Karen Robards Books in Order: Charlotte Stone, Romantic Suspense, and Historical Fiction

Karen Robards built her career across historical romance, contemporary romance, and romantic suspense before increasingly focusing on thrillers and historical mysteries. Her books often combine a dangerous situation with a strong romantic storyline, whether the setting is Regency England, pirate-era adventure, modern political intrigue, or wartime Europe.

Her bibliography can look confusing because most of her novels are standalones, while a smaller group belongs to clearly connected series. The easiest way to read her work is therefore to follow each series in order and treat the remaining novels as individual stories. Her official list currently includes the five main series and separate novels, with The Moonlight Runner as the newest published title.

Karen Robards Series in Order

1. Pirate Series

The Pirate series is Karen Robards’s earliest connected series and combines historical romance with adventure at sea. The two books should be read in publication order.

1. Island Flame

Published: 1981

Island Flame introduces the historical world of the series, combining romance, danger, and seafaring adventure. It is one of Robards’s earliest novels and establishes the historical-romance style that would become an important part of her career.

2. Sea Fire

Published: 1982

Sea Fire follows Island Flame and continues the connected historical setting. The story brings another passionate romance into a world of adventure, danger, and shifting loyalties.

2. Banning Sisters Trilogy

The Banning Sisters books are three historical romances centered on three sisters. They are connected through the family, but each novel focuses on a different woman’s romantic story.

1. Scandalous

Published: 2001

The first Banning Sisters story introduces a woman whose romantic life becomes entangled with scandal and social expectations. The Regency setting gives Robards plenty of room for forbidden attraction, family complications, and the kind of determined heroine that appears throughout her historical romances.

2. Irresistible

Published: 2002

The second sister gets her own romance in Irresistible. Like the opening novel, it combines historical atmosphere with strong attraction and the social pressures surrounding marriage and reputation.

3. Shameless

Published: 2010

The final Banning Sisters novel centers on Lady Elizabeth, the youngest and most headstrong sister. She has repeatedly rejected marriage, but her life changes when the dangerous government assassin Neil Severin becomes involved in her world.

3. Jess and Mark Series

The Jess and Mark series is a contemporary romantic-suspense sequence featuring attorney Jessica Ford. The two novels are connected and should be read in order.

1. Pursuit

Published: 2009

Jessica Ford is a Washington attorney whose work suddenly places her in serious danger. What begins as a professional assignment develops into a fast-moving romantic thriller involving a dangerous conspiracy and a man who becomes essential to her survival.

2. Justice

Published: 2011

Justice brings Jessica Ford back for another high-stakes case. A courtroom situation spirals into danger, forcing Jessica to deal with threats that make her legal expertise only one part of the solution.

4. Dr. Charlotte Stone Series

The Charlotte Stone books are among Robards’s most distinctive novels. They combine romantic suspense, criminal psychology, serial-killer investigations, and paranormal elements. Dr. Charlotte “Charlie” Stone is a criminal pathologist who can communicate with the dead, making this series very different from Robards’s more conventional romantic thrillers.

1. The Last Victim

Published: 2012

Dr. Charlotte Stone studies serial killers professionally, but her own history makes the work deeply personal. As a teenager, she survived a serial killer’s attack and has secretly experienced visions of the victims ever since. When another girl disappears and the killings resemble the work of the long-dormant Boardwalk Killer, Charlie’s unusual ability becomes impossible to ignore.

2. The Last Kiss Goodbye

Published: 2013

Charlie returns to investigate another case while her relationship with the ghost of convicted killer Michael Garland becomes increasingly complicated. The novel expands the unusual romantic and paranormal elements introduced in The Last Victim.

3. Her Last Whisper

Published: 2014

Charlie once again uses her understanding of criminal behavior to investigate a dangerous killer. Her relationship with Michael adds another layer to a story that combines murder investigation, paranormal romance, and suspense.

4. The Last Time I Saw Her

Published: 2015

In the final Charlotte Stone novel, Charlie must investigate the case of a condemned man whose innocence she believes is in question. The book brings the unusual relationship between Charlie and Michael to its conclusion and closes the series’ four-book arc.

5. Guardian Series

The Guardian trilogy follows Bianca St. Ives, a highly skilled thief and security expert who becomes caught up in international conspiracies. The three books move through large-scale heists, government secrets, assassinations, and dangerous alliances.

1. The Ultimatum

Published: 2017

Bianca St. Ives has inherited her father’s extraordinary skills in martial arts, explosives, and high-level theft. After a massive heist goes wrong and her father disappears, Bianca becomes the target of government agencies and criminals while trying to uncover what really happened.

2. The Moscow Deception

Published: 2018

Bianca’s dangerous world expands internationally in the second Guardian novel. A mission involving Moscow, assassins, secret agendas, and a powerful enemy pushes her skills to the limit.

3. The Fifth Doctrine

Published: 2019

The trilogy concludes with another international conspiracy and an increasingly dangerous threat. Bianca must use everything she has learned to survive while uncovering the truth behind the forces pursuing her.

Karen Robards Standalone Books in Publication Order

Most of Robards’s bibliography consists of standalone novels. They do not need to be read in any particular order, so publication order is the most useful way to present them. The dates below follow current bibliographic records, with the latest 2026 release included.

1. Forbidden Love

Published: 1980

Robards’s earliest listed novel is a historical romance involving Megan Kinkead and her former guardian, Justin, Earl of Weston. Their attraction is complicated by propriety, family expectations, and the fact that Justin is married.

2. Amanda Rose

Published: 1984

A historical romance built around love, family, and the complications created by social position. It belongs to Robards’s early historical-romance period.

3. To Love a Man

Published: 1985

Another early historical romance exploring the attraction between a determined heroine and a man whose circumstances make their relationship difficult.

4. Dark Torment

Published: 1985

This historical romance combines emotional conflict with a darker atmosphere. It reflects the passionate, high-stakes storytelling characteristic of Robards’s early work.

5. Wild Orchids

Published: 1986

A historical romance centered on desire, danger, and complicated loyalties. It is part of the substantial run of historical novels Robards published before moving more heavily into romantic suspense.

6. Loving Julia

Published: 1986

Julia’s romantic story unfolds against the social and emotional constraints of historical fiction. The novel continues Robards’s early emphasis on strong attraction and determined heroines.

7. Night Magic

Published: 1987

A darker historical romance involving danger, mystery, and passion. The title is part of Robards’s transition toward the suspense elements that later became central to her career.

8. Dark of the Moon

Published: 1988

Set partly in Ireland, this historical romance follows Caitlyn O’Malley, a young woman who disguises herself as a boy and encounters Connor d’Arcy, Earl of Iveagh. Adventure and romance develop as Caitlyn discovers that the aristocrat is far more complicated than he first appears.

9. Desire in the Sun

Published: 1988

Set against the turbulent American South, this passionate historical romance follows Lilah Remy and Joss San Pietro. Their relationship is complicated by power, history, and the social world surrounding them.

10. Tiger’s Eye

Published: 1989

A historical romance built around danger, attraction, and characters whose circumstances bring them together in unexpected ways.

11. Morning Song

Published: 1990

Robards turns again to a character-driven historical romance, focusing on emotional conflict and the possibility of love in difficult circumstances.

12. This Side of Heaven

Published: 1991

Caroline Wetherby travels to a dangerous new land seeking the last of her family, only to discover that her sister is dead and she must depend on the rugged Matt Mathieson. The novel combines frontier hardship, family drama, and romance.

13. Green Eyes

Published: 1991

Widow Anna Traverne is left vulnerable after her husband’s death, while Lord Ridley offers her protection at a terrible price. A jewel thief’s arrival changes her situation and creates the central romantic and adventurous conflict.

14. Nobody’s Angel

Published: 1992

A historical romance involving a woman whose life takes an unexpected turn after encountering a dangerous and compelling man. The novel continues Robards’s early focus on passionate relationships shaped by difficult circumstances.

15. One Summer

Published: 1993

A romance shaped by a brief but powerful period in the characters’ lives. The novel explores attraction, emotional risk, and the possibility that one summer can permanently change two people.

16. Maggy’s Child

Published: 1994

Set in Kentucky’s bluegrass country, the story follows a mother caught between sacrifice, family power, and a man determined to reclaim the woman he loves. It combines romance with family conflict and a darker edge.

17. Walking After Midnight

Published: 1995

This romantic suspense story moves further toward the modern thriller style Robards would increasingly embrace. Danger and attraction become closely connected as the protagonists are drawn into a threatening situation.

18. Hunter’s Moon

Published: 1995

A suspenseful romance involving danger, pursuit, and an intense relationship. It belongs to the period when Robards was increasingly mixing traditional romance with thriller elements.

19. Heartbreaker

Published: 1996

A contemporary romantic thriller in which attraction and danger develop side by side. The novel is another example of Robards moving beyond purely historical romance.

20. Whispers at Midnight

Published: 1996

After a painful divorce, Carly Linton returns to her small Georgia hometown and plans to start over by opening a bed-and-breakfast. Her decision to abandon her old “good girl” image becomes more complicated when danger enters her new life.

21. The Senator’s Wife

Published: 1998

Ronnie Honneker’s glamorous political marriage hides a deeply unhappy private life. When her husband’s affairs become a public scandal, her carefully controlled world begins to unravel.

22. The Midnight Hour

Published: 1999

Grace Hart appears to have a comfortable life as a judge and mother, but her teenage daughter becomes the focus of a disturbing threat. Paranormal touches and suspense make this one of Robards’s darker late-1990s novels.

23. Ghost Moon

Published: 2000

A romantic thriller with paranormal overtones, Ghost Moon combines mystery and attraction with a haunting atmosphere. It belongs to Robards’s period of experimentation with supernatural elements before the later Charlotte Stone series.

24. Paradise County

Published: 2000

A suspenseful contemporary romance involving secrets, danger, and a relationship tested by circumstances beyond the characters’ control.

25. To Trust a Stranger

Published: 2001

A woman whose life is threatened finds herself dependent on a mysterious man she cannot completely trust. The novel mixes romantic tension with danger and deception.

26. Beachcomber

Published: 2003

Set along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Beachcomber follows a dangerous case involving a serial killer targeting women on the beaches. The coastal setting gives the romantic thriller an especially atmospheric backdrop.

27. Bait

Published: 2004

A woman becomes caught up in a dangerous situation involving a DEA agent and a drug-smuggling investigation. The story combines action, romance, pursuit, and the kind of escalating danger that became a Robards trademark.

28. Superstition

Published: 2005

Robards mixes romance and mystery in a story where the past refuses to stay buried. Suspicion and danger threaten the characters as they uncover secrets surrounding an old tragedy.

29. Vanished

Published: 2006

Sarah Mason receives a disturbing call from a child who sounds exactly like her missing daughter. She turns to her longtime friend, private investigator Jake Hogan, and their search for answers soon becomes both romantic and deadly.

30. Obsession

Published: 2007

Katharine Lawrence survives an attempt on her life but wakes up feeling that her own home, clothes, and identity somehow belong to another woman. The psychological mystery forces her to question everything she thinks she knows about herself.

31. Guilty

Published: 2008

A contemporary romantic thriller centered on guilt, danger, and secrets from the past. As the characters become increasingly entangled, the line between emotional trust and physical survival becomes blurred.

32. Shattered

Published: 2010

While reviewing cold cases in a Kentucky courthouse, Lisa discovers evidence about an entire family’s disappearance. The discovery becomes intensely personal when the mother in an old photograph looks remarkably like Lisa herself.

33. Sleepwalker

Published: 2011

A woman becomes caught in a dangerous situation involving secrets, memory, and a threat she cannot fully understand. The novel blends psychological suspense with romance.

34. Shiver

Published: 2012

Samantha Jones works as a repo woman to support her son and is not easily intimidated by the dangerous people she encounters. But finding a bound and injured man in the trunk of a repossessed BMW pulls her into a much more dangerous situation.

35. Hunted

Published: 2013

Detective Reed Ware becomes an outlaw after uncovering information that powerful people want hidden. A hostage negotiator is forced to join him as they flee through a dangerous New Orleans situation involving wealthy hostages and murder.

36. Hush

Published: 2014

Riley Cowan discovers her estranged husband dead and refuses to believe that his death was suicide. Her investigation leads toward an old financial fraud and someone who appears willing to kill anyone who might know where the missing money is.

37. Darkness

Published: 2016

An ornithologist trapped on remote Attu Island in Alaska finds herself fighting for survival alongside a mysterious man. The isolated setting creates a tense romantic thriller where the environment is almost as dangerous as the people hunting them.

38. The Black Swan of Paris

Published: 2020

In occupied Paris in 1944, singer Genevieve Dumont is both a celebrated performer and a secret ally of the French Resistance. When her mother is captured, Genevieve becomes caught between the Resistance, the Gestapo, and a mission that could determine whether she lives or dies.

39. The Girl from Guernica

Published: 2022

Inspired by Picasso’s Guernica, this historical thriller follows Sibi, a young woman whose life is shattered when her Basque village is bombed during the Spanish Civil War. The story combines historical tragedy, resistance, deception, and romance. The book is also listed under the alternate title Fire in the Sky.

40. Some Murders in Berlin

Published: 2024

A serial killer is operating in wartime Berlin while a profiler with a hidden past attempts to understand the killings. The historical setting and psychological investigation make this one of Robards’s clearest blends of historical fiction and modern thriller pacing.

41. The Moonlight Runner

Published: 2026

The Moonlight Runner is Robards’s latest published novel. Set in the aftermath of World War I, it follows a young woman who becomes involved in the Irish rebellion and risks everything for her country, combining historical conflict, romance, bravery, and pursuit.

Karen Robards Short Fiction and Omnibus Editions

Manna from Heaven

Manna from Heaven is a novella/short work rather than a full-length novel. It is listed separately from Robards’s novels in her official bibliography.

Wait Until Dark

This is a multi-author romantic-suspense anthology containing a Karen Robards story alongside stories by Linda Anderson, Andrea Kane, and Mariah Stewart. It should not be counted as a regular Karen Robards novel.

Other Omnibus Editions

Several Robards novels have also appeared together in omnibus editions, including Dark of the Moon / Desire in the Sun, Scandalous / Irresistible, To Trust a Stranger / Whispers at Midnight, Bait / Superstition / Vanished, Obsession / Guilty, Hunted / Hush, Sleepwalker / Shiver, and Vanished / Shattered. These are repackage editions, not additional novels.

Karen Robards Books in Publication Order

If you want to follow Karen Robards’s career rather than a particular series, publication order is the best option. The current bibliography begins with Forbidden Love and continues through The Moonlight Runner.

1. Forbidden Love (1980)
2. Island Flame (1981)
3. Sea Fire (1982)
4. Amanda Rose (1984)
5. To Love a Man (1985)
6. Dark Torment (1985)
7. Wild Orchids (1986)
8. Loving Julia (1986)
9. Night Magic (1987)
10. Dark of the Moon (1988)
11. Desire in the Sun (1988)
12. Tiger’s Eye (1989)
13. Morning Song (1990)
14. Green Eyes (1991)
15. This Side of Heaven (1991)
16. Nobody’s Angel (1992)
17. One Summer (1993)
18. Maggy’s Child (1994)
19. Walking After Midnight (1995)
20. Hunter’s Moon (1995)
21. Heartbreaker (1996)
22. Whispers at Midnight (1996)
23. The Senator’s Wife (1998)
24. The Midnight Hour (1999)
25. Ghost Moon (2000)
26. Paradise County (2000)
27. Scandalous (2001)
28. Manna from Heaven (2001)
29. To Trust a Stranger (2001)
30. Irresistible (2002)
31. Beachcomber (2003)
32. Bait (2004)
33. Superstition (2005)
34. Vanished (2006)
35. Obsession (2007)
36. Guilty (2008)
37. Pursuit (2009)
38. Shameless (2010)
39. Shattered (2010)
40. Justice (2011)
41. Sleepwalker (2011)
42. The Last Victim (2012)
43. Shiver (2012)
44. The Last Kiss Goodbye (2013)
45. Hunted (2013)
46. Her Last Whisper (2014)
47. Hush (2014)
48. The Last Time I Saw Her (2015)
49. Darkness (2016)
50. The Ultimatum (2017)
51. The Moscow Deception (2018)
52. The Fifth Doctrine (2019)
53. The Black Swan of Paris (2020)
54. The Girl from Guernica (2022)
55. Some Murders in Berlin (2024)
56. The Moonlight Runner (2026)

This publication list follows the current 56-book catalog used by FictionDB, with Manna from Heaven identified as a short work. The official Robards bibliography likewise lists the five series separately and includes the same later novels through The Moonlight Runner.

Where Should You Start With Karen Robards?

For romantic suspense: The Last Victim

Start with The Last Victim if you want the most distinctive series in Robards’s bibliography. The Charlotte Stone books combine serial-killer investigation, criminal pathology, paranormal elements, and romance.

For an action thriller: The Ultimatum

The Ultimatum is the best entry point for readers who prefer international intrigue, professional criminals, espionage, heists, and a highly capable heroine. It begins the three-book Guardian series.

For historical romance: Island Flame

Choose Island Flame if you want Robards’s early historical-romance style. It begins the two-book Pirate series and provides a very different reading experience from her later contemporary thrillers.

For historical suspense: The Black Swan of Paris

Readers interested in wartime historical fiction should try The Black Swan of Paris, followed by The Girl from Guernica and Some Murders in Berlin. These later books show how strongly Robards’s historical storytelling evolved toward thriller territory.

For her newest work: The Moonlight Runner

If you prefer to begin with Robards’s current writing, start with The Moonlight Runner. It is a standalone historical thriller set after World War I and is currently her newest published book.

Do Karen Robards Books Need to Be Read in Order?

Only the connected series really need a reading order. The Pirate, Banning Sisters, Jess and Mark, Charlotte Stone, and Guardian books should be read sequentially because characters and story arcs carry across installments.

The rest of Robards’s novels are standalones, so there is no need to read them chronologically. If you are exploring her career, publication order is useful because it shows the transition from historical romance to contemporary romantic suspense and eventually to historical thrillers.

Karen Robards FAQ

How many Karen Robards books are there?

Current bibliographic listings count 56 books, including Manna from Heaven as a short work. The count can vary between websites depending on whether short fiction, omnibus editions, and other collaborative publications are included.

What is Karen Robards’s first book?

Her first listed novel is Forbidden Love, published in 1980. Her first connected series began with Island Flame, followed by Sea Fire.

What is the latest Karen Robards book?

As of October 2026, the latest published Karen Robards novel is The Moonlight Runner, released in March 2026.

What is the best Karen Robards series?

For romantic suspense, the four-book Charlotte Stone series is one of the most distinctive choices. For action and international intrigue, the three-book Guardian series is a strong alternative, while readers who prefer historical romance may enjoy the Banning Sisters or Pirate books.

Is The Girl from Guernica part of a series?

No. The Girl from Guernica is a standalone historical thriller. Some bibliographic sources also list it under the alternate title Fire in the Sky.

Is The Moonlight Runner part of a series?

No. The Moonlight Runner is a standalone historical thriller set in the aftermath of World War I, centered on a young woman involved in the Irish rebellion.

Which Karen Robards books are historical romance?

Many of Robards’s early novels are historical romances, including Forbidden Love, the Pirate books, the Banning Sisters trilogy, Dark of the Moon, Desire in the Sun, This Side of Heaven, Green Eyes, and Maggy’s Child. Her later historical novels increasingly incorporate thriller and mystery elements.

Final Verdict

Karen Robards has one of those bibliographies where the best reading order depends on what you want from the author. Her early books are rooted in passionate historical romance, while her later career increasingly blends romance with crime, espionage, psychological suspense, and historical thriller plots.

For a series experience, Charlotte Stone is the most unusual, Guardian is the most action-oriented, and Banning Sisters is the clearest choice for traditional historical romance. For readers who want to see where Robards is now, The Moonlight Runner is the natural starting point for her newest historical thriller period.

Written by

Emon Anam

Hi, I’m Emon. I’m the voice and heart behind Whimsy Read. After nine years in the world of banking, I followed my passion for storytelling into the world of SEO and content strategy. Now, I blend that analytical eye with a deep love for literature to bring you book reviews that are thoughtful, honest, and always focused on the stories that stay with you. When I’m not reading or writing, you’ll find me enjoying joyful chaos with my wife and three kids, getting lost in a new series, or revisiting my old loves: theater, music, and gaming. At the end of the day, I believe great books are meant to be shared, and I’m so glad you’re here to share them with me.