Audrey J. Cole Books in Order

Where to Start with Audrey J. Cole

If you are new to Audrey J. Cole's suspenseful world, you have a few excellent options for where to begin. Because her books are organized into distinct series and standalone novels, your entry point depends on what style of thriller you enjoy most:

• For Police Procedurals and Medical Intrigue: Start with The Recipient, the first book in the Emerald City Thrillers. This is her signature series and establishes her trademark style of blending medical detail with Seattle-based detective work.
• For Survival Suspense: Start with The Final Hunt, the first book in the Hunt series. It is a fast-paced mystery set in the wilderness that will keep you guessing.
• For High-Altitude Locked-Room Tension: Start with The Pilot's Daughter or Missing in Flight. These standalones showcase Cole's ability to create intense, claustrophobic thrillers centered around aviation.

Emerald City Thrillers: Complete Reading Order

Set against the moody, rain-soaked backdrop of Seattle, the Emerald City series follows Sergeant Wade McKinnon and an array of detectives as they navigate psychological games, cults, and medical mysteries. The series is best read in order of release, though you can start with the prequel short story to get the full context of the series' inciting incident.

1. From Death to Life (Prequel Short Story)

This prequel introduces the dark medical premise that kicks off the series. It follows the execution of serial killer Michael Rhodes—who becomes the first person in U.S. history to donate his organs, including brain cells—and Elle, a woman whose husband Brian needs an experimental brain transplant. It provides vital backstory for the events of the first full novel.

2. The Recipient (2017)

The official first novel in the series. Sergeant Wade McKinnon is called to investigate a series of brutal murders that perfectly mimic the signature of executed killer Michael Rhodes. The investigation takes a bizarre turn toward Brian, the recipient of the experimental brain transplant, leading to a tense exploration of identity, medical ethics, and whether evil can be inherited.

3. Inspired by Murder (2018)

The second novel shifts focus to Dr. Eric Leroy, a psychiatrist who harbors a deadly, narcissistic secret. When one of his patients is murdered, the investigation threatens to expose his double life. The book is a psychological cat-and-mouse game between Leroy and the detectives trying to solve the case.

4. The Summer Nanny (2019)

This entry is a fast-paced novella that focuses on a high-stakes kidnapping. When a wealthy Seattle family's nanny goes missing along with their child, investigators must race against the clock to unravel a web of domestic secrets and lies.

5. Viable Hostage (2019)

The fourth book increases the stakes with a complex hostage scenario. Investigators are pushed to their limits as they deal with a mastermind who has taken hostages for a specific, seemingly impossible demand, weaving medical desperation with high-stakes negotiation.

6. Fatal Deception (2020)

The fifth book wraps up major threads of the series. When a prominent doctor is found dead, the investigation reveals layers of medical conspiracies, deception, and personal betrayal that tie back to the series' recurring themes of guilt and clinical morality.

The Hunt Series: Publication vs. Chronological Order

The Hunt series follows a tense, multi-generational mystery centering on crime reporter Holly Sparks and the Prescott family. There are two ways to read this series:

Option A: Publication Order (Recommended)

Reading in publication order allows you to experience the mystery the way the author intended, discovering clues and secrets along with the characters in the present before learning the backstory.

1. The Final Hunt (2022): Introduces Cameron Prescott, whose husband disappears during a hunting trip in Alaska and is presumed dead, only for Cameron to discover a cache of disturbing evidence suggesting he was not the man she thought he was.
2. The Last Hunt (2024): A direct sequel following Cameron to Tok, Alaska, where she tries to rebuild her life, only for a new string of murders matching her late husband's signature to drag her back into the nightmare.
3. The First Hunt (2025): A prequel set in 1985 Seattle that follows crime reporter Holly Sparks as she tracks a serial killer, revealing the origin of the darkness that eventually engulfs the Prescott family.

Option B: Chronological Order

If you prefer to follow the timeline from the very beginning, start with the 1985 prequel before diving into Cameron's modern-day struggle in Alaska.

1. The First Hunt (Prequel)
2. The Final Hunt (Book 1)
3. The Last Hunt (Book 2)

Audrey J. Cole's Standalone Novels

In addition to her series, Cole has written several standalone psychological and domestic thrillers. These can be read in any order and are perfect for readers looking for complete, self-contained mysteries.

• The Pilot's Daughter (2021): Drawing on Cole's own background as a pilot's daughter, this aviation thriller follows Cora, a nurse and pilot's daughter, who must work with a homicide detective to save a passenger flight from Seattle to Honolulu after a mid-air hijacking leaves the pilots dead.
• Only One Lie (2022): A historical departure for Cole, this suspense novel is set in World War II-era Seattle. Newlywed Vera Chandler becomes dangerously entangled in the secrets of a wealthy family after their young son is kidnapped.
• The One (2023): A modern domestic thriller about Sloane Marks, an ER doctor who discovers her husband's infidelity and considers using a highly exclusive dating app called "The One," founded by a billionaire from her past. The decision plunges her into a fight for survival after a suspicious death.
• Missing in Flight (2025): Another locked-room aviation thriller. Makayla Rossi is flying with her infant son from Alaska to New York. When she returns to her seat after a brief absence, her baby is gone—and the crew and passengers claim the child was never on board, forcing her to prove her sanity while searching for her son.

What to Know Before You Start

Before diving in, readers should know that Audrey J. Cole spent eleven years working as a neonatal intensive care nurse. This experience heavily influences her writing, allowing her to write medical scenes, hospital environments, and clinical procedures with a high degree of authenticity. Additionally, as the daughter of a pilot, her technical knowledge of aircraft and aviation protocols shines through in her flight-based thrillers like The Pilot's Daughter and Missing in Flight. Most of her novels are set in the Pacific Northwest, showcasing the moody atmosphere of Seattle and the rugged wilderness of Alaska.