The Naturals Books in Order: Where Do Twelve and Dangerous Impulses Fit?

The best starting point for Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s The Naturals books in order is straightforward: begin with The Naturals, then read Killer Instinct, All In and Bad Blood. After those four novels, the publisher’s current sequence places Dangerous Impulses before Twelve.

The confusion comes from publication history. Twelve appeared in 2017, while Dangerous Impulses is scheduled for November 3, 2026. However, Twelve takes readers further into the characters’ future. It is also a novella, whereas Dangerous Impulses is the fifth full-length novel.

For newcomers, I recommend following the publisher’s current sequence below. It keeps the later-life story until the end and gives you a clear route through the series without having to navigate competing numbering systems.

The Naturals Books in Order at a Glance

This sequence follows the list on the publisher’s Dangerous Impulses page. As of November 2, the new novel is still forthcoming.

Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Books of Brilliance earns from qualifying purchases.

1. The Naturals

The opening novel introduces seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes, whose ability to read people attracts the FBI’s attention. She joins a program that brings together teenagers with unusual crime-solving talents to help investigate cold cases.

Living alongside other gifted teens introduces a different challenge: understanding people who have their own reasons to conceal things. When danger moves closer to the group, their abilities become essential to survival.

This is where readers should begin. The premise depends on learning how the team works, and starting with Cassie’s recruitment lets those relationships develop in order.

Start the series: Find The Naturals on Amazon.

2. Killer Instinct

The second novel pulls the Naturals into an active investigation involving a copycat killer with a connection to Dean’s father. The case makes the boundary between professional analysis and personal history especially difficult to maintain.

Read this after The Naturals. Its setup builds on the team’s earlier experiences, and the growing emotional stakes are a reason to resist treating these novels as interchangeable case files.

Continue with book two: Find Killer Instinct on Amazon.

3. All In

In All In, the investigation moves to Las Vegas, where a sequence of murders leaves the team confronting numerical clues and an elusive killer. The crimes also arrive alongside a development in the mystery surrounding Cassie’s mother.

For readers drawn to puzzles, this premise adds another layer to the series’ emphasis on behavior: the team must also interpret a deliberately constructed pattern. Keep it third, because Cassie’s personal story continues alongside the new investigation. Publisher details

Follow the clues: Find All In on Amazon.

4. Bad Blood

Bad Blood is the fourth novel and the conclusion of the original four-book run. Cassie’s family history becomes central as the Naturals confront a dangerous group and an increasingly urgent investigation.

This is the entry whose full synopsis I would avoid reading before finishing All In. Even official descriptions can reveal developments from an earlier book. Knowing that it continues Cassie’s central mystery is enough to place it on your reading list. Publisher details

Finish the original quartet: Find Bad Blood on Amazon.

5. Dangerous Impulses

Dangerous Impulses belongs after Bad Blood and before Twelve in the publisher’s current reading sequence. It is a full-length novel, with U.S. publication scheduled for November 3, 2026.

Its Christmas-set story begins with the Naturals attempting to reunite their FBI mentors. That personal project draws them toward Veronica Sterling’s past and another criminal investigation.

For edition information and a fuller introduction to the setup, read our Dangerous Impulses release and story guide.

Return to the team: Check Dangerous Impulses on Amazon.

6. Twelve

Twelve is the series’ novella, originally published in 2017. The publisher’s description finds Cassie at twenty-three, with the Naturals now running the program that once recruited them.

Their case involves twelve-year-old Mackenzie McBride, who believes deaths in a coastal Maine town deserve investigation. The story offers a later-life perspective on the group, which is why saving it for the end makes sense for a new reader.

The title refers to Mackenzie’s age; it does not mean this is the twelfth book. When choosing an edition, look for the subtitle identifying it as The Naturals E-novella.

Read the later-life novella: Find Twelve on Amazon.

The Naturals in Publication Order

If you prefer to follow the order in which readers originally encountered the stories, use:

1. The Naturals (2013)
2. Killer Instinct (2014)
3. All In (2015)
4. Bad Blood (2016)
5. Twelve (2017)
6. Dangerous Impulses (2026)

Only the final two positions change. Publication order remains a reasonable choice if you want to recreate the series’ release history. My recommendation for first-time readers is the publisher’s current sequence, with the novella last.

What If You Have Already Read Twelve?

You do not need to restart the series. You encountered the novella in the order available to readers for years. Continue with the new novel when you are ready, remembering that Twelve depicts a later stage in the team’s lives.

If you want a refresher, revisit your memories of the original four novels before browsing detailed plot summaries. A reading-order guide should help you find your place without spoiling the mysteries you still have ahead of you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in The Naturals series?

The currently listed series comprises five full-length novels and one novella. As of November 2, 2026, four novels and the novella are available; the fifth novel is scheduled for the following day.

Is Twelve book five?

It was the fifth story published, but it is a novella. Describing its format and placement is clearer than relying on a retailer’s numbering alone.

Can you read The Naturals as standalone mysteries?

I recommend reading in sequence. The recurring characters and Cassie’s ongoing personal mystery give later investigations context, and later descriptions can reveal earlier developments.

Is The Naturals connected to The Inheritance Games?

They are separate series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. You do not need to read The Inheritance Games before starting The Naturals.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook