Laurell K. Hamilton has published 49 novels, 1 short story collection and 5 other books, beginning with Burnt Offerings (1988). The 2 series include Anita Blake (30 books, starting with Guilty Pleasures) and Merry Gentry (10 books, starting with A Kiss of Shadows). The best-known is Guilty Pleasures (1993). The latest is A Glimmer of Death (2026), and A Ghost of Daylight is due 2027.
Updated September 2026
Upcoming Laurell K. Hamilton books
A Ghost of Daylight (2027, upcoming)
Anita Blake books in order (30)Series page
Reading order: 1 Guilty Pleasures (1993) · 2 The Laughing Corpse (1994) · 3 Circus of the Damned (1995) · 4 The Lunatic Cafe (1996) · 5 Bloody Bones (1996) · 6 The Killing Dance (1997) · 7 Burnt Offerings (1988) · 8 Blue Moon (1998) · 9 Obsidian Butterfly (2000) · 10 Narcissus in Chains (2001) · … all 30 below
- 1.
Guilty Pleasures (1993)
- 2.
The Laughing Corpse (1994)
- 3.
Circus of the Damned (1995)
- 4.
The Lunatic Cafe (1996)
- 5.
Bloody Bones (1996)
- 6.
The Killing Dance (1997)
- 7.
Burnt Offerings (1988)
- 8.
Blue Moon (1998)
- 9.
Obsidian Butterfly (2000)
- 10.
Narcissus in Chains (2001)
- 11.
Cerulean Sins (2003)
- 12.
Incubus Dreams (2004)
- 13.
Micah (2006)
- 14.
Danse Macabre (Jun 2006)
- 15.
The Harlequin (Jun 2007)
- 16.
Blood Noir (May 2008)
- 17.
Skin Trade (Jun 2009)
- 18.
Flirt (Feb 2010)
- 19.
Bullet (Jun 2010)
- 20.
Hit List (Jun 2011)
- 21.
Kiss the Dead (Jun 2012)
- 22.
Affliction (Jul 2013)
- 23.
Jason (Dec 2014)
- 24.
Dead Ice (Jun 2015)
- 25.
Crimson Death (Oct 2016)
- 26.
Serpentine (Aug 2018)
- 27.
Sucker Punch (Aug 2020)
- 28.
Rafael (Feb 2021)
- 29.
Smolder (2023)
- 30.
Slay (2023)
Merry Gentry books in order (10)Series page
Reading order: 1 A Kiss of Shadows (2000) · 2 A Caress of Twilight (2002) · 3 Seduced by Moonlight (2004) · 4 A Stroke of Midnight (2005) · 5 Mistral's Kiss (2006) · 6 A Lick of Frost (2007) · 7 Swallowing Darkness (2008) · 8 Divine Misdemeanors (2009) · 9 A Shiver of Light (2014) · 10 A Glimmer of Death (2026)
- 1.
A Kiss of Shadows (Oct 2000)
- 2.
A Caress of Twilight (2002)
- 3.
Seduced by Moonlight (Feb 2004)
- 4.
A Stroke of Midnight (Apr 2005)
- 5.
Mistral's Kiss (Dec 2006)
- 6.
A Lick of Frost (Oct 2007)
- 7.
Swallowing Darkness (Nov 2008)
- 8.
Divine Misdemeanors (Dec 2009)
- 9.
A Shiver of Light (2014)
- 10.
A Glimmer of Death (2026)
Where to start with Laurell K. Hamilton
Start here
Guilty Pleasures
Laurell K. Hamilton's most-read book and the first of the 30 Anita Blake books.
Newest
A Glimmer of Death
Published 2026.
Standalone novels in order
The Midnight Cafe (1987)
Nightseer (1992)
Nightshade (Dec 1992)
Death of a Darklord (2006)
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter (2007)
Guilty Pleasures Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Paperback (2007)
Danse Macabre Laurell K Hamilton (2010)
Meredith Gentry (2014)
A Terrible Fall of Angels (2021)
Short story collections in order
Strange Candy (2006)
Other books in order
Anita Blake (2000)
Harlequin, The (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter) (2007)
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Collection (2009)
Fantastic Hope (2020)
Smoulder (2023)
About Laurell K. Hamilton
Laurell Kaye Hamilton is an American fantasy and romance writer, who is best known as the author of two series of stories.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Laurell K. Hamilton FAQ
- How many books has Laurell K. Hamilton written?
- Laurell K. Hamilton has published 49 novels, 1 short story collection and 5 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Laurell K. Hamilton's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Anita Blake with Guilty Pleasures and Merry Gentry with A Kiss of Shadows. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Laurell K. Hamilton's latest book?
- A Glimmer of Death (2026). The next one, A Ghost of Daylight, is due 2027.
- What is Laurell K. Hamilton's most famous book?
- Guilty Pleasures (1993) is Laurell K. Hamilton's most widely read book.
- Are Laurell K. Hamilton's books connected?
- 40 books belong to 2 series (Anita Blake and Merry Gentry); the other 15 books stand alone.
Authors like Laurell K. Hamilton
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.