Santa Barbara Suspense books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Santa Barbara Suspense series?"

"There are two books in the Santa Barbara Suspense series, published between 2018 and 2019."

Q: "What is the first book in the Santa Barbara Suspense series?"

"The first book in the Santa Barbara Suspense series is What She Gave Away, published in 2018."

Q: "Are the two Santa Barbara Suspense books connected?"

"The books are loosely linked by their Santa Barbara setting and some recurring secondary characters, but each tells a standalone story with its own cast of main characters. You can read them in either order, though publication order gives you the full picture of the community Riggs builds across both novels."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	What She Gave Away	2018	Catharine Riggs	Buy
2	What She Never Said	2019	Catharine Riggs	Buy

The Santa Barbara Suspense series is a pair of psychological thrillers by Catharine Riggs, both set against the backdrop of wealthy Santa Barbara, California. Published by Thomas & Mercer, the books examine what happens when secrets, greed, and long-buried grudges surface in communities built on appearances. Each novel stands on its own while sharing a setting and a handful of secondary characters.

What She Gave Away (2018) follows two women on a collision course. Crystal Love is an outsider with a dark past and a taste for dangerous games who arrives in a beach-side community where she doesn’t belong. Kathi Wright is a banker’s wife whose carefully maintained life falls apart when her husband dies suddenly and the FBI comes knocking. What She Never Said (2019) shifts to Serenity Acres, a luxury retirement community where the super-rich go to spend their final years. When destitute residents start dying at a suspicious rate and anonymous notes appear beside each body, VP of operations Ruth Mosby and her neighbor, a former police detective, try to find out whether a mercy killer is at work before the scandal destroys the place.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Santa Barbara Suspense series?

There are two books in the Santa Barbara Suspense series, published between 2018 and 2019.

What is the first book in the Santa Barbara Suspense series?

The first book in the Santa Barbara Suspense series is What She Gave Away, published in 2018.

Are the two Santa Barbara Suspense books connected?

The books are loosely linked by their Santa Barbara setting and some recurring secondary characters, but each tells a standalone story with its own cast of main characters. You can read them in either order, though publication order gives you the full picture of the community Riggs builds across both novels.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order