Locally Written Books in Kansas City

What’s better than a good book? A good book written by your neighbor. Brew up a batch of your favorite tea or coffee and get ready to meet your next read, because we’re talking about locally written books in Kansas City.

Fiction

• “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn | Release date: April 22, 2014 | A tale of a marriage gone cold + a sociopath who will stop at nothing to get revenge.
• “The Good Lieutenant” by Whitney Terrell | Release date: June 7, 2016 | This novel unfolds from points of view that are not customarily included in war coverage — a tenacious female officer, jaded career soldiers, and Iraqis, both innocent and not so innocent.
• “Twelve and A Half Hearts” by Ian Cahill | Release date: September 6, 2018 | Follow Sue Anderson from high school valedictorian all the way through her thirties as she attempts to overcome a devastating discovery.

For the family

• “Go Chiefs Go!: The Championship Season of the Kansas City Chiefs” by Chris Megs | Release date: May 15, 2020 | This read captures the magic of the Kansas City Chiefs season that lead to a victory in Super Bowl LIV — perfect for young Chiefs fans.
• “Sullen Sally” by Jim Cosgrove | Release date: August 12, 2020 | This celebration of friendship uses a mix of lyrical rhymes + colorful illustrations, with folds, flaps, and wheels to turn for your little one.
• “The Man Who Loved Clowns” by Juna Rae Wood | Release date: May 1, 2005 | This story captures both the joy and sorrow that come when we open our hearts to love.

Learn something new

• “Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill” by Candice Millard | Release date: April 12, 2016 | This read spins an epic story of bravery, savagery, and chance encounters with a cast of historical characters with whom Churchill would later share the world stage with.
• “Kansas City’s Historic Midtown Neighborhoods” by Mary Jo Draper | Release date: March 16, 2015 | Learn more about the rich history of Midtown’s growing residential districts, which developed into today’s popular neighborhoods like Valentine and Old Hyde Park.
• “Prohibition in Kansas City, Missouri: Highballs, Spooners & Crooked Dice” by John Simonson | Release date: March 5, 2018 | This book resurrects forgotten stories by revisiting places where they occurred, telling the salacious history of booze in Kansas City.

Part of a series

• “Seconds Before Sunset” by Shannon A. Thompson | Release date: August 25, 2015 | The second story from the “Timely Death Trilogy” series.
• “The King Will Kill You” by Sarah Henning | Release date: August 2, 2022 | This epic, pulse-pounding story wraps up Henning’s “Kingdoms of Sand and Sky” trilogy series.
• “The Secret” by Julie Garwood | Release date: May 1, 1992 | The first read of the “Highlands’ Lairds” series, written by one of the most critically acclaimed and popular romance authors around.

Personal stories

• “Canoeing the Great Plains: A Missouri River Summer” by Patrick Dobson | Release date: May 1, 2015 | In this book, Dobson recounts his journey along the Missouri River, the country’s longest river.
• “Emotionally Bankrupt” by Jennifer Martin | Release date: March 20, 2019 | This collection of poetry outlines one woman’s experience with love, addiction, and finding innate purpose.
• “Mountain Lines: A Journey Through the French Alps” by Jonathan Arlan | Release date: March 9, 2021 | This read tells the stirring account of a month-long journey on foot through the French Alps – a passionate and intimate book laced with humor, wonder, and curiosity.
  

Need more recommendations? Stop by Flagship Books, Prospero’s Books, Afterword Tavern + Shelves, or Wise Blood KC, to get expert advice from KC’s local booksellers. 📚