Hemlock County books in order

The Hemlock County series by David Poyer is set in the fictional rural mountains of Pennsylvania, blending suspense with stories about small-town life and the natural world.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 The Dead of Winter 1988 David Poyer Buy
2 Winter in the Heart 1993 David Poyer Buy
3 As the Wolf Loves Winter 1996 David Poyer Buy
4 Thunder on the Mountain 1999 David Poyer Buy
5 The Hill 2023 David Poyer Buy

David Poyer’s Hemlock County series steps away from his naval fiction to explore life in a remote Pennsylvania mountain community. Starting with The Dead of Winter in 1988, these novels deal with everyday people facing extraordinary pressures, from brutal winter storms to industrial exploitation and environmental threats. The rugged landscape is as much a character as the people who inhabit it.

The series returned after a long gap with The Hill in 2023, picking up threads from the earlier novels while introducing new concerns. Poyer writes these books with a different pace than his military thrillers, spending more time on atmosphere and character relationships. Fans of Appalachian fiction and rural noir will find a lot to like here.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Hemlock County series?

There are five books in the Hemlock County series, published between 1988 and 2023.

What is the first book in the Hemlock County series?

The first book in the Hemlock County series is The Dead of Winter, published in 1988.

Where is Hemlock County set?

Hemlock County is a fictional region in the mountains of northern Pennsylvania. Poyer based it on real communities in the Allegheny Plateau area, and the setting draws on the harsh winters, economic struggles, and close-knit communities of Appalachian small towns.

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