Oak Knoll Books In Order

Publication Order of Oak Knoll Books

Oak Knoll Series

Oak Knoll is a series of mystery books written by an American author of romance, mystery and thriller books Tami Hoag. Hoag’s is also number one internationally bestselling author of over thirty books published in different languages across the globe. Known better for her Oak Knoll books, Hoag has authored more than seven book series including; Deer Lake, Doucet and Broussard, and Fourcade. She began her Oak Knoll series in 2008 with Deeper than the Dead. The series concluded with a third book Down the Darkest Road in 2011.

Deeper Than The Dead

Deeper than the Dead the first book in Oak Knoll series by Tami Hoag opens up in California 1985 when four children adventuring through the woods behind their school come across a partially buried body of a woman with mouth and eyes glued shut.

Close behind these four children is their teacher, Ann Navarre who is shocked by this discovery and at the same time heartbroken as she witnesses the end of the kid’s innocence. However, what she doesn’t realize is that the crime will mark the ends of innocence for the entire community, as friends and families are tested dark secrets that are unraveled in the wake of a serial killer murder spree.

Tony Mendez, a detective from a law enforcement school at FBI headquarters, is tasked with interpreting the unraveled secrets. He is using a profiling technique to develop a theory to the murder case, a method that pushes him deeper into the lives of the three children and to a teacher who has developed a suspicious behavior in the recent years.

As more victims are found, and media security suppresses their efforts, both Navarre and Mendez are unsure whether those who suffer the most are the killer’s victim or the friends and family of the killer, unaware that the killer is someone close to them.

Deeper than the Dead, the first book in Oak Knoll series by Tami Hoag is a well written, fast paced and compelling thriller. If you’re a child of the 1980’s, you will find it satisfying thanks to the refreshing Miami vice and references related to pop culture. Mendez and his investigative team use hard work and old-fashioned technology to solve what seems to be an unsolvable crime. This approach might sound strange (to the millennials as technology on how crime is solved has advanced)- but remember in the 80’s a computer in your house was considered a luxury. There a no computer records, DNA tests, and even more surprising fingerprint back then was done manually.

The story is deliciously surprising, suspenseful and with unexpected twists and turns which will hold the reader’s attention to the very last page. Additionally, the story features some grim scenes from the scenes of torture to the descriptions of maladjusted families. The characters are; believable, strong and Tami Hoag has created interlocking storylines all which work perfectly together. There some romantic bits in the book which contributes to the story but they don’t overshadow the main story (thriller) but instead contribute to the characters strong relationship.

Secrets To The Grave

Secrets to the Grave book two in Tami Hoag Oak Knoll series. One can read it as a standalone novel, but it helps to read the first book Deeper than the Dead. The first book in the series introduced us to Vince Leon an agent working for the FBI Behavioral Science Unit and Anne Navarre, a teacher.

Following the events that happened in the first book, a suspect in the murder case is arrested, and Miss Navarre is waiting to testify in the trial. On the other hand, Leon is married to Ann Navarre and working as a consultant in the small town, Oak Knoll.

Tami Hoag sets Oak Knoll series in 1986 which makes it fascinating to watch how the sheriff department investigated crimes. The cops lack the standard tools used to solve crimes today from simple DNA analysis to computers. The cops are aware that technology is out of the reach in the future which makes it hard for them to prove the case against the main suspect in the first book and even harder in the second book.

Artist Marissa had dark secrets, and when her body was found, she was severely stabbed, sexually assaulted and covered in blood- a sign of crime of passion. She left behind a daughter Haley who saw the killer’s face but was severely traumatized and would only scream until Ann Navarre stepped in to calm her.
Unfortunately, in 1986, there was little information regarding childhood traumatic events and the sheriff department only relied on the old-fashioned way of doing an investigation. The investigation turned a couple of Men in Marissa’s life, lots of money and a shocking discovery that Marissa never existed. When Ann is assigned temporary custody of the traumatized Haley, she once more puts herself in the path of a deranged serial killer. For Leon, he hopes that he with the help of the local sheriff could identify the killer before he reaches the only woman he has grown to love.

Down the Darkest Road

Four years after the disappearance of her Lauren Lawton’s 16-year-old daughter, Lauren is still chasing the dreams of a Santa Barbara life. The world took her daughter away from her, and her husband ended his life after their daughter vanished.

Lauren knows the person responsible for the disappearance of her oldest child, but there’s no solid evidence to convict the man. Even as the man stalks Lauren’s family, she is powerless to stop the man while the Santa Barbara’s cops are handcuffed by the same laws they swore to uphold. Looking for a new start in a place with no memories, Lauren and her youngest daughter Leah relocated to Oak Knoll. However, when her suspect turns up in Oak Knoll as well, Lauren is sure that history is bound to repeat itself. Her daughter will soon turn 16, and Oak city has a cunny predator on the loose.

Detective Tony Mendez and his team begin a hunt for the suspected killer to keep the women of their scenic town safe. However, as the detectives filter through the dark circumstances of a shocking question forever changes the course of their investigation.

One Response to “Oak Knoll”

1. Donna: 2 months ago

   Hello. Will there be a fourth book in the Oak Knoll series. I am loving the characters and would like to see how they have evolved after Down the Darkest Road.

   Thank you

   Reply