Linda Howard has published 66 novels, 2 novellas, 2 short story collections and 5 other books, beginning with An Independent Wife (1982). The 5 series include Mackenzie Family (8 books, starting with Mackenzie's Mountain), Rescues (4 books, starting with Midnight Rainbow) and A Lady Of The West (3 books, starting with A Lady of the West). The best-known is Sarah's Child (1995). The latest is The Woman Left Behind (2018).
Updated September 2026
Mackenzie Family books in order (8)Series page
Reading order: 1 Mackenzie's Mountain (1989) · 2 Mackenzie's Mission (1992) · 3 Mackenzie's Pleasure (1996) · 4 MacKenzie's Magic (1996) · 5 A Game of Chance (2000) · Christmas Kisses (1996) · Mackenzies (The MacKenzies) (1996) · The Mackenzie Family (1998)
- 1.
Mackenzie's Mountain (1989)
- 2.
Mackenzie's Mission (1992)
- 3.
Mackenzie's Pleasure (1996)
- 4.
MacKenzie's Magic (1996)
- 5.
A Game of Chance (2000)
Christmas Kisses (1996)
Mackenzies (The MacKenzies) (1996)
The Mackenzie Family (1998)
Rescues books in order (4)Series page
Reading order: 1 Midnight Rainbow (1986) · 2 Diamond Bay (1987) · 3 Heartbreaker (1987) · 4 White Lies (1988)
- 1.
Midnight Rainbow (1986)
- 2.
Diamond Bay (1987)
- 3.
Heartbreaker (1987)
- 4.
White Lies (1988)
A Lady Of The West books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 A Lady of the West (1990) · 2 Angel Creek (1991) · 3 The Touch Of Fire (1992)
- 1.
A Lady of the West (1990)
- 2.
Angel Creek (1991)
- 3.
The Touch Of Fire (1992)
Spencer-Nyle Co. books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 Sarah's Child (1995) · 2 Almost Forever (1994) · 3 Bluebird Winter (1999)
- 1.
Sarah's Child (1995)
- 2.
Almost Forever (1994)
- 3.
Bluebird Winter (1999)
CIA's Spies books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 Kill And Tell (1998) · 2 All The Queen's Men (1999) · 3 Kiss Me While I Sleep (2004)
- 1.
Kill And Tell (1998)
- 2.
All The Queen's Men (1999)
- 3.
Kiss Me While I Sleep (2004)
Where to start with Linda Howard
Start here
Sarah's Child
Linda Howard's most-read book and the first of the 3 Spencer-Nyle Co. books.
Shortest way in
All That Glitters
One of the most-read, at about 250 pages.
Newest
The Woman Left Behind
Published 2018.
Standalone novels in order
An Independent Wife (1982)
Against The Rules (1988)
Duncan's Bride (1990)
Heart Of Fire (1993)
Tears of the Renegade (1993)
Loving Evangeline (1994)
After the Night (1995)
Dream Man (1995)
The Cutting Edge (1995)
Shades Of Twilight (1996)
The Collection (1996)
All That Glitters (1997)
Son of the Morning (1997)
Night Moves (1998)
Now You See Her (1998)
Come Lie With Me (1999)
Delivered By Christmas (1999)
Under the Boardwalk (1999)
Mr. Perfect (2000)
Finding Home (2001)
Open Season (2001)
Dying To Please (2002)
Angel Creek And A Lady Of The West (2003)
Cry No More (2003)
To Die For (Dec 2004)
Killing Time (2005)
Mackenzie's Legacy (2005)
Mackenzies' Honor (2005)
Cover of Night (2006)
Drop Dead Gorgeous (2006)
Raintree (2007)
Up Close and Dangerous (2007)
Death Angel (2008)
Burn (2009)
Ice (2009)
Mackenzies Heroes (2009)
Blood Born (2010)
Veil of Night (2010)
Prey (2011)
Exposure (2012)
Running Wild (2012)
Lethal Attraction (2013)
Shadow Woman (2013)
Frost Line (2016)
Troublemaker (2016)
The Woman Left Behind (2018)
Novellas in order
Overload (2004)
Short story collections in order
Strangers In The Night (2001)
Dangerous Games (2013)
Other books in order
Linda Howard Mixed (1998)
All That Glitters/Loving Evangeline/An Independent Wife - Linda Howard Audio Collection (1999)
Linda Howard Mixed Prepack (2002)
Trouble (2010)
MacKenzies Pleasure MacKenzies Family Audio (2011)
About Linda Howard
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance and suspense author who publishes under the pseudonym Linda Howard.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Linda Howard FAQ
- How many books has Linda Howard written?
- Linda Howard has published 66 novels, 2 novellas, 2 short story collections and 5 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Linda Howard's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Mackenzie Family with Mackenzie's Mountain, Rescues with Midnight Rainbow and A Lady Of The West with A Lady of the West. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Linda Howard's latest book?
- The Woman Left Behind (2018).
- What is Linda Howard's most famous book?
- Sarah's Child (1995) is Linda Howard's most widely read book.
- Are Linda Howard's books connected?
- 21 books belong to 5 series (Mackenzie Family, Rescues, A Lady Of The West and Spencer-Nyle Co.); the other 54 books stand alone.
Authors like Linda Howard
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.