Melinda Leigh is the best-selling American author behind numerous romance, mystery, and thriller novels.

She describes herself as a “fully recovered banker who learned that writing books is way more fun than analyzing financial statements.” 

And we’re glad she did, as since her writing career began, she’s penned numerous exciting, page-turning reads.

Her debut novel, She Can Run, hit the shelves in 2011. In the years that have followed, her critically acclaimed books have sold over eleven million copies around the globe and even secured her a place in the NJ Romance Writers Hall of Fame.

And there’s no better time to dive into this celebrated author’s work, as next year, she has several brand new offerings due to hit the shelves.

Melinda Leigh’s Books in Order

Melinda Leigh has penned numerous novels and novellas over her decade-long writing career, and with so many great reads to explore, it can be hard to know where to begin.

So, in this post, I’ll give you a full list of every book the author has published. I’ll organize them into their respective series and provide a short summary of each so that you can start your reading journey right away.

The She Can Books

Each novel in this romantic suspense series features a different female protagonist, starting with Elisabeth in book one, She Can Run.

Elisabeth is a young widower and single mother of two young children. She’s already had her fair share of bad luck in life, but when she meets Congressman Richard Baker, things go from bad to worse.

At first, she’s captivated by Richard’s charms. But after she marries him, she finds out a little too late that he’s harboring a terrible secret. And so, she takes her children, and together, they run for their lives.

The She Can Books in Reading And Publication Order

Each of the books in the She Can series is a stand-alone, so you can read them in any order you choose. That being said, some of the secondary characters are loosely interconnected, so some readers may prefer to stick to the publication order listed below.

1. She Can Run (2011)
2. She Can Tell (2012)
3. She Can Scream (2013)
4. She Can Hide (2014)
5. He Can Fall (2014)
6. She Can Kill (2015)

The Midnight Books

The Midnight series begins in a small town in the northern reaches of Maine, where two hikers vanish amid a raging storm.

The locals put their disappearance down to extreme weather conditions, but the truth is much darker and deadlier than anyone could imagine.

The Midnight Books in Reading And Publication Order

The Midnight books are closely linked, so it’s best to read them in the order they were published, listed below.

1. Midnight Exposure (2012)
2. Midnight Sacrifice (2013)
3. Midnight Betrayal (2014)
4. Midnight Obsession (2017)

The Rogue River/ Solitude, Oregon Novellas (Co-Authored with Kendra Elliot)

In 2014, Melinda Leigh joined forces with fellow author Kendra Elliot to create the Rogue River novellas, otherwise known as the Solitude, Oregon series.

This suspense-filled series is broken down into four shorter subseries: Rogue River, Rogue Winter, Rogue Vows, and Rogue Justice.

Authors Leigh and Elliot take turns to tell these gripping tales of crime and passion, set in an unassuming small town of Solitude in rural Oregon.

Each sub-series in the larger Rogue River/Solitude, Oregon series contains an overarching mystery plot. So, to get the most out of these novellas, it’s best to read them in their publication orders, listed below.

Rogue River

1. Rogue River: On Her Father’s Grave (Elliot) (2014)
2. Rogue River: Gone to Her Grave (Leigh) (2014)
3. Rogue River: Her Grave Secrets (Elliot) (2014)
4. Rogue River: Walking on Her Grave (Leigh) (2014)

Rogue Winter

1. Rogue Winter: Tracks of Her Tears (Leigh) (2015)
2. Rogue Winter: Dead in Her Tracks (Elliot) (2015)

Rogue Vows

1. Rogue Vows: Death and Her Devotion (Elliot) (2016)
2. Rogue Vows: Burned by Her Devotion (Leigh) (2016)

Rogue Justice

1. Rogue Justice: Twisted Truth (Leigh) (2017)
2. Rogue Justice: Truth Be Told (Elliot) (2017)

The Scarlet Falls Books

This three-part series begins in the sleepy suburb of Scarlet Falls, where a couple has been slaughtered in cold blood. They’ve left behind two orphaned children, and so, the victim’s brother, Major Grant Barrett, takes leave from his post in Afghanistan to care for his bereaved niece and nephew.

But then, the unthinkable happens; someone tries to snatch the children. Suddenly, it becomes clear that their parent’s murder was no random act of violence. They were targeted, and now, the twisted assassin is coming for the kids.

The Scarlet Falls Books in Reading And Publication Order

Each of the books in the Scarlet Falls series is a stand-alone, so you can read them in any order you choose. That being said, some of the secondary characters are loosely interconnected, so some readers may prefer to stick to the publication order listed below.

1. Hour of Need (2014)
2. Minutes to Kill (2015)
3. Seconds to Live (2016)

The Morgan Dane Books

This Scarlet Falls spin-off series stars attorney Morgan Dane, a young widowed mother who recently lost her husband in Iraq. So, still reeling in grief, she returns to her hometown of Scarlet Falls and moves in with her father.

Soon, she’s offered a job as a defense attorney, and her life finally seems to be getting back on track. But then, tragedy strikes her sleepy suburban town, and a young man stands accused of murder.

Morgan knows he didn’t do it, so, with PI Lance Kruger’s help, she takes direct action to find the real killer herself.

The Morgan Dane Books in Reading And Publication Order

Each of the books in the Morgan Dane series is a stand-alone, so you can read them in any order you choose. That being said, some of the secondary characters are loosely interconnected, so some readers may prefer to stick to the publication order listed below.

1. Say You’re Sorry (2017)
2. Her Last Goodbye (2017)
3. Bones Don’t Lie (2018)
4. What I’ve Done (2018)
5. Secrets Never Die (2019)
6. Save Your Breath (2019)

The Widow’s Island Novellas (Co-Authored with Kendra Elliot)

Melinda Leigh joins forces with author Kendra Elliot once again to bring us this gripping series of novellas starring FBI Special Agent Cate Wilde.

Book one begins when Cate returns to her childhood home on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest. She’s hoping for some well-needed rest, but instead, she and her old friend Tessa are plunged into a harrowing series of murder investigations.

And as they work together to catch the killers, they find a crucial clue relating to a decades-old case; the disappearance of their dear friend Samantha.

The Widow’s Island Novellas in Reading And Publication Order

The Widow’s Island books are closely linked, so it’s best to read them in the order they were published, listed below.

1. Close to the Bone (Elliot) (2018)
2. A Bone to Pick (Leigh) (2018)
3. Whisper of Bones (Leigh) (2019)
4. Below the Bones (Elliot) (2019)
5. Bred in the Bone (Elliot) (2020)
6. A Broken Bone (Leigh) (2020)
7. Buried Bones (Leigh) (2021)
8. Bone Deep (Elliot) (2022)
9. The Wrong Bones (Leigh) (2022)

The Bree Taggert Books

This gripping collection of novels is a spin-off of Melinda Leigh’s popular Scarlet Falls and Morgan Dane series.

In book one, we meet homicide detective Bree Taggert. Twenty-five years ago, Bree lost both of her parents in a horrific murder-suicide. And in the decades that have passed, she’s fought hard to bury her painful memories.

But now, her younger sister Erin has been killed, and her living nightmare has returned to haunt her all over again.

The Bree Taggert Books in Reading And Publication Order

The Bree Taggert books are closely linked, so it’s best to read them in the order they were published, listed below.

1. Cross Her Heart (2020)
2. See Her Die (2020)
3. Drown Her Sorrows (2021)
4. Right Behind Her (2021)
5. Her Second Death (2021) (short story prequel)
6. Dead Against Her (2022)
7. Lie to Her (due to be published in January 2023)

Conclusion

Melinda Leigh is a master of mystery and suspense, and her breathtaking books have gripped readers around the globe for more than a decade.

The author has plenty more novels yet to come, so if you haven’t read her work yet, there’s no better time to start exploring the series above.

Are you already a Melinda Leigh fan? If so, I’d love to hear about your favorite books. Drop me a comment in the box below!