The most recommended books about bounty hunters

Who picked these books? Meet our 49 experts.

49 authors created a book list connected to bounty hunters, and here are their favorite bounty hunter books.
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Book cover of Lingeria: Book One of One

G.M. Nair Author Of Dicks For Hire

From my list on comedic fantasy and sci-fi to fill the void.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up, I’d always been fascinated by science fiction narratives, having been suckered in by Star Wars at a very young age. But it wasn’t until I stumbled upon The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy that I realized stories didn’t have to take everything so seriously. This pivoted to an obsession with comedy, leading me to write skits for the stage and screen in my late 20s as a fun side-gig along with my own comedic sci-fi novel series. I’ve always appreciated stories that lean into the lighter side of things. Reality is grim and dark enough as it is, our escapism doesn’t need to double down on that.

G.M.'s book list on comedic fantasy and sci-fi to fill the void

G.M. Nair Why did G.M. love this book?

Lingeria is a sarcastic, humor-infused take on the portal fantasy, which forces the author of a beloved fantasy series into the world that he's written - and come to despise.

It's a solidly entertaining book that appropriately skewers a lot of the tropes of fantasy fiction and the associated fandom.

I enjoyed the world of Lingeria and it's definitely a fun read for people seeking to scratch that Discworld itch.

By Daniel Kozuh, Rocky Negron (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lingeria as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

LINGERIA: A wondrous world of centaurs, goblins, elves, knights, bounty hunters, giant centipedes, angry bookies, four-armed Yetis, and a single wizard. There is just one problem – Lingeria shouldn’t exist. It is the product of acclaimed, and depressed, author Norman Halliday

So, how did Norman come to be sleeping on the couch of one of his fiction characters? And why are Norman’s novels revered as Lingerian scripture? Also, why does all of Lingeria believe Norman to be God? Actually, a better question is … Who s this cruel wizard, about whom Norman never wrote, that seized power over the land?…


Book cover of Halfway to the Grave

Maxym M. Martineau Author Of Kingdom of Exiles

From my list on fantasy with kick-ass heroines.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a fantasy romance author with a love of creating real, in-depth characters with agency. To me, that’s the very definition of a “kick-ass” heroine. It doesn’t matter how she’s kick-ass (e.g., loud/vocal vs. quiet and cunning; the one charging ahead of the army or the one strategizing the attack), just that she’s in control of her own destiny. It’s important for me to have my characters feel like actual people, facing real decisions and the consequences of said decisions, and then I want those characters to have onus and show off their true bad-assery. 

Maxym's book list on fantasy with kick-ass heroines

Maxym M. Martineau Why did Maxym love this book?

Good lord, Kat simply dominates when she enters a scene.

She leaves no room for argument with all her decisions (some of them bad, some of them good) or dialogue, and even in moments where you’re screaming at her or she’s second-guessing herself, she grounds herself in her resolve and pushes forward.

Plus, Bones is swoon-worthy, and she still honors her own feels in the presence of his…well…everything, haha. I also love her evolution through the Night Huntress series and how her viewpoint toward vampires and paranormals shifts in a way that suits her character development. Also the spice? Heck. Yes.

By Jeaniene Frost,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Halfway to the Grave as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Kicking off the sexiest, smartest, most badass paranormal romance series out there. You won't be able to stop turning the pages.

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of those deadbeats is her father - the guy responsible for ruining her mother's life.

But when she's captured by Bones, a bounty hunter and a vampire, she finds herself forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for his help in finding her father, and still astonished she hasn't ended up as his dinner, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her…


Book cover of Perfume on the Page in Nineteenth-Century France

Theresa Levitt Author Of Elixir: A Parisian Perfume House and the Quest for the Secret of Life

From Theresa's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Science historian

Theresa's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Theresa Levitt Why did Theresa love this book?

Krueger plunges into a fascinating paradox: nineteenth-century French literature was famous for its evocation of scent, even as the writers, doctors, and scientists of the day fretted over how anyone could describe something as fleeting and unique as an odor.

She bridges the gap with the concept of sillage—the lingering hint of perfume left in the wake of someone who has passed by—which becomes both a literal and literary way of detecting the ephemeral. I particularly like her use of the “male sniff” as an olfactory component of the “male gaze.”

By Cheryl Krueger,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Perfume on the Page in Nineteenth-Century France as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Despite long-standing assertions that languages, including French and English, cannot sufficiently communicate the experience of smell, much of France's nineteenth-century literature has gained praise for its memorable evocation of odours. As French perfume was industrialized, democratized, cosmeticized, and feminized in the nineteenth century, stories of fragrant scent trails aligned perfume with toxic behaviour and viewed a woman's scent as something alluring, but also something to be controlled.

Drawing on a wealth of resources, Perfume on the Page in Nineteenth-Century France explores how fiction and related writing on olfaction meet, permeate, and illuminate one another. The book examines medical tracts, letters,…


Book cover of Pawn

Chris Cannon Author Of Going Down in Flames

From my list on supernatural kick-butt girls who don’t take crap.

Why am I passionate about this?

Being a petite person, I can’t move furniture by myself or lift heavy boxes. It’s freaking annoying. I dream of having a magic wand or some sort of power that would make me stronger. If there was a potion to turn me into a Buffy the Vampire Slayer, kick-butt type of girl I’d drink it in a second. Since there is no such potion, I write and read books about supernatural girls who don’t take crap from anyone, especially the guys in their lives. 

Chris' book list on supernatural kick-butt girls who don’t take crap

Chris Cannon Why did Chris love this book?

Jesse James, yes you read that correctly, is a kick-butt eighteen-year-old girl who takes on Fae Royalty, drug dealers, and heartbreak to find and rescue her parents, who happen to be Fae bounty hunters. How does she do that, you ask? She becomes a Fae bounty hunter herself which wasn’t her life plan but ends up working out pretty well except for the whole falling in love with a certain lying Fae prince...but I don’t want to give too much away. 

By Karen Lynch,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Pawn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

Jesse James is a normal eighteen-year-old, even if her parents are the best faerie bounty hunters in New York. Jesse’s only concern is how to pay for college, but that changes the night her parents disappear. Equipped with her parents’ weapons and her own smarts, Jesse enters the dangerous world of bounty hunting in search of her mother and father. In her quest, she encounters all manner of Fae, but the scariest is Lukas, the mysterious, imposing faerie who offers to help her find her parents.But there are powerful forces at work, and Jesse is about to become a player…


Book cover of Realm Breaker

Gillian Grant Author Of Where the Shadows Beckon

From my list on fantasy with worlds to get lost in.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always sought to escape this world for another; one more exciting. Whether it was reading, or playing D&D, I constantly looked for new places to explore. Building my own has become one of my favorite things about writing. What starts as a simple ‘What if...’ turns into a place I find myself in daily. I’m no longer just an explorer, but a builder, and my craving for unique worlds hasn’t gone away. I’m still learning, still creating new worlds beyond my first, and always still walking new ones. I hope you love escapism as much as I do, because these books will transport you.

Gillian's book list on fantasy with worlds to get lost in

Gillian Grant Why did Gillian love this book?

Realm Breaker was pitched as Lord of the Rings meets Guardians of the Galaxy, and it doesn’t disappoint. A vast, intricate world full of complex political powers, vibrant cultures, and dangerous magic easily slides this into the epic category. Allward is a realm of relative peace until one of the many Spindles that separate it from other realms is opened and unleashes a terrifying army. In order to stop it, a group of unexpected allies band together to use the Spindleblade to shut the Spindles before more are opened. With a dangerously handsome villain, a slow-burn romance to die for, and amazing action sequences, you’ll find yourself longing to walk, sail, and travel the Ward long after you’ve put Realm Breaker down.

By Victoria Aveyard,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Realm Breaker as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF RED QUEEN COMES A BRAND NEW SERIES

SAVE THE WORLD OR END IT...

A strange darkness is growing in the Ward. Even Corayne an-Amarat can feel it, tucked away in her small town at the edge of the sea.

Fate knocks on her door, in the form of a mythical immortal and a lethal assassin, who tell Corayne that she is the last of an ancient lineage - with the power to save the world from destruction.

Because a man who would burn kingdoms to the ground is raising an army unlike any seen before,…


Book cover of Chaser

T.K. Eldridge Author Of Dead & Buried

From my list on mysteries to get your blood pumping.

Why am I passionate about this?

After spending nearly two decades working in technology and Intelligence—working with law enforcement from all different agenciesI developed an appreciation and understanding of the worst that humans can do to each other. My specialty was domestic counterterrorism and foreign policyand I did everything from developing software for chem/bio work to White House briefings. I have studied profiling and analysis in academic and real world settings – I have two Masters degrees Strategic Intelligence & Criminal Justice from American Military University, both with a minor in Terrorism Studies. While the academic background is great, the real-life experiences are what taught me the most – and find their way into my stories.

T.K.'s book list on mysteries to get your blood pumping

T.K. Eldridge Why did T.K. love this book?

Jinx Ballou is a serious bada$$. Transgender, ex-cop, skilled bounty hunter – she learns to deal with unexpected notoriety and some people that really need their a$$es kicked. 

The story deals with some difficult topics with sensitivity, humor, and grace. 

Once I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down – it kept me captivated from beginning to end. 

I’m already on the third book in the series and have enjoyed every minute of getting to know Jinx and her world.

By Dharma Kelleher,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Chaser as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A shocking murder. A suspect on the run. Can a maligned young bounty hunter finally bring the killer in?

Jinx Ballou’s career hangs by a thread. Outed as transgender and blackballed, the tough-as-nails bounty hunter is determined to prove herself. She convinces a desperate bail agent to hire her, but the fugitive she’s assigned has already eluded some of the best in the business.

Jinx takes the job and uncovers a horrifying truth that calls everything into question. As the danger rises, Jinx pushes her skills, her body, and her luck to the limit to apprehend the fugitive murder suspect…


Book cover of The Sheriff of Yrnameer

Tom Dell'aringa Author Of Blanchland Blues

From my list on sci-fi to get lost in that tickle your funny bone.

Why am I passionate about this?

Comedy and science fiction have special places in my heart. I’m fascinated with the prospect of what AI and machine learning might bring us, and I believe to laugh and enjoy life is to be healthy and content. The best humor is revealed through character relationships. I grew up watching Doctor Who, a show that presented a serious story with lighthearted moments. Douglas Adams put that same formula in his books. For ten years I honed my writing skills producing graphic novels, where you had to tell a story and inject humor onto one page. Now novel writing is my means of bringing a little joy to the world.

Tom's book list on sci-fi to get lost in that tickle your funny bone

Tom Dell'aringa Why did Tom love this book?

I have so much love for this story and I can’t understand how it’s not a bestseller. This book helped me understand my own brand of humor could work in a novel. Michael Rubens has a unique razor wit like Douglas Adams, and what I cherish about this story is all the laugh-out-loud moments. When I read this book, I am smiling the whole time—it lifts my spirits! Cole, the main character, flees the galaxy’s most hideous and feared bounty hunter who wants to lay eggs in his brain. Things don't get any better when he smuggles a ship full of freeze-dried orphans. In the end, Cole has to make a tough choice, which always resonates with me. Do you want to be happy? Read this book!

By Michael Rubens,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Sheriff of Yrnameer as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the spirit of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, The Sheriff of Yrnameer is sci-fi comedy at its best—mordant, raucously funny, and a thrilling page-turner.
 
Meet Cole: hapless space rogue and part-time smuggler. His sidekick just stole his girlfriend. The galaxy’s most hideous and feared bounty hunter wants to lay eggs in his brain. And the luxury space yacht Cole just hijacked turns out to be filled with interstellar do-gooders, one especially loathsome stowaway, and a cargo of freeze-dried orphans. Cole gathers a misfit crew for a desperate journey to the far reaches of the galaxy: the mysterious world of…


Book cover of Kill Game

A.J. Rose Author Of Power Exchange

From my list on LGBTQ+ romances because we all deserve to love.

Why am I passionate about this?

As part of the LGBTQ+ rainbow, I know firsthand what it is to be othered, and I grew up desperately wanting to read about and watch characters like me in books and movies. Now that I’ve found a genre of books that celebrates LGBTQ+ lives, I can’t help but want to read and write the stories I’ve always wanted to see and experience in the world of fiction and romance. Everyone deserves love, and I want to share that love with as many people as I can.

A.J.'s book list on LGBTQ+ romances because we all deserve to love

A.J. Rose Why did A.J. love this book?

This book and series has everything, an enigmatic main character, an elusive serial killer, and best of all, a romantic relationship between LGBTQ+ characters that’s enviable and healthy and something to aspire to. Levi Abrams is likely my favorite character in any book I’ve ever read. He’s prickly, difficult, whip-smart, and driven, but he’s also vulnerable, genuine, and fiercely loyal. I love that I didn’t guess who the killer was in the first book (I had a theory, but I genuinely didn’t know for sure until the big reveal), and this series kept me on my toes the whole time. The writing is solid and the character development is spot on. It’s the kind of series I wish I had written myself.

By Cordelia Kingsbridge,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Kill Game as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Book one in the Seven of Spades series

Homicide detective Levi Abrams is barely holding his life together. He’s reeling from the fallout of a fatal shooting, and his relationship with his boyfriend is crumbling. The last thing he’s prepared for is a serial killer stalking the streets of Las Vegas. Or how he keeps getting thrown into the path of annoyingly charming bounty hunter Dominic Russo.

Dominic likes his life free of complications. That means no tangling with cops — especially prickly, uptight detectives. But when he stumbles across one of the Seven of Spades’s horrifying crime scenes, he…


Book cover of They Split the Party

Jordan H. Bartlett Author Of Contest of Queens

From Jordan's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Worldbuilder Adventure-seeker Whimsy-hunter Friend

Jordan's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Jordan H. Bartlett Why did Jordan love this book?

This is the sequel to They Met in a Tavern, and I didn’t know how Menchaca would top the first one, but he managed it with flying colors.

The characters in this novel are divine- both heroes and villains compliment one another so beautifully you really can’t imagine the world where one existed without the other. I loved his portrayal of his female characters; he gives them such depth, and I particularly loved his character, Wings.

It’s not often in fantasy that a character who is a mother and wife is given any form of personality, and Menchaca gives her such vibrancy, power, and agency it was an absolute breath of fresh air.

I also loved the funnier moments in this novel. There is a lot of plot, a lot of characters, and a lot of action, so it ran the risk of getting bogged down, but the moments…

By Elijah Menchaca,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked They Split the Party as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It sucks being someone's unfinished business.

The Starbreakers were heroes, until a tragedy broke them apart. Only now, years later, have they begun to make peace with each other. The rest of the world is a different story.

There has been a breakout in the prison known as Oblivion, and now the worst of the worst have been turned loose on an unsuspecting world. Desperate to contain the crisis, the right hand of the king has called the disgraced Starbreakers back into service. After all, they were the ones who put most of these villains away in the first place.…


Book cover of Shockwave

K. A. Gandy Author Of The Lost Talisman

From my list on sci-fi to fall in love with morally gray heroes.

Why am I passionate about this?

Morally gray heroes are my absolute favorite kind. Whether it’s Batman, Dean Winchester from Supernatural, or the heroes on this list—if he’s not dark and stormy, well, I’m not interested. There’s a depth to these characters that others often lack, and I find it so fascinating. Especially when there’s romance involved. The books on this list are nearly all polar opposites, and yet... they each stretch our capacity to love to the very breaking point—and then make us catch our breath. How far into the darkness can he go, and still come back with a heart left to give to his heroine?

K. A.'s book list on sci-fi to fall in love with morally gray heroes

K. A. Gandy Why did K. A. love this book?

Tenebris Rache. I hated him, I really did. But, there was also something niggling at the back of my mind. I devoured all nine books, and by the end, I was cheering for this man, and one of my favorite female characters of the series. Buroker writes the complexities of life and relationships so well, you don’t even see the moment it all changes coming. And then you’re hooked, because deep down, we all know the best bad guys have a wound in need of healing. 

By Lindsay Buroker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Shockwave as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What if being a hero was encoded in your genes?

And nobody told you?

Casmir Dabrowski would laugh if someone asked him that. After all, he had to build a robot to protect himself from bullies when he was in school.

Fortunately, life is a little better these days. He’s an accomplished robotics engineer, a respected professor, and he almost never gets picked on in the lunchroom. But he’s positive heroics are for other people.

Until robot assassins stride onto campus and try to kill him.

Forced to flee the work he loves and the only home he’s ever known,…