The Complete List of Iris Johansen Books in Order

Iris Johansen is a bestselling American author who first made a name for herself in the romance genre. But in the early 1990s, she turned to historical romantic suspense novels. Soon after, she switched gears completely and began penning crime fiction.

Johansen has been popular with readers since her early work in the 1980s. However, in recent years, her crime fiction novels have put her on the map, and now, she’s one of the leading thriller writers of today.

So, if you’re looking for a new author with a vast and varied bibliography, Iris Johansen could be a perfect choice.

Iris Johansen’s Books in Order

Iris Johansen has a huge body of work to explore, and knowing where to begin can be challenging. So, in this post, I’ll give you a full rundown of every book the author has published to date, including all her series and standalone novels.

So, without further ado, let’s get started!

The Sedikhan Books

These early romance novels are set in a fictional desert where the arid landscape shimmers in the afternoon sun, and romance is as hot as the searing golden sand.

The Sedikhan Books in Reading and Publication Order

The Sedikhan books should be read in the order of publication, except for the 1991 novel, The Golden Barbarian. It acts as a prequel, so to get the most out of the series, it’s best to start with this book first.

1. The Golden Valkyrie (1984)

When P.I. Honey Winston is tasked with stealing incriminating letters from a visiting VIP dignitary, she knows this dangerous mission could be the most challenging of her career so far.

Her target, a handsome playboy prince, quickly figures out her game. But rather than have her arrested or throw her out into the night, the prince is keen to keep this beautiful young trespasser around. And she’s right to be wary, as her cover is blown when she arrives on his property.

2. The Trustworthy Redhead (1984)
3. Capture the Rainbow (1984)
4. Touch the Horizon (1984)
5. A Summer Smile (1985)
6. And the Desert Blooms (1986)
7. Always (1986)
8. Everlasting (1986)
9. Til The End of Time (1986)
10. Last Bridge Home (1987)
11. Across the River of Yesterday (1987)
12. Star Light, Star Bright (1987)
13. Blue Skies, Shining Promises (1988)
14. Man From Half Moon Bay (1988)
15. Magnificent Folly (1989)
16. Notorious (1990)
17. A Tough Man to Tame (1991)
18. The Golden Barbarian (1991) (prequel)

The Clanad Books

Apart from book one, The Lady & The Unicorn, these paranormal romance novels are a subset of the Sedikhan saga. The stories feature characters with supernatural abilities and all the same hot and heavy passion that Iris Johansen is known for.

The Clanad Books in Reading and Publication Order

A common theme interconnects the Clanad books, but each tells a different story and features a new set of characters. So, you can read them in any order you choose.

1. The Lady & the Unicorn (1983)

After a bout of pneumonia, Rafe Santine is supposed to be recuperating in his California mansion. But he was never one for the quiet life, and he already has a steady string of mistresses coming through his exquisitely carved doors.

Then one day, a new woman arrives at his grand home and sweeps him off his feet. The mysterious and beautiful Janna is unlike anyone he’s ever met before. For the first time, he’s willing to risk everything to make her his own.

2. The Last Bridge Home (1987)
3. Across the River of Yesterday (1987)
4. Magnificent Folly (1989)
5. A Tough Man to Tame (1991)

The Donovan Enterprises Books

This two-part category romance series begins with Iris Johansen’s debut novel, Stormy Vows. Both books tell the tale of courtship so steamy that passion threatens to throw the protagonists overboard.

The Donovan Enterprises Books in Reading and Publication Order

A common theme interconnects the Donovan Enterprises books. But each tells a different story and features a new set of characters. So, you can read them in any order you choose.

1. Stormy Vows (1983)

Brenna Sloan is a struggling young actress who has been invited for a private audition with handsome Hollywood filmmaker Michael Donovan. But she gets more than she bargained for when she walks into the audition room.

2. Tempest at Sea (1983)

The Reluctant Lark Books

Shortly after the Donovan Enterprises books were published, Iris Johansen released two more sensual romance novels.

This duo features two free-spirited women who find the men of their dreams in the most unexpected places.

The Reluctant Lark Books in Reading and Publication Order

A common theme interconnects the Reluctant Lark books. But each tells a different story and features a new set of characters. So, you can read them in any order you choose.

1. The Reluctant Lark (1983)

Sheena Reardon is known as “Ireland’s Mournful Dove,” and her tragic past still haunts her.

But when she meets oil tycoon Rand Challon at a cocktail party for the first time, Sheena finds hope for happiness. But can she learn to trust in love, spread her wings, and take flight?

2. The Bronzed Hawk (1983)

The Louis Benoit Books

This romance duology is another subset of the Sedikhan series. Book one, The Trustworthy Redhead, tells the love story of a man with everything he desires except for the beautiful, independent woman he’s falling in love with.

The Louis Benoit Books in Reading and Publication Order

A common theme interconnects the Louis Benoit books. But each tells a different story and features a new set of characters. So, you can read them in any order you choose.

1. The Trustworthy Redhead (1984)

Alex Ben Raschid is a handsome billionaire who isn’t used to being told “no.” On the contrary, he always gets what he wants, especially women.

But the sensual, flame-haired Sabrina is different. When she’s hired to dance at one of his lavish parties, Alex decides he wants her all for his own. But his arrogant ways will never win Sabrina’s heart.

2. The Spellbinder (1987)

The Santa Flores Books

This hot and heavy duology begins with the story of a lavishly wealthy casino owner who helps a young girl in need. But years later, he finds himself falling in love with her.

The Santa Flores Books in Reading and Publication Order

A common theme interconnects the Santa Flores books. But each tells a different story and features a new set of characters. So, you can read them in any order you choose.

1. Return to Santa Flores (1984)

When Jenny Cashman’s father died, casino tycoon Steve Jason stepped in and saved her from a life on the streets. For the next several years, she attended the most prestigious boarding schools in Europe on his dime. But now, at nineteen, Jenny is finally ready to spread her wings and fly.

And so, she packs up her belongings, leaves Europe, and heads for the USA, where she’s reunited with Steve. But now, she’s no longer the lost little girl she was all those years ago. She’s a beautiful, sensual young woman, and the embers of passion between her and Steve are burning hot and bright.

2. No Red Roses (1984)

The Beau Landry/White Satin Books

This popular duology features the knife-edge power dynamics of three couples falling in love in the most unusual circumstances.

The Beau Landry/White Satin Books in Reading and Publication Order

A common theme interconnects the Beau Lantry/White Satin books. But each tells a different story and features a new set of characters. So, you can read them in any order you choose.

1. White Satin (1985)

Dany Alexander is a figure skating champion. Out on the ice, she shines brighter than any of her competition. Yet she owes all of her success to one man; her manager, former figure skating star Anthony Malik.

But over the years, Anthony and Dany’s relationship has blossomed. He no longer sees her as his child prodigy, and she no longer considers him just her mentor. Now, this pair of skating icons are falling in love.

But the Olympics are only weeks away, and if they can’t focus, their dreams of glory could come crashing down around them.

2. Blue Velvet (1985)
3. And the Desert Blooms (1986)

The Delaneys Books

These books form part of a wider series by multiple authors. Each installment follows a member of the charismatic Delaney family as they navigate the complex world of love and passion.

The Delaneys Books in Reading and Publication Order

The Delaney books are part of a much bigger series, but below are the titles written by Iris Johansen. So, you can read them in any order you choose. A common theme interconnects each of these novels. But each tells a different story and features a new set of characters.

1. York, The Renegade (1986)

Free-spirited wanderer York Delaney returned to his ancestral home after seven years on the road. But as soon as he begins to settle back into small-town life, he meets a woman who turns his guarded heart inside out.

2. Matilda, the Adventuress (1987)
3. This Fierce Splendor (1988)
4. Wild Silver (1988)
5. Satin Ice (1988)

The Wind Dancer Books

In the Wind Dancer series, Iris Johansen switched from hot and heavy romance to romantic suspense.

This captivating series began as a trilogy, but in 2001, by popular demand, Johansen added a fourth and final title. The stories center around a prized statue that is said to hold mystical powers.

The Wind Dancer Books in Reading and Publication Order

The Wind Dancer books each tell a separate story to be read as a standalone. That said, the characters and their lives intertwine from book to book. So, to get the most out of the series, follow the publication order listed below.

1. The Wind Dancer (1991)

Lionello Andreas has sworn his life to protecting the prized Wind Dancer. But to bring her back into the family fold where she belongs, he’ll need the help of a cunning thief. And so, he heads to the backstreets of Florence, where he enlists the help of an impoverished yet quick-witted woman.

But the statue holds more power than either of them could imagine. Together, they’re about to become engulfed in a dark underworld of passion and terror.

2. Storm Winds (1991)
3. Reap the Wind (1997)
4. Final Target (2001)

The Lion’s Bride Books

This duology of historical romance novels transports us back to the medieval age, where we journey across the globe from the arid deserts of Damascus to the wilds of the Scottish Highlands.

The Lion’s Bride Books in Order

A common theme interconnects the Lion’s Bride books. But each tells a different story and features a new set of characters. So, you can read them in any order you choose.

1. Lion’s Bride (1996)

The ruthless Lord Ware doesn’t usually rescue damsels in distress. But the strikingly beautiful Thea melted his icy heart on that hot desert night. And now, he’s bound to her as she becomes his greatest pleasure and most dangerous weakness.

2. The Treasure (2008)

The Eve Duncan Books

This long-running series is Iris Johansen’s most famous work of all. It follows the story of forensic sculptor Eve Duncan, who is still tormented by the kidnapping and murder of her young daughter years ago. And so, she uses her professional skills to help other parents who have experienced tragedy to find the closure they need.

The Eve Duncan Books in Reading and Publication Order

The Eve Duncan books each tell a separate story so that they can be read as standalone. That said, the characters and their lives intertwine from book to book. So, to get the most out of the series, follow the publication order listed below.

1. The Face of Deception (1998)

Handsome billionaire John Logan has given Eve a mysterious skull to reconstruct. At first, she’s reluctant; Eve specializes in children, and this is the skull of an adult. But then he makes her an offer she can’t refuse, and she’s bound to accept.

But her skilled hands reveal a dangerous web of intrigue and deception leading up to the nation’s most powerful office.

2. The Killing Game (1999)
3. The Search (2000)
4. Body of Lies (2002)
5. Blind Alley (2004)
6. Countdown (2005)
7. Stalemate (2006)
8. Quicksand (2008)
9. Blood Game (2009)
10. Eight Days to Live (2010)
11. Chasing the Night (2010)
12. Eve (2011)
13. Quinn (2011)
14. Bonnie (2011)
15. Sleep No More (2012)
16. Taking Eve (2013)
17. Hunting Eve (2013)
18. Silencing Eve (2013)
19. Shadow Play (2015)
20. Hide Away (2016)
21. Night and Day (2016)
22. Mind Game (2017)
23. Shattered Mirror (2018)
24. Vendetta (2018)
25. Dark Tribute (2019)
26. Smokescreen (2019)
27. The Persuasion (2020)
28. The Bullet (2021)
29. A Face to Die For (2022)
30. Captive (2022)
31. The Survivor (2023)

The Hannah Bryson Books (With Roy Johansen)

Iris Johansen joined forces with her son Roy Johansen to co-author this two-part crime thriller series starring leading marine architect Hannah Bryson.

At the start of the series, Hannah is sent on an unforgettable assignment to work on an abandoned Soviet submarine. But she soon makes a lethal discovery that will endanger her life.

The Hannah Bryson Books in Reading and Publication Order

The two Hannah Bryson books tell separate stories that can be read as standalone. That being said, the characters and their lives intertwine across both books. So, to get the most out of the series, follow the publication order listed below.

1. Silent Thunder (2008)

Hannah Bryson is one of the leading marine architects in the country, so when a US maritime museum acquires the decommissioned Soviet submarine Silent Thunder, they ask her to give it the all-clear to be exhibited to the public.

She eagerly calls in the help of her brother, Connor, and the pair get to work inspecting every last inch of the enormous vessel. But then, tragedy strikes and Hannah is plunged into a terrifying world of international secrets and deadly deception.

2. Shadow Zone (2010)

The Catherine Ling Books

These books are a spin-off from the Eve Duncan series, featuring the familiar character Catherine Ling.

Ling was raised on the unforgiving streets of Hong Kong. Since the age of fourteen, she’s been working as an undercover CIA operative. But now, she’s a fully grown woman with a young son who she will do anything to protect.

The Catherine Ling Books in Reading and Publication Order

The Catherine Ling books each tell a separate story so that they can be read as standalone. That said, the characters and their lives intertwine from book to book. So, to get the most out of the series, follow the publication order listed below.

1. Chasing the Night (2010)

It’s been eight years since Catherine Ling’s two-year-old son was taken from her in a horrifying act of vengeance. And to this day, she still lives with the excruciating pain of his loss. And so, she seeks the help of Eve Duncan, the only woman she knows who can understand the torment she’s living through.

Catherine needs Eve to use her talents as a forensic sculptor to create an age-progression image of what her son might look like today. And if he’s still alive, she’ll stop at nothing until she finds him.

2. What Doesn’t Kill You (2012)
3. Live to See Tomorrow (2014)
4. Your Next Breath (2015)
5. Vendetta (2018)

The Kendra Michaels Books (With Roy Johansen)

In 2011, Iris Johansen teamed up with her son and fellow author Roy Johansen for a second time to create this explosive crime thriller series featuring secret agent Kendra Michaels.

Kendra spent the first twenty years of her life completely blind. So, she’s developed an unrivaled ability to observe and analyze her targets without sight. She’s an invaluable tool for both the CIA and the FBI, but her skills often put her in the heart of danger.

The Kendra Michaels Books in Reading and Publication Order

The Kendra Michaels books tell a separate story to be read as a standalone. That said, the characters and their lives intertwine from book to book. So, to get the most out of the series, follow the publication order listed below.

1. Close Your Eyes (2011)

Kendra’s incredible talents mean she’s in high demand. So, when former FBI agent Adam “Puppetmaster” Lynch asks for her help on a case, she turns him down.

But then, he drops a bombshell that changes her mind. Kendra’s ex-lover, Agent Jeff Stedler, is missing in action, and Lynch fears he’s been murdered by a notorious serial killer. Kendra takes on the case, but the more she digs, the more terrifying the truth becomes. And if she’s not careful, she could be next on the killer’s list.

2. With Open Eyes (2012)
3. Sight Unseen (2014)
4. The Naked Eye (2015)
5. Night Watch (2016)
6. Look Behind You (2017)
7. Double Blind (2018)
8. Hindsight (2020)
9. Blink of an Eye (2021)
10. More Than Meets the Eye (2023)

Iris Johansen’s Standalone Novels

Alongside her many series listed above, Iris Johansen has also written many standalone titles. Here they are in the order they were published.

1. The Forever Dream (1985)

Up until now, genetic scientist Jared Ryker has lived as a recluse. But when he meets the beautiful Tania Orlinov, a Soviet defector and legendary ballerina, all that changes. He’s bowled away by her beauty and prowess, but unfortunately for Jared, Tania has little interest in finding love.

But as his desire for her grows, she succumbs to his affections, and the pair embark on a passionate love affair. Yet dark and powerful forces are uniting behind the scenes, and a deadly plot could spell the end for both Jared and Tania.

2. One Touch of Topaz (1988)
3. Strong, Hot Winds (1988)
4. Wicked Jake Darcy (1989)
5. Tender Savage (1990)
6. An Unexpected Song (1990)
7. The Tiger Prince (1992)
8. Winter Bride (1992)
9. The Magnificent Rogue (1993)
10. Star-Spangled Bride (1993)
11. The Ugly Duckling (1994)
12. Midnight Warrior (1994)
13. The Beloved Scoundrel (1994)
14. Dark Rider (1995)
15. Long After Midnight (1997)
16. And Then You Die (1997)
17. No One to Trust (2002)
18. Dead Aim (2002)
19. Fatal Tide (2003)
20. Firestorm (2003)
21. On the Run (2005)
22. Killer Dreams (2006)
23. Pandora’s Daughter (2007)
24. Dark Summer (2008)
25. Deadlock (2009)
26. Storm Cycle (with Roy Johansen) (2009)
27. The Perfect Witness (2014)
28. No Easy Target (2017)
29. Chaos (2020)
30. High Stakes (2021)

Conclusion

Iris Johansen has an incredible body of genre-spanning work to explore. I hope this post has helped you figure out where to begin.

Are you already a fan of this prolific author’s work? If so, I’d love to hear your reviews and recommendations. Please drop me a comment in the box below!