The Recommended Delilah Street Reading Path
For the best experience, readers should follow the publication order of the main novels. The core narrative of the Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator series is highly sequential, tracking Delilah's growth from a novice reporter arriving in Las Vegas into a confident, silver-powered sleuth. While there are several supplemental short stories and crossover novellas, reading the main novels in the order they were released ensures that you follow Delilah's character development, romantic progression with Ric Montoya, and the unfolding mystery of her origins without encountering spoilers.
If you want to integrate the short stories and crossovers chronologically, you can slot them between the novels. The crossover novella "Butterfly Kiss" can be read first as a prequel, while other short stories like "Bogieman" and "Snow Job" fit neatly between the subsequent books. However, starting with the first full-length novel, Dancing with Werewolves, remains the safest and most engaging entry point for newcomers.
Delilah Street Books in Publication and Chronological Order
Below is the complete list of the Delilah Street novels and major short works in their recommended reading sequence, combining the main novels and the supplemental stories where they fit chronologically:
1. Butterfly Kiss (Novella)
Originally published in the Once Upon a Midnight Noir anthology, this crossover novella brings together Delilah Street and Midnight Louie, the famous feline private eye from Carole Nelson Douglas's long-running mystery series. Set before the events of the first novel, it serves as an excellent prequel that introduces Delilah's investigative instincts before her life is upended by supernatural Las Vegas.
2. Dancing with Werewolves (2007)
This is the first novel in the series and the essential starting point. Delilah Street, a former Kansas TV reporter and orphan, arrives in Las Vegas to investigate a mysterious doppelgänger she spotted on a television broadcast. Instead of a simple search, she is plunged into a Y2K-altered Sin City where she tangles with a werewolf mob, discovers her unique affinity for silver, and meets the seductive ex-FBI agent Ric Montoya.
3. Brimstone Kiss (2008)
In the second full-length novel, Delilah is now establishing herself as a licensed paranormal investigator. She and Ric are hired to solve a Romeo-and-Juliet-style murder involving rival supernatural factions. The stakes rise as Delilah must navigate deadly vampire politics and resist the allure of Snow, a charismatic albino vampire rock star who commands the local undead scene.
4. Bogieman (Short Story)
Originally published in the 2008 anthology Unusual Suspects, this short story fits chronologically between Brimstone Kiss and Vampire Sunrise. It introduces the concept of Cinema Simulacrums—zombies visually overlaid with the personas of classic Hollywood actors—featuring a zombie Humphrey Bogart in a clever noir parody.
5. Vampire Sunrise (2009)
The third novel takes readers deep beneath the glitz of Las Vegas into an underground world of ancient Egyptian vampires. As Delilah's silver magic becomes stronger and more volatile, she must stop a ancient cult from rising beneath a casino. Meanwhile, her relationship with Ric Montoya is tested by escalating supernatural dangers.
6. Silver Zombie (2010)
In the fourth novel, Delilah is forced to leave Las Vegas and return to her roots in Kansas to confront her mysterious past. What she finds is a bizarre landscape featuring zombie cowboys, family secrets, and a threat that could destroy both her old home and her new life in Vegas.
7. Virtual Virgin (2011)
The fifth novel sees Delilah back in Las Vegas dealing with spectral mysteries, digital entities, and the ultimate truth behind her origins. The book wraps up many of the long-running plot threads regarding her parentage, her silver magic, and the nature of the Millennium Revelation that changed the world.
8. Snow Job (Short Story)
Published in the 2012 anthology Hex Appeal, this short story takes place after the main events of the novels. It centers around Snow, the albino vampire rock star, and features a chaotic situation involving an invisible man and a demon disrupting a musical performance.
9. Monster Mash (2013)
Though sometimes listed as a sixth book in series databases, Monster Mash is actually a novella that was originally published in the Chicks Kick Butt anthology (2011) and later released as a standalone ebook in 2013. It features the legendary Lon Chaney acting family as celebrity zombies and provides a fun, cinema-themed epilogue to Delilah's adventures.
What to Know Before You Start
Carole Nelson Douglas's Delilah Street series is a unique blend of hardboiled noir mystery, urban fantasy, and pop-culture satire. The series is set on an alternate Earth where the Y2K transition triggered the "Millennium Revelation," exposing the existence of vampires, werewolves, and witches to humanity. Rather than causing an apocalypse, this revelation integrated supernatural beings into modern society—especially in Las Vegas, which becomes a haven for paranormal creatures and themed resorts run by werewolves and vampires.
One of the most distinctive elements of the series is the introduction of Cinema Simulacrums. These are zombies who have been cosmetically and behaviorally modified to mimic classic Hollywood movie stars like Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, and Marilyn Monroe, acting as staff in Vegas hotels and casinos. Delilah's own magic is also unique: unlike traditional magicians, her powers are entirely based on silver, allowing her to manipulate the metal and use it to combat paranormal threats. Finally, the books are known for their playful tone, including actual cocktail recipes named after characters and events in the story.
Following Carole Nelson Douglas's passing in October 2021, the series is complete. The five main novels and the accompanying short works cover Delilah's full character arc, leaving readers with a fully realized urban fantasy mystery saga.
The Neon Noir Collection
For readers who want to easily access the short stories and novellas without hunting down out-of-print anthologies, Douglas compiled them into a single volume titled Neon Noir: A Delilah Street Paranormal Investigator Anthology, published in 2014. This collection includes "Butterfly Kiss," "Monster Mash," "Bogieman," "Snow Job," and a newer story titled "Film Noir" featuring Cary Grant as a celebrity zombie. Acquiring this collection along with the five main novels gives you the complete Delilah Street library.