Goldman, whose rich, cheating husband pushes her toward dangerous revenge. The man she hires to help may be just as big a problem as the husband she wants gone.
Cheaper to Keep Her 3
by Kiki Swinson
2012
After bloodshed and betrayal, Lynise flees to New Jersey hoping to outrun the past. Instead, fresh danger, bad men, and her own need for payback keep dragging her deeper in.
Green Eye Bandit
by Kiki Swinson
2012
Tina and Shelby Martin make their money robbing men and trusting each other. But the hustle that once felt easy starts to fall apart when greed and heat from the streets catch up to them.
Internationally Known
by Kiki Swinson
2012
Naomi and Damian go into hiding while trying not to tip off the federal government or their enemies. Staying low should keep them safe, but the people hunting them are not slowing down.
Murder Was the Case
by Kiki Swinson
2012
Yoshi Lomax is pulled into another vicious power struggle where bodies keep surfacing and every side wants something from her. To stay alive, she has to decide just how far outside the law she is willing to go.
Cheaper to Keep Her 4
by Kiki Swinson
2013
Lynise thought running off with Bishop might change her luck, but she ends up in witness protection instead. Even a safe house cannot keep old enemies and unfinished revenge from finding her.
Ericka Kane
by Kiki Swinson
2013
Ericka Kane is the daughter of a multimillionaire who has never looked too closely at her father's business. When her best friend disappears and bodies start turning up, family loyalty gets tested hard.
Green Eye Bandit 2
by Kiki Swinson
2013
After a bloody disaster, Tina Martin ends up in police custody with more questions than answers. The sisters' robbery game has finally caught up with them, and the cost keeps climbing.
I'm Forever
by Kiki Swinson
2013
Naomi and Damian have rescued Reggie, but the danger has only spread. The Feds, a powerful drug family, and a growing bounty leave the whole crew fighting to stay one step ahead.
Reloaded
by Kiki Swinson
2013
Trice and Charlene are still locked in a vicious fight over love, pride, and who comes out on top. Grief, schemes, and fresh betrayals turn their feud into an all-out war.
Suckers 4 Candy
by Kiki Swinson
2013
This gritty novella looks at how heroin wrecks a family from the street level up. After a younger brother dies from an overdose, the people left behind are forced into desperate choices.
Who's Wife Extraordinaire Now
by Kiki Swinson
2013
The battle between Trice and Charlene is not over yet. Old wounds, rivalry, and unfinished scores keep pushing both women toward one last ugly showdown.
Fistful of Benjamins
by Kiki Swinson
2014
This urban-fiction collection opens with Swinson's tale of Gabriella Vasquez, a mail carrier making big money by moving cocaine through her route. When the Feds squeeze her, every dangerous alliance starts to crack.
Cheaper to Keep Her
by Kiki Swinson
2015
Bartender Lynise gets swept into a glamorous life by wealthy gambler Duke Carrington. When she realizes he plans to replace her, she decides he should have thought harder before crossing her.
His Rebound Bitch
by Kiki Swinson
2015
Kim Weeks refuses to be the quiet ex-wife of a cheating nightclub owner. Hurt and furious, she starts turning heartbreak into revenge, and the fallout is anything but clean.
The Score
by Kiki Swinson
2015
Identity thief Lauren Kelly and her lover Matt go after a multimillion-dollar account that looks like easy money. Then betrayal hits, Lauren vanishes with the cash, and the wrong people come after their share.
To the Death
by Kiki Swinson
2015
Naomi and Damian are still on the run while their operation falls apart around them. With enemies circling and survival getting more expensive, Naomi has to decide what, and who, she is willing to sacrifice.
Schemes
by Kiki Swinson
2016
Karlie Houston is tired of watching money flow through the payday-loan office she manages without seeing any of it herself. Her answer is a bold heist that quickly turns deadly.
Wifey's Next Deadly Hustle
by Kiki Swinson
2016
Kira has money, a powerful fiancé, and a bigger game than ever in South Beach. But a dead judge, a ruthless detective, and betrayal inside the crew threaten to blow up everything she built.
Wifey's Next Hustle
by Kiki Swinson
2016
After loss and close calls, Kira leaves Virginia for South Beach and starts selling luxury cars. When a rich client's favors lead back to a killing, her shiny new hustle turns dangerous fast.
Bad Behavior
by Kiki Swinson
2017
This double-shot urban fiction volume opens with Swinson's story of sibling hit team Aiden and Ava, who are paid to kill nine targets in ten days. Then Ava falls for the last man on the list, and everything starts to slip.
Cheaper to Keep Her 5
by Kiki Swinson
2017
Lynise escapes the safe house, only to be betrayed and dropped into even worse danger. While the man who loves her breaks rules to find her, she ends up trapped in a killer's twisted world.
Dirty Tricks
by Kiki Swinson
2017
Karlie Houston is running for her life after a payday-loan heist goes bad. Broke, betrayed, and hunted by the real owners of the money, she needs one last scheme just to survive.
The Mark
by Kiki Swinson
2017
Lauren Kelly thought the millions she stole had bought her a quiet new life. Then her ex Matt kidnaps her husband and baby, and Lauren turns the search for revenge into all-out war.
Wifey's Next Come Up
by Kiki Swinson
2017
Kira is back on top in South Beach, but her world is cracking fast. With Dylan in jail, a homicide detective closing in, and her own father turning into a threat, she considers a deadly solution.
Wifey's Next Twisted Fate
by Kiki Swinson
2017
Kira thinks one ruthless move will take the heat off her and Dylan. Instead, suspicion, grief, and a rival's trap push her into one of the most dangerous stretches of her life.
Dead on Arrival
by Kiki Swinson
2018
Dawn and Reese Spencer agree to smuggle human cargo through the Norfolk port for quick money. Then immigrants turn up dead, debts explode, and the people behind the operation start killing loose ends.
I'm New York's Finest
by Kiki Swinson
2018
Naomi Foxx is more than a flight attendant, she is also a key part of a drug-smuggling operation. Once the DEA starts circling, her money and connections may not be enough to save her.
Wifey's Next Sticky Situation
by Kiki Swinson
2018
After a deadly ambush, Kira is broke, grieving, and on the run with Nick. While the police close in and panic attacks take hold, she has to reach safety before the streets finish what they started.
Behind Closed Doors
by Kiki Swinson
2019
Evelyn Epstein has money, status, and a family that is falling apart. Between her troubled daughter and her husband's affair, she becomes determined to destroy the people humiliating her, no matter the cost.
His Rebound Bitch Part 2
by Kiki Swinson
2019
Kim Weeks has already started taking revenge on the women tied to her ex-husband. But as the body count rises and her friend Mariah faces trouble of her own, Kim's mission gets bloodier and harder to control.
The Black Market
by Kiki Swinson
2019
Pharmacy tech Misty Heiress starts stealing pain pills to help her cousin, then discovers there is real money in selling them. Soon the black market, the mob, and the Feds are all closing in.
The Hunt Is on
by Kiki Swinson
2019
Lynise is running out of places to hide and people to trust. With old enemies still hunting her, she has to survive one more brutal round of payback and unfinished business.
The Safe House
by Kiki Swinson
2019
One bad deal leaves a young woman under federal protection and hunted by a cartel boss. As her family and friends start paying the price, hiding is no longer enough to keep her alive.
Property of the State
by Kiki Swinson
2020
After killing her abusive boyfriend in self-defense, Misty Heiress lands in a nightmare prison system. Illegal medical experiments and violent enemies force her into a risky escape plan that may be even deadlier than staying put.
The Deadline
by Kiki Swinson
2020
Khloé Mercer is an off-air TV journalist desperate for a career-making story. When a murder on her Norfolk home turf opens the door to dangerous truths, ambition puts her directly in the killers' sights.
Playing with Fire
by Kiki Swinson
2021
Before she became a ruthless attorney, Yoshi Lomax was a struggling student at a prestigious college. When her roommate ends up in a coma and a diary full of secrets surfaces, Yoshi gets pulled into a deadly campus underworld.
Playing Their Games
by Kiki Swinson
2022
Young Yoshi Lomax lands an internship at an elite Manhattan law firm and discovers how the rich keep trouble off the record. Her talent for helping powerful clients soon paints a target on her back.
Public Enemy #1
by Kiki Swinson
2022
Former journalist Khloé Mercer tries to make her name as a private investigator in Norfolk. Her first big case, a cop's suspicious suicide, exposes dirty police and a brutal underworld that wants her quiet.
Burning Season
by Kiki Swinson
2023
Volunteer firefighter Alayna Curry loves the work but badly needs more money. An arson-for-insurance scheme looks like an answer, until greed and betrayal turn the job into a fight for her life.
Where There's Smoke
by Kiki Swinson
2024
Alayna Curry is no longer just trapped in a bad scheme, she is trying to bury it. As the FBI and the police pull at her lies, she makes riskier and riskier moves to save herself and her brother.
Where should I start?
If you want her signature street-lit saga: Wifey → I'm Still Wifey → Life After Wifey
If you want a slick crime-thriller series: The Black Market → The Safe House → Property of the State
If you want a ruthless legal antihero: Playing with Fire → Playing Their Games → Playing Dirty → Notorious
If you want con artists and revenge: The Score → The Mark
If you want a newer, fast-moving thriller: Burning Season → Where There's Smoke
Author bio
Kiki Swinson grew up in Portsmouth, Virginia, and that city never really leaves her work. Its neighborhoods, hustles, loyalties, and hard choices show up again and again in her fiction, usually through women who are trying to survive, take control, or simply get out alive.
Her path to writing was anything but neat. Before prison, she was already taking college English courses and thinking seriously about words. While serving a five-year federal sentence, she finished her first novel, Mad Shambles. After her release in December 1996, she self-published it and kept going.
That second act changed everything.
Her next novel, Wifey, became a number one Essence bestseller and helped turn her into one of the best-known names in street lit. The book drew on parts of her own past as the partner of a drug dealer, but what made it stick with readers was not just the realism. It was the voice. Swinson writes women who are sharp, messy, loyal, reckless, funny, wounded, and very rarely helpless.
That runs through a lot of her books. In Playing Dirty and its related novels, readers meet Yoshi Lomax, a lawyer who knows exactly how crooked the system can be and how to work it. In The Black Market, a Virginia Beach pharmacy tech makes one bad decision and keeps getting dragged deeper. The Candy Shop takes a different angle, following a woman whose addiction tears through every part of her life. More recently, Burning Season shifts into crime thriller territory with a firefighter pulled into an arson scheme.
The women in these books are often under pressure from money, men, family, the police, or their own choices. Usually all of the above. Swinson likes high stakes, but she also keeps things personal. Even when the plot is moving fast, there is usually a woman in the middle of it trying to hold on to something, pride, freedom, children, love, or one last chance.
She has written more than forty novels and short stories, and her books have sold in the millions.
What readers tend to like most is easy to spot. The stories move. The dialogue is direct. The settings feel lived in, especially in Virginia, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and other Southern spaces she returns to often. There is plenty of crime and betrayal, but there is also a strong sense of how people talk, what they want, and what desperation can make them do.
Swinson has also stayed close to the world that shaped her work. She has said the Wifey books were rooted in what she lived through in the late 1980s and 1990s, and that kind of lived experience gives even her wildest plots a certain bite. She now lives in Virginia Beach, and that home base still anchors much of what she writes.
Her career is a real second-chance story. And you can feel that on the page.
Edited by
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