Walking After Midnight Books in Order

The Walking After Midnight books mark Lisa Gardner’s earliest published work, written under the name Alicia Scott. Set in Portland, Oregon, the duet follows Sabrina Duncan, a woman who has rebuilt her life by protecting teenagers living on the streets, and the homicide cop who refuses to let her work alone.

In Walking After Midnight, Sabrina runs a shelter and outreach program for the Children of the Night, runaway kids who sleep in doorways and under bridges and often disappear without anyone noticing. Sabrina understands their world too well, carrying a past that includes exploitation and violence. When a killer starts preying on her kids, she finds an unexpected ally in Lieutenant Thomas Lain, a determined detective who sees both her stubborn courage and the vulnerability she hides.

The novel blends the structure of a serial killer thriller with the emotional beats of a romance. Sabrina and Lain circle each other warily, drawn together by shared concern for the kids and pushed apart by Sabrina’s distrust of authority and her belief that someone with her history does not deserve a normal happily ever after. The streets of Portland, with their shadows, alleys, and late night diners, give the story a grounded sense of place.

The follow up, Shadow’s Flame, returns to the same world as new threats close in on the fragile community Sabrina has built. The Children of the Night remain at the heart of the narrative, reminding readers that every missing child has a story, and that safety is always provisional for people living on the margins. Romantic tension threads through the danger, asking whether two damaged adults can build something lasting while the past keeps pushing back.

These books feel very much like 1990s romantic suspense: compact, emotionally intense, and unafraid to tackle topics like abuse, homelessness, and exploitation alongside the love story. They offer a fascinating glimpse of themes Gardner would later revisit in her mainstream thrillers, especially her interest in found families and women who have survived the worst the world can do.