Dana stabenow kate shugak series in order

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So when Tetisheri asks permission to visit the Kingdom of Cyrenaica, she is surprised – and suspicious – when her queen grants her leave from Alexandria.

A middleman in Cyrenaica has ceased communication and Tetisheri's uncle, a master trader, is on a mission to find out why. Kate Shugak, Liam Campbell and other recurring characters share space with stand alone tales that showcase Stabenow's range.

A Grave Denied

As the summer ice recedes, a handyman everyone vaguely knew but nobody really knew turns up frozen and shot in a glacier's path.

Kate moves between those worlds more easily than most, but never quite belongs to any of them.

As the series grows, so does its canvas.

dana stabenow kate shugak series in order

Readers who stick with the series watch Johnny Morgan grow from traumatized child to young man, see old feuds harden or heal and feel the cumulative weight of grief and loyalty on Kate's shoulders.

Tonally, the Kate Shugak mysteries mix classic whodunit structures with a strong sense of place. Its blend of mystery and cultural depth has inspired a loyal following, with readers binging all 20-plus books for their immersive world.

After a staffer is murdered, her search for motive leads her back to a notorious gold rush killing, where buried history may be shaping modern politics.

Midnight Come Again

Broken by a personal tragedy, Kate disappears into a new identity in a remote coastal town, hauling freight for a bush airline. Dead in the Water sees her go undercover on a crab fishing boat, while Bad Blood tackles a tribal rivalry spiraling into murder.

Kate herself is an Aleut private investigator who once worked high profile cases for the Anchorage district attorney. Not the Ones Dead is fantastic.' Marc Cameron



Reviews for Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak series:



'An antidote to sugary female sleuths: Kate Shugak, the Aleut private investigator' New York Times

'Crime fiction doesn't get much better than this' Booklist

'If you are looking for something unique in the field of crime fiction, Kate Shugak is the answer' Michael Connelly

Click on any of the links above to see more books like this one.

Kate must untangle the massacre's true target before the trail disappears with the snow.

Series background & context

The Kate Shugak novels are the backbone of Stabenow's work, a long running mystery series rooted in a version of interior Alaska that feels lived in down to the last muddy road. Stabenow’s prose captures Alaska’s stark beauty and harsh realities, blending gritty crime with cultural nuance.

Still recovering from a gunshot wound, Kate is drawn back into the Park's business as the missing and the dead slowly connect.

Bad Blood

A long simmering feud between the neighboring villages of Kushtaka and Kuskulana erupts after a young man is found dead in a fish wheel.

With war on the horizon, Tetisheri's skills will be stretched to the limit as she also tries to decipher a murder mystery closer to home.”

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Part ofDana Stabenow Books in Order

See all the Kate Shugak mysteries by Dana Stabenow in order, with quick plots, character notes, series background on life in Alaska, and tips on the best reading path.

Last updated: December 24, 2025

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24 books

Not the Ones Dead

When two small aircraft collide over the Alaskan wilderness, ten people die in what looks like a tragic accident.

As Kate tries to learn who they are and who wanted them dead, an accusation from beyond the grave threatens to upend life in the Park.

Less than a Treason

A geologist disappears while prospecting near the Suulutaq Mine, and a group of lost hikers literally stumbles over human bones in Kate's backyard mountains.

Grab A Cold Day for Murder and dive into Kate Shugak’s thrilling world of mystery and adventure!

The gripping new Kate Shugak novel by New York Times bestselling author Dana Stabenow. When a new double homicide suggests he has struck again, Kate and trooper Jim Chopin must find a way to stop a man the courts keep turning loose.

A Taint in the Blood

Decades after a wealthy Anchorage woman was convicted of burning her house with her sons inside, her daughter hires Kate to clear her name before terminal cancer claims her.

After two brutal killings and a series of snowmobile attacks, Kate, now head of the local Native Association, has to decide whom to trust as money, power and tradition collide.

A Deeper Sleep

Career abuser Louis Deem has beaten every charge ever brought against him, including a recent murder case Kate helped build.

Kate’s evolution from wounded detective to wilderness protector mirrors Alaska’s own resilience, cementing her as an enduring icon.

  • First Book:A Cold Day for Murder (1992)
  • Total Books: 23 as of 2023
  • Awards: Edgar Award for A Cold Day for Murder
  • Setting: Alaska’s national parks and beyond

Ready to brave the Alaskan wilds?

Chasing the mystery of Sam's missing parent and a stolen Russian icon takes her through a century of Alaskan history and puts her in the sights of someone desperate to keep the past hidden.

Whisper to the Blood

A large mining company begins buying up land around Niniltna, promising jobs but bringing tension and protest.

Through it all the stories keep circling back to Niniltna, her rough edged home village, and to the Park's tangled history.

Family, community and romance matter as much as the puzzles. Jim Chopin is called out to recover bodies, but instead finds two traumatized children.