Lisa Gardner Books in Order: Every Series and Standalone Explained

Lisa Gardner Books in Order

Lisa Gardner writes the kind of thriller that keeps you up until 2 a.m., then makes you check the locks. She has been doing it since the 1990s, and her books now span four series, several standalones, and a handful of short stories. Trying to sort out the Lisa Gardner books in order can feel like a case file of its own.

The challenge is that her series cross over. Characters from one set show up in another, and a few books count as part of two series at once. This guide untangles all of it, so you know what to read first, what connects to what, and where her newest book fits.

Who Is Lisa Gardner?

Lisa Gardner is a New York Times bestselling author based in New Hampshire. She wrote romance novels early on under the name Alicia Scott, then switched to suspense with The Perfect Husband in 1997. Since then, she has become known for tight plots, real police procedure, and strong female leads.

She does a lot of research, including time with police and FBI units, which gives her books a grounded feel. If you like crime fiction that respects how investigations work, Lisa Gardner is a solid pick.

Lisa Gardner Books in Order of Publication

Here is her full suspense catalog by release date. This list skips the early Alicia Scott romances, which we cover later.

1. The Perfect Husband (1997)
2. The Other Daughter (1999)
3. The Third Victim (2001)
4. The Next Accident (2001)
5. The Survivors Club (2002)
6. The Killing Hour (2003)
7. Alone (2004)
8. Gone (2006)
9. Hide (2007)
10. Say Goodbye (2008)
11. The Neighbor (2009)
12. Live to Tell (2010)
13. Love You More (2011)
14. Catch Me (2012)
15. Touch & Go (2013)
16. Fear Nothing (2014)
17. Crash & Burn (2015)
18. Find Her (2016)
19. Right Behind You (2017)
20. Look for Me (2018)
21. Never Tell (2019)
22. When You See Me (2020)
23. Before She Disappeared (2021)
24. One Step Too Far (2022)
25. Still See You Everywhere (2024)
26. Kiss Her Goodbye (2025)
27. You’ll Be Sorry (2026)

You’ll Be Sorry is her newest book. It came out in August 2026 and stands alone. A newlywed couple moves into an abandoned lodge in a small New Hampshire town, where a whole family vanished 30 years earlier. When a stray dog turns up a skeleton, the town’s buried secrets start coming out.

Lisa Gardner Books in Order by Series

Most readers prefer to go series by series. Here is how each one breaks down.

FBI Profiler Series (Pierce Quincy and Rainie Conner)

This is where it all started. Pierce Quincy is a retired FBI profiler, and Rainie Conner is a former small-town cop who becomes his partner. Quincy’s daughter, Kimberly, later joins the FBI and takes a bigger role.

1. The Perfect Husband (1997)
2. The Third Victim (2001)
3. The Next Accident (2001)
4. The Killing Hour (2003)
5. Gone (2006)
6. Say Goodbye (2008)
7. Right Behind You (2017)

The Perfect Husband introduces Quincy but focuses on a woman hunting her killer ex-husband. The Third Victim brings in Rainie and is a fan favorite.

Detective D.D. Warren Series

Boston sergeant D.D. Warren is Gardner’s most popular character. She is sharp, impatient, and very good at her job. Over the series, she goes from a single cop married to her work to a wife and mother still trying to do it all.

1. Alone (2004)
2. Hide (2007)
3. The Neighbor (2009)
4. Live to Tell (2010)
5. Love You More (2011)
6. Catch Me (2012)
7. Fear Nothing (2014)
8. Find Her (2016)
9. Look for Me (2018)
10. Never Tell (2019)
11. When You See Me (2020)

The Neighbor won the International Thriller Writers award for best novel and makes a strong entry point if you want to jump in.

Flora Dane Thread

Flora Dane is a kidnapping survivor who turns vigilante. She first appears in Find Her and keeps showing up in the later D.D. Warren books. Find Her, Look for Me, Never Tell, and When You See Me all feature her, so read them in that order.

Tessa Leoni Books

Tessa Leoni is a Massachusetts state trooper turned private investigator. She appears across three books:

1. Love You More (2011)
2. Touch & Go (2013)
3. Crash & Burn (2015)

Love You More counts as both a D.D. Warren book and a Tessa Leoni book. Touch & Go teams Tessa with Sergeant Wyatt Foster, who also leads Crash & Burn.

Frankie Elkin Series

Frankie Elkin is a recovering alcoholic who finds missing people the police have given up on. She has no badge, no team, and no budget, just stubborn grit.

1. Before She Disappeared (2021)
2. One Step Too Far (2022)
3. Still See You Everywhere (2024)
4. Kiss Her Goodbye (2025)

This is her newest series, and each book drops Frankie into a new town with a new cold case. You can read them out of order, but Frankie’s own backstory builds across the four books.

Standalone Novels

These books do not belong to any series:

• The Other Daughter (1999)
• The Survivors Club (2002)
• You’ll Be Sorry (2026)

The Crossover Books

Here is a quick table showing which books link more than one series. This is the part that trips people up most.

When You See Me is the big crossover. It brings D.D., Flora, and FBI agent Kimberly Quincy together on one case in Georgia. If you plan to read it, try to finish the FBI Profiler books first so the Quincy family history makes sense.

Short Stories and Novellas

Gardner has also written a few shorter pieces that fill gaps between novels:

• The 7th Month (2012)
• The Laughing Buddha (2015)
• 3 Truths and a Lie (2016)
• The 4th Man (2016)
• The Guy Who Died Twice (2019)

These are quick, cheap reads, mostly as e-books. Skip them if you only want the novels.

Her Early Romance Novels as Alicia Scott

Before Lisa Gardner books took over the thriller shelf, she wrote around a dozen romance and romantic suspense novels as Alicia Scott in the 1990s. Titles include Walking After Midnight, Hiding Jessica, and Maggie’s Man. They feel different from her later work, so treat them as a side note rather than part of the main reading order.

Where Should You Start?

If you are new to Lisa Gardner, you have three good options:

• The Neighbor: The best single entry point. A mother vanishes, and her husband becomes the prime suspect. You meet D.D. without needing any backstory.
• The Third Victim: A great start for the FBI Profiler books, set after a school shooting in a small Oregon town.
• Before She Disappeared: A clean start for the Frankie Elkin series and a good read for anyone who likes underdog heroes.

If you want the full experience, follow the Lisa Gardner books in order of publication. The crossovers will land the way she intended, and you will see her style grow from the late 1990s to now.

Common Questions About Lisa Gardner Books in Order

Which Lisa Gardner book is the scariest? Readers often name Catch Me and Find Her. Both deal with predators and survival, and both keep the tension high from start to finish.

Do I need to read the FBI Profiler books before D.D. Warren? No. The two series run on their own until the crossovers. You only need the Quincy background before you reach When You See Me.

Is Lisa Gardner still writing new books? Yes. She released Kiss Her Goodbye in 2025 and You’ll Be Sorry in 2026, so the list of Lisa Gardner books in order is still growing.

Are her books good for book clubs? They work well, especially the Frankie Elkin novels, which raise questions about grief, addiction, and second chances that make for good group talks.

How long are her books? Most run between 350 and 450 pages. The later D.D. Warren books trend longer, while the Frankie Elkin books read a bit faster. If you plan to work through the Lisa Gardner books in order, expect roughly one book a week at a steady pace.

Final Thoughts

The Lisa Gardner books in order cover 27 suspense novels, four connected series, and a few short stories. Read by series if you want to follow one character, or go by release date if you want every crossover to land at the right moment. Either way, start with The Neighbor or The Third Victim, then keep this list of Lisa Gardner books in order close for what comes next.

Key Takeaways

• Lisa Gardner has written 27 suspense novels from The Perfect Husband (1997) to You’ll Be Sorry (2026).
• Her main series are FBI Profiler (7 books), D.D. Warren (11 books), Tessa Leoni (3 books), and Frankie Elkin (4 books).
• Love You More counts as both a D.D. Warren and a Tessa Leoni book.
• Flora Dane appears in Find Her, Look for Me, Never Tell, and When You See Me.
• When You See Me (2020) is the biggest crossover, joining D.D. Warren, Flora Dane, and Kimberly Quincy.
• You’ll Be Sorry (August 2026) is her newest book and a standalone.
• The Neighbor is the best single entry point for new readers.
• Her early romance novels came out under the name Alicia Scott and sit outside the main reading order.