Apr 12 2012
bad guys, good sex, true love: my top fifteen romantic suspense novels
I recently shared with Dear Author my favorite historical romances. Today I’m pulling out my favorite romantic suspense novels. These are kept in my Kindle collection: bad guys, good sex, true love. I’ve not read as much romantic suspense as I have historical romance so my bad guys, good sex, true love collection currently only has 26 books in it. I’d love some suggestions from DA readers as to what else I might read.
I like romantic suspense. I think it’s a vastly entertaining genre—in a great romantic suspense book, there’s a fabulous romance and a compelling mystery/suspense as well. It’s two for one! I prefer books that balance each of those pieces equally—I want there to be as much romance/sex as there is mystery/suspense. I added in the sex component, because, in general, that’s something I look for in romantic suspense. Most are set in modern times and there’s just no reason the heroine and hero shouldn’t be able to get down and dirty whilst trying to trap the bad guys.
I’ve probably read somewhere between 100 and 150 romantic suspense novels in the past five years. Of those, this list comprises my favorite 15. I love Anne Stuart’s Ice series and much of Shannon McKenna’s McClouds and Friends series. I’m also a fan of Pamela Clare—her I-Team books have gripping suspense plots and her macho heroes can be hot as hell. I put Heat in here because I’m not sure where else I’d put it. I don’t read paranormal and I see Heat as a paranormal romantic suspense. It’s my list and I can do what I want, right?
These are my current favorites. I’m hoping to read more romantic suspense in 2012, so perhaps I’ll discover new books I enjoy more than these. In the meantime, happy reading!
- Black Ice by Anne Stuart A | BN | K | S
- Cold as Ice by Anne Stuart A | BN | K | S
- Sweet Restraint by Beth Kery A | BN | K | S
- Deadly Heat by Cynthia Eden A | BN | K | S
- Death Angel by Linda Howard A | BN | K | S
- Midnight Man by Lisa Marie Rice A | BN | K | S
- Hard Evidence by Pamela Clare A | BN | K | S
- Breaking Point by Pamela Clare A | BN | K | S
- Heat by R. Lee Smith A | BN | K | S
- Edge of Sight by Roxanne St. Claire A | BN | K | S
- Extreme Danger by Shannon McKenna A | BN | K | S
- Blood and Fire by Shannon McKenna A | BN | K | S
- Money Shot by Susan Sey A | BN | K | S
- The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann A | BN | K | S
- Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson A | BN | K | S
Send to Kindle
Apr 12, 2012 @ 12:19:59
Thanks for the recommendations. I love these kinds of lists.
I’m a really big fan of Jill Sorenson. I find her books to be refreshingly different – not the same tired plots (though, TBH, I do love a good police procedural now and then, which is as formulaic as it gets!). I also like that she writes smart heroines, and strong & sexy heroes who aren’t necessarily Alpha males – the kind that must save the cowering heroine simply by flashing their impressive muscles or performing some sort of ridiculous MacGyver scenario.
I also love Cindy Gerard’s BOI novels. They have moments where suspension of disbelief is challenging, but for a guilty pleasure read, they are pretty great. I’m a fan of series where each character eventually gets their own book and you see a lot of male bonding. I appreciate that, while Gerard writes Alpha males, they are all very different and have rather unique personalities. Brockmann is another great example of this, but she’s already on your list!
Apr 12, 2012 @ 12:33:33
@JL: I’m about to start reading my first Sorenson novel now: Caught in the Act. I read one Cindy Gerard a few years ago, To the Brink but can’t remember much about it. I’ll have to look at it again. Thanks!
Apr 12, 2012 @ 12:49:59
Is it only me or your list is kind of upside down? First the author, then “by” and then the title…shouldn’t it be the other way round?
Apr 12, 2012 @ 12:54:13
The odd time I pick up a romantic suspense book, it’s usually Laura Griffin. I like romantic suspense, but somehow I don’t seem to buy it too often. Can’t explain that, lol.
I do like Laura Griffin though. I was pleasantly surprised when I read her first book – Thread of Fear, I believe it was.
I’ll wait for more responses in this thread and then I guess I’m going shopping. :-)
Apr 12, 2012 @ 13:02:31
I don’t have a long list of favorite RS books; I only started reading them last year and so far haven’t had much luck finding authors I like. In addition to the Clare books mentioned, I’d definitely have Unlawful Contact on my list, though, and I second the Jill Sorenson rec – basically for the reasons JL stated: she makes it seem realistic.
Brockmann works for me sometimes, though usually not all the romances in the same book.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 13:04:33
@Anachronist: Hmmm….. You’re right. Let’s fix that!
Apr 12, 2012 @ 13:35:34
I enjoy the Claire Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series by Julia Spencer Fleming.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 13:58:21
@Carolyn: I second Laura Griffin!
Apr 12, 2012 @ 14:14:18
Anne Stuart’s older Romantic Suspense books (including the Wacky Trio). Some I like better than others, but I like almost all of them at least a little.
Michelle Jaffe’s Bad Girl. Jane reviewed it here and thought I might like it, and she was right:
http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/bad-girl-by-michele-jaffe/
Apr 12, 2012 @ 14:19:47
@Meri: I like Unlawful Contact too. I thought the abuse plot was well-handled.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 14:22:05
@Sunita: I will check out Bad Girl. I’ve just reread or read Moonrise, Ritual Sins and Nightfall. I’d say out of the three, I liked Nightfall best. What do you include in the Wacky Trio?
Apr 12, 2012 @ 15:21:33
I second Cindy Gerard’s BOI series. The first on is Show No Mercy, I enjoyed them much more than her first Bodyguard Series.
I also recommend Christy Reece. She writes some very delicious hero’s!
Apr 12, 2012 @ 15:25:12
I love romantic suspense done well. I love Elizabeth Lowell’s stories, especially her older series, Amber Beach, Jade Island, Pearl Cove and Midnight in Ruby Bayou. Not sure if they are still in print, but they are full of suspense and hot sex. You might also enjoy some of Jayne Anne Krentz’s earlier stories, before her paranormal ones. Some of my favourites are Absolutely Positively and Deep Waters. And of course, some of La Nora’s earlier ones are really good as well.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 15:48:23
I have a question for the Laura Griffen fans: I read one of her books a while ago (cannot remember which one), but was turned off because the cop and the suspect were the hero and heroine, which squicked me out. Nothing wrong with that per se, just my own personal reading quirk. Is this a common trope in her books? I really liked everything else about her writing, but I’ve been hesitant to try her other books for that reason. Thanks!
Apr 12, 2012 @ 16:11:38
I’m going to reach way back and suggest some old Sandra Brown. Two of my favorites that I still pull out from time to time and reread is Slow Heat in Heaven and Where There’s Smoke. In both of these the “Heroes” are kind of asshole-ish toward the “heroine” but for some reason they work for me. The sexxoring in SHIH is H-O-T! The ending of WTS is one of the best I’ve ever read to a suspense plot, IMO anyway.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 16:16:38
I enjoy Dee Davis’ books, especially her Last Chance series. Meryl Sawyer is also a favorite, but she hasn’t had a release since 2010 and her website doesn’t have much info.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 17:03:23
I like your list! Agree with almost all your choices.
Love the I-Team series, the first book wasn’t as good, but the rest were awesome. My favorite is Unlawful Contact. I’ll even forgive that her leads tend to have sex in the most inappropriate circumstances, like in the middle of the dessert while trying to cross the border and being chased by drug dealers.
Have you read Laura Griffin’s books? I think she balances suspense and romance quite well.
Another favorite author is Jill Sorenson, her heroes are dreamy, she knows how to do damaged as well as sweet (not together, though, you can’t have both).
The Unsung Hero *swoons*. I really miss those early books with the WWII subplots. I think Over the Edge is my favorite in that series, have you read it?
I would say Heat is more Suspense/Sci-fi/WTF-I-can’t-believe-I-like-this-book! But it is a good, albeit unexpected, choice.
I’m a huge fan of Nora Robert’s romantic suspense books. I know she’s formulaic when it comes to characters, but I love those books. They are more about the romance than the suspense, but I’ll take it.
I also enjoy Karen Rose, but she’s the opposite of Nora, IMO, her books lean more towards the suspense than the romance.
Great post, can’t wait to read you Contemporary Romance list.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 17:09:49
I just read the comments and obviously I agree with everyone who said Laura Griffin and Jill Sorenson, you all have good taste!
@JL: I can’t remember the book you mention but I don’t think that’s a common trope in her books. In most of them both leads are in law enforcement, one heroine is a witness, I think… My favorite is Thread of Fear, the heroine is a forensic artist. You should give her a second chance ;-)
Apr 12, 2012 @ 17:26:40
The Australian author, Bronwyn Parry has written a couple of cracking books: As Darkness Falls and Dark Country. I think she is due to publish a third book this year.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 17:32:26
I don’t think of myself liking RS, for the same reason that I don’t like vampire romances – the combination of sex and sensuality with death squicks me out. Not that all RS involves murder or death or (ugh) serial killers, but enough do to make me cautious.
I do second the older JAK suggestion – she’s really the only RS author I regularly read. I love Absolutely Positively. Another good one by her is All Night Long – it’s pretty intense by my standards, with murder, child abuse and ptsd, but well done and compelling.
Julie James has a couple good RS – Something About You and A Lot Like Love. I love the banter between her characters – at least one of heroes is a bit too controlling for my taste, but not an a-hole.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 17:39:32
Several of these are on my favorite list. Thanks, I now have several more to add to my TBR pile.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 17:45:06
I adore RS. It’s probably my favorite subgenre of romance, or at least tied for first with straight contemporary, both of which are hard to find. Some of my favorites: Lisa Jackson, early Beverly Barton, old Jan Coffey, and Jami Alden’s Beg For Mercy. (Those are in addition to the ones already mentioned by you or others — Gerard, Brockmann, McKenna, St. Claire…) You can see a pretty good portion my library of RS here: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/LauraKCurtis&deepsearch=romantic+suspense
Apr 12, 2012 @ 17:51:19
Yay for “Heat” and “Black Ice”. Two of my favorites. I’ll have to go get “Cold as Ice” (as soon as I get through the 10 books in my Kindle unread cue…
Apr 12, 2012 @ 18:28:33
There are so many great suggestion here. If you were going to pick just one book to recommend to me–not on my list, obviously–what RS would it be?
Thanks!
Apr 12, 2012 @ 18:32:49
Most of Mary Stewart’s novels fall into the category very nicely. They’re a little dated in some ways and the heroines tend to be ready to marry men they only met a week ago (though the men are usually yummy enough that I can’t blame them too much), but she can have me on the edge of my seat even when I’ve read them a dozen times and know just who dies and who survives. Her charming villains are really well drawn.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 19:28:13
I find I read Romantic Suspense sort of by happenstance, I don’t regularly seek it out but I do enjoy it. Looking forward to this list!
Nine Lives by Sharon Sala, & 2 other Cat Dupree books. ($5.54 kindle!)
Tropical Getaway by Roxanne St Claire, another older title.
Riptide by Cherry Adair, somewhat predictable but fun.
I’ve got a Maya Banks in my TBR pile.
I read all but the most current of Suzanne Brockman’s Seal Team 6/Troubleshooter series. But the long wait between the last few knocked her off my radar.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 19:52:05
Sweet Restraint, talk about inflicting ecstasy. We’ll have to agree to disagree on that one, but I did love Explosive.
My recommendations are Wild Midnight by Maggie Davis and Son of Morning by Linda Howard.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 20:17:29
@Lynn S.: I think I like it because it is so outrageous. There’s just something about that story that works for me.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 20:23:30
@JL: Is this the Laura Griffin where the woman steals already stolen money to use for infertility treatments/adoption costs? if so, that one hit the wall pretty hard for me at the end. that’s the only Laura Griffin that I didn’t keep.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 20:25:26
@Jane Davitt: Stewart was contemporary for the original publication dates. You just have to read her the same way you would Agatha Christie or any of the other Golden Age mysteries. Treat it as a 20th C historical. I love Stewart… I first read The Moonspinners when I was in 5th grade, and re-read all her books every couple of years. She’s the gold standard when it comes to first person POV and scene setting.
I just wish her publishers would bring her books out as e-books. My MMPB’s are 40+ years old and falling apart.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 20:34:58
I really enjoyed Death Angel by Linda Howard.
Linda Howard – Cry No More
Linda Howard – Open Season
Sandra Brown – Play Dirty
Katherine Sutcliffe – Darkling I Listen
And for vintage Romantic Suspense:
Mary Stewart – Madam, Will You Talk
Airs Above The Ground
Apr 12, 2012 @ 20:40:29
I love Marie Force’s Fatal series – great setting in Washington, D.C., with a screwed-up cop heroine kicking ass on some Evil Politicians. But not her senator boyfriend – he’s a “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” kinda guy. With muscles.
And they’re cheap, less than $5 each! (the books, not the muscles)
Apr 12, 2012 @ 21:01:17
@Brie: @becca:
Thank you both!
Sounds like I need to give her another chance :)
Apr 12, 2012 @ 21:10:42
I think I’m going to print all these comments up, sort through them and come up with a readers’ best romantic suspense piece. So, if there’s one you think is just the best ever, let me know.
So many books. Life is good.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 21:54:10
My favorite RS author is Karen Rose. She’s one of the few authors I have on auto-buy.
Lot of good recommendations here. My TBR pile is growing even longer!
Apr 12, 2012 @ 22:02:30
@Dabney: I think choosing just one is impossible, but I’ll go with Carnal Innocence by Nora Roberts. Not the most suspenseful book ever, but I love it!
Apr 12, 2012 @ 23:26:19
I have not been reading much RS lattely. I seemed to have hit a rut and started gloming historicals (often with a mystery element) instead. I’m enjoying these comments and am looking forward to checking out some new authors. My favorite RS book has to be Shades of Twilight by L. Howard. I love all of the crazy sauce in that book. It is full of Southern/old money sterotypes, angst, murder, drugs and a dash or two of incest.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 23:43:05
Another vote for Laura Griffin. Loving her Tracer series . . . they are connected but each book stands very well on it’s own.
The first is Untraceable.
Apr 12, 2012 @ 23:45:55
From your list, I enjoyed Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson and Midnight Man by Lisa Marie Rice. And Tom and Kelly from Brockmann’s Unsung Hero were one of my favorite couples from her Troubleshooters series (before I had to give her up).
Romantic suspense is one of my favorite sub-genres. Other authors/books I would recommend:
Christine Feehan. I do not read her Carpathian novels, but enjoyed her Drake Sisters series and most of the GhostWalkers books. My favorites are Safe Harbor, Shadow Game, Conspiracy Game and Deadly Game.
Cindy Gerard’s Bodyguards series was hit or miss for me, but I enjoyed most of them as well as her BOI series. My favorites are To the Brink and Show No Mercy.
Tami Hoag has gone more straight mystery, but I enjoyed her early single titles like Dark Paradise and Night Sins
Naomi Horton is no longer writing and not many of her books are available in digital, but if you can find her early 90s SIM titles like Strangers No More and In Safekeeping they’re worth a read.
Linda Howard was an auto-buy author whom I have given up on in recent years. But I still have her Kell Sabin books on my keeper shelf, along with Kill and Tell, Mr. Perfect and others.
Jayne Ann Krentz in her many guises writes what I like to call suspense-lite (in a Clue-like, Murder, She Wrote way), but still one of my favorite authors. My favorite suspense books of hers are Absolutely, Positively, Trust Me, Falling Awake and her early Arcane books like White Lies, Sizzle and Burn and Second Sight and The Perfect Poison written as Amanda Quick. Also, Fabulous Beast written as Stephanie James.
Merline Lovelace writes a wide variety of books, but my favorite military suspense book of hers are The Middle Sin, Line of Duty and Call of Duty.
Carla Neggers is another good suspense author. Her recent Saint’s Gate is probably my favorite. I would also recommend her US Marshals series.
Northern Lights and High Noon are my favorite Nora Roberts suspense novels. And her In Death series written as JD Robb.
Kathleen Creighton, Julie Miller, and Linda Turner are some of my favorite category suspense writers, though their books can be very hit-or-miss. Also early Justine Davis SIM titles and her Trinity Street West series. The first 6 books or so in Rachel Lee’s Conard County series are also very good. And you may also want to give Kylie Brant a try. She wrote many category suspense books as well as a single title series called Mindhunters. Another out-of-print category suspense author I always liked is Lee Magner.
Apr 13, 2012 @ 00:01:15
I also liked Shannon Stacey’s Devlin Group books. They’re action/adventure, but still qualify as romantic suspense to me.
Apr 13, 2012 @ 07:09:50
@Sandra:
I discovered her at school when I was about 13, so that’s, umm over thirty years ago. We had a free period where we could go down to the English bookroom and choose from a selection of books. Hers were all there and I adored them and still do, though I prefer the earlier ones I read as a child to say, Rose Cottage and Thornyhold.
As you say, they were written about the world as it was then and I do make allowances for that and the differing tropes of a romantic novel post WW2. Her heroines were interesting to me; they were brave and resourceful without being out of reach. I could see myself doing what they did. I mean, I adored Modesty Blaise too, but she was a fantasy figure. Stewart’s heroines were ones I could conceivably emulate if I were ever thrown into a life and death situation. At least, it’s nice to think so.
And her descriptions of the scenery…just stunning. Beautiful use of language.
And good news! They’re out on Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=mary+stewart
Apr 13, 2012 @ 08:18:45
@Dabney: Oh, definitely those three! Nightfall is my favorite of those too.
I’ve only read a couple of Karen Rose books, but I would definitely recommend her based on those.
Apr 13, 2012 @ 09:12:06
I love romantic suspense and I would endorse almost every author that other posters have mentioned. Laura Griffin is great and I would add Linda Castillo’s Amish books and Lisa Gardener’s D.D. Warren books.
I do love Julia Spencer-Fleming’s books about Clare and Russ. I also should mention PB Ryan’s Nell Sweeney series, excellent reads and set in a slightly different time/place.
I also enjoyed Linda Winfree’s Hearts of the South series. The first book, Truth or Consequences was her debut novel and I thought the weakest. The series just kept getting better.
Kaylea Cross writes book that I would call military romantic suspense and they are good reads. Also Karin Slaughter writes great romantic thrillers.
Thanks for your post. It is always great to see attention focused on this genre.
Apr 13, 2012 @ 10:01:46
Christy Reece ? You don’t know her. I really love her books.
I think “Mr Perfect” is Linda Howard’s best book.
Tara Janzen , Kaylea Cross , Katie Reus, Brenda Novak…I love their books too.
Apr 13, 2012 @ 12:16:04
I got tired of reading about alpha men who have to rescue heroines from the bad guys, so I wrote two books about alpha female spies and the mostly beta males they fall in love with. Obviously my tastes are in the minority, but I like to be different. Secret Love is the first book and Undercover Lovers is the second. If you’d like something different with your suspense, consider a change.
Apr 13, 2012 @ 13:11:41
I’ve never read ANY romantic suspense books. I’ve been wanting to give it a try and wasn’t really sure where to jump in. I’ve heard of the Ice series before and after seeing your list I just picked up the first book. I’m excited to check it out this weekend!
Apr 13, 2012 @ 15:45:14
@Fiona McGier: They sounded interesting, so I went to Amazon to look them up. $5.99 for a 159-page (est) book is a bit rich for my blood, though.
Apr 13, 2012 @ 16:47:58
@JL: I’m pretty sure you are referring to the second book in the Glass Sisters series, “Whisper of Warning”. The heroine is framed for murder (attempted murder/suicide in a car) and the hero is one of the lead investigators. Does that sound right?? You should try the Tracer series if you want to give Griffin a second chance. I think they are her more recent novels and they are all great.
Apr 13, 2012 @ 18:55:31
@Fiona McGier: That’s pretty cool. I checked out your books on Amazon and downloaded a sample of the first. Thanks.
Apr 13, 2012 @ 18:56:04
@Ann F.: The first book is a classic–I’d put it in my top five. Have fun!
Apr 13, 2012 @ 21:11:38
@g_lavo:
Yes!! That’s the one. It was such a neat, complex set up, but I can’t get behind a hero who sacrifices his values for insta-love/lust.
Tracers series – added to my TBR list!
Apr 13, 2012 @ 21:30:00
@Lynn S.: I haven’t read any time travel romance in years. I just bought Son of Morning though. I have loved some of Linda Howard’s other books, so, here goes!
Thanks!
Apr 13, 2012 @ 22:09:20
Agree w/ most of these reccies.
Like some others, I keep checking to see if some of those “older” authors’ (Mary Stewart, Helen McInnes) books have been released as ebooks.
Has anyone mentioned Karen Robards yet? Her newer books have been a bit hit-or-miss for me (much like Linda Howard’s), but I enjoy a lot of her blacklist.
Apr 16, 2012 @ 17:31:08
I think the main reason why I love RS (besides just liking suspense in general) is that it gives an external source of tension. You need tension in a good novel, and in straight romance I find that, all too often, having suspense requires at least one of the characters to act like a total dumbass. The men act like bastards and then are surprised when the women object. Or the women are living in a historical setting when a pregnancy would spell disaster, but they’re inexplicably pissed by a man proposing marriage after sex. Or people just make stupid stupid STUPID assumptions about each other and don’t talk. Until the last five pages. I find these plots extremely tedious, when I don’t find them enraging. Therefore, a romance that develops while trying to catch a killer/escape a terrorist/etc keeps the pages turning without making me hate the people I’m supposed to be rooting for. Unless the mystery is stupid or the action doesn’t make sense.
Reader Generated List of Titles If You Like Romantic Suspense
Apr 23, 2012 @ 10:02:20
[...] my recent post on my favorite romantic suspense novels, I asked DA readers to proffer their favorites. Wow, did you guys come through! Here’s a list of [...]
Apr 12, 2013 @ 19:02:12
Earlier Linda Howard books (new ones aren’t as good), Roxanne St. Clair- Bullet Catchers series, Kaylea Cross- Bagram Special Ops & Cover of Darkness series, Maya Banks- KGI series (all time favorite), Carla Neggars- US Marshall Series, Nina Bruhns- Passion for Danger series, Lori Foster- Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor & Love Undercover series
May 25, 2013 @ 18:51:44
Hi, I ran across ur post today, I also love RS especially some of these authors, maya banks monette micheals, kaylea cross, Pamela Claire, Elaine Levine, lora leigh, tori scott, sierra rose, myla Jackson, Katie rues, robin leigh miller, Jessica scott, Brenda novak, Sandra hill, debra webb, and cindy Gerald.