Sara Driscoll Books in Order: FBI K-9, NYPD Negotiators, and Every Thriller

Sara Driscoll writes crime fiction that combines high-stakes investigations with the specialized work of law enforcement. Her FBI K-9 novels follow an agent and her search-and-rescue dog into dangerous situations involving missing people, violent criminals, natural disasters, and complex rescue missions. Her NYPD Negotiators series takes readers into hostage crises where a wrong decision can cost lives.

The two series offer different kinds of suspense. FBI K-9 emphasizes the partnership between a human handler and a working dog, while NYPD Negotiators focuses on negotiation, tactical police work, and the psychological pressure of hostage situations. Driscoll has also written standalone thrillers that explore different characters and mysteries.

This guide organizes the series in publication order, includes the standalone novels, and identifies upcoming releases separately. If you’re new to Sara Driscoll, you can begin with either series without reading the other first.

1. FBI K-9 Books in Order

The FBI K-9 series follows Special Agent Meg Jennings and Hawk, her black Labrador retriever and search-and-rescue partner. They work with the FBI’s Human Scent Evidence Team, using specialized canine skills to locate missing people and investigate dangerous situations.

The novels feature recurring characters and developments in Meg’s personal life, so publication order is the best way to follow the series.

1. Lone Wolf (2016)

The first novel introduces Meg Jennings and Hawk as an FBI team capable of locating people in situations where ordinary investigative methods may not be enough. Their work brings them into a dangerous case involving a killer, and Meg must rely on her training, instincts, and partnership with Hawk to pursue the truth.

2. Before It’s Too Late (2017)

A serial kidnapper leaves coded messages for the FBI, challenging investigators to decipher clues before another victim dies. When the FBI’s cryptanalysts struggle to keep pace, Meg brings in her brilliant sister, Cara, to help solve the puzzles. The investigation tests Meg’s judgment and her willingness to take professional risks.

3. Storm Rising (2018)

After a devastating hurricane strikes Virginia Beach, Meg and Hawk join the search for survivors. Their work takes them through debris and dangerous conditions, where a discovery involving a teenage girl reveals that the disaster may conceal an even more troubling situation.

4. No Man’s Land (2019)

Meg and Hawk become involved in a dangerous investigation in a remote environment where the terrain creates its own threats. The case tests the team’s ability to find and protect people while uncovering the human decisions behind the danger.

5. Leave No Trace (2020)

Meg and Hawk investigate a case in which locating a person and interpreting the evidence require both canine skill and careful detective work. The novel continues the series’ focus on search-and-rescue operations, the bond between handler and dog, and the risks faced by people who work in the field.

6. Under Pressure (2021)

Meg’s professional responsibilities become more personal when a threat reaches closer to home. The case involves dangerous criminal interests and forces Meg to balance her investigative instincts with the need to protect the people she cares about.

7. Still Waters (2022)

A training session in the Minnesota wilderness turns into a fight for survival for Meg and Hawk. What should have been an opportunity to maintain their search-and-rescue skills becomes a dangerous situation in which the team’s experience and cooperation are essential.

8. That Others May Live (2023)

When a building collapses, Meg and Hawk join the effort to find survivors trapped beneath the wreckage. The novel brings the series’ search-and-rescue work to the forefront, with the team racing against time while confronting the uncertainty and danger of a major disaster.

9. Summit’s Edge (2024)

A private plane carrying the board of directors of Barron Pharmaceuticals crashes in Colorado’s Elk Mountains. Meg, Hawk, and other rescue teams find survivors in treacherous conditions, but the hijacker has also survived and fled into the wilderness with the CEO’s son. The search becomes a dangerous pursuit through the mountains.

10. Deadly Trade (2025)

Meg and her husband, firefighter Todd Webb, head to Hawaii for their honeymoon, with Hawk accompanying them. Their plans for a peaceful holiday change when they encounter wildlife poachers in a remote forest. The investigation exposes an illegal trade in endangered birds, while the threat of an active volcano adds another layer of danger.

11. Killer Abyss (November 24, 2026, forthcoming)

When fourteen-year-old Larissa Whorlow disappears on her way home from school, Meg and Hawk join the search. A tracking tag leads them to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, where the trail enters an underground maze of passages and rivers. With communications cut off and a serial killer involved, Meg must continue into the darkness to find the missing girl.

As of October 12, 2026, Killer Abyss is scheduled for publication on November 24, 2026, so it is forthcoming rather than an already released novel.

Complete FBI K-9 reading order:

1. Lone Wolf (2016)
2. Before It’s Too Late (2017)
3. Storm Rising (2018)
4. No Man’s Land (2019)
5. Leave No Trace (2020)
6. Under Pressure (2021)
7. Still Waters (2022)
8. That Others May Live (2023)
9. Summit’s Edge (2024)
10. Deadly Trade (2025)
11. Killer Abyss (2026, forthcoming)

2. NYPD Negotiators Books in Order

The NYPD Negotiators series follows Gemma Capello, an experienced hostage negotiator, and Sean Logan, a detective who leads a tactical team. Their work puts them at the center of volatile situations involving armed suspects, hostage crises, and threats to public safety.

The series combines psychological tension with police procedure. Read the novels in publication order to follow the changing relationship between Gemma and Logan and the consequences of their earlier cases.

1. Exit Strategy (2020)

Gemma Capello became a hostage negotiator after losing her mother during a bank robbery when she was a child. When an armed gunman takes hostages at New York City Hall, Gemma joins the response team and tries to establish contact with the suspect. The situation becomes increasingly complicated as she realizes the crisis may involve a larger plan than anyone initially understands.

2. Shot Caller (2021)

A prison uprising at Rikers Island threatens to turn into a bloodbath. Gemma and her colleagues must communicate with dangerous inmates while trying to prevent further violence. The case also brings Gemma and Sean Logan together again after a previous siege, adding personal tension to an already volatile investigation.

3. Lockdown (2024)

Gemma and Logan are traveling through Grand Central Terminal when masked attackers seize commuters and take control of the situation. The assailants are members of a paramilitary group demanding the release of imprisoned associates. Gemma must negotiate with the captors while Logan looks for an opportunity to help free the hostages.

4. Terminal Impasse (2025)

The Grand Central Terminal crisis continues to have consequences for Gemma and Logan. The two detectives find themselves among the hostages held by the paramilitary group Sinister 13, whose leader threatens to detonate explosives. Gemma attempts to negotiate with the captors without revealing her identity, while Logan works toward a possible tactical response.

5. Countdown (2026)

On New Year’s Eve, a hostage crisis unfolds aboard a luxury yacht in New York Harbor. Gemma and her team discover that the situation involves a cryptocurrency ransom demand and a deadline tied to midnight. Logan and his tactical unit race to respond as Gemma tries to understand the hostage taker’s motives and uncover a more complicated plan.

6. Dead Air (April 27, 2027, forthcoming)

An armed man storms a television studio during a live news broadcast and takes investigative reporter Greg Coulter hostage. The gunman demands that Coulter retract a story and threatens to kill him if the broadcast feed is cut. Gemma must negotiate with the hostage taker while Logan prepares for the possibility that a tactical intervention will be necessary.

Dead Air is scheduled for April 27, 2027. It is not yet available as of October 2026.

Complete NYPD Negotiators reading order:

1. Exit Strategy (2020)
2. Shot Caller (2021)
3. Lockdown (2024)
4. Terminal Impasse (2025)
5. Countdown (2026)
6. Dead Air (2027, forthcoming)

The first two books were initially published under the name Jen J. Danna in some editions and listings. They are now included in the NYPD Negotiators series under Sara Driscoll.

3. Sara Driscoll Standalone Novels in Order

Sara Driscoll’s standalone thrillers are separate from FBI K-9 and NYPD Negotiators. They feature different characters and plots, so you can read them in any order.

1. Echoes of Memory (2024)

This standalone mystery explores the lasting effects of memory and the ways the past can influence the present. It offers a change of pace from the recurring law-enforcement teams in Driscoll’s two main series.

2. Shadow Play (2025)

Shadow Play is another standalone thriller, separate from the FBI K-9 and NYPD Negotiators storylines. It provides an independent mystery for readers who want to explore Driscoll’s suspense writing without committing to a continuing series.

Recommended reading order: Echoes of Memory → Shadow Play, following publication order. There is no required character continuity between them.

4. Sara Driscoll Books in Publication Order

If you want to read Sara Driscoll’s books chronologically, the following list combines the FBI K-9 and NYPD Negotiators novels with the two standalone thrillers.

The table uses the original series publication years. Some books have later paperback editions, so the publication year shown on a particular retailer’s listing may be different.

5. Which Sara Driscoll Series Should You Read First?

Both main series offer fast-paced suspense, but they focus on different kinds of law-enforcement work.

• Choose FBI K-9 if you enjoy search-and-rescue dogs, missing-person cases, wilderness settings, and the partnership between a handler and a highly trained dog.
• Choose NYPD Negotiators if you prefer hostage situations, tense conversations with suspects, tactical police operations, and fast-moving urban thrillers.
• Start with Lone Wolf if you want the earliest FBI K-9 novel and the introduction of Meg Jennings and Hawk.
• Start with Exit Strategy if you want to follow Gemma Capello’s career as a hostage negotiator from the beginning.
• Choose Echoes of Memory if you want a standalone mystery rather than a continuing series.

For most readers, Lone Wolf is the strongest starting point because it introduces the human-and-canine partnership that distinguishes Driscoll’s best-known series.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sara Driscoll Books

How many FBI K-9 books are there?

The FBI K-9 series has ten published novels through Deadly Trade (2025), with an eleventh, Killer Abyss, scheduled for November 24, 2026. The series follows FBI Special Agent Meg Jennings and her Labrador partner Hawk.

How many NYPD Negotiators books are there?

There are five published NYPD Negotiators novels through Countdown (2026). The sixth book, Dead Air, is scheduled for April 27, 2027.

Do Sara Driscoll books need to be read in order?

The two main series are best read in publication order because the characters and their relationships develop across the novels. However, each book has its own central case, so readers can generally understand the investigation in an individual installment without having read every previous book.

What is the first Sara Driscoll book?

Lone Wolf, published in 2016, is the first FBI K-9 novel and the earliest book in Driscoll’s best-known series. It introduces Meg Jennings and her search-and-rescue Labrador, Hawk.

Is Sara Driscoll the same author as Jen J. Danna?

Sara Driscoll is a pen name associated with Jen J. Danna. Driscoll is the name used for the FBI K-9 and NYPD Negotiators thrillers, while some earlier editions of the NYPD Negotiators books appeared under the Jen J. Danna name. Bibliographic listings can therefore show different author names for the same series.

What is Sara Driscoll’s latest book?

As of October 12, 2026, Countdown (April 2026) is the latest released title in the NYPD Negotiators series, while Deadly Trade (2025) is the latest released FBI K-9 novel. Killer Abyss is scheduled for November 2026.

What is Killer Abyss about?

In Killer Abyss, Meg Jennings and Hawk search for a missing fourteen-year-old girl whose tracking tag leads to Mammoth Cave National Park. The trail takes the FBI team into an underground maze, where the disappearance becomes connected to a serial killer.

Are Echoes of Memory and Shadow Play part of a series?

No. Both are listed as standalone novels. You can read them independently without knowing the characters or events from the FBI K-9 or NYPD Negotiators books.

About Sara Driscoll

Sara Driscoll is a crime and thriller author known for the FBI K-9 and NYPD Negotiators series. The name is associated with Jen J. Danna, who spent more than thirty years working in infectious-disease research before focusing on writing. Her professional background and interest in detailed research inform the procedural elements of her fiction.

Driscoll’s stories combine law-enforcement work with character-driven suspense. The FBI K-9 books highlight the skills and teamwork involved in search-and-rescue operations, while NYPD Negotiators explores the psychology of crisis negotiation and the decisions made under extreme pressure.

Final Note

If you want to read Sara Driscoll’s books in order, begin with Lone Wolf for FBI K-9 or Exit Strategy for NYPD Negotiators. Each series has its own characters and storylines, so you can enjoy both without alternating between them.

Readers who enjoy the relationship between a handler and a working dog will likely gravitate toward Meg Jennings and Hawk, while those who prefer tense hostage situations may find Gemma Capello’s cases more appealing. Once you’ve finished either series, Echoes of Memory and Shadow Play offer standalone mysteries to explore.

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.