Briggs began writing in 1990, and published her first novel Masques in 1993.

Sales on her first book were abysmal, which very nearly ended her career. Fortunately, she was eventually able to sell the next book Steal the Dragon which garnered substantially better sales and some favorable editorial reviews. Her career showed a slow, steady increase in sales and readership over the next several books.

With better sales, and correspondingly higher confidence in selling her next work, she was able to begin writing multi-book stories. Dragon Bones and Dragon Blood share both the same world and the same characters, though both are complete stories. Raven's Shadow and Raven's Strike are an honest duology, with a single story line spanning both novels. More recently, she has announced there will be at least seven novels in her best-selling "Mercy Thompson" series. One hallmark of Briggs' books is that each book is a stand-alone story, and the reader is never left with a cliffhanger ending waiting for the next novel to figure out what happened.

Her skill at crafting convincing characters eventually led her editor to ask if she would write an urban fantasy. The genre was showing promising growth, and the publisher wanted to expand their offerings. She accepted, signing a contract for three books, and penned Moon Called, which sold far better than her previous novels, making it to the USA Today bestseller lists. The second book in the series, Blood Bound hit the New York Times bestseller list, much to the surprise of both the author and her publishers. The third book, Iron Kissed was a #1 New York Times bestseller.

At this time she has contracted for four more "Mercy Thompson" books, and has started a spin-off series based on the characters in Alpha and Omega.

A new comic book about Mercy Thompson has recently been released. The first issue of Patricia Briggs's Mercy Thompson: Homecoming was released on November 12, 2008.

Novels

Sianim Series

• Masques (1993)
• Steal the Dragon (1995)
• When Demons Walk (1998)
• Wolfsbane (November 2010)

Hurog Duology

• Dragon Bones (2002)
• Dragon Bones is scheduled to be released in audio late 2010. It is voiced by Joe Manganiello (who is currently playing Alcide Herveaux in True Blood), and is produced by Buzzy Multimedia.
• Dragon Blood (2003)

Raven Duology

• Raven's Shadow (2004)
• Raven's Strike (2005)

Mercy Thompson Series

• Moon Called (2006)

Mercy must rescue the alpha of the local werewolf pack and his young daughter, after they are taken by a band of humans and werewolves who are testing new medical drugs on werewolves. While helping Adam she must ask the Marrok, the leader of all North American werewolves, for help and encounters an old flame, Samuel Cornick, who decides to move back to the Tri-Cities with Mercy in an effort to win her back.

• Blood Bound (2007)

Mercy accompanies her vampire friend Stefan on a task and encounters an evil demon-possessed vampire sorcerer who is on a killing rampage. She learns that only she can stop the sorcerer and with everyone she cares for missing she must take out the sorcerer before he destroys her friends. Amidst all this chaos she is also caught between her feelings for the alpha of the local werewolf pack, Adam Hauptman, and her old flame Samuel Cornick who is currently living with her while he battles internally with his wolf.

• Iron Kissed (2008)

Mercy is requested by her friend and old boss Zee to investigate some murders on the Fae reservation near her home. During the investigation Zee is framed as a murderer and Mercy must work to free him from human prison. During the book she finally chooses between Samuel and Adam.

• Bone Crossed (2009)

Mercy has been marked an enemy of the local seethe for killing the head mistress', Marsillia, right hand man. She becomes mated to Adam and in an effort to save her friends and get away from Marsillia Mercy travels to Spokane to help her friend rid her house of a ghost. Once there Mercy uncovers a much bigger problem than a ghost and is captured by a powerful vampire on a quest to keep Mercy for her skills as a walker.

• Silver Borne (2010)

In an attempt to return a book she once borrowed from a Fae friend Mercy discovers that something bad has happened to him and she has the reason why in her possession. While she attempts to find her fae friend, Adam's pack is in an upheaval about Mercy being added to the pack without their consent so they attempt to sabotage her and Adam's relationship.

• River Marked (Spring 2011)

Alpha and Omega Series

Set in the same world as The Mercy Thompson Series

• "Alpha and Omega" (novella, published in On the Prowl (2007))
• Cry Wolf (2008)

Now Briggs begins an extraordinary new series set in Mercy Thompson’s world — but with rules of its own. Anna never knew werewolves existed until the night she survived a violent attack and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she’d learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. But Anna is that rarest kind of werewolf: an Omega. And one of the most powerful werewolves in the country will recognize her value as a pack member — and as his mate.

• Hunting Ground (2009)

Mated to werewolf Charles Cornick, the son — and enforcer — of the leader of the North American werewolves, Anna Latham now knows how dangerous being a werewolf is, especially when a werewolf who opposes Charles and his father is struck down. Charles’s reputation makes him the prime suspect, and the penalty for the crime is execution. Now Anna and Charles must combine their talents to hunt down the real killer — or Charles will take the fall.

• Alpha and Omega #3 (Fall 2011)

Stand-alone novels

• The Hob's Bargain (2001)

Anthology contributions

• "The Price" in Silver Birch, Blood Moon (by Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow)
• "Alpha and Omega" in On the Prowl (2007) (Set in the same world as The Mercy Thompson Series)
• "Star of David" in Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (2008) (Set in the same world as The Mercy Thompson Series)
• "Seeing Eye" in Strange Brew (2009) (Set in the same world as The Mercy Thompson Series)