Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beneath the Book Tower | 2011 | Steve Hamilton | Buy |
| 2 | A Cold Day in Paradise | 1998 | Steve Hamilton | Buy |
| 3 | Winter of the Wolf Moon | 2000 | Steve Hamilton | Buy |
| 4 | The Hunting Wind | 2001 | Steve Hamilton | Buy |
| 5 | North of Nowhere | 2002 | Steve Hamilton | Buy |
| 6 | Blood is the Sky | 2003 | Steve Hamilton | Buy |
| 7 | Ice Run | 2004 | Steve Hamilton | Buy |
| 8 | A Stolen Season | 2006 | Steve Hamilton | Buy |
| 9 | Misery Bay | 2011 | Steve Hamilton | Buy |
| 10 | Die a Stranger | 2012 | Steve Hamilton | Buy |
| 11 | Let it Burn | 2013 | Steve Hamilton | Buy |
| 12 | Dead Man Running | 2018 | Steve Hamilton | Buy |
| 13 | Riddle Island | 2020 | Steve Hamilton | N/A |
The Alex McKnight series is Steve Hamilton’s longest-running work, spanning thirteen books from A Cold Day in Paradise (1998) to Riddle Island (2020). Alex McKnight is a former Detroit cop who was shot in the line of duty, with a bullet still lodged near his heart. He moved to Paradise, a tiny town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, hoping for peace, but keeps finding himself involved in crimes.
The UP setting is as important as any character in the series. Hamilton grew up in the Detroit area but writes about the Upper Peninsula with real knowledge of its winters, its small communities, and the particular mindset of people who choose to live in such an isolated place. The first book won the Edgar and Shamus Awards for Best First Novel, and the series has maintained a loyal readership through its combination of solid plotting and atmospheric, character-driven storytelling.