The Score Books in Order

The Score books are Kiki Swinson in straight thriller mode. Instead of building around a long street-life saga, this series focuses on cons, identity theft, betrayal, and revenge, with a lead character who is smart enough to steal millions but not smart enough to stay clear of the emotions that follow.

Lauren Kelly is the center of it all.

In The Score, Lauren is an identity thief with expensive taste and a criminal partnership that seems solid until it very much is not. She, her lover Matt Connors, and their associate Yancy are chasing a huge payoff, and Lauren believes she knows how to stay ahead of every angle. Then she learns that betrayal is already in motion, and the story becomes a race over money, leverage, and who gets to make the next move.

The Mark raises the stakes in a good way. Lauren has money, a quieter life, and something that almost looks like stability, a husband, a baby, a chance to disappear into a safer future. Then Matt comes back into her life in the worst possible way, and the series turns into a revenge chase. Kidnapping, hidden weaknesses, and the question of how far Lauren will go give the second book a hard cat-and-mouse tension.

These are not books about clean heroes. Lauren is capable, selfish, resourceful, and fully able to do damage. That is why the story works. Swinson is not asking readers to admire Lauren. She is asking whether you can look away once a woman like this is cornered. The answer is usually no.

If you like high-speed crime fiction with forged identities, stolen fortunes, double-crosses, and a heroine who refuses to stay beaten, this series is an easy recommendation. It is leaner than Swinson's longer family sagas, but the emotional damage is still personal, and the suspense comes from how much Lauren is willing to burn down to get even.