Beverly Long Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Beverly Long

Beverly Long has built a versatile bibliography that spans police procedurals, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. Because her work shifts between different genres and formats, the best place to start depends heavily on what kind of story you are in the mood for.

For fans of gritty, character-driven police procedurals, the absolute best starting point is the A.L. McKittridge series, beginning with Ten Days Gone. It follows two detectives solving complex crimes in the small town of Baywood, offering the perfect blend of procedural realism and deep personal stakes. If you prefer high-action romantic suspense with a focus on first responders and small-town dynamics, start with the Heroes of the Pacific Northwest series, beginning with A Firefighter's Ultimate Duty. Finally, if you want a classic time-travel romance with a touch of mystery, look no further than her debut series, When Time Matters, starting with Stay With Me.

The A.L. McKittridge Series (Baywood Police Procedurals)

This series represents Beverly Long’s shift toward focused police procedurals. Set in the fictional town of Baywood, the books follow detectives A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan as they tackle challenging, high-profile investigations. While each book centers on a distinct crime, the personal lives, evolving partnerships, and emotional struggles of the lead detectives carry over from book to book. For this reason, it is highly recommended to read this series in chronological publication order:

1. Ten Days Gone (2020) – Detectives McKittridge and Morgan hunt a methodical serial killer targeting victims ten days apart.
2. No One Saw (2020) – The team investigates the puzzling disappearance of a child with zero evidence and a cold trail.
3. Lies Still Told (2022) – A cold case hits close to home when a murder investigation ties back to A.L.'s own history.
4. Last Bad Plan (2025) – The latest entry, continuing the complex professional and personal dynamics of the Baywood detectives.

Heroes of the Pacific Northwest Series

If you love stories about firefighters, police officers, and search-and-rescue teams finding love in dangerous situations, this series delivers. Each installment is a standalone romantic suspense novel featuring a different couple, but they are linked by their setting and the shared camaraderie of Pacific Northwest first responders. You can read them in any order, but reading them in publication order lets you see familiar faces in the background:

1. A Firefighter's Ultimate Duty (2021)
2. Trouble in Blue (2022)
3. Her Dangerous Truth (2022)

Classic Romantic Suspense Series

Before launching her procedurals, Beverly Long published several beloved romantic suspense series with Harlequin. These series feature high-action plots, protective heroes, and resourceful heroines. While the romances resolve in each book, the overarching settings and character networks make reading in order the most satisfying approach.

The Men from Crow Hollow

This trilogy follows three brothers facing imminent danger and finding romance in a tight-knit community. Read them in order to capture the full family arc:

1. Hunted (2014)
2. Stalked (2014)
3. Trapped (2014)

Return to Ravesville

Set in a small town with big secrets, this series features federal agents, hidden witnesses, and undercover investigations. Follow this order to keep the town's secrets straight:

1. Hidden Witness (2015)
2. Agent Bride (2015)
3. Urgent Pursuit (2016)
4. Deep Secrets (2016)

Wingman Security

Focused on a private security firm, these books detail the intense bonds formed between bodyguards and the clients they are sworn to protect:

1. Bodyguard Reunion (2017)
2. Power Play (2018)
3. Snowbound Security (2018)
4. Protecting the Boss (2019)

Legend of Swaying Rock

A fast-paced trilogy of romantic suspense novellas set against the rugged backdrop of Montana. Because these stories are closely linked, they should be read sequentially:

1. Montana Retribution (2016)
2. Montana Reckoning (2016)
3. Montana Danger (2016)

Time Travel and Paranormal Classics

For readers who enjoy a touch of the otherworldly, Beverly Long's early career featured paranormal elements. Her debut series, When Time Matters, is a time-travel romance duology that remains a fan favorite. It is best read in order:

1. Stay With Me (2005) – A contemporary woman is transported back to 1888 Wyoming, meeting a rugged rancher who mistakes her for someone else.
2. Here With Me (2006) – Continues the romantic time-slip theme with high stakes and supernatural elements.

Additionally, her standalone paranormal romance Yesterday's Magic (2012), originally published under the Witching Hour line, offers a wonderful entry point for readers who enjoy light supernatural themes blended with mystery.

The Colton Shared Universe Contributions

Beverly Long has been a recurring contributor to Harlequin's massive, multi-author continuity series, The Coltons. In these shared worlds, a group of authors writes individual standalones that fit into a larger season-long family mystery. You do not need to read the entire multi-author series to enjoy Beverly's books, but knowing where they fit helps clarify the overarching plotlines:

• A Colton Target (2019) – Published as Book 5 of The Coltons of Roaring Springs.
• Agent Colton's Takedown (2021) – Published as Book 11 of The Coltons of Grave Gulch.

Note: While database logs sometimes list the entire Colton series under a single author profile, other entries in these series are written by talented romantic suspense authors like Jennifer D. Bokal, Lara Lacombe, and Addison Fox.

Other Standalones and Mini-Series

If you are looking for quick, self-contained suspense novels, Beverly Long has several standalone thrillers and short series:

• Detectives Series: A two-book romantic suspense set including Deadly Force (2013) and Secure Location (2013).
• Standalone Thrillers: Running for Her Life (2012), For the Baby's Sake (2013), Dead by Wednesday (2013), and Knocking at Her Heart (2015).