Kate Kessler Books In Order

Publication Order of Audrey Harte Books

Publication Order of Killian Delaney Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Kate Kessler is an American author that writes psychological thrillers. Kate started out as a troublemaker, and she believes that her beginnings impacted her decision to write about troublemakers.

+Biography

Kate isn’t shy about admitting that she was a juvenile delinquent. It isn’t the sort of thing she could hide, to begin with. The author had the pleasure (or displeasure) of growing up in a northeast rural town which didn’t have that many people and everyone knew everyone else’s business.

So keeping secrets wasn’t always an option for Kate Kessler. Reading came naturally to the author. A passion for books, and especially fiction, was ignited in her at a pretty young age.

Some of her fondest childhood memories involve her experiences with the Nancy Drew Mysteries. The books often engrossed her, eventually nurturing in Kate an unexpected fascination for mysteries.

As the years went by, Kate Kessler outgrew Nancy Drew and found that she could get just as engrossed in Sidney Sheldon’s thrillers. She was just eleven at the time, and it was clear that she was slowly but surely garnering an affinity for storytelling.

This wasn’t just seen in the books she read but the odd addiction she had to soap operas. By the time she was twelve, Kate was writing her own books. Of course, she isn’t too keen on revealing some of those earlier stories to her fans. She agrees that it took her a very long time to polish her craft and to master the art of condensing her ideas into cohesive stories and concepts.

The author’s journey to success wasn’t helped by her curiosity. It could be argued that curiosity is an essential component of a successful author’s psyche. But Kate Kessler’s curious mindset kept getting her trouble.

By the time she was in her teens, writing was the last thing on Kate’s mind. But the author was able to overcome those troubled years. She is quite keen on staying on the right side of things these days.

And when Kate’s curiosity is ignited and she finds herself drawn to trouble once more, she just unloads it all into a fiction novel. Kate is a student of the human condition. She’s fascinated by people and she spends a lot of time trying to figure out why they do the things they do.

But that habit helps her deliver enthralling psychological thrillers. The author spends her days with her supporting husband and their cats.

+It Takes One

Audrey Harte is a murderer. She wouldn’t use that word to describe herself but she knows what the people back home say about her. After all, Audrey did help Maggie kill her father. But for all the abuse he meted out on Maggie, Audrey is pretty sure he deserved to die.

But as much as she would like to keep her past buried, the criminal psychologist is forced to dredge up old memories when she returns home for the first time in seven years.

With all the whispers and the rumors awaiting her, Audrey didn’t need the fight that ensued with Maggie –who was drunk at the time. And it definitely didn’t help her case that her old crush Jake saw the conflict go down, especially now that Maggie is dead and everyone is starting to blame her for it.

Kate Kessler’s first book introduces Audrey Harte, the protagonist of her first series to readers. Kate was thrown into juvenile detention in Edgeport after killing her best friend’s father.

Seeing as the man was abusing his daughter, Audrey never regretted the act. She went on to become a successful psychologist who studies child murderers. Audrey doesn’t want to go back to Edgeport.

And when circumstances draw her back, she is met with all the whispers and rumors she knew would come. Audrey has always struggled with her temper. So when she collects her drunken father from a bar and encounters Maggie, the best friend from her childhood, the pair gets into a fight.

When Maggie is found dead, Audrey makes it her mission to find her murderer before she takes the blame. In investigating the crime, Audrey is shocked to learn about Maggie’s sordid past and the events that had befallen her over the years.

Because of the small town setting, there’s plenty of drama to maneuver, with Audrey struggling to reignite past relationships even while dealing with unexpected romance.

Audrey has been commended for being a strong likable character with plenty of flaws. Her relationship with Jake is awkward and complicated and that makes it believable.

Kate Kessler focuses less on the identity of the person who killed Maggie and more on the reason why.

+Two Can Play

Ian Monroe is a 19-year-old serial killer awaiting trial. Audrey Harte is the criminal psychologist the prosecution has hired to help them make their case. The trial will hinge on the testimony Tori Scott who survived Monroe’s assault.

Audrey thought the minutiae of the case where all in order. But then a new figure emerged on the scene and began using Monroe’s MO to claim new victims. Audrey starts to wonder whether Monroe had a partner.

In trying to keep Tori Scott safe, Audrey makes herself a target for the unknown serial killer.

The second book from Kate Kessler finds Audrey Harte dealing with the aftermath of her return to her hometown. Audrey’s secret as a child murderer is revealed. And rather than debilitating her career, Audrey finds that her sordid past has made her far more desirable.

When she receives a promotion as a result, Audrey makes it her goal to work that much harder to prove that she got her job because she was good at it, not because she killed her best friend’s abusive father as a teen.

When Audrey is asked by the prosecution to be an expert witness in the case of a 19-year-old serial killer, she knows that the move is a publicity stunt more than anything. But she plays along none the less. The decision puts Audrey’s life in jeopardy when a new killer emerges on the scene and sets his sights on the criminal psychologist.

A notable aspect of this book is Audrey’s relationship with Jake. More than just an ordinary love interest, Jake plays an active role in Audrey’s efforts to investigate the mystery at hand.