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ML Hamilton Books in Order

Browse M.L. Hamilton books in order, with quick summaries, series guides, and easy help choosing where to start with Peyton Brooks, Samar, and more.

Last updated: July 1, 2026

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62 books

Emerald

by ML Hamilton

2010

Kai's life shatters in an instant, sending him into the harsh world of Samar. To survive, he must learn the rules of a land shaped by power, prophecy, and the dangerous legacy of Eldon.

Ravensong

by ML Hamilton

2011

Elena Harris has the stable life she is supposed to want, but not the passion she craves. Rock star Joshua Ravensong offers both temptation and danger, and one reckless night becomes something much harder to control.

Murder in the Tenderloin

by ML Hamilton

2012

A mutilated gang killing drags Peyton and her partner Marco into a brutal world of turf wars, vice, and fear. The case reopens old wounds for Peyton and threatens to consume the city.

Murder on Potrero Hill

by ML Hamilton

2012

When Zoe Ryder is murdered, homicide detective Peyton Brooks expects the husband to look guilty. But as she moves through San Francisco's wealthy circles, the case reveals darker motives than she expected.

Murder on Russian Hill

by ML Hamilton

2012

Rock star Joshua Ravensong is accused of murder, and the evidence looks solid. Peyton must choose between protecting her reputation and following her instincts when the case turns personal.

Murder in Chinatown

by ML Hamilton

2013

When Peyton and Marco are taken off the biggest case of their careers, both feel the strain. Assigned to a reality star's messy orbit, Peyton starts questioning what her absolute devotion to the job is costing her.

Murder in the Presidio

by ML Hamilton

2013

Peyton thinks life cannot get any more tangled, until her partner Marco becomes a murder suspect. To clear him, she has to keep her head while everything she counts on starts to wobble.

Murder on Alcatraz

by ML Hamilton

2013

A new case with Alcatraz in the background pushes Peyton to balance a chaotic home life with the hunt for a killer. The farther she digs, the more personal the fallout becomes.

Mermaids in the Pacific

by ML Hamilton

2014

The Ghost Squad chases another murder dressed up as the supernatural, this time with mermaid whispers swirling along the Pacific coast. Peyton follows the evidence, even when the legend is meant to distract her.

Murder on Treasure Island

by ML Hamilton

2014

Another San Francisco killing sends Peyton into a high-pressure investigation where old history and fresh evidence refuse to line up neatly. Treasure Island gives the case a striking backdrop and very little certainty.

Short as any Dream

by ML Hamilton

2014

Avery is deeper into Tahoe's secret world now, and the creatures in the shadows are no longer easy to dismiss. As loyalties shift, she has to decide who to trust and what she is willing to fight for.

Swift as a Shadow

by ML Hamilton

2014

Fresh from a divorce, Avery Nolan lands in Lake Tahoe and discovers the beautiful resort town is hiding far more than postcard views. Her new start turns into a dangerous crash course in the supernatural.

Zombies in the Delta

by ML Hamilton

2014

Peyton's new FBI assignment with the Ghost Squad starts with a case wrapped in zombie rumors. In the Delta, she must separate superstition from a very real crime before more people die.

Brief as Lightning

by ML Hamilton

2015

The hidden dangers around Lake Tahoe are moving faster, and Avery has less room for mistakes. Another brush with the supernatural pushes her closer to the truth and deeper into trouble.

The Followers of Eldon

by ML Hamilton

2015

Aiden Cerik never wanted the crown, and Amaroq Taheny never expected life beyond the Nazarien maze. Their paths cross through love, duty, and a destiny that refuses to release Eldon's line.

The Heirs of Eldon

by ML Hamilton

2015

Twins Tav and Tash may share blood, but they do not see the world the same way. As Samar's conflicts deepen, their choices begin shaping the future of Eldon's line.

The Sanctuary of Eldon

by ML Hamilton

2015

Talar can no longer avoid the weight of destiny or the cost of leadership. As enemies close in, safety becomes fragile and the search for sanctuary turns into a test of faith and resolve.

The Scions of Eldon

by ML Hamilton

2015

Kalas sacrificed everything to save his sister and now sees a chance to change Adishian's future. But the king's promises hide darker plans, and Tyla may be the real prize in a larger bid for power.

The Spirit of Eldon

by ML Hamilton

2015

One mistake changes the course of Talar's life and ripples across Samar. Personal loss and larger destiny collide as the struggle over Eldon's legacy grows even harder to escape.

The Star of Eldon

by ML Hamilton

2015

Years of peace across the Seven Protectorates start to crack, pulling a new generation into danger. Old loyalties, rising threats, and Eldon's legacy collide in a story with widening stakes.

The Watchers of Eldon

by ML Hamilton

2015

Ten years after walking away from Tyla, Jarrett Murata is drawn back into the orbit of Eldon's heirs. Old choices, old loyalties, and unfinished history make this a dangerous return.

Vampires in Hollywood

by ML Hamilton

2015

Hollywood glamour and vampire rumors make perfect cover for violence. Peyton and her team have to cut through performance, ego, and myth to find the person using an old monster story to hide a real crime.

Werewolves in London

by ML Hamilton

2015

Peyton and the Ghost Squad head to London after a killer grows bolder and leaves behind only the howl of a werewolf. The case is international, strange, and dangerously human at its core.

Cappuccino

by ML Hamilton

2016

Zion Sawyer inherits the estate of the biological mother she never knew and heads to Sequoia to sort it out. Instead, she finds a coffee shop, a murder, and a future she never expected.

Mayan Gods in the Yucatan

by ML Hamilton

2016

A case in the Yucatan pushes Peyton into a landscape thick with history, legend, and danger. The Ghost Squad must figure out what is ritual theater and what is murder before the trail disappears.

Momentary as a Sound

by ML Hamilton

2016

The final Avery Nolan adventure brings long-simmering tensions to a head. Avery must face the biggest threat yet and decide what kind of life she wants after everything the hidden world has cost her.

Serenity

by ML Hamilton

2016

A standalone contemporary drama about people searching for calm after life spins away from plan. Hamilton keeps the focus on relationships, old wounds, and the uneasy work of starting over.

The Apostles of Eldon

by ML Hamilton

2016

Farad, once a powerful Stravad leader, cannot understand why he has been spared. As Samar's tangled loyalties shift again, he is pulled into a struggle that tests belief, power, and survival.

The Renegade of Eldon

by ML Hamilton

2016

Orphaned as a baby, Alix has grown up knowing only the mission before her. But on Samar, hidden lineage and old rivalries make every step toward the truth more dangerous.

Cafe Au Lait

by ML Hamilton

2017

Zion has settled into Sequoia until a rock festival floods town with tourists and trouble. When a young woman dies after the concert, Zion and ex-cop Tate Mercer start hunting for the killer.

Caffe Macchiato

by ML Hamilton

2017

Snow falls on Sequoia just as Zion's life starts feeling stable. Then a mysterious man arrives, Logan's future is threatened, and Zion and Tate are dragged into a murder that brings back painful history.

Espresso

by ML Hamilton

2017

Tate Mercer left the LAPD after his partner Jason died, but trouble keeps finding him in Sequoia. As Zion gets pulled into another murder, the case draws both of them deeper into old pain.

Haunts in Bodie

by ML Hamilton

2017

A supposed haunting in Bodie gives the Ghost Squad another case where fear is part of the setup. Peyton looks past the ghost story to find the living person with something to hide.

Jaguar

by ML Hamilton

2017

This standalone novel follows a magnetic figure called Jaguar through the complications that fame and private pain leave behind. Hamilton blends personal drama, attraction, and the cost of living too close to danger.

Murder in the Painted Lady

by ML Hamilton

2017

When a high-end real estate agent is killed in one of San Francisco's famous Painted Ladies, Peyton and Marco hit a wall. With no clear motive and no solid suspect, they race to stop the killer from striking again.

The Fugitive of Eldon

by ML Hamilton

2017

On the run and cut off from safety, another heir of Eldon's line must survive long enough to learn who deserves trust. The chase adds fresh pressure to Samar's sprawling family saga.

January

by ML Hamilton

2018

The series opens in winter, with grief forcing one woman to take a hard look at the life she has been living. Loss becomes the start of change, not the end of the story.

Menehune in Kauai

by ML Hamilton

2018

In Kauai, local legend becomes the cover for another deadly investigation. Peyton and the Ghost Squad follow the clues through paradise, knowing the truth is usually less magical and far more dangerous.

The Moon Thief

by ML Hamilton

2018

Breanna Perry, a psychiatrist at San Quentin, thinks Cassius Teran is delusional until a near-fatal crash and a strange stalker shake her certainty. Suddenly, the impossible starts looking real.

Americano

by ML Hamilton

2019

Spring finally reaches Sequoia, but the calmer weather does not last. Zion and Tate are pulled into another murder just as life in town starts to feel almost normal.

April

by ML Hamilton

2019

This installment follows another life tipped off balance by grief and new possibility. Hamilton keeps the focus tight on personal choices, messy emotions, and what it takes to begin again.

August

by ML Hamilton

2019

In August, the series turns to another woman trying to make sense of grief, desire, and responsibility. It is a quiet but meaningful story about choosing motion over fear.

December

by ML Hamilton

2019

The series closes with its most decisive reckoning, bringing the year and its connected stories to a head. Grief is still present, but so is the possibility of a different life.

February

by ML Hamilton

2019

Another woman's year begins under the shadow of the same death, but her turning point looks different. Love, routine, and the future all feel less certain once she starts asking honest questions.

July

by ML Hamilton

2019

Heat, restlessness, and emotional pressure shape this midyear story. Another woman in the circle is pushed toward a decision that could change her future for good.

June

by ML Hamilton

2019

Summer brings another intimate turning point in the shared aftermath of loss. Old assumptions start falling away as one woman decides whether comfort is worth the price of standing still.

March

by ML Hamilton

2019

As spring edges closer, a new voice steps forward in the circle of women linked by tragedy. Her story is about pressure, self-knowledge, and the cost of staying where you no longer belong.

May

by ML Hamilton

2019

By May, the series has settled into its rhythm of connection and upheaval. Another woman faces the gap between the life people expect from her and the one she may actually want.

November

by ML Hamilton

2019

In the penultimate stretch, the accumulated weight of the year is impossible to ignore. Another woman has to reckon with what she owes other people and what she owes herself.

October

by ML Hamilton

2019

October adds darker emotional weather to the shared tapestry of the series. A woman already carrying loss finds herself at another crossroads, with no easy way to step back.

Panda Bear, the Ghost Kitten

by ML Hamilton

2019

A gentle young reader story about a ghost kitten named Panda Bear. It leans playful more than scary, giving kids a sweet spooky adventure with plenty of heart.

September

by ML Hamilton

2019

As the year tilts toward fall, another connected life comes into focus. Hamilton explores what happens when private disappointments can no longer stay buried.

Bailey, Small but Fierce

by ML Hamilton

2020

Bailey may be small, but that does not stop this determined young hero from facing the world head-on. It is a warm, kid-friendly story about courage packed into a little body.

Cafe Latte

by ML Hamilton

2020

During Sequoia's Greenwood Fest, Zion and Tate head to Los Angeles after a call from Tate's family. What should have been a visit turns into another murder case, this time inside a retirement park.

Frankenstein in Hamburg

by ML Hamilton

2020

A case in Hamburg turns on ideas of creation, fear, and the stories people tell to excuse violence. Peyton's Ghost Squad must untangle the myth before the killer gets the chance to strike again.

Goblins in San Francisco

by ML Hamilton

2020

Back in San Francisco, goblin rumors stir up another Ghost Squad case with deep roots in the city. Peyton has to move fast before folklore, panic, and murder blur into one another.

Cafe Mocha

by ML Hamilton

2021

California wildfires push Sequoia to the brink just as a dead body turns up in a burned-out shack. Zion and Tate have to clear an unlikely suspect before the mystery grows even larger.

The Moon Walker

by ML Hamilton

2021

After the night she almost died, Breanna's old life stops making sense. As new powers and dangerous players close in, she has to learn the rules of a world she never believed existed.

Yetis in Whistler

by ML Hamilton

2021

A trip to Whistler brings Peyton face to face with another case hiding behind a famous creature legend. Snow, isolation, and bad information make the hunt for the killer even harder.

A Sour Grape

by ML Hamilton

2022

Returning from family leave after her father's death, Peyton wants the comfort of work. Instead, a double homicide tied to a prominent wine-growing couple forces her to confront fresh grief while chasing justice.

Pirates in Las Vegas

by ML Hamilton

2022

Las Vegas gives the Ghost Squad a loud, chaotic stage for a case dressed in pirate imagery and misdirection. Peyton knows the spectacle is fake, but the danger behind it is not.

The Moon Mage

by ML Hamilton

2022

Breanna's supernatural awakening leads to a final showdown in San Francisco. With rival forces closing in, she must protect the people she loves and decide how much of herself she is willing to surrender.

Where should I start?

If you want a straight-up police procedural: Murder on Potrero HillMurder in the TenderloinMurder on Russian Hill
If you want paranormal cases and bigger action: Zombies in the DeltaMermaids in the PacificWerewolves in London
If you want a cozy small-town mystery: CappuccinoCafe Au LaitEspresso
If you want fantasy in the real world: Swift as a ShadowShort as any DreamMomentary as a Sound
If you want epic secondary-world fantasy: EmeraldThe Heirs of EldonThe Star of Eldon

Author bio

ML Hamilton spent more than three decades teaching high school English and journalism in Central California. She retired in 2025 so she could spend more time with her grandbabies and give writing the larger share of her days, but storytelling had clearly been part of the plan long before retirement arrived.

Books were there from the start. Reading came first, then teaching, and then the steady wish to write something of her own. A classroom gave her a front-row seat to language, character, and what keeps people turning pages, but she never treated that as the end of the road.

Her first published novel, Emerald, arrived in 2010. That book opened the door to the World of Samar novels, a long-running fantasy saga set on a distant planet and built around family lines, prophecy, survival, and power. Later books such as The Heirs of Eldon and The Scions of Eldon show how much she likes stories that grow outward, from one crisis to a whole network of people living with the consequences.

She clearly does not like staying in one lane.

In 2013 she turned to crime fiction with Peyton Brooks, a San Francisco homicide detective who, along with partner Marco D'Angelo, gave Hamilton a very different kind of series to build. Books like Murder on Potrero Hill and Murder in the Tenderloin lean into police work, city politics, and the strain a hard case puts on the people trying to solve it. When Peyton later moves into the FBI and the Ghost Squad, Hamilton widens the canvas again, mixing investigations with supposedly supernatural cases in books like Zombies in the Delta and Werewolves in London.

The fantasy side of her work stayed busy too. The Avery Nolan books, beginning with Swift as a Shadow, bring hidden supernatural danger into Lake Tahoe, while The Moon Thief follows San Quentin psychiatrist Breanna Perry into a San Francisco that becomes stranger and more dangerous by the page. One thing Hamilton tends to do well across these series is start with people who already have jobs, habits, relationships, and baggage before the extraordinary crashes into their lives.

She also has a softer, smaller-scale side. Cappuccino begins the Zion Sawyer mysteries, a cozy series about inheritance, community, and murder in a tourist town, and The Year of Discovery follows twelve women linked by a death and a year of change. Even her standalones, including Ravensong, show the same interest in people trying to rebuild themselves while life keeps getting messier.

That range is part of the appeal.

These days, Hamilton's life seems rooted in family as much as fiction. She has three sons, two daughters-in-law, three grandbabies, and two dogs, and she still appears at reader events around California. After years of balancing school calendars with book deadlines, she now has more room to do what she set out to do all along, write across genres, follow new ideas, and keep adding to a body of work that is much broader than any single series suggests.

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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