Otter Creek Books in Order
Part ofRebecca Deel Books in OrderExplore the Otter Creek series by Rebecca Deel in order, with book lists, series background, and suggestions on the best romantic suspense story to start with.
Last updated: January 16, 2026
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Publication Order
15 books
Don't Let Go
by Rebecca Deel
2019
An early morning break in shatters bakery owner Zoe’s sense of safety, proving someone has marked her as a target. As threats escalate, she leans on a battle hardened protector from the Fortress world and must decide whether to trust him with her life and her heart.
Caught in the Crossfire
by Rebecca Deel
2019
Nicole Copeland should be planning her wedding, not dodging bullets. When a brutal crime spree points straight at her fiancé, ex con Mason Kincaid, they race to expose whoever wants him in prison or a grave before their future is destroyed.
Under Fire
by Rebecca Deel
2018
Fortress medic Matt Rainer rushes to help his friend Delilah Frost after a brutal attack, then becomes her full time bodyguard. As attempts on her life reveal a buried connection to her past, Matt must stop a determined killer and earn Delilah’s trust.
Relentless
by Rebecca Deel
2018
A desperate plea sends Piper Reece on a mission to bring down a crime boss, but her investigation quickly turns deadly. Fortress operative Liam McCoy returns from deployment to guard the woman he loves, risking everything to stop an enemy rooted in her past.
No Regrets
by Rebecca Deel
2018
When coffee shop owner Sasha Ingram is taken hostage during a bank robbery, Fortress operative Cade Ramsey and his team pull off a daring rescue. The danger keeps escalating, forcing them to unmask who is targeting Sasha before they lose both their lives and their chance at love.
Vendetta
by Rebecca Deel
2017
In Otter Creek, a long simmering grudge erupts into a string of attacks that feel anything but random. A local woman finds herself squarely in the crosshairs and, with help from Fortress allies, must expose who is nursing a deadly vendetta before more blood is spilled.
On The Edge
by Rebecca Deel
2017
ER nurse Grace Rutledge survives being forced off the road, then heads to Otter Creek to meet the family she never knew. A killer wants her inheritance instead, and when Grace is accused of attempted murder, Navy SEAL Trent St. Clair fights to clear her name.
Retribution
by Rebecca Deel
2016
Tired of running from a childhood trauma, Heidi Thompson takes a job training search and rescue teams for Fortress in Otter Creek. An enemy obsessed with revenge follows her, and operative Quinn Gallagher must return to their shared past to keep her alive.
In Plain Sight
by Rebecca Deel
2016
After a life changing diagnosis, concert pianist Darcy St. Claire renovates a Victorian house and opens a restaurant in Otter Creek. When someone repeatedly tries to kill her, Delta medic Rio Kincaid becomes her protector, fighting a hidden enemy and his own growing feelings.
Written in Blood
by Rebecca Deel
2015
Newspaper editor Megan Cahill loves red pens and fast cars, not being the focus of a murder investigation. After a friend is killed, she sets a trap to draw out the killer, teaming up with detective Rod Kelter before she becomes his next headline.
Witness
by Rebecca Deel
2015
New police chief Ethan Blackhawk expected sleepy Otter Creek, not four burglaries, three assaults, and a murder tied to an old enemy. When personal chef Serena Cahill witnesses a crime, the pair must stop a contract killer who is framing her for his work.
Payback
by Rebecca Deel
2015
A stalker has his sights set on art history teacher Ivy Monroe, intent on caging her again after an abusive relationship. Elite sniper Alex Morgan, now with Fortress, steps in, and together they hunt a shooter tied to a leaked mission and Ivy’s darkest fears.
Hidden Target
by Rebecca Deel
2015
Following the deaths of her husband and unborn child, Madison Ryder rebuilds her life with a yarn shop in Otter Creek. When the stalker who destroyed her family returns, she joins forces with ex-cop Nick Santana to catch a murderer determined to finish the job.
Fatal Legacy
by Rebecca Deel
2015
Bookstore owner Del Peterson thinks her biggest dangers are paper cuts and late nights, until a mysterious gift pulls her into a federal case. When her safe house is breached, small town cop and former Delta warrior Josh Cahill will risk everything to keep her alive.
Best Served Cold
by Rebecca Deel
2015
U.S. Marshal Stella Grayson is framed for murdering her boss and stripped of her badge. With marshals and witnesses dying, Delta operator Nate Armstrong and his team race to expose a mole and clear Stella before revenge claims everyone they love.
Series background & context
The Otter Creek books take place in a fictional small town in rural Tennessee where the crime rate should be low and everybody knows your name. Instead, the quiet streets hide international assassins, stalkers, and long buried grudges. That mix of cozy setting and real danger is what gives the series its pull.
The early novels center on the Cahill triplets, Serena, Madison, and Megan. Serena is a personal chef whose clients start turning up in crime scenes, Madison runs a yarn shop while trying to rebuild her life after horrific loss, and Megan edits the local paper and is more comfortable chasing a story than being the story. Each sister finds herself squarely in a killer’s sights and ends up working alongside a determined protector, from the town’s new police chief, Ethan Blackhawk, to an ex cop still hunting his partner’s murderer.
As the series moves forward, the focus widens beyond the triplets to friends, extended family, and newcomers to town. You meet bookstore owners, restaurant dreamers, U.S. Marshals, search and rescue trainers, a concert pianist starting over after a medical crisis, and business owners who simply wanted a quiet life. The men who step in beside them range from small town officers to elite Delta operators and Fortress Security warriors called in when things get truly bad.
Otter Creek itself becomes a kind of character. There is a coffee shop where everyone gathers, a yarn store and bookstore you wish you could visit, and a town square that hosts festivals even as danger circles at the edges. Readers see how crimes ripple through a close knit community, and how friends, family, and church ties hold people together under strain.
Although the body count can be high, the tone stays hopeful. The stories are fast paced but "clean," balancing suspense and romance without graphic content. Faith, forgiveness, and second chances thread quietly through the action. Characters struggle with fear, guilt, and old wounds, and part of the satisfaction comes from watching them choose courage and connection instead of running away.
Otter Creek shares a universe with the Fortress Security and Maple Valley novels. Operatives from Fortress show up to back the local police chief, the Cahill family appears in later books set elsewhere, and some romances span series lines. You can jump in almost anywhere, but starting with Witness and moving forward lets you grow alongside the town, seeing how each solved case leaves its mark on the people who call Otter Creek home.
If you like small town romantic suspense where the café owner, the police chief, and the black ops medic might all be at the same church potluck, this series offers that blend. The threats feel real, but so does the warmth of a community determined to stand together when evil comes calling.
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