Kimberly Belle
Kimberly Belle has published 12 books across 2 series. The recommended reading order starts with The Last Breath (2015).
Kimberly Belle is an internationally recognized author of suspense novels and thrillers, whose work has been published in dozens of languages and optioned for film and television. Her books include The Paris Widow, Stranger in the Lake, and the Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist The Marriage Lie. She also co-authored the number one Audible Original, Young Rich Widows.
Belle grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee, and attended Agnes Scott College, earning a Bachelor of Arts. Her early career involved work with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, the YWCA, and the United Way. She eventually turned to fiction, releasing her first novel, The Last Breath. Belle is married and splits her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of Standalone Novels
- TagssuspensethrillercrimemysteryDescriptionThe Last Breath is a thriller about a humanitarian aid worker who returns to her hometown to care for her dying father. Gia Andrews has spent sixteen years chasing disasters around the globe, a lifestyle that kept her far from the past: her father's imprisonment for the brutal murder of her stepmother. Now he is home, dying of cancer, and Gia finds herself resuming the role of daughter to the town's most infamous murderer. The return forces Gia to confront old wounds as protesters gather and death threats are hurled, turning her personal tragedy into public spectacle. As the past unravels, Gia must sift through conflicting accounts from family, friends, and even her stepmother, to find the truth. But the lies that have shaped her reality may have deadlier consequences than she could have ever anticipated.Publication dateJune 30, 2015Amazon rating4.1/5Print length400LanguageEnglishPublisherMIRA
- TagsmysterythrillercrimesuspenseDescriptionThe Ones We Trust is a 2015 novel about a former DC journalist whose investigation into a soldier's death in Afghanistan unearths a conspiracy. Abigail Wolff seeks to revive her career by reporting on the loss, but the story has profound emotional consequences for the soldier's family. As Abigail digs deeper, she finds herself unable to trust anyone, not even her own father, a retired army general. She also finds herself drawn to Gabe, the slain soldier's brother, who is grappling with his own grief. Her investigation forces her to confront buried truths and betrayals, leading to an impossible choice between loyalty and sacrifice to protect the people she loves. The novel explores themes of family, redemption, and the search for hope amidst devastating loss.Publication dateJuly 28, 2015Amazon rating4.2/5Print length304LanguageEnglishPublisherMIRA
- TagssuspensethrillerDescriptionThe Marriage Lie is a thriller that begins seven years into Iris and Will's seemingly perfect marriage. On the morning Will departs for a business trip to Florida, Iris learns that another plane, bound for Seattle, has crashed, killing everyone on board. The airline states Will was a passenger. Iris is convinced this is a misunderstanding. Why would Will lie about his destination? What other deceptions has he been hiding? Her desperate search for the truth about her husband's secrets leads Iris to discoveries that shock her to her core. This novel was first published in 2016 and is part of the Order of Standalone Novels series.Publication dateDecember 27, 2016Amazon rating4.3/5Print length352LanguageEnglishPublisherMIRA
- TagssuspensechildrenthrillercrimemysteryDescriptionWhen Kat Jenkins awakens to the police on her doorstep, her greatest fear is realized: her nine-year-old son, Ethan, is missing. Vanished from a cabin where he was on an overnight class trip, Ethan’s trail has gone cold in the mountain forest. Another mother from the school, Stef Huntington, seems to have a perfect life, but as the investigation unfolds, Ethan’s disappearance has earth-shattering consequences for Stef, as her path crosses with Kat’s. As the two mothers race against the clock, their desperate search for answers reveals how the greatest dangers lie behind the everyday smiles of those they trust the most. This 2018 novel explores the terrifying possibility that the culprit might be someone the women know. Three Days Missing is a suspenseful novel that asks how far two mothers will go when their children are threatened.Publication dateJune 26, 2018Amazon rating4.2/5Print length352LanguageEnglishPublisherPark Row
- TagscrimemysteryDescriptionDear Wife is a suspense novel about a woman on the run and a woman who has vanished. For nearly a year, Beth Murphy has been plotting to leave her abusive husband, a plan that requires a new look, a new name, and a new city. One small slip means her violent husband will find her. Hundreds of miles away, Jeffrey returns from a work trip to find his wife, Sabine, is missing. She has taken almost nothing with her, and her abandoned car is the only trace the police have. All signs point to foul play. The detective on the case will stop at nothing to find Sabine, but the investigation becomes more convoluted as Sabine’s plans for her future indicate trouble at home. As Beth's husband begins piecing together her whereabouts, she must decide about her future. Where is Sabine? And who is Beth? The truth is that someone is lying and it won't stay buried for long.Publication dateJune 25, 2019Amazon rating4.3/5Print length336LanguageEnglishPublisherPark Row
- TagssuspensethrillercrimemysteryDescriptionCharlotte married the wealthy widower Paul in their small lakeside town, a union that stirred gossip about her humble beginnings and his first marriage. Their life together seems charmed, but the whispers intensify when she finds a young woman's body floating in the lake, in the very spot where Paul's first wife drowned. This discovery in Stranger in the Lake, a 2020 thriller, suggests a connection beyond mere coincidence. Charlotte saw Paul speaking with the dead woman the day before, yet he claims to have never met her. This lie exposes fault lines in their new marriage, and Charlotte is determined to prevent it from shattering. As she delves into the mysteries surrounding the man she married, she faces a choice: trust her heart, which believes Paul to be a good man, or give in to her growing suspicion that he is hiding something in the water.Publication dateJune 9, 2020Amazon rating4.1/5Print length352LanguageEnglishPublisherPark Row
- TagsthrillerDescriptionMy Darling Husband is a 2022 thriller that begins when Jade Lasky is confronted by a masked home invader. As her husband, Cam, scrambles to gather ransom money, Jade questions the financial security and other secrets behind their seemingly happy life. Cam, a celebrity chef, has kept a hidden side from Jade that has put their family in danger, and the invader is prepared to expose their secrets to the world. The home invader has been watching the Lasky family, aware of the hidden truths Cam has concealed. As the pressure mounts and the family's secrets threaten to become public, Jade must confront the reality of her husband's hidden life and the extent to which their family is compromised. The novel, part of the Order of Standalone Novels series and 352 pages long, builds to a point where the Laskys' carefully constructed world is on the verge of collapse.Publication dateMarch 8, 2022Amazon rating4.1/5Print length352LanguageEnglishPublisherPark Row
- TagsthrillercrimeDescriptionThe Personal Assistant is a thriller that explores the dark side of the digital world when a mommy-blogger's assistant goes missing. Alex built a massive online following from unscripted family moments, a hobby that became a full-time job managed by her sharp assistant, AC. When a controversial post goes viral, Alex needs AC for damage control, but her assistant has vanished. This young woman, who knew Alex's secrets and the pressure points in her marriage and family life, is now missing, and the police are looking to Alex and her husband for answers. As Alex investigates AC's identity, a woman is found murdered, and the greatest threat emerges not online, but from within her own home. Published in 2022, this novel is part of the Order of Standalone Novels series and spans 352 pages. The story unfolds through alternating perspectives—Alex, her husband, and the mysterious AC—building a juicy cat-and-mouse game. Alex must uncover the truth about AC and the danger lurking nearby, a threat that may be closer than she ever imagined.Publication dateNovember 29, 2022Amazon rating4/5Print length352LanguageEnglishPublisherPark Row
- TagsthrillercrimeDescriptionStella thought Adam was the stable man she needed after a tumultuous relationship. Their dream vacation in Paris takes a dark turn when an explosion in a city square leaves Adam missing. As Stella searches for him, the French police reveal Adam was known to them as a dealer in stolen antiquities. The Paris Widow, a thriller first published in 2024, follows Stella as she navigates this revelation and the dangers of the city. She is determined to uncover the truth about Adam's disappearance: was he a victim of the blast, or was he the target? Someone is following her through the streets, and the secrets Adam kept might be more dangerous than she ever imagined.Publication dateJune 11, 2024Amazon rating4.2/5Print length302LanguageEnglishPublisherPark Row
- Tags---DescriptionRayna Dumont came to Amsterdam for a fresh start and a little adventure. She finds both with Xander, a handsome and successful man she meets for a one-night stand. But the morning after, Rayna discovers Xander dead in his apartment, with millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds missing from his safe. The Expat Affair, a 2025 novel published as part of the Order of Standalone Novels series, plunges Rayna into the deadly world of Amsterdam’s diamond industry. The book runs 313 pages. Willow Prins, whose husband is Xander’s former boss and heir to a diamond house, is drawn into the scandal, which strains her already troubled marriage. As the diamond house comes under scrutiny, Willow wonders how much blame to place on Rayna. Soon, the two women are pulled into the dark underbelly of the diamond market, where they must uncover the truth to survive. Who killed Xander? Where are the missing diamonds? And who can be trusted in a city thousands of miles from home?Publication dateJune 3, 2025Amazon rating4/5Print length313LanguageEnglishPublisherPark Row
Order of The Widows Books
- TagsthrillerDescriptionYoung Rich Widows is a 2024 novel set in 1985 Rhode Island, where the crash of a private jet carrying four partners from a Providence law firm leaves behind more questions than answers. The tragedy brings together four women, each connected to one of the men who died: Justine, a former fashion model adjusting to suburban life; Camille, a young second wife; Meredith, a stripper who was involved with the firm's only female partner; and Krystle, a founding partner's wife focused on her sons' legacy. The initial ruling of a tragic accident doesn't hold when it's revealed the team wasn't scheduled to be in New York that day and a large sum of cash was on board. The investigation into the crash uncovers secrets laced with organized crime, creating a frantic chase for the truth. As these women navigate the wild, neon-drenched landscape of the '80s, they must untangle the dangerous web left behind. The question becomes whether they can uncover the full story before the volatile secrets consume them all.Publication date2 April 2024Amazon rating3.8/5Print length347LanguageEnglishPublisherSourcebooks Landmark
- TagsthrillermysterycrimesuspenseDescriptionCamille orchestrates honey-pot schemes for scorned women, until one of her arrangements goes terribly wrong and implicates her in the mysterious murder of debauched Mayor Tom. Two years after a plane crash killed four mafia-affiliated law-firm partners, their wives are still navigating the fallout. Krystle fights to keep their fallen law firm afloat, Justine hustles as a lawyer-in-training, and Meredith owns the strip club where she once danced. The widows must join forces once more when Camille's entanglement with the mayor's death pulls them into a deepening conspiracy. As the investigation unravels, their search for justice pits first wife against second wife and widow against widow. The women's fragile bond is tested as loyalty becomes a luxury they may not be able to afford. In this thriller, desperation wears stilettos, trust is a poker chip, and redemption comes at the cost of everything they thought they knew.Publication date8 April 2025Amazon rating4.1/5Print length395LanguageEnglishPublisherSourcebooks Landmark
Frequently Asked Questions about Kimberly Belle
Kimberly Belle writes psychological thrillers. Her standalone novels can be read in any order, as each tells a distinct story. For her series, The Widows, there is a specific order. The first book is Young Rich Widows, followed by Desperate Deadly Widows. Reading the series in this order will allow you to follow the overarching narrative and character development as it unfolds. If you prefer to start with a standalone, any of her individual novels will provide a complete reading experience.
A good starting point for Kimberly Belle's books is her standalone novel, Dear Wife, published in 2019. It is a psychological thriller that showcases her ability to create suspense and complex characters. If you are interested in her series, The Widows, you can begin with the first book, Young Rich Widows. Both options offer a strong introduction to her writing style. Her earlier standalone novels are also suitable starting points if you wish to explore her earlier work.
Most of Kimberly Belle's books are standalone novels, which means they do not need to be read in any particular order. Each book tells a self-contained story. However, The Widows series, which includes Young Rich Widows and Desperate Deadly Widows, is intended to be read in sequence. To fully appreciate the narrative and character arcs within that specific series, it is recommended to read those books in the order they were published. The standalone novels can be enjoyed independently.
Kimberly Belle writes both standalone novels and series. Her standalone novels, such as The Last Breath, The Marriage Lie, and Dear Wife, each feature a different story and characters. She also writes series, including The Widows series, which consists of Young Rich Widows and Desperate Deadly Widows. These series have interconnected plots and characters that are best experienced in chronological order to understand the full narrative.
Kimberly Belle has written more than ten books. Her bibliography includes a number of standalone psychological thrillers as well as the ongoing The Widows series. The exact count can fluctuate as new books are released. Her published works to date include titles like The Last Breath, The Ones We Trust, The Marriage Lie, Three Days Missing, Dear Wife, Young Rich Widows, and Desperate Deadly Widows, among others.
The first book Kimberly Belle wrote was The Last Breath, published in 2015. This novel is a psychological thriller that established her style of suspenseful storytelling and intricate plots. Following The Last Breath, she released The Ones We Trust in the same year. These early works set the stage for her subsequent novels and her growing presence in the thriller genre. Readers interested in her initial contributions can start with this debut.
Kimberly Belle's most recent book is Desperate Deadly Widows, published in 2025. This is the second installment in The Widows series. Prior to this, she released Young Rich Widows in 2024. Her standalone novels, such as Dear Wife from 2019, are also popular. The release of Desperate Deadly Widows continues her exploration of suspenseful narratives within a connected series format, following the established characters and plotlines.
Kimberly Belle writes psychological thrillers. Her books often feature suspenseful plots, twists, and complex character relationships, focusing on domestic suspense and secrets. While her primary genre is thriller, her novels delve into themes of trust, deception, and the dark side of relationships. Her work aims to keep readers on the edge of their seats with unexpected turns and intense situations. The Widows series, for example, explores the lives of women dealing with dangerous circumstances.
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We verified the reading order for Kimberly Belle's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: July 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “Kimberly Belle Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/kimberly-belle