E.A. Aymar Books in Order

The Recommended Starting Point

If you are new to E.A. Aymar's writing, the best place to start depends on whether you prefer to follow a continuous character arc or jump straight into a polished, modern standalone thriller.

For the Series Reader: Start with I'll Sleep When You're Dead (2013). This is the opening book of the Tom Starks series, introducing a community college professor in Baltimore who is drawn into a dark world of vengeance after his wife is murdered. Starting here allows you to experience the author's debut and watch his style develop.

For the Standalone Thriller Reader: Start with When She Left (2024). Selected for the PEN/Faulkner Foundation's DC Reads program, this book showcases Aymar at his sharpest, earning comparisons to Elmore Leonard. It features a reluctant hitman who leads a double life as a real estate agent and panic-attack sufferer, offering a perfect mix of high-speed suspense and dark humor.

For the Short Fiction Lover: Start with the award-nominated short story The Search for Eric Garcia, published in the 2021 anthology Midnight Hour. It is written in an innovative, second-person "choose your own adventure" structure and was highlighted by the New York Times as emotionally devastating crime fiction.

The "Dead" Series (Tom Starks Books)

Although frequently referred to by readers and promotional material as the "Dead Trilogy," this series currently consists of only two novels following the protagonist Tom Starks. E.A. Aymar originally wrote the first book as a standalone before deciding to write a sequel. There is no third book, as the author has since focused on standalone novels. The books should be read in order of publication to follow the character development and continuous plot:

1. I'll Sleep When You're Dead (2013): Introduces Tom Starks, a Baltimore community college professor who becomes a reluctant avenger after his wife is murdered. He struggles to protect his daughter while descending into the local criminal underworld.
2. You're As Good As Dead (2015): Elevates the stakes as Tom Starks is pulled back into Baltimore's gang wars. This installment introduces the morally complex twins, Lucy and Switch, expanding the dark tone and tension of the first book.

Standalone Crime Novels

E.A. Aymar's standalone thrillers do not share characters or direct storylines, meaning they can be read in any order. However, reading them in publication order shows how the author refines his signature style of blending tense crime plots with witty dialogue and social commentary.

• The Unrepentant (2019): A gritty, action-packed thriller following Charlotte Reyes, a young woman who escapes a human trafficking ring and fights to survive. It tackles heavy themes with unflinching courage and dark humor.
• They're Gone (2020 - Published under the pseudonym E.A. Barres): Written under a pen name, this thriller focuses on two women—Deb Linh Thomas, a freelance editor, and Cessy Castillo, a Baltimore bartender—whose husbands are murdered on the same night. They become allies of circumstance to protect their families.
• No Home for Killers (2023): An Anthony Award nominee for Best Paperback. It follows two estranged sisters, Melinda and Emily Peña, as they investigate the murder of their brother, a local jazz musician and activist. The story features Emily's secret identity as a masked vigilante punishing abusers, exploring trauma, grief, and family dynamics.
• When She Left (2024): A fast-paced chase novel following a young couple running from a criminal organization, pursued by Lucky Wilson, a reluctant hitman who is trying to balance his crumbling marriage and real estate career.

The Vic and Cassie "Murderous Siblings" Trilogy

One of E.A. Aymar's most unique projects is a three-part narrative arc following a pair of murderous siblings, Vic and Cassie. Instead of appearing in a single book, their story unfolds across three different anthologies. To follow their complete arc, read these specific stories in this order:

1. Part 1: The Night of the Flood (2018) – A collaborative novel-in-stories co-edited by Aymar, featuring the siblings' introduction.
2. Part 2: The Swamp Killers (2020) – A collaborative anthology following the same narrative project.
3. Part 3: "Still Crazy After All These Years" (2022) – A standalone short story published in the anthology Paranoia Blues: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Paul Simon, which concludes the siblings' arc and was nominated for an Anthony Award.

Short Stories and Edited Anthologies

Aymar is a dedicated member of the crime-writing community and has edited, compiled, and contributed to several anthologies. These books highlight his collaboration with other crime and thriller writers:

• Noir at the Salad Bar: Culinary Tales with a Bite (2017): A food-themed noir anthology curated and edited by Aymar.
• Writers Crushing COVID-19 (2020): A collaborative charity anthology raised to support independent bookstores during the pandemic.
• The Search for Eric Garcia (in Midnight Hour, 2021): An experimental, second-person short story nominated for the Anthony Award for Best Short Story.

What to Know Before You Start

The Settings: E.A. Aymar lives in the DC/MD/VA area, and the geography of the Mid-Atlantic plays a major role in his work. From the gritty corners of Baltimore to the suburban sprawl of northern Virginia and the political shadows of Washington, D.C., the settings feel realistic and lived-in.

The Tone: Aymar's thrillers deal with heavy, often dark topics—such as human trafficking, domestic abuse, vigilante justice, and grief. However, he balances these grim subjects with snappy dialogue, dark comedy, and flawed, deeply sympathetic antiheroes, preventing the books from feeling overly bleak.

The Pseudonym: Make sure not to miss They're Gone, which was published under the name E.A. Barres. It is functionally part of his main body of standalone crime fiction and features the same sharp storytelling and character-driven suspense as his other work.