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Tami Hoag Books in Order

Browse all Tami Hoag books in order, with series lists, short summaries, background on her thrillers and romances, and guidance on the best place to start.

Last updated: December 25, 2025

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38 books

Bad Liar

by Tami Hoag

2024

In Bayou Breaux, Nick Fourcade investigates a faceless corpse dumped at a dead-end road while Annie Broussard searches for a missing recovering addict whose mother refuses to give up. Their cases twist together through old grudges, ruined glory, and family loyalties that turn lethal when the truth surfaces.

The Boy

by Tami Hoag

2017

Detective Nick Fourcade walks into a Louisiana trailer to find seven-year-old KJ Gauthier stabbed to death and his mother claiming a masked intruder attacked them. When the boy's babysitter vanishes, Nick and his wife, deputy Annie Broussard, dig into a community where every relationship hides a lie.

The Bitter Season

by Tami Hoag

2016

Nikki Liska moves to cold-case work and tackles a decades-old double murder of a cop and his wife. At the same time, Sam Kovac hunts the brutal killer of a Minneapolis sex-crimes instructor. As clues cross, both detectives uncover family secrets that have festered for generations.

Cold Cold Heart

by Tami Hoag

2014

TV reporter Dana Nolan survives a notorious serial killer but is left with brain injury and crippling PTSD. Returning to her Indiana hometown, she becomes fixated on the cold case of her missing best friend, seeing old relationships and suspects through the warping lens of trauma.

The 9th Girl

by Tami Hoag

2013

On a freezing New Year's Eve in Minneapolis, a mutilated girl tumbles from the trunk of a moving car and is dubbed "Zombie Doe." Detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska must identify her and decide whether she is victim nine of holiday killer Doc Holiday or prey of someone closer.

The 1st Victim

by Tami Hoag

2013

On New Year's Day, Minneapolis detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska investigate an unidentified young woman dumped beside a freeway. As a desperate mother searches for her missing daughter, the short, intense case forces them to give a Jane Doe back her name before a killer strikes again.

Down the Darkest Road

by Tami Hoag

2011

Four years after her teen daughter vanished, Lauren Lawton moves to Oak Knoll hoping for a fresh start with her younger child. When the man she believes responsible turns up in town and Leah nears the same age, detective Tony Mendez must stop a predator the law can barely touch.

Secrets to the Grave

by Tami Hoag

2010

A year after the first Oak Knoll killings, artist Marissa Fordham is found savagely murdered, her young daughter alive beside her. Detective Tony Mendez and child advocate Anne Leone work to uncover Marissa's true identity and protect the girl before a relentless killer strikes again.

Deeper Than the Dead

by Tami Hoag

2008

In 1985 Oak Knoll, California, four schoolchildren and teacher Anne Navarre discover a partially buried woman whose eyes and mouth have been glued shut. As FBI profiler Vince Leone joins the case, the investigation exposes horrifying links between the killer and several respected local families.

The Alibi Man

by Tami Hoag

2006

Former undercover cop Elena Estes has retreated to training horses in Palm Beach's wealthy enclave when she finds a friend's body dumped in a canal. Her search for the killer leads to a group of rich "alibi men" and a dangerous ex fiancé who once escaped justice.

Prior Bad Acts

by Tami Hoag

2006

A shocking ruling in a brutal family-murder case makes Judge Carey Moore a public villain. After she is viciously attacked, detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska must protect her and catch the assailant, even as their case collides with a fugitive suspect and secrets no one wants exposed.

Kill the Messenger

by Tami Hoag

2004

Los Angeles bike messenger Jace Damon narrowly survives an ambush on his last delivery of the day. When the sleazy attorney who hired him turns up murdered, Jace becomes the prime suspect and must protect his younger brother while untangling a conspiracy that powerful people will kill to hide.

Dark Horse

by Tami Hoag

2002

Ex undercover detective Elena Estes hides out in a Florida trailer, working as a groom and trying to forget a disastrous case. When twelve-year-old Molly begs her to find missing stepsister Erin, Elena is dragged into the ruthless world of elite show jumping and a deadly kidnapping plot.

Dust to Dust

by Tami Hoag

2000

Internal Affairs officer Andy Fallon is found hanging in his bedroom, a single word written on the mirror: "sorry." Ordered to treat it as an accident, detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska instead follow a trail of buried secrets that points to murder inside their own department.

Ashes to Ashes

by Tami Hoag

1999

A serial killer dubbed the Cremator is burning his victims' bodies in Minneapolis parks, turning murders into grisly public spectacles. Former FBI agent Kate Conlan, now a victim advocate, joins forces with profiler John Quinn and detectives Kovac and Liska to protect a runaway witness and stop the killer.

A Thin Dark Line

by Tami Hoag

1997

In Bayou Breaux, Louisiana, a suspected killer walks on a technicality and the cop accused of framing him is taken off the case. Detective Nick Fourcade and deputy Annie Broussard, who found the mutilated victim, defy orders to pursue a twisted path toward the truth.

Guilty as Sin

by Tami Hoag

1996

With a respected professor charged in the Deer Lake kidnapping case, prosecutor Ellen North prepares for the trial of her career. When another boy disappears and public outrage erupts, she must decide whether the man in custody is guilty, or whether the real mastermind still walks free.

Night Sins

by Tami Hoag

1995

In the seemingly safe town of Deer Lake, Minnesota, an eight-year-old boy vanishes after hockey practice, leaving only a cruel, taunting note. State investigator Megan O'Malley and police chief Mitch Holt battle brutal weather, media pressure, and community fear as they hunt a predator who may have struck before.

Dark Paradise

by Tami Hoag

1994

Court reporter Marilee Jennings travels to New Eden, Montana, after her friend's sudden death and unexpected bequest of a ranch. As she digs into the circumstances, she finds land disputes, buried scandals, and a killer determined to keep the town's dark secrets buried with her.

Cry Wolf

by Tami Hoag

1993

Disgraced attorney Laurel Chandler retreats to Bayou Breaux after a career-ending scandal, hoping for anonymity. Instead she is pulled into an investigation when young women are found strangled, and her unsettling neighbor, writer Jack Boudreaux, may be the only man she can trust as a killer stalks the parish.

The Last White Knight

by Tami Hoag

1992

Counselor Lynn Shaw devotes herself to helping troubled girls at Horizon House and has no patience for publicity. When protests against the home draw the attention of handsome state senator Erik Gunther, Lynn must decide whether to trust a politician who seems too good to be true.

Taken by Storm

by Tami Hoag

1992

Trauma nurse Julia McCarver has painstakingly rebuilt her life and is engaged to a safe, steady man. When storm chaser and old flame S. T. "Storm" Dalton appears on her doorstep, he gives himself two weeks to prove that she still belongs with him.

Still Waters

by Tami Hoag

1992

After a bitter divorce, Elizabeth Stuart buys a small town Minnesota newspaper to start over with her troubled teenage son. When a murdered man's body literally falls at her feet, suspicion and hostility rise, forcing Elizabeth and the local sheriff to uncover deadly secrets in Still Creek.

Lucky's Lady

by Tami Hoag

1992

Psychologist Serena Sheridan returns to rural Louisiana to find her grandfather missing and her family's bayou land targeted by an oil company. She hires enigmatic guide Lucky Doucet to help search the swamps, only to be drawn into a tangle of danger, family betrayal, and forbidden desire.

The Restless Heart

by Tami Hoag

1991

Globe trotting photographer Danielle Hamilton can handle remote deserts and crowded cities, but babysitting her sister's five kids in New Orleans feels like a nightmare. Cajun charmer Remy Doucet offers unexpected help, challenging her belief that settling down means giving up who she is.

Sarah's Sin

by Tami Hoag

1991

Amish woman Sarah Troyer works at an English-run inn and already feels like a rebel in her strict community. When injured city doctor Matt Thorne comes to recover, an impossible attraction grows between them, risking Sarah's family, faith, and the only life she has ever known.

Heart of Dixie

by Tami Hoag

1991

Biographer Jake Gannon is tracking a vanished movie star when his car dies in a Carolina coastal town called Mare's Nest. There he meets gun-toting tow truck driver Dixie La Fontaine, whose connection to the missing actress is deeper than she wants to admit.

Tempestuous

by Tami Hoag

1990

Single mother Alexandra Gianni arrives in Briarwood with a baby, a rundown farm, and a fierce need for independence. Aristocratic English rider Christian Atherton tempts her with passion and help she does not want, even as danger from her past threatens her fragile new life.

Reilly's Return

by Tami Hoag

1990

Widowed movie critic Jayne Jordan retreats to a quiet town on California's north coast to grieve and seek spiritual balance. Her solitude shatters when film star Pat Reilly arrives convinced they are meant to be together, forcing Jayne to choose between safety and a risky new love.

Magic

by Tami Hoag

1990

Returning to her family's coastal mansion, Drake House, Rachel Lindquist finds roses on pillows, antique dresses appearing from nowhere, and a mother convinced the place is haunted. Skeptical Rachel clashes with parapsychologist Bryan Hennessy as a very human menace stirs the house's restless spirits.

Keeping Company

by Tami Hoag

1990

No nonsense lawyer Alaina Montgomery is horrified when matchmaker friends set her up with Dylan Harrison, a free spirited single dad who runs a shabby bar and bait shop. A costume party mishap lands them briefly in jail and into a fake dating scheme that feels increasingly real.

Heart of Gold

by Tami Hoag

1990

After divorcing a powerful, corrupt senator, Faith Kincaid hides in a coastal California town and prepares to testify against him. The government assigns taciturn bodyguard Shane Callan to protect her, but as threats close in, their strictly professional arrangement becomes anything but.

Straight from the Heart

by Tami Hoag

1989

Physical therapist Rebecca Bradshaw has rebuilt her life since baseball star Jace Cooper walked out on her seven years ago. When his career-threatening injury lands him in her rehab unit, old wounds reopen and a long kept secret forces them to face the past.

Mismatch

by Tami Hoag

1989

Runaway bride and former fashion icon Bronwynn Prescott Pierson flees to a Vermont hideaway, only to collide with straightlaced congressman Wade Grayson. Drawn together at an old estate, two people with everything to lose must decide whether an unlikely romance is worth the fallout.

Man of Her Dreams

by Tami Hoag

1989

Maggie McSwain has loved Rylan Quaid forever, but his cool proposal sounds like a business deal, not a declaration of love. Determined to make him see what he is missing, she sets out to turn their practical arrangement into the marriage she truly wants.

The Trouble with J.J.

by Tami Hoag

1988

Schoolteacher Genna Hastings wants a quiet summer, not a superstar quarterback neighbor whose parties and lawn ornaments drive her crazy. When single dad J.J. Hennessy asks her to help clean up his image for a custody fight, pretend cooperation turns disarmingly real.

Rumor Has It

by Tami Hoag

1988

Former equestrian star Katie Quaid now restores historic homes in her Virginia town and avoids emotional risks. Dared to befriend mysterious newcomer Nick Leone, she finds herself drawn to a man the rumor mill paints as dangerous, challenging her fears and her heart.

McKnight in Shining Armor

by Tami Hoag

1988

Divorced animal wrangler Kelsie Connors is married to her job until a disastrous shoot in an adman's office leads to a flirtation with charming executive Alexander McKnight. As their romance deepens, she must risk her work-first defenses to love again.

Where should I start?

If you want tense small-town suspense: Night SinsGuilty as Sin.
If you like gritty police procedurals: Ashes to AshesDust to DustPrior Bad Acts.
If you enjoy psychological serial-killer stories: Deeper Than the DeadSecrets to the GraveDown the Darkest Road.
If you want horse-world crime and atmosphere: Dark HorseThe Alibi Man.
If you prefer warm contemporary romance: The Trouble with J.J.Rumor Has ItKeeping CompanyHeart of Dixie.

Author bio

Tami Hoag was born Tami Mikkelson in Cresco, Iowa, and grew up in the tiny farm town of Harmony, Minnesota. Her father sold insurance, her mother kept the household running, and books filled the long stretches of time when there was not much else to do. Very early on she decided that telling stories was what she wanted from a life that, on the surface, looked ordinary.

As a teenager she devoured everything from horse books to crime novels, training her eye on adult behavior while she listened from the edges of the room. That mix of small town familiarity, isolation, and close observation would later shape the way she writes about families and communities under stress.

After high school she did not go straight to college. Instead she went to work. Her first job was in the circulation department of a local newspaper, where she learned how deadlines feel. Later she became a photographer’s assistant, sold designer bathroom fixtures, and trained show horses, supporting herself and her then husband, Daniel Hoag, whom she had dated since school.

Those years around barns and back roads left a deep mark. Hoag competed in dressage at a national level and stayed in the saddle even after a serious riding accident in adulthood in which she broke several vertebrae. Horses became both a solace and a source of story material, turning up in books that move between polished show arenas and rough Florida swamps.

In 1988 she took a swing at professional writing, selling short contemporary romances to a paperback line that specialized in fast, emotional reads. Early titles like The Trouble with J.J., McKnight in Shining Armor, Mismatch, and Sarah’s Sin introduced readers to her blend of sharp dialogue, ordinary jobs, and women who expect to stand on their own feet. Even in those compact stories she was already sneaking in elements of mystery and menace.

The shift to full length suspense came with novels such as Still Waters and Dark Paradise, where small towns and scenic landscapes hide corruption and violence. With Night Sins and its companion Guilty as Sin, set in the fictional Minnesota community of Deer Lake, she turned a child abduction case into a layered portrait of fear, politics, and moral compromise. The books reached national bestseller lists and Night Sins became a television miniseries, bringing a much wider audience to her work.

Hoag has since written a long run of crime novels that readers often group by series. In Minneapolis set books like Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, and Prior Bad Acts, detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska chase killers whose crimes shake the whole city. The Oak Knoll novels, beginning with Deeper Than the Dead, move to 1980s California and explore the early days of offender profiling, while Louisiana stories such as A Thin Dark Line and The Boy follow Cajun detective Nick Fourcade and deputy Annie Broussard through the swamps.

Across genres, certain patterns repeat. Hoag is drawn to survivors, whether that is a woman recovering from a serial killer in Cold Cold Heart or an ex undercover cop hiding out in the Florida horse world in Dark Horse and The Alibi Man. Her protagonists tend to be competent, wary, and a little bruised, the kind of people who keep moving even when they are afraid. She is equally interested in the cops and advocates around a case as she is in the mystery itself.

Life away from the keyboard still circles back to horses. Hoag has spent time living in Malibu, California, and in Wellington, Florida, dividing her attention between writing and the intense routine of high level dressage. When she talks about her process, she often mentions long rides as a way of working through plot problems, letting the rhythm of the arena loosen up the knots in a story.

Decades after that first paperback romance, she has written more than thirty novels and sold tens of millions of copies around the world, yet the core remains the same as it was in Harmony. She is still, at heart, the kid in the corner watching adults, imagining what secrets they are not saying out loud, and turning those questions into stories that keep readers up past their bedtime.

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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All 38 Tami Hoag Books in Order (Complete List 2026)