Griffin Powell Books In Order

Publication Order of Griffin Powell Books

The “Griffin Powell” series written by American author Beverly Barton started in the year 2000 with the release of “After Dark”. The series is from the genre of romantic suspense.

It is based around the private detective agency called Griffin Powell and their activity. Each of the books in the series can be read on their own, as each gives a unique experience to the reader.

“After Dark” is the first novel in the “Griffin Powell” series and was released in the year 2000. Suspicion settles on Noble’s Crossing, Alabama, making nothing what it seems. Lane Noble Graham is accused of killing her ex-husband.

The only man that could help her (named Johnny Mack Cahill) made a vow that he would never come back to that town, as it is the one that scorned in him. Just a single secret could make both Johnny and Lane targets of a serial killer.

Some were left second guessing themselves until the end about who the killer was. All of the characters were complex and interesting, despite whether or not the reader actually liked them. Fans of the novel found this to be a great story that twisted and turned, and some want to read more by this author as a result of checking this one out.

“Killing Her Softly” is the second novel in the “Griffin Powell” series and was released in the year 2005. The woman is on the satin sheets and growing impatient. Her lover knows just what to do to satisfy her, but the man has something different planned for her, this time around. It is really going to take her breath away.

Quinn Cortez (who is a defense lawyer) has gotten a reputation for being ruthless and a predator in the courtroom. He always gets just what he wants. In the bedroom, same thing. Quinn is able to seduce, and has a long list of conquest to back that up. Now, someone else has brutally killed one them, and Quinn has zero memory of the night that someone found him in her home.

Annabelle Vanderly is out for justice for her murdered cousin, and Quinn Cortez says he can find the real killer. She is willing to give him some benefit of the doubt. Then another body is found, and then another; each one is one of Quinn’s former lovers. Annabelle is consumed by her dread, and she wonders just how close she could have gotten to a sinister psycho. Her pain would be the biggest pleasure.

There are a lot of perspectives used in the novel and Barton was able to make it work pretty well. Fans of the novel found the plot and characters to be enjoyable; after this one, some will seek out more by this author. This is a well written book that makes you wait until the very end to reveal who the killer is. This is an author that can put a mystery into any story line.

“Close Enough to Kill” is the third novel in the “Griffin Powell” series and was released in the year 2006. He is the one that woos them with phone calls, special gifts, and love letters. In other words, their secret admirer. He admires them, from a distance. He both desires and despises them. He kills them all when he gets close enough.

Adams County, Alabama is a tiny and friendly place where all the people know one another. Not well enough it looks like, because Sheriff Bernie Granger has a killer she has to catch. It is the first big case that Bernie has ever worked, and it is a chance for her to prove herself to the new partner she has, named Jim Norton (he is a Memphis police detective). It is not going to be an easy feat, as this is a killer that is quite clever. It is as if he knows just what Bernie has on her mind at all times. His next move is not just shocking, but it is chilling how personal it is.

There is a terrifying game just getting started. Not to mention a desperate hunt. Bernie is bound and determined to stop the killer with every thing she has. She could be drawn deeper into his web or drawing closer to catching the guy.

Fans of the novel found this to be another winner from Beverly Barton. Her work is heavier on the suspense side of things, but there is always a satisfying romance to be had in her work. Both the main characters were likable and great, and had chemistry with one another. Their relationship began as a friendship and then turned into something more. This has a strong story line, which keeps you guessing throughout.

“The Dying Game” is the fourth novel in the “Griffin Powell” series and was released in the year 2007. This is the ultimate game with the adrenaline surge that comes with the hunt. The agony of losing and the thrill of winning. You have to kill to win, and losing means you have to die.

The victims are all former beauty queens, and are found with one rose found next to their bodies. Lindsay McAllister saw this signature once before, it was when she was a rookie detective for the Chattanooga PD looking into the murder of Judd Walker’s wife. It was a murder that sent Judd (who is a lawyer) off the deep end. Now she has the awful task of telling Judd that the killer that killed his wife has killed someone else. She will need Judd’s help to outsmart their opponent. This killer has gotten quicker, bolder, and even more ruthless. No one is safe, as this game escalates.

While the body count rises, the rules keep on changing. This killer will do anything to win it. The only way that Lindsay can even try to win is if she plays the mad man’s sinister game herself.

Fans of the novel found they were caught up in the story, right off the bat, so much so, they could not put it down for very long. Some were left guessing until the very end, but had to wait to see who the killer was until it was revealed. They enjoyed reading about the two main characters, finding Judd to be someone that became better as they read more of the story. And Lindsay, loving and steadfast.