Marlene Perez Books In Order

Publication Order of Afterlife Books

Publication Order of Dead Is Books

Publication Order of Nyx Fortuna Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Marlene Perez is an American author who writes in the paranormal and urban fantasy genre. She is the author of the best-selling Dead Is series that starts with Dead is the New Black. The book was well-received upon release as it was an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. She continued the series with the fourth book, Dead Is Just A Rumor, that was one of VOYA’s 2011 Best Science Fiction, Horror, & Fantasy List. The Dead Is follows the psychic Giordano sisters who live in a supernatural town known as Nightshade, California where everything from vampires to shape-shifters live. The town has plenty of dangers including the high school that Daisy attends.

Perez is also the author of Love in the Corner Pocket and The Comeback that are not apart of the Dead Is series. Her first novel, Unexpected Development, is about a girl dealing with having overly large breasts. Another series that she has written is the Nyx Fortuna series. In addition to the books released under her own name, Marlene also wrote under the pen name Lana Perez. She wrote two entries (Bella Goes to Hollywood and Bright Lights for Bella) in the Star Sisterz series as well as Figure in the Frost which was part of the Knights of the Silver Dragon series.

Marlene grew up in Story City, Iowa where she grew up as the youngest of twelve children. She now is married with a family of her own and lives in Orange County, California.

Dead Is the New Black is the first book in the Dead Is series. The book takes place in a town called Nightshade, California and it is a small town full of secrets. Two sisters, the Giordano sisters, are psychic and their gifts have a way of getting them involved in all of the town’s mysteries. Their investigations bring them to some truly strange and crazy worlds with thinks like pom-pom-shaking vampires, shape-shifting boyfriends, and a clue-spewing jukebox. You never know quite what you are going to get in Nightshade.

In this book, teenage girls are being mysteriously attacked all over town. It’s even happening at the high school where Daisy Giordano is a junior. It seems like the attacks might be linked to vampires which leads Daisy to the head cheerleader, Samantha Deveraux. She returned from spring break with a new look – dead. The funny thing is that all the most popular kids in school are trying to copy her style. Daisy isn’t sure if this is another fashion trend or if there is something more sinister going on. To find out, Daisy joins the cheerleading squad to get closer to Samantha.

The second book in the series is called Dead Is a State of Mind. This book sees Nightshade High getting a new, gorgeous student named Duke Sherrad. He is a fortune-teller and claims to be descended from a long-line of Gypsies. While Daisy is a psychic herself, she has her doubts of Duke and his powers. That changes one day when a teacher who is the subject of one of Duke’s predictions ends up dead. Daisy begins to wonder if Duke is the real deal and sets out to track down the teacher’s killer to find out the truth. Daisy is definitely biting off more than she can chew here when the signs are pointing to the murderer being a potential werewolf.

The fifth book in the series is called Dead Is Not an Option. It is senior year for Daisy and she is getting ready to say goodbye to high school for good. She hasn’t gotten any college acceptances letters yet and is starting to worry about where she’ll end up in the fall. Making matters worse is the brewing vampires-versus-shifters war that is brewing at school and threatening to cancel the prom. Daisy has to worry about more than just her town finding peace, but also if she and her friends will even live to see graduation.

Perez is also the author of the Nyx Fortuna series that starts of with Strange Fates. Nyx is a leather-jacket wearing 20-something and he has been for centuries now. Nyx is the son of one of the fates from Greek mythology and has been haunted his whole life by his mother’s murder. His mother was the forgotten fourth Fate, Lady Fortuna, and she was killed by the three Sisters of Fate. Nyx gets a tip that his aunts have set up a business in Minneapolis, Minnesota so that’s where he heads in search of his revenge. His plans are thrown when he meets the mysterious, dangerous and very mortal Elizabeth Abernathy who causes him to reconcile his humanity and his immortality.

Dark Descent picks up where the last book left off with Nyx still reeling from the events of that book. In this story, Nyx is sent deep into the underworld of Minneapolis where his wayward cousin has been lost to the thrall of Hecate’s dark magic. He is sent to try and release her, but releasing her may have unintended consequences including releasing Hecate from her dark prison… and into our world.

Marlene is also the author of The Afterlife of the Party. The book tells the story of a girl who didn’t even want to go to the party and for good reason, it ends up being the last party of her life. Her friend Skyler begged her to go as there was a band. The band was terrible and the lead singer bit her before taking off with Skyler. Now, she’ll have to team up with her friend Vaughn to track down the band of vampires to get Skyler back as she herself is changing into something far different.