Maximum Security Books in Order
Part ofKat Martin Books in OrderFind the Maximum Security books by Kat Martin in order, with summaries, series background, and help picking the best place to start.
Last updated: July 1, 2026
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Maximum Security books in publication order
9 books
After the Sunrise
by Kat Martin
2018
A near-death moment creates an instant bond between two strangers in this short piece that introduces the Maximum Security world. It is brisk, tense, and quietly romantic.
Wait Until Dark
by Kat Martin
2018
This short romantic suspense drops two characters into a fast-moving night of danger, where fear and attraction rise together and every decision matters.
Shadows at Dawn
by Kat Martin
2019
In this short suspense story, danger arrives quickly and trust is hard won. Kat Martin keeps the pace tight and the emotional stakes high.
The Conspiracy
by Kat Martin
2019
When her brother disappears on a Caribbean sailing trip, Harper Winston turns to Chase Garrett, once her brother's closest friend. Their search pulls them into a deadly family business and a case that keeps getting darker.
The Deception
by Kat Martin
2019
Kate Gallagher has spent two years searching for her runaway sister, only to identify her body in the morgue. Refusing to walk away, she joins Maximum Security operative Jason Maddox and uncovers links to human trafficking.
Before Nightfall
by Kat Martin
2020
This short romantic suspense runs on urgency, looming danger, and the pull between two people who do not have time to waste.
The Ultimate Betrayal
by Kat Martin
2020
Journalist Jessie Kegan knows her father was framed for espionage, and after his sudden death she is determined to clear his name. Bodyguard Brandon Garrett stays close as the truth puts them both in a killer's sights.
Come Midnight
by Kat Martin
2021
A flight to South America becomes a fight for survival when Breanna Winters and Derek Stiles are taken hostage by environmental extremists. To stay alive, they must survive a brutal jungle trek and the secrets between them.
The Perfect Murder
by Kat Martin
2021
Reese Garrett's company is poised to buy an offshore oil rig, until a helicopter crash and a murder suggest someone wants the deal stopped at any cost. The Garrett brothers are forced into a deadly investigation stretching from Texas to Louisiana.
Maximum Security books in chronological order

Wait Until Dark
by Kat Martin
2018Maximum Security, Book 1
After the Sunrise
by Kat Martin
2018Maximum Security, Book 2
The Conspiracy
by Kat Martin
2019Maximum Security, Book 3
Shadows at Dawn
by Kat Martin
2019Maximum Security, Book 4
The Deception
by Kat Martin
2019Maximum Security, Book 5
Before Nightfall
by Kat Martin
2020Maximum Security, Book 6
The Ultimate Betrayal
by Kat Martin
2020Maximum Security, Book 7
Come Midnight
by Kat Martin
2021Maximum Security, Book 8
The Perfect Murder
by Kat Martin
2021Maximum Security, Book 9
Series background & context
Maximum Security centers on a private security firm and the people tied to it, especially Chase Garrett, his family, and the operatives around them. The series includes The Conspiracy, The Deception, The Ultimate Betrayal, The Perfect Murder, plus shorter pieces like Wait Until Dark, After the Sunrise, Shadows at Dawn, Before Nightfall, and Come Midnight.
These books feel tighter and more thriller-shaped than some of Martin's earlier suspense. Missing siblings, human trafficking, espionage, political influence, cult activity, and murder all show up, and the cases usually hit close to home. The operatives are competent, but the emotional stakes are personal enough to keep the stories from feeling purely procedural.
That balance works well.
The romance matters, but it grows inside active investigations. People are protecting witnesses, tracking killers, or following dangerous leads at the same time they are trying to decide whether they can trust each other. Because of the linked cast, the series also rewards readers who like seeing brothers, coworkers, and recurring allies show up again.
If you want later-period Kat Martin with faster pacing and a stronger security-firm structure, Maximum Security is one of the clearest entry points in her bibliography.
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