High-Octane Faith: An Author Spotlight on Mary Alford
If you love stories where danger closes in, secrets surface, and faith shows up right when it’s needed most, you’re going to want Mary Alford on ...
Keep ReadingIf you love stories where danger closes in, secrets surface, and faith shows up right when it’s needed most, you’re going to want Mary Alford on your auto-buy list.
Mary Alford is known for Christian romantic suspense that doesn’t meander—she drops you into the tension quickly, then keeps tightening the screws with twists you don’t see coming. And yet, underneath the adrenaline, there’s always heart: wounded people, complicated pasts, and the steady thread of God meeting them in the middle of the mess.
On her official bio page, Mary describes growing up in a small Texas town, the youngest in her family, with plenty of time to entertain herself—so she did what lifelong storytellers do: she made things up.
As a teen, she discovered authors like Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt, and something clicked—this was what she wanted to do with that “over-active imagination.”
Today, that imagination is fueling a substantial body of work across romantic suspense (including Amish suspense), plus sweet romance—organized right on her website for readers who like to binge by vibe.
Mary Alford isn’t just prolific—she’s decorated. RAPT describes her as an award-winning novelist and a USA TODAY, Parable, and Publishers Weekly best-selling author, noting that her work has won the Holt Medallion, Kiss of Death, and Golden Scroll Novel of the Year, and has been a finalist for the Selah and Maggie awards.
Harlequin’s author page also notes she’s a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author and that her books have been finalists for multiple awards (including Daphne du Maurier, Beverly, Maggie, and Selah). Translation: this is a writer who knows exactly how to deliver tension, pace, and payoff—while keeping the story anchored in hope.
Mary helpfully provides a printable booklist on her site, and it’s basically a treasure map for binge readers. Here are a few easy entry points depending on what you like:
Hope Island Securities Series (starts with Forgotten Past, then continues through multiple “Past”-themed installments like Deadly Past, Sins of the Past, Chasing the Past, and more).
Courage Under Fire Series (a longer run with a prequel setup and multiple numbered books—built for readers who love returning characters and a bigger conspiracy thread).
Scorpion Team Series, including Framed for Murder, Christmas in the Crosshairs, and Night Watchman.
Mary offers a FREE ebook to newsletter subscribers—featured right on her site’s email sign-up page—and she spotlights Christmas in the Crosshairs there as a suspenseful second-chance story with high stakes.
If you like being first to hear about new releases (and you enjoy the occasional freebie), that newsletter perk is a smart place to start.
Some suspense goes dark for the sake of darkness. Mary’s work tends to do something more satisfying: it walks straight into danger, but it doesn’t leave you there.
That’s why her books are such a good recommendation for readers who want:
A verse that fits the emotional heartbeat of her books is Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.” That’s the promise at the core of Christian suspense: the storm is real—but so is God. Ready to dive in? No reason to wait any longer: Here is your freebie. Enjoy your weekend.
