I find her novels are perfect for travel or vacation reading—engrossing but not so literary they require intense focus. So, if you have a trip coming up, just grab the one with the most intriguing title and throw it in your bag. The change of scenery paired with a compelling mystery is a fantastic combination.
Look, if you want the single most gripping first chapter, it's 'The Night She Disappeared'. That prologue with the sign in the woods? Chilling. It immediately establishes tension and a central mystery that propels the whole book. For a reader who needs to be hooked from page one, that's your unambiguous starting point.
Library waitlists are a thing, so I just put holds on her three most recommended—'Then She Was Gone', 'The Family Upstairs', and 'The Night She Disappeared'—and started with whichever came in first. It was 'The Family Upstairs', and the complex, creepy storyline had me immediately downloading the rest as soon as I finished.
Sometimes the synopsis just clicks. Read the blurbs for her top five. The one that gives you that immediate 'I need to know what happens' feeling is the right one. Our curiosities are all triggered by different things. For me, the idea of a woman finding a boy on a beach with no memory ('I Found You') was an irresistible hook.
I'm a mood reader, so I ask myself: do I want to be sad, scared, or intrigued? 'The House We Grew Up In' will make you sad. 'The Night She Disappeared' will scare you (a little). 'Watching You' will intrigue you with its web of suspicion. Match the book to your current emotional capacity.
2026-07-23 08:42:13
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Sapphire (Book #3 of the Jewel Series)
Saphyre_Dragyn
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Sapphire - I had never seen a man as drop-dead gorgeous as Dylan. When his steel-grey eyes met mine, I knew I was in trouble. There was no way he would ever see me as anything other than Riley’s little sister. Fine, I am not ugly by any means, but I also know that with my blue hair and tattoos, most guys are turned off, and that doesn’t usually bother me, so why does it bother me regarding him? Of course, I would develop a crush on him. When he and two other teammates of Riley’s move in with us, I know I am in even deeper trouble. I swear, sometimes it appears that he is flirting, and what is with that pet name? There is no way Dylan is interested in me, is there?
Dylan - As soon as her sapphire blue eyes met mine, I knew she was mine. Her brother Riley was my best friend and teammate, so I knew this would be tricky. It became even trickier when I moved in with them. It didn’t take long for Riley to figure it out. Between my flirting and the pet name, I gave her more or less gave it away. We hashed out our problems, but then she was attacked. Now her stepfather has sent people after her; he has no idea who he is up against and who he pissed off. No one touches what is mine, and I claimed Sapphire that night in the bar. My precious jewel is that, MINE! He will regret trying to harm her; they all will.
Jessica Jane is invisible by design.
Quiet, soft spoken, and almost painfully unassuming, she spends her days hidden behind oversized glasses and paint stained hands in her elegant city art gallery. To the people around her, she is simply a gifted but awkward artist, a woman who keeps to herself and pours her emotions into hauntingly beautiful paintings that seem to possess an almost unsettling depth.
Critics call her work raw. Emotional. Alive.
They have no idea how right they are.
Behind the gallery walls lies a secret darker than anyone could imagine. Jessica's masterpieces are not created with ordinary paint. Mixed into every canvas is the blood of the men she chooses as her subjects, men she believes escaped justice, men whose cruelty mirrors the monsters that stole her childhood. By night she becomes someone unrecognisable. Elegant, calculated and merciless, hunting predators who believe they are untouchable.
As her artwork gains international attention and a determined investigator begins noticing disturbing patterns surrounding missing men, Jessica finds herself balancing two identities that are beginning to collide.
Because the closer the world gets to discovering the truth, the more dangerous Jessica becomes.
And buried beneath the blood, vengeance and carefully constructed masks is an even darker question:
Is Jessica Jane delivering justice... or becoming the very thing she has spent her life trying to destroy?
The small town of Briar Reef is shaken to its core when one of its leading citizens is found dead in the woods with her face missing. Detective Celia Sparks is working her first murder case in the town where she had come to escape but this big city cop has her work cut out for her. The more she uncovers the more questions they are than answers. In a town that’s known for burying its secrets how will she ever find the truth?Briar Reef Murder Mystery is created by Jordan Silver, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.
Emerald was loved and accepted by all of her family. However, two family members took out their hate and anger on her from the moment she was born. They hated her mother. Her parents knowing this took her to their closest friend and ally Alpha Jason. He was the Alpha of the largest and strongest pack in the state of California. Emerald's mother being of the fae people cast a spell upon his land that not only protected the pack but her daughter as well. It was not found out until later that Emerald and his twin sons Devon and Nate were her mates. Unknown to all of them Emerald's jealous family members had promised to give her to the rogue Alpha Connor. He wanted her for her powers so he could make his pack the largest and strongest. Emerald grew up returned to Alpha Jason's land, but she can't understand why she is drawn back here. Alpha Connor's son Ryder has become alpha. There is also a new threat to Emerald that no one is aware of. The Vampire King has become aware of her existence and wants her as his queen. With her as his queen, he would become the most powerful supernatural in existence. Emerald has once again met her mates but with all her insecurities can they make it work. Emerald just wants to be happy and loved but with everything stacked against her will she ever find her happiness?
Forced to return to the past and then venture back into the realms of the dark lord to save her friend, Esmerelda faces loss, love, and a new awakening in this final installment of the Esmerelda Sleuth Series.
Filled with excitement, love, loss, time travel, family dynamics, dimension hopping, and a few vampires, this is the completion of a story that you won't want to miss.
Fall in love with these hot first responders featuring friends to lovers, second chances, and suspense at every turn. The Laurel Springs Emergency Response Team is created by Laramie Briscoe, an eGlobal Creative Publishing Signed Author.
Can we talk about how 'The Third Wife' is an underrated starting point? It's a transitional book—more domestic drama than outright thriller, but with this pervasive sense of dread woven through a seemingly perfect family. You get her sharp observations on modern relationships and the secrets they hide. It's less plot-twisty and more about the slow unraveling of a façade. It might feel slower if you're craving a thriller, but it showcases her psychological acuity beautifully. It's like a warm-up before you jump into her more intense, plot-driven later works.
I think the best entry point is 'The House We Grew Up In'. It's the turning point. It has the family drama of her early work but introduces a darker, more secretive past. If you love it, go forward to the thrillers. If you find it too slow, go backward to the rom-coms. It's the perfect litmus test.
I actually disagree with the idea that order doesn't matter at all for the standalones. While they aren't narratively connected, reading them in publication order (post-genre shift) shows a clear refinement in her plotting and tension-building. 'I Found You' is great, but 'The Night She Disappeared' feels even more polished and intricate.
So if you're the analytical type who appreciates craft, a loose publication order from about 2016 onward could be rewarding. But if you just want a page-turner, any order works. Just remember the 'Upstairs' duo is a true series and should be read back-to-back for full emotional impact.
If you love thrillers, skip the early ones for now. Dive into 'Then She Was Gone', then 'The Family Upstairs', 'Invisible Girl', 'The Night She Disappeared'. You can always circle back to the lighter stuff if you become a completist.