Karen Robards Books in Order
This Karen Robards page lists her books in order, with series reading guides, short summaries, background notes, and where to start.
Last updated: June 7, 2026
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Publication Order
57 books
Island Flame
by Karen Robards
1981
Lady Catherine Aldley is sailing to London when pirates attack, and Captain Jonathan Hale claims her as his own. Trapped at sea, Catherine has only her pride, wit, and will to resist him.
Sea Fire
by Karen Robards
1982
Lady Catherine Aldley and pirate captain Jonathan Hale return in a direct sequel to Island Flame. Their dangerous passion continues across the high seas, where love, pride, and survival remain tangled together.
Forbidden Love
by Karen Robards
1983
Megan Kinkead returns from school to Maam's Cross Court as a grown woman, only to fall for her former guardian, Justin, Earl of Weston. Desire and propriety collide when she learns he is married.
Amanda Rose
by Karen Robards
1984
In 1840 England, Lady Amanda Rose Culver saves Matt Grayson, a handsome man falsely condemned for murder. His escape from the gallows draws them into a swashbuckling romance full of risk.
Dark Torment
by Karen Robards
1985
Irish convict Dominic Gallagher is sent to the Australian Outback, where Sarah Markham rescues him from a brutal beating. Bound to her father's household, Dominic and Sarah face desire in a harsh world.
To Love a Man
by Karen Robards
1985
Journalist Lisa Collins travels to Africa to cover an armed uprising and is swept into the violence herself. War, danger, and unexpected passion force her to decide who she can trust.
Loving Julia
by Karen Robards
1986
London street girl Jewel Combs marries a dying aristocrat and is thrust into a family that wants her gone. Sebastian, Earl of Moorland, decides to remake her as Julia, but feelings complicate the bargain.
Wild Orchids
by Karen Robards
1986
Teacher Lora Harding expects a quiet summer in Cancun, not Max Maxwell sliding into her car at gunpoint. His rescue mission has gone wrong, and now both of them are running for their lives.
Night Magic
by Karen Robards
1987
Romance writer Clara Winston dedicates a book to her cat, Puff, without knowing Puff is also a rogue CIA agent's code name. When killers come looking, agent Jack McClain becomes her only chance.
Dark of the Moon
by Karen Robards
1988
Disguised as a boy, Irish street waif Caitlyn O'Malley tries to rob Connor d'Arcy on a Dublin street. The dangerous earl sees through more than her disguise.
Desire in the Sun
by Karen Robards
1988
Lilah Remy, daughter of a plantation owner, is drawn to Joss San Pietro, an English-raised man forced into bondage in the Deep South. Their dangerous connection carries them onto stormy seas.
Tiger's Eye
by Karen Robards
1989
Lady Isabella St. Just first meets Alec Tyron while he is holding her at gunpoint. In London's underworld, rescue, suspicion, and attraction bind an aristocrat to a man with dangerous secrets.
Morning Song
by Karen Robards
1990
After her father's death, tomboyish Jessie Lindsay is left under the control of her glamorous stepmother. When fortune hunter Stuart Edwards arrives in Mississippi society, both women are pulled into his schemes.
Green Eyes
by Karen Robards
1991
Widowed, poor, and trapped by her brother-in-law's demands, Anna Traverne sees no escape. Then a jewel thief breaks into Gordon Hall, bringing danger and an unexpected chance at freedom.
This Side of Heaven
by Karen Robards
1991
Caroline Wetherby reaches the American colonies seeking family refuge, only to find her sister dead. Her rugged brother-in-law, Matt Mathieson, is as unsettling as the wild new world around her.
Nobody's Angel
by Karen Robards
1992
In the Carolina Colony, Susannah Redmon is known for healing, hard work, and stubborn independence. When she buys a man, she opens the door to desire, scandal, and a future she never expected.
One Summer
by Karen Robards
1993
Teacher Rachel Grant believes former student Johnny Harris was wrongly imprisoned for murder. When he returns on parole, she helps him rebuild, but the whole town and her own heart stand in the way.
Maggy's Child
by Karen Robards
1994
Set in Kentucky's bluegrass country, this romantic thriller follows a mother caught between sacrifice, family power, and a dangerous past. Love offers hope, but the dynasty around her will not let go easily.
Hunter's Moon
by Karen Robards
1995
Molly Ballard is struggling to support her siblings when she steals FBI cash from a Kentucky horse farm. Agent Will Lyman catches her lie and pulls her into a dangerous sting.
Walking After Midnight
by Karen Robards
1995
Summer McAfee, owner of a cleaning service, finds a battered body on an embalming table. The corpse is alive, desperate, and soon dragging her into a frantic run from cops and killers.
Heartbreaker
by Karen Robards
1996
Lynn Nelson's Utah wilderness vacation with her teenage daughter turns deadly after a fall from a cliff. Their handsome guide, Jess Feldman, may be the only person who can keep them alive.
The Senator's Wife
by Karen Robards
1998
Ronnie Honneker married a rising senator and found loneliness behind the glamour. When his affairs erupt into public scandal, her private pain becomes impossible to hide, and old feelings return with force.
The Midnight Hour
by Karen Robards
1999
Judge Grace Hart seems to have a secure suburban life, but her teenage daughter is spiraling and someone is stalking the girl. When their home is violated, Grace must confront a growing threat.
Ghost Moon
by Karen Robards
2000
Olivia Morrison returns to a Louisiana estate after nine years away, hoping to make peace with the Archer clan. Instead, nightmares about her mother's supposed suicide suggest a far darker truth.
Paradise County
by Karen Robards
2000
In Kentucky horse country, beauty and money hide something rotten beneath the surface. Paradise County looks peaceful from the outside, but an old darkness threatens everyone who gets too close.
Scandalous
by Karen Robards
2001
Lady Gabriella Banning pretends her dead half-brother is still alive to save her sisters from ruin. When a stranger appears claiming to be him, her desperate plan becomes a scandalous trap.
To Trust a Stranger
by Karen Robards
2001
Julie, a former beauty queen turned pageant-gown designer, has a new problem: someone wants her dead. Help arrives in the form of Mac, a private investigator whose disguise is hard to ignore.
Wait Until Dark
by Karen Robards
2001
This romantic suspense anthology gathers four dangerous love stories, including Karen Robards' Manna From Heaven. The collection moves through drug chases, inherited houses, stalkers, killers, and late-night danger.
Irresistible
by Karen Robards
2002
Claire Banning's glittering marriage has become a lonely prison. When Hugh Battancourt abducts her to recover a secret letter bound for the enemy, danger and attraction share the same cabin.
Whispers at Midnight
by Karen Robards
2002
After a painful divorce, Carly Linton returns to Benton, Georgia, to open a bed-and-breakfast in her grandmother's old house. Small-town memories, new desire, and hidden danger quickly follow.
Beachcomber
by Karen Robards
2003
On North Carolina's Outer Banks, a serial killer hunts women among the beach tourists. Sun, sand, and attraction turn dangerous as the search for the killer closes in.
Bait
by Karen Robards
2004
Advertising agency owner Maddie Fitzgerald goes to New Orleans on business, only for a killer to break into her hotel room. Survival turns her trip into a terrifying game of pursuit.
Pursuit
by Karen Robards
2005
Rookie lawyer Jessica Ford is the only survivor of the crash that kills the First Lady. As witnesses die around her, Secret Service agent Mark Ryan may be her only protection.
Superstition
by Karen Robards
2005
Journalist Nicole Sullivan investigates a fifteen-year-old murder and disappearance on Pawleys Island. Working with police chief Joe Franconi, she finds the old case is not finished killing.
Vanished
by Karen Robards
2006
Sarah Mason receives a call from a child who sounds exactly like her missing daughter, Lexie. Private investigator Jake Hogan thinks someone is tormenting her, until the search turns deadly.
Obsession
by Karen Robards
2007
Katharine Lawrence wakes after a brutal attack and finds that her apartment, clothes, and even her reflection feel wrong. Everyone says the life is hers, but her instincts say otherwise.
Guilty
by Karen Robards
2008
Philadelphia prosecutor Kate White has fought hard to outrun a troubled past. During a routine trial, a defendant's escape turns violent, and Kate is taken hostage in front of the court.
Shameless
by Karen Robards
2010
Beth Banning has broken three engagements rather than surrender her freedom. When government assassin Neil Severin targets someone she loves, she is forced into a dangerous flight beside a ruthless man.
Shattered
by Karen Robards
2010
While reviewing cold cases in Fayette County, Lisa finds a file about a missing family, and a photo of a woman who looks just like her. The discovery makes her a target.
Justice
by Karen Robards
2011
Jessica Ford is hiding after surviving the crash that killed the First Lady, but a high-profile courtroom win exposes her again. Her Secret Service ex, Mark Ryan, races to keep her alive.
Sleepwalker
by Karen Robards
2011
Cop Micayla Lange is housesitting her uncle's mansion on New Year's Eve when she hears an intruder downstairs. One late-night discovery pulls her into secrets, danger, and a very risky alliance.
Manna From Heaven
by Karen Robards
2012
Charlotte Bates accidentally drives into a DEA agent's pursuit of a drug smuggler. When the lawman takes her hostage, danger and attraction turn one wrong turn into a wild escape.
Shiver
by Karen Robards
2012
Repo woman Samantha Jones is just trying to support her son when she finds a bound, bloodied man in the trunk of a BMW. One repossession drops her into lethal trouble.
The Last Victim
by Karen Robards
2012
Dr. Charlotte Stone survived the Boardwalk Killer as a teenager and now studies serial killers. When a similar case surfaces, her hidden visions and FBI agent Tony Bartoli pull her back into terror.
Hunted
by Karen Robards
2013
On Christmas Eve in New Orleans, wealthy hostages are trapped inside a lakefront mansion by detective Reed Ware, a model cop turned outlaw. A hostage negotiator is forced into his desperate search for truth.
The Last Kiss Goodbye
by Karen Robards
2013
Dr. Charlotte Stone is drawn into the Gingerbread Man's deadly game when a terrified young woman runs to her for help. Charlie's ghostly lover and FBI allies may not be enough.
Her Last Whisper
by Karen Robards
2014
Charlie Stone joins Tony Bartoli on a Las Vegas case where women are vanishing from hotels. The killer's pattern is chilling, and Charlie's connection to ghostly Michael Garland grows more complicated.
Hush
by Karen Robards
2014
Riley Cowan finds her estranged husband dead in his mansion, and the police call it suicide. She suspects murder tied to his father's massive fraud and missing money.
The Last Time I Saw Her
by Karen Robards
2015
Charlie Stone tries to prove ghostly Michael Garland's innocence when his lookalike appears in Virginia. A prison breakout adds a swarm of dangerous fugitives to an already impossible case.
Darkness
by Karen Robards
2016
A brilliant ornithologist is trapped on remote Attu Island in Alaska with a handsome stranger. As danger closes in, both must fight to survive the cold, the dark, and whoever is hunting them.
The Ultimatum
by Karen Robards
2017
Bianca St. Ives is a thief, con artist, and security expert known as the Guardian. When a heist loses millions and secret documents, the government uses her as bait.
The Moscow Deception
by Karen Robards
2018
Bianca St. Ives is hunted by assassins and government forces when her father draws her into a mission to recover King Priam's Treasure. Moscow becomes another trap she must outsmart.
The Fifth Doctrine
by Karen Robards
2019
Bianca St. Ives is finally cornered, but the authorities offer a deal instead of a cell. To win freedom, she must go undercover in a dangerous operation tied to North Korea.
The Black Swan of Paris
by Karen Robards
2020
In Paris, 1944, singer Genevieve Dumont uses her Nazi access as cover for the Resistance. When her mother is captured, Genevieve must risk everything before secrets can destroy the Allied invasion.
The Girl from Guernica
by Karen Robards
2022
After the 1937 bombing of Guernica, seventeen-year-old Sibi and her sisters know who really attacked their town. An American military attaché helps them hide the truth before the Gestapo silences them.
Some Murders in Berlin
by Karen Robards
2024
In September 1943, Danish profiler Dr. Elin Lund is summoned to Berlin to investigate eight murdered women. Paired with detective Kurt Schneider, she finds a killer whose power reaches far beyond the crime scenes.
The Moonlight Runner
by Karen Robards
2026
In Ireland, 1918, nurse Rynn Carmichael rushes to warn rebel gunrunners, including the man she loves. Her midnight choice pulls her from Donegal Bay into a fight for freedom and survival.
Where should I start?
For classic historical romance: Island Flame → Sea Fire → Loving Julia → Tiger's Eye
For romantic suspense: One Summer → Night Magic → Walking After Midnight → Shiver
For legal and political danger: Pursuit → Justice
For paranormal serial-killer suspense: The Last Victim → The Last Kiss Goodbye → Her Last Whisper → The Last Time I Saw Her
For spy thrillers and wartime history: The Ultimatum → The Moscow Deception → The Black Swan of Paris → Some Murders in Berlin
Author bio
Karen Robards was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and that city has stayed close to the center of her life. She grew up in a family where practical careers mattered, with an orthodontist father and plenty of pressure to choose a steady path.
Writing still found her early. As a teenager, she sold a short piece to Reader's Digest, a small but real sign that words could turn into a check.
Then came the classroom moment.
While studying at the University of Kentucky, Robards took a creative writing class where students were asked to produce the first pages of a publishable book. She looked at what was selling, chose historical romance, and wrote the opening pages that became Island Flame. The class reaction was not exactly warm, but the pages had legs. She sold the book at 24, and it was published in 1981.
That sale changed the plan. Robards left law school, worked in an orthodontic office, and kept writing. Her early books, including Island Flame, Sea Fire, Forbidden Love, and Loving Julia, leaned into historical romance: difficult choices, social rules, dangerous journeys, and heroines who push back hard when the world tries to corner them.
She did not stay in one lane.
Robards moved into contemporary romantic suspense with books such as To Love a Man, Night Magic, One Summer, and Walking After Midnight. These stories often mix danger with romantic heat, but they also show her practical streak as a storyteller. Someone is in trouble, the clock is ticking, and the relationship has to survive the mess around it.
Her series work widened that range. Jessica Ford brought legal and political suspense to Washington, D.C. Dr. Charlotte Stone added a paranormal edge, with a serial-killer expert who can see the dead. The Guardian books put Bianca St. Ives in spy-thriller territory, with heists, disguises, government pressure, and family secrets.
In recent years, Robards has also written historical thrillers set around World War II and its aftermath. The Black Swan of Paris, The Girl from Guernica, Some Murders in Berlin, and The Moonlight Runner all focus on women trying to survive inside violent political moments. The settings are larger, but the engine is familiar: courage under pressure, secrets that can get people killed, and love tested by fear.
Robards is the author of more than fifty books and one novella, with appearances on major bestseller lists and awards that include six Silver Pen Awards. She is the mother of three sons and has long made her home in Louisville, the place where the story started.
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