James Kipling Books In Order

Publication Order of Alaska Mysteries Books

Publication Order of Green File Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

James Kipling is an author of mystery and thriller novels. Kipling is a bit of a mystery himself. There have been little in the way of interviews of the author. And even his social media presence is rather muted.

While Kipling does have a Facebook and Twitter account, his posts are brief and they primarily feature new book releases. Kipling is best known for his dark and moody thrillers which boast enigmatic villains and haunted heroes.

+The Card Counter

Homicide Detectives rarely have it easy in literature, and Devon Walker is no different. Divorced with three children, Walker’s life is pretty stressful and he knows that his work is largely to blame.

Police work doesn’t give him much time to enjoy his family’s company. In fact, his work life and family life are frequently clashing. But that is what makes Devon Walker a great detective.

When injustices are committed, he will stop at nothing to find culprits, even if it means putting his own personal needs on hold. And that is exactly what happens when the members of a State College football team start dying.

The press has taken to calling the Killer’ The Card Counter’. And it is up to Detective Walker to find and stop him before someone else die.

As the bodies begin to accrue, it becomes clear to Devon that the so-called Card Counter has a point he’s trying to make. And he will not stop until everyone understands his motives.

The Card Counter by James Kipling is a fast-paced thrill ride that puts readers to the task of helping a homicide detective identify a killer.

Detective Walker is divorced and he only sees his children every other weekend. So he tries to make every visit count. Unfortunately for Walker, a nasty murder happens on the very weekend he’s watching his daughters.

A local college’s star athlete is dead and now everyone is asking questions. When more bodies begin to drop, Walker and his partner must look to the FBI for help, especially when their killer’s crimes begin to stretch across state lines.

Detective Walker observes a lot of anger and frustration in the murders, and the close connection between his daughter and another athlete compels him to try and locate the Card Counter before it’s too late.

The Card Counter focuses primarily on the character of Detective Walker. While the book features a sizable cast, Walker is the only character James Kipling bothers to develop.

Walker is written to be an ordinary man. The story is written in the first person from his point of view. Walker is devoted to his role as a father but he also loves his work.

+On the Inside

Hazel Hanson is as good a New York Detective as they get. Her tenacity and headstrong attitude have proven crucial to the solving of many a case. However, even Hazel is left unprepared when the Slitter Case is assigned to her.

Women in New York City are dying. Hazel must find the man responsible. She doesn’t know the dangers that await her, though she gets a glimpse of the storm to come when the FBI sends its agents down to participate in the solving of the case.

Special Agent Owen Jones is the only man Hazel Hanson has ever loved. So when he shows up as part of the FBI team tasked to assist her, Hazel’s world begins to unravel.

The young detective must gain mastery over her inner turmoil before she can rise up to protect New York’s female population from a madman.

‘On the Inside’ blends everything from serial killers to assassinations and conspiracies. James Kipling introduces a new heroine to readers in the form of Hazel, a skilled detective that comes from a long line of police officers.

Hazel’s family has a knack for law enforcement, and Hazel has spent her life rubbing shoulders with the men and women in blue. She understands the criminal mind and has shown a talent for bringing depraved individuals to justice.

As such, it comes as little surprise when Hazel is assigned the task of catching a particularly dangerous serial killer. The so-called Slitter has been killing women in New York City.

Things went wrong with his fourth kill. Not only did he leave a witness but his attempted fifth killing failed. And now the police think Hazel has what it takes to close the case once and for all.

And Hazel’s intelligence should have prepared her for the Slitter. But her training and experience quickly go out the window when her brother goes missing during an undercover assignment and she starts to lose control of her emotions.

The situation is further complicated by the emergence of Owen, her ex-boyfriend. She relies on the support of her stepfather who is also the chief of police. He tries to keep her volatility restrained, reminding her to make effective use of all the strengths she has refined over the years.

The Slitter pushes Hazel and readers to the edge because he is such a savage. When he lays claim to the first victim in the prologue, James Kipling shows that he enjoys torturing his victims.

There is something meticulous yet brutal about his methods. And that adds to the stakes and makes Hazel’s attempts to catch him all the more precarious.

Hazel isn’t thinking straight because she has her own demons to combat. There is a mafia aspect at play as well that allows Kipling to continuously throw twists and turns at the readers.

Because ‘On the Inside’ is so short, it is also very fast moving. The few complaints that have been raised against this book tend to revolve around its romance which some readers think is rather weak. The characters around which the love scenes revolve have little to no chemistry. As such, the scenarios in which they are involved end up feeling robotic.

There have also been complaints about the finale. Everyone seems to agree that ‘On the Inside’ has a strong first half. Things only get mixed with the second half. There are one too many grammatical errors.

Kipling is at his best when he’s generating suspense and keeping readers guessing as to how things will eventually wrap up.

One Response to “James Kipling”

1. Kathleen Thornton: 2 years ago

   I was reading the Family Ties collection on kindle and at the end of the last book a prologue started about the Slitter case and Hazel but the story just ended without a resolution. I can imagine that they find Nate bit now Hawk is in trouble. Where do I g to find the ending??

   Reply