Where to Start Reading Daco S. Auffenorde
For readers new to Daco S. Auffenorde (who often publishes simply as "Daco"), the recommended starting point depends entirely on what subgenre of suspense you prefer. Because the majority of her novels are standalone stories, you do not need to worry about strict chronological continuity. Instead, you can select your starting point based on theme and tone:
- For Survival Suspense (Highly Recommended): Start with Cover Your Tracks (2020). This is her award-winning breakout thriller that features an intense, claustrophobic struggle for survival in a snowbound wilderness. It perfectly showcases her trademark pacing and character tension.
- For Classic Espionage: Start with The Libra Affair (2013). This is her debut novel and the beginning of her Jordan Jakes CIA series, blending high-stakes international action with a central romance.
- For Gothic Mystery: Start with The Medici Curse (2025). If you prefer haunted family villas, dark histories, and psychological uncertainty set against an atmospheric Italian backdrop, this is the ideal choice.
- For Psychological Thrillers: Start with The Forgotten Girl (2022), a twisty story focused on memory, secrets, and dangerous personal histories.
The Jordan Jakes Espionage Series
While most of Auffenorde's catalog consists of standalone thrillers, her CIA covert operative character, Jordan Jakes, links several of her early thrillers and short stories. This series features a blend of romantic suspense and global intelligence missions. The recommended reading order for this series follows the chronological events of Jordan's missions:
1. The Libra Affair (2013)
The primary full-length novel in the series. It introduces Jordan Jakes, a CIA covert operative who finds her mission in the Middle East complicated by her feelings for NASA scientist Ben Johnson. When Jordan goes missing, Ben must travel to Iran to find her, setting off a high-stakes adventure across international borders.
2. "The Pisces Affair" (2015)
A companion short story featuring Jordan Jakes. This piece expands on Jordan's operative career and won double gold at the 2015 Global Ebook Awards for its tight pacing and suspense.
3. "The Virgo Affair" (2015)
A short story that was featured in the anthology Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded. It offers a quick, zippy suspense scenario featuring the same character, showcasing her ability to weave tension in a shorter format.
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
If you prefer to read Daco S. Auffenorde's works in the order they were written and published, you can follow this timeline. This path allows you to watch her style evolve from romantic espionage to gritty survival fiction and atmospheric Gothic suspense:
- The Libra Affair (2013) - Espionage thriller (Jordan Jakes Book 1).
- Electromancer (2016) - A unique departure into superhero fiction, blending sci-fi, romance, and comic-book style action.
- Cover Your Tracks (2020) - Survival thriller. A doctor and a former Army Ranger are stranded in a blizzard after a train avalanche.
- The Forgotten Girl (2022) - Psychological thriller exploring memory and hidden identities.
- Dirty Martini (2022) - An espionage thriller filled with global intrigue and high-stakes action.
- The Medici Curse (2025) - A Gothic mystery and thriller centered around a cursed Tuscan villa and family secrets.
What to Know Before You Start
Daco S. Auffenorde brings a highly cinematic approach to her writing, drawing inspiration from high-concept action films like The Fugitive and real-world disasters. Her background as an attorney and her childhood in Huntsville, Alabama (the "Rocket City"), influence the technical detail and Southern storytelling flavor found in her writing.
Because her works span everything from romance-infused superhero stories (Electromancer) to dark, psychological survival scenarios (Cover Your Tracks), readers should not expect the same tone across all books. However, her signature fast pacing, complex characters under extreme stress, and unexpected twists remain consistent throughout her career.