📖 About Joanne Kilbourn

Joanne Kilbourn is a series universe written by Gail Bowen. The complete collection runs to 23 books across 1 series, published between 1990 and 2025.

The main series is Publication Order of Joanne Kilbourn Mystery Books with 23 books. It opens with Deadly Appearances (1990) and currently runs to The Solitary Friend (2025).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with Joanne Kilbourn

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: Deadly Appearances (1990), book 1 of Publication Order of Joanne Kilbourn Mystery Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

Each of the 1 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 Joanne Kilbourn Books in Order

Publication Order of Joanne Kilbourn Mystery Books
23 books
1
Deadly Appearances book cover1Deadly Appearances1990Buy on Amazon
Murder at the Mendel / Love and Murder book cover2Murder at the Mendel / Love and Murder1991Buy on Amazon
The Wandering Soul Murders book cover3The Wandering Soul Murders1992Buy on Amazon
A Colder Kind of Death book cover4A Colder Kind of Death1994Buy on Amazon
A Killing Spring book cover5A Killing Spring1996Buy on Amazon
Verdict in Blood book cover6Verdict in Blood1998Buy on Amazon
Burying Ariel book cover7Burying Ariel2000Buy on Amazon
The Glass Coffin book cover8The Glass Coffin2002Buy on Amazon
The Last Good Day book cover9The Last Good Day2004Buy on Amazon
The Endless Knot book cover10The Endless Knot2006Buy on Amazon
The Brutal Heart book cover11The Brutal Heart2008Buy on Amazon
The Nesting Dolls book cover12The Nesting Dolls2010Buy on Amazon
Kaleidoscope book cover13Kaleidoscope2012Buy on Amazon
The Gifted book cover14The Gifted2013Buy on Amazon
12 Rose Street book cover1512 Rose Street2015Buy on Amazon
What's Left Behind book cover16What's Left Behind2016Buy on Amazon
The Winners' Circle book cover17The Winners' Circle2017Buy on Amazon
A Darkness of the Heart book cover18A Darkness of the Heart2018Buy on Amazon
The Unlocking Season book cover19The Unlocking Season2020Buy on Amazon
An Image in the Lake book cover20An Image in the Lake2021Buy on Amazon
What’s Past Is Prologue book cover21What’s Past Is Prologue2022Buy on Amazon
The Legacy book cover22The Legacy2023Buy on Amazon
The Solitary Friend book cover23The Solitary Friend2025Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many Joanne Kilbourn books are there?
There are 23 books in the Joanne Kilbourn collection, organised into 1 series and published between 1990 and 2025.
What is the first Joanne Kilbourn book?
The first book is Deadly Appearances, published in 1990.
What order should I read the Joanne Kilbourn books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the Joanne Kilbourn books?
The Joanne Kilbourn books were written by Gail Bowen.
Is the Joanne Kilbourn series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of Joanne Kilbourn Mystery Books, has 23 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the Joanne Kilbourn series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1990, and the most recent in 2025.