Craig Holden Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Akashic Noir Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Craig Holden is a reputed American novelist, professional writer, fundraiser, teacher, consultant, and editor. He is well known for writing mystery, crime fiction, historical fiction, and thriller novels. Holden has penned six standalone novels in his careers so far and all six of them are widely popular. Currently, he is serving as the New Mexico State University Foundation’s Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations. In 2015, Holden entered into a collaboration with a fellow writer named Buddy Ritter. The two worked on a prize-winning nonfiction work known as Mesilla Comes Alive, in which they have described the history of a town in New Mexico called Mesilla. Holden wrote and published his 6th novel in 2008. It was a Simon & Schuster publication. Since then, he has not come up with a new book as he got busy with his other commitments.

Before Holden stepped into the world of writing, he obtained an MFA from the Montana University in Fiction in 1986. After this, he worked for a couple of literary agencies based in New York City and then went on to become an agent of film rights. Holden had come up with his first book in 1993 and sold it to the Delacorte Press. It became an instant hit and achieved success in many parts of the world. Subsequently, the book was translated into more than a dozen languages for foreign audiences. Holden’s third book called Four Corners of Night earned him the 1999 Great Lakes Book prize for fiction. It also appeared on the bestseller list of USA Today. This success was followed by a few more books in the subsequent years. In 2004, Holden was invited as a guest at France’s Festival International di Roman Noir held in Frontignan. As a teacher, Holden has taught at Michigan University, the NM State University, and Toledo University. Apart from working for the NMWU Foundation, Holden has worked as a short film’s executive producer. The short film, Yochi, was written & directed by a noted director named Ilana Lapid. As of now, Holden is working on his seventh novel and is nearing its completion. Holden has lived a happy married life with his wife for several decades and has 4 children and one grandchild. He is fond of pet animals and keeps two dogs in his house.

A very popular fiction novel of the mystery genre written by author Craig Holden is entitled ‘The Last Sanctuary’. It was released by the Island Books publication in 1996. The story of this book takes place in Seattle, Idaho, Boise, Alaska, and a few other places in the United States. Author Holden has mentioned the primary characters in this book as Joe Curtis, Leanne Red Feather, Father Amon, and several others. Initially, Joe Curtis is introduced as a 25 years old veteran of the Gulf War. He possesses a survival instinct and has honed his skills over the years serving in the military. When Joe Curtis is on his way to Seattle to help his troubled younger brother, his world is turned upside down by an unexpected turn of events. While going through a desolate road, Joe has a chance encounter and is transformed into the most sought-after fugitive from a hardworking and honest man.

Leanne Red Feather is seen as an ATF agent. She belongs to the Native American heritage and is surrounded by tough white men in her department. Leanne runs surveillance on an arms dealer from Idaho and hopes to catch a gang of smugglers red-handed. But, in a shocking twist, the man gets killed and Leanne finds herself on the trail of the hitman. Trusting the instincts that have put her career in jeopardy and have given her the reputation that she didn’t desire, Leanne zeroes down Joe Curtis as the prime suspect. She follows his trail with the hope that he will lead her to the stolen arms that she is trying to recover and to the notorious cult leader named Father Amon. Leanne seems to have respect for her prey as she is a born hunter. She feels that Joe Curtis has become an obsession for her and sees him as her alter ego. Leanne believes she is destined to meet Joe and tracks him down going after a relentless chase of cat & mouse in different cities. And when they finally face each other, they indulge in an explosive encounter that forces Leanne to go undercover and underground into the sanctuary of Father Amon. Finally, Joe’s harrowing comes to an end in the Aleutian Range in a heart-stopping climax scene.

Another mind-blowing book penned by Holden is known as ‘Matala’. Simon and Schuster released it in 2008. This book revolves around the life of a young American woman named Darcy Arlen. The other important characters mentioned in the novel include Will, Maurice, and Justine. In the initial sequence, Darcy Arlen is introduced as a beautiful woman, who is quite bored with her life. She is on a pricey European tour, but seems to have grown sick of visiting ruins and museums. Darcy looks for some distraction from the tour and do something exciting. One afternoon, she slips away from her group and comes across an attractive drifter named Will. His appearance makes Darcy believe that he is a true adventurer. She is invited to his hostel, where she is introduced to Justine, Will’s mentor, and seductive lover. It turns out that Justine is a con.

Together with Will, she makes a plan to make Darcy accompany them to Venice and finance the entire trip. After arriving in Venice, the three meet Maurice, who asks them to smuggle a package into Greece. Darcy continues to travel across Europe with Justine and Will and experiences shifting alliances, shocking betrayals, fateful choices, and conflicting passions. Finally, when she reaches Matala to deliver the package, she realizes that she has involved herself in something that has highly terrifying repercussions. The package turns out to be so much valuable than none of them could have ever imagined. This novel is seen as an unforgettable tale of the intersection of ruthlessness and love. It appears altogether riveting and endlessly surprising.