Sterling Heights Public Library
A HUGE Mystery Reading List
Compiled by Margaret Hanes and Mary Lou Metzger

News

Abbott, Jeff. (Jordan Poteet Series) His first series stars Jordan Poteet, a small-town librarian in Mirabeau, Texas.
1. Do Unto Others. 1994
2. The Only Good Yankee. 1995
3. Promises of Home. 1996
4. Distant Blood. 1996

Abbott:  . .(Whit Mosley series) Based on a judge in Texas.
1. A Kiss Gone Bad. 2001
2. Black Jack Point. 2002
3. Cut and Run. 2003

Albert, Neil. (Dave Garrett Mystery) Set in Pennsylvania Amish country, the series introduces Dave Garrett, disbarred lawyer turned private eye.
1. The January Corpse. 1991
2. The February Trouble. 1992
3. Burning March. 1994
4. Cruel April. 1995
5. An Appointment in May. 1996
6. Tangled June. 1997

Albert, Susan Wittig. (China Bayles Mystery) Attorney China Bayles leaves her big city career for a cozy little herb shop in west Texas.
1. Thyme of Death. 1992
2. Witches’ Bane. 1993
3. Hangman’s Root. 1994
4. Rosemary Remembered. 1995
5. Rueful Death. 1996
6. Love Lies Bleeding. 1997
7. Chile Death. 1998
8. Lavender Lies. 1999
9. Mistletoe Man. 2000
10. Bloodroot. 2001
11. Indigo Dying. 2003
12. Dilly of a Death. 2004
13. Deadman’s Bones. 2005
14. Bleeding Hearts. 2006
15. Spanish Dagger. 2007
16. Nightshade. 2008
17. Wormwood. 2009

Allen, Conrad. (A Shipboard Mystery) This series features George Porter Dillman, a yacht-builder-turned-actor-turned-detective and Genevieve Mansfield. Crime on cruise ships in the 1930s.
1. Murder on the Lusitania. 1999
2. Murder on the Mauretania. 2000
3. Murder on the Minnesota. 2002
4. Murder on the Caronia. 2003
5. Murder on the Marmora. 2004
6. Murder on the Salsette. 2005
7. Murder on the Oceanic. 2006
8. Murder on the Celtic. 2007

Allyn, Doug. (Mitch Mitchell Mysteries) Michigan author Allyn’s series features single mom and deepwater diver Michelle (Mitch) Mitchell. In the first title her father’s suspicious death sends her back to Michigan. Once there she inherits a dive shop and tries to discover the truth about her father’s demise. No more expected.
1. Icewater Mansions. 1995
2. Black Water. 1996
3. Dance in Deep Water. 1997

Alt, Madelyn. (Bewitching Mystery) Set in Stony Mill, Indiana featuring Maggie O’Neill. Mix of murder, magick, and high spirits. Maggie takes a job in an antique-boutique store working for a known local witch. It seems like fate, but there is something special about Maggie.
1. The Trouble With Magic. 2006
2. A Charmed Death. 2006
3. Hex Marks the Spot. 2007

Anderson, Sheryl. (Molly Forrester Series) Set in New York City featuring magazine writer Molly Forrester. She has two best friends who are real characters and a deep love of shoes. Sound like a famous TV series?
1. Killer Heels. 2004
2. Killer Cocktail. 2004
3. Killer Dead. 2006
4. Killer Riff. 2007

Apodaca, Jennifer. (Samantha Shaw Mystery) Samantha’s no-good husband accidentally ate candy laced with peanuts and dropped dead. Samantha reinvented herself and started a matchmaker business - with some sleuthing on the side - beginning with her late husband’s murder. No more planned
1. Dating Can Be Murder. 2002
2. Dying to Meet You. 2003
3. Ninja Soccer Moms. 2004
4. Batteries Required. 2005
5. Thrilled to Death. 2006

Avocato, Lori. (Medical Investigation Series) Pauline Sokal is a burned out nurse who is deeply in debt. She takes a job as an insurance investigator of medical fraud. Of course, the fraud always seems to include a murder.
1. A Dose of Murder. 2004
2. The Stiff and the Dead. 2005
3. One Dead Under the Cuckoo’s Nest. 2005
4. Deep Sea Dead. 2006
5. Nip, Tuck, Dead. 2006
6. Dead on Arrival. 2007

Ball, Donna. (Raine Stockton Dog Mystery) A new mystery series featuring North Carolina dog trainer Raine Stockton and her canine hero Cisco North Carolina.
1. Smoky Mountain Tracks. 2006
2. Rapid Fire. 2006
3. Gun Shy. 2007

Barbieri, Maggie. (Murder 101 Mystery) Alison Bergeron is a recently divorced, clog-wearing college English professor. When her stolen car turns up with the body of one of her students inside, she finds herself on handsome NYPD Homicide Detective Bobby Crawford’s list of suspects and quickly concludes she better get busy clearing her name.
1. Murder 101. 2006
2. Extracurricular Activities. 2007

Barr, Nevada. (Anna Pigeon Mysteries) Anna is a no-nonsense, 40ish National Park Ranger. Each story takes place in a different park, based on the experiences of Barr who was actually a Park Ranger.
1. Track of the Cat. 1993 (Guadalupe Mountains NP)
2. A Superior Death. 1994 (Isle Royale NP)
3. Ill Wind. 1995 (Mesa Verde NP)
4. Firestorm. 1996 (Lassen Volcanic NP)
5. Endangered Species. 1997 (Cumberland Island NP)
6. Blind Descent. 1998 (Carlsbad Caverns NP)
7. Liberty Falling. 1999 (Liberty Island NP)
8. Deep South. 2000 (Natchez Trace Parkway NP)
9. Blood Lure. 2001 (Waterton-Glacier NP)
10. Hunting Season. 2002 (Natchez Trace Parkway NP)
11. Flashback. 2003 (Dry Tortugas MP)
12. High Country. 2004 (Yosemite NP)
13. Hard Truth. 2005 (Rocky Mountain NP)
14. Winter Study. 2008 (Isle Royale)

Bartholomew, Nancy. (Sierra Lavotini Mysteries) An exotic dancer, Sierra Lavotini is the main character in this original and hilarious mystery series set in Panama City, Florida.
1. The Miracle Strip. 1998
2. Dragstrip. 1999
3. Film Strip. 2000
4. Strip Poker. 2001

Baxter, Cynthia. (Reigning Cats & Dogs Mysteries) Veterinarian, Jessica Poppers’s mobile clinic travels all over Long Island and gets involved in a variety of criminal activity.
1. Dead Canaries Don’t Sing. 2003
2. Putting on the Dog. 2004
3. Lead a Horse to Murder. 2005
4. Hare Today Dead Tomorrow. 2006
5. Right From the Gecko. 2007
6. Who's Kitten Who. 2007

Benjamin, Carol Lea. (Rachel Alexander  & Dash Mysteries) Features private investigator Rachel Alexander and her pit-bull sidekick, Dashiell.
1. This Dog for Hire. 1996
2. The Dog Who Knew Too Much. 1997
3. A Hell of a Dog. 1998
4. Lady Vanishes. 1999
5. The Wrong Dog. 2000
6. The Long Good Boy. 2001
7. The Fall Guy. 2004
8. Without a Word. 2005
9. The Hard Way. 2007

Berenson, Laurien. (Melanie Travis Mysteries) The world of dog shows is the backdrop for the amateur detective talents of Melanie Travis, a dog lover and single mom.
1. A Pedigree to Die For. 1995
2. Underdog. 1996
3. Dog Eat Dog. 1996
4. Hair of the Dog. 1997
5. Watchdog. 1998
6. Hush Puppies. 1999
7. Unleashed. 2000
8. Once Bitten. 2001
9. Hot Dog. 2002
10. Best in Show. 2003
11. Jingle Bell Bark. 2004
12. Raining Cats and Dogs. 2005
13. Chow Down. 2006
14. Hounded to Death. 2007

Bernhardt, William. (Ben Kincaid Series) Attorneys seem addicted to solving crimes. Ben Kincaid is a Tulsa Oklahoma defense lawyer who wins the impossible cases. Also has published some standalones.
1. Primary Justice. 1991
2. Blind Justice. 1992
3. Deadly Justice. 1993
4. Perfect Justice. 1994
5. Cruel Justice. 1996
6. Naked Justice. 1997
7. Extreme Justice. 1998
8. Dark Justice. 1999
9. Silent Justice. 2000
10. Murder One. 2001
11. Criminal Intent. 2002
12. Death Row. 2003
13. Hate Crime. 2004
14. Capital Murder. 2006
15. Capital Threat. 2007
16. Capital Conspiracy. 2008

Block, Lawrence. (Matthew Scudder Series) In the early books Matthew Scudder is an alcoholic angst ridden cop. Later books find him sober and romantically involved with a former prostitute that he once arrested. Just to confuse things Block has four other series characters. Number 9 was the Edgar winner for best novel of the year. Check his website for a complete list of his other titles.
1. The Sins of the Fathers. 1976
2. Time to Murder and Create. 1977
3. In the Midst of Death. 1977
4. A Stab in the Dark. 1981
5. Eight Million Ways to Die. 1982
6. When the Sacred Gin Mill Closes. 1986
7. Out on the Cutting Edge. 1989
8. A Ticket to the Boneyard. 1990
9. A Dance at the Slaughter House. 1991
10. A Walk Among the Tombstones. 1992
11. The Devil Knows Your Dead. 1993
12. A Long Line of Dead Men. 1994
13. Even the Wicked. 1997
14. Everybody Dies. 1998
15. Hope to Die. 2001
16. All the Flowers are Dying. 2005

Brandt, Kathy. (An Underwater Investigation) Widow Hannah Sampson is a homicide detective and diver from Colorado. A case takes her to the Caribbean and after solving it, she decides to take a job with the Tortola police where she can live on a houseboat and never see snow. She’s in her mid 30s and hooks up with a local businessman, but of course, the romance doesn’t always run smoothly. Read in order to follow the relationships.
1. Swimming With the Dead. 2003
2. Dark Water Dive. 2004
3. Dangerous Depths. 2005
4. Under Pressure. 2006

Burke, James Lee. (Dave Robincheaux Mysteries) These mysteries take place in New Iberia, Louisiana featuring Dave Robicheaux. Part of the charm of the series is the authentic sense of place that Burke develops over the course of the novels.
1. The Neon Rain. 1987
2. Heaven’s Prisoners. 1988
3. Black Cherry Blues. 1989
4. A Morning for Flamingos. 1990
5. A Stained White Radiance. 1992
6. In the Electric Mist with the Confederate Dead. 1993
7. Dixie City Jam. 1994
8. Burning Angel. 1995
9. Cadillac Jukebox. 1996
10. Sunset Limited. 1998
11. Purple Can Road. 2000
12. Jolie Blon’s Bounce. 2002
13. Last Car to Elysian Fields. 2003
14. Crusader’s Cross. 2005
15. Pegasus Descending. 2006
16. Tin Roof Blowdown. 207
17. Swan Peak. 2008

Braun, Lilian Jackson. (The Cat Who) You either love or hate this long running series featuring newspaper columnist Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum.
1. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards. 1966
2. The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern. 1967
3. The Cat Who Turned On and Off. 1968
4. The Cat Who Saw Red. 1986
5. The Cat Who Played Brahms. 1987
6. The Cat Who Played Post Office. 1987
7. The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare. 1988
8. The Cat Who Sniffed Glue. 1988
9. The Cat Who Went Underground. 1989
10. The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts. 1990
11. The Cat Who Lived High. 1990
12. The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal. 1991
13. The Cat Who Moved a Mountain. 1991
14. The Cat Who Wasn’t There. 1993
15. The Cat Who Came to Breakfast. 1994
16. The Cat Who Went into the Closet. 1994
17. The Cat Who Blew the Whistle. 1995
18. The Cat Who Said Cheese. 1996
19. The Cat Who Tailed a Thief. 1997
20. The Cat Who Sand for the Birds. 1998
21. The Cat Who Saw Stars. 1999
22. The Cat Who Robbed a Bank. 2000
23. The Cat Who Smelled a Rat. 2001
24. The Cat Who Went Up the Creek. 2002
25. The Cat Who Brought Down the House. 2003
26. The Cat Who Talked Turkey. 2004
27. The Cat Who Went Bananas. 2004
28. The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell. 2006
29. Two Cats, Three Tales. 2006
30. The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers. 2007
31. Cat Who Smelled Smoke. 2008

Carl, JoAnna. (Chocoholic Mystery) Chocolate shop manager and amateur sleuth Lee McKinney is a divorcee (beauty queen and trophy wife from Texas) who has returned to her aunt and uncle’s home and business in Warner Pier, Michigan. Books include plenty of chocolate recipes.
1. The Chocolate Cat Caper. 2002
2. The Chocolate Bear Burglery. 2002
3. The Chocolate Frog Frame Up. 2003
(all 3 published as: Crime DeCocoa. 2005)
4. The Chocolate Puppy Puzzle. 2004
5. The Chocolate Mouse Trap. 2005
6. The Chocolate Bridal Bash. 2006
7. The Chocolate Jewel Case. 2007

Carrington, Tori. (Sofie Metropolis Series) Sofie, who comes from an interesting Greek family, works for her uncle’s detective agency in Astoria, Queens. Sofie admits to being a Stephanie Plum wanna-be. Her family is a big part of the stories and of course, there is a mysterious hunk who always saves Sofie.
1. Sofie Metropolis. 2005
2. Dirty Laundry. 2006
3. Foul Play. 2007
4. Working Stiff. 2008

Charles, Nora. (Kate Kennedy, Senior Sleuth Mystery) Short books about widow Kate Kennedy who retires in sunny south Florida (Palmetto). Kate can be described as a stylish and sophisticated Miss Marple. Her best friend, Marlene, is her exact opposite but they’ve been friends for over 60 years. (AKA Noreen Wald)
1. Death with an Ocean View. 2004
2. Who Killed Swami Schwartz? 2005
3. Death is a Bargain. 2005
4. Hurricane Homicide. 2006
5. Death Rides the Surf. 2007

Childs, Laura. (Tea Shop Mystery) Theodosia Browning owns the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston. The books join the trend of cozy mysteries that combine food tips, recipes, and sleuthing.
1. Death by Darjeeling. 2001
2. Gunpowder Green. 2002
3. Shades of Earl Grey. 2003
4. The English Breakfast Murder. 2003
5. Jasmine Moon Murder. 2004
6. Chamomile Mourning. 2005
7. Blood Orange Brewing. 2006
8. Dragonwell Dead. 2007
9. The Silver Needle Murder. 2008

Childs. . . (Scrapbooking Mysteries) Carmela Bertrand owns a scrapbooking store, Memory Mine, in New Orleans. Scrapbook tips come with the mysteries.
1. Keepsake Crimes. 2003
2. Photo Finished. 2004
3. Bound for Murder.2004
Death by Design contains first three books. 2006
4. Motif for Murder. 2006
5. Frill Kill. 2007

Churchill, Jill. (Jane Jeffrey Mysteries) Widowed suburbanite homemaker Jane Jeffry thrives on murder and mayhem. Agatha award-winning series.
1. Grime and Punishment. 1989
2. A Farewell to Yarns. 1991
3. A Quiche Before Dying. 1993
4. The Class Menagerie. 1993
5. A Knife to Remember. 1994
6. From Here to Paternity. 1995
7. Silence of the Hams. 1996
8. War and Peas. 1996
9. Fear of Frying. 1997
10. The Merchant of Menace. 1998
11. A Groom With a View. 1999
12. Mulch Ado About Nothing. 2000
13. House of Seven Mabels. 2002
14. Bell, Book, and Scandel. 2004
15. A Midsummer Night's Scream. 2004
16. Accidental Florist. 2007

Colley, Barbara. (Charlotte LaRue Mystery) Charlotte owns the Maid for a Day service. Set in New Orleans in the Garden District. Single mother to a grown son who is a doctor. Her other relatives appear in the series. In her late 50s, Charlotte is a bit stuffy and reluctantly gets involved in her clients’ lives and murders. Great descriptions of the area, restaurants, etc. Later books are set after Katrina.
1. Maid for Murder. 2002
2. Death Tidies Up. 2003
3. Polished Off. 2004
4. Wiped Out. 2005
5. Married to the Mop. 2006
6. Scrub-a-Dub Dead. 2007
7. Wash and Die. 2008

Collins, Kate. (Flower Shop Mystery) Abby Knight, law school dropout, is now the owner of the Bloomers, a flower shop in New Chapel, Indiana. Abby is brave and nosy with a great supporting cast of characters.
1. Mum’s the Word. 2004
2. Slay it With Flowers. 2005
3. Dearly Depotted. 2005
4. Snipped in the Bud. 2006
5. Acts of Violets. 2007
6. A Rose from the Dead. 2007
7. Shoots to Kill. 2008

Conant, Susan. (Dog Lover's Mysteries) Dozen plus mysteries featuring dog trainer Holly Winter and her lovable Malamute Rowdy.
1. A New Leash on Death. 1989
2. Dead and Doggone. 1990
3. A Bite of Death. 1991
4. Paws Before Dying. 1992
5. Gone to the Dogs. 1992
6. Bloodlines. 1992
7. Ruffly Speaking. 1993
8. Black Ribbon. 1995
9. Stud Rites. 1996
10. Animal Appetite. 1997
11. The Barker Street Regulars. 1998
12. Evil Breeding. 1999
13. Creature Discomforts. 2000
14. The Wicked Flea. 2002
15. The Dogfather. 2003
16. Bride And Groom. 2004
17. Gates of Heaven. 2006
18. All Shots. 2007

Conant-Park, Jessica and Conant, Susan. (A Gourmet Girl Mystery) Features Chloe Carter, food connoisseur, who is forced to pursue a graduate degree in order to inherit her uncle’s money. She goes online to find a boyfriend at her happily married sister’s insistence. On her first try, her date dies during dinner. Fun, frothy series with recipes.
1. Steamed. 2006
2. Simmer Down. 2007
3. Turn Up the Heat. 2008

Connelly, Michael. Harry Bosch) After three years on the newspaper crime beat, Connelly wrote the first novel featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch based in part on a true crime that had occurred in Los Angeles. Author has other series and stand-alones, check his website.
1. The Black Echo. 1992 (Edgar Winner)
2. The Black Ice. 1993
3. The Concrete Blonde. 1994
4. The Last Coyote. 1995
5. Trunk Music. 1997
6. Angels Flight. 1999
7. City of Bones. 2002
8. Lost Light. 2003
9. The Narrows. 2004
10. The Closers. 2005
11. Echo Park. 2006
12. The Overlook. 2007

Connors, Rose. (Marty Nickerson Novels) Assistant D.A. Martha "Marty" Nickerson is featured in each Connors novels. An engrossing mix of courtroom drama, mystery, and human relationships. These stories are entertaining and surprisingly fast paced.
1. Absolute Certainty. 2002
2. Temporary Sanity. 2003
3. Maximum Security. 2004
4. False Testimony. 2005

Corcoran, Tom. (Alex Rutledge Mystery) Set in Key West, series features 40ish Alex, who works as a photographer. He does freelance work including filling in as a back-up police photographer. Laid back character with interesting friends. Author lives in the area so descriptions of locale and resident characters are quite accurate.
1. The Mango Opera. 1998
2. Gumbo Limbo. 1999
3. Bone Island Mambo. 2001
4. Octopus Alibi. 2003
5. Air Dance Iguana. 2006
6. Hawk Channel Chase. 2008

Craig, Philip. (J.W. Jackson Mysteries) The location of Martha’s Vineyard is as enjoyable as the characters. The series has a warm and cozy slant to it without too much graphic violence. The main character, J. W. Jackson, likes to fish and cook, even some recipes are included. (Author died in 2007)
1. A Beautiful Place to Die. 1989
2. Death in Vineyard Waters. 1991
3. Vineyard Deceit. 1992
4. Vineyard Fear. 1993
5. Off Season. 1994
6. A Case of Vineyard Poison. 1995
7. Death on a Vineyard Beach. 1996
8. A Deadly Vineyard Holiday. 1997
9. A Shoot on Martha’s Vineyard. 1998
10. A Fatal Vineyard Season. 1999
11. Vineyard Blues. 2000
12. Vineyard Shadows. 2001
13. Vineyard Enigma. 2002.
14. A Vineyard Killing. 2003
15. Murder at a Vineyard Mansion. 2004
16. Vineyard Prey. 2005.
17. Dead in Vineyard Sand. 2006
18. Vineyard Stalker. 2007
19. Third Strike. 2007
20. Vineyard Chill. 2008

Crawford, Isis. (A Mystery with Recipes) Libby Simmons is the owner of a catering business in Longely, New York. Her sister Bernie moves back home after another failed romance. Their father, Sean, who is wheelchair bound and a retired police chief helps the sisters solve mysteries.
1. A Catered Murder. 2003
2. A Catered Wedding. 2004
3. A Catered Christmas. 2005
4. A Catered Valentine’s Day. 2007

Crum, Laura. (Gail McCarthy Mysteries) Santa Cruz horse veterinarian, Gail McCarthy solves murders while taking care of a variety of animals.
1. Cutter. 1995
2. Hoofprints. 1996
3. Roughstock. 1997
4. Roped. 1998
5. Slickrock. 1999
6. Breakaway. 2001
7. Hayburner. 2003
8. Forged. 2004
9. Moonblind. 2006
10. Chasing Cans. 2008

Daley, Robert. A stand alone police procedural novel about a group of officers all vying to be the next police commissioner.
1. Wall of Brass. 1994

Damsgaard, Shirley. (Ophelia and Abby Mystery) Series about small-town librarian and reluctant psychic Ophelia Jensen and her sorceress granny, Abby. Set in Summerset, Iowa. Ophelia’s best friend was murdered and even though she saw it happen in her mind, she couldn’t stop it. After a mental breakdown, she moves back to her hometown. Ophelia and Abby try to hide their skills but Ophelia keeps “tripping over” dead bodies.
1. Witch Way to Murder. 2005
2. Charmed to Death. 2006
3. The Trouble with Witches. 2006
4. Witch Hunt. 2007
5. The Witch is Dead. 2007

Davidson, Diane Mott. (Goldy Culinary Mystery) Created the character of Colorado’s culinary sleuth Goldy Bear Schultz. In addition to entertaining stories the books contain actual recipes.
1. Catering to Nobody. 1990
2. Dying for Chocolate. 1992
3. Cereal Murders. 1993
4. The Last Suppers. 1994
5. Killer Pancake. 1995
6. The Main Corpse. 1996
7. The Grilling Season. 1997
8. Prime Cut. 1998
9. Tough Cookie. 2000
10. Sticks and Scones. 2001
11. Chopping Spree. 2002
12. Double Shot. 2004
13. Dark Tort. 2006
14. Sweet Revenge. 2007

Davis, Patrick A.. The author, retired from the Air Force, writes military mystery/thrillers. His experience in the military adds to the believability of the characters and locales.
1. The General. 1999
2. The Passenger. 1999
3. The Colonel. 2001
4. The Commander. 2002
5. A Long Day for Dying. 2003
6. A Slow Walk to Hell. 2004
7. The Shattered Blue Line. 2005
8. Deception Plan. 2007

Deaver, Jeffrey. (Lincoln Rhyme Novel) The hero, Lincoln Rhyme, is an interesting character who is a quadriplegic. Formerly head of NYPD Forensics, he was injured on the job and now can move only his head, neck, and left ring finger. His sidekick is Amelia Sachs, a rookie beat cop in New York. Author has other series and stand-alones, check the web site.
1. Bone Collector. 1997
2. The Coffin Dancer. 1998
3. The Empty Chair. 2000
4. Stone Monkey. 2002
5. The Vanished Man. 2003
6. The Twelfth Card. 2005
7. The Cold Moon. 2006
8. The Sleeping Doll. 2007
9. The Broken Window. 2008

Devane, Terry. Unhappy with her large Boston legal firm, Mairead O’Claire opens her own office with Sheldon Gold, an older and wiser criminal defense attorney.
1. Uncommon Justice. 2001
2. Juror Eleven. 2002
3. A Stain Upon the Robe. 2003

Donnelly, Deborah. (Carnegie Kincaid) Wedding planner Carnegie Kincaid always seems to turn up a stray body at one of her events. She lives on a houseboat in Seattle and has an interesting array of friends and co-workers. Funny series.
1. Veiled Threats. 2002
2. Died to Match. 2002
3. May the Best Man Die. 2003
4. Death Takes a Honeymoon. 2005
5. You May Now Kill the Bride. 2006
6. Bride and Doom. 2006

Doogan, Mike. (Nik Kane Series) New series set in Alaska. A few drinks too many and an accidental shooting led to seven years in jail for a crime ex-cop Nik Kane. Now a search for a missing teenager in the remote Alaskan wilderness may restore his soul.
1. Lost Angel. 2006
2. Skeleton Lake. 2008

Douglas, Carole Nelson. (Midnight Louis Series) The feline Midnight Louie, P.I takes the case.
1. Catnap. 1992
2. Pussyfoot. 1993
3. Cat on a Blue Monday. 1994
4. Cat in a Crimson Haze. 1995
5. Cat in a Diamond Dazzle. 1996
6. Cat with an Emerald Eye. 1996
7. Cat in a Flamingo Fedora. 1997
8. Cat in a Golden Garland. 1997
9. Cat on a Hyacinth Hunt. 1998
10. Cat in an Indigo Mood. 1999
11. Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit. 1999
12. Cat in a Kiwi Con. 2000
13. Cat in a Leopard Spot. 2001
14. Cat in a Midnight Choir. 2002
15. Cat in a Neon Nightmare. 2003
16. Cat in an Orange Twist. 2004
17. Cat in a Hot Pink Pursuit. 2005
18. Cat in a Quicksilver Caper. 2006
19. Cat in a Red Hot Rage. 2007

Dubois, Brendon. (Lewis Cole Mystery) Lewis Cole keeps an armory of guns in his beachside home. He is retired from the Department of Defense as a research analyst and is now a magazine columnist. He lives in New Hampshire (as does the author). There is a bit of mystery about his past that comes out slowly in the books.
1. Dead Sand. 1994
2. Black Tide. 1995
3. Shattered Shell. 1999
4. Killer Waves. 2002
5. Buried Dreams. 2004
6. Primary Storm. 2006

Duncan, Sharon. (Scotia MacKinnon Series) Scotia MacKinnon is a tough, sexy, ex-cop living on a houseboat in the San Juan Islands. Smart and prickly, she now owns her own detective agency.
1. Death on a Casual Friday. 2001
2. A Deep Blue Farewell. 2002
3. The Dead Wives Society. 2003
4. The Lavender Butterfly Murders. 2004

Dunning, John. (Cliff Janeway Novels) Retired from the police force, Cliff Janeway still finds a use for his police skills and connections while operating a used books store. Full of interesting and entertaining information about a wide variety of authors and rare books.
1. Booked to Die. 1992
2. Bookman’s Wake. 1995
3. Bookman’s Promise. 2004
4. The Sign of the Book. 2005
5. The Bookwoman's Last Fling. 2006

Durham, Laura. (Annabelle Archer Mystery) Features Annabelle who is a wedding planner in Washington, D.C. Author is a real-life wedding planner. Slapstick books with recurring characters such as a senior neighbor, a flighty assistant, a gay chef friend, and a local detective.
1. Better Off Wed. 2005
2. For Better or Hearse. 2006
3. To Love and to Perish. 2007

Dymmoch, Michael Allen. (Jack Caleb and John Thinnes Mysteries) Novel introduced stressed out Chicago cop John Thinnes, and sophisticate gay psychiatrist, Jack Caleb, who helps him with murder cases. It won the St. Martin’s Press Malice Domestic Contest for best first traditional mystery.
1. The Man Who Understood Cats. 1993
2. Death of Blue Mountain Cat. 1996
3. Incendiary Designs. 1998
4. Feline Friendship. 2003
5. White Tiger. 2005

Evanovich, Janet. (Stephanie Plum Series) What can we say about her? Currently a favorite mystery writer with the longest waiting lists. Stephanie Plum is a tough gal from New Jersey, an unemployed discount lingerie buyer, who blackmails her repugnant cousin Vinnie into giving her a bail-bond recovery job.
1. One For the Money. 1992
2. Two for the Dough. 1996
3. Three to Get Deadly. 1997
4. Four to Score. 1998
5. High Five. 1998
6. Hot Six. 2000
7. Seven Up. 2001
8. Hard Eight. 2002
9. To The Nines. 2003
10. Ten Big Ones. 2004
11. Eleven on Top. 2005
12. Twelve Sharp. 2006
13. Lean Mean Thirteen. 2007
14. Fearless Fourteen. 2008

Fairbanks, Nancy. (Culinary Mystery) Caroline Blue is a forty-something food writer with a college professor husband. Includes travel and recipes.
1. Crime Brulee (New Orleans). 2001
2. Truffled Feathers (New York). 2001
3. Death A L’Orange (France). 2002
4. Chocolate Quake (San Francisco). 2003
5. Perils of Paella (Barcelona). 2004
6. Holy Guacamole (Texas). 2004
7. Mozzarella Most Murderous (Italy). 2005
8. Bon Bon Voyage (Canary Islands). 2006
9. French Fries (France). 2007
10. Turkey Flambe. (New York) 2007

Farmer, Jerrilyn. (Madeline Bean Mysteries) Madeline Bean, caterer to the stars in Beverly Hills, is sexy and sassy.
1. Sympathy for the Devil.1998
2. Immaculate Reception. 1999
3. Killer Wedding. 2000
4. Dim Sum Dead. 2001
5. Mumbo Gumbo. 2003
6. Perfect Sax. 2004
7. The Flaming Luau of Death. 2005
8. Desperately Seeking Sushi. 2009?

Fielding, Joy. Each one of Fielding’s novel is unique in that each one offers a calculated mix of suspense, romance, and originality. They have gotten better with each year.
1. Kiss Mommy Goodbye. 1980
2. The Other Woman. 1982
3. Life Penalty. 1984
4. The Deep End. 1986
5. Good Intentions. 1988
6. See Jane Run. 1991
7. Tell Me No Secrets. 1993
8. Don’t Cry Now. 1995
9. Missing Pieces. 1997
10. The First Time. 2000
11. Grand Avenue. 2001
12. Whispers and Lies. 2002
13. Lost. 2004
14. Puppet. 2005
15. Mad River Road. 2006

Ferris, Monica. (Needlecraft Mysteries) Amateur detective Betsy Devonshire is the owner of the needlework shop Crewel World and spends her spare time solving crimes.
1. Crewel World. 1998
2. Framed in Lace. 1999
3. A Stitch in Time. 2000
4. Unraveled Sleeve. 2001
5. Murderous Yarn. 2002
6. Hanging by A Thread. 2003
7. Cutwork. 2004
8. Crewel Yule. 2004
9. Embroidered Truths. 2005
10. Sins and Needles. 2006
11. Knitting Bones. 2007

Fiffer, Sharon. (Jane Wheeler Mysteries) Another good series featuring Jane Wheeler who loves to haunt garage and estate sales which unfortunately gets her into trouble with her family and the local authorities.
1. Killer Stuff. 2001
2. The Wrong Stuff. 2002
3. Dead Guy’s Stuff. 2003
4. Buried Stuff. 2004
5. Hollywood Stuff. 2006

Flinn, Elaine. (Molly Doyle Mystery) Molly, antiques dealer from New York, moves to California after her husband has an affair with one of her employees.
1. Dealing in Murder. 2003
2. Tagged for Murder. 2004
3. Deadly Collection. 2005
4. Deadly Vintage. 2007

Fluke, Joanne. (Hannah Swenson Mysteries) Bakery owner Hannah keeps solving murder cases in Lake Eden, Minnesota.
1. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. 2000
2. Strawberry Shortcake Murder. 2001
3. Blueberry Muffin Murder. 2002
4. Lemon Meringue Pie Murder. 2003
5. Fudge Cupcake Murder. 2004
6. Sugar Cookie Murder. 2004
7. Peach Cobbler Murder. 2005
8. Cherry Cheesecake Murder. 2006
9. Key Lime Murder. 2007
10. Carrot Cake Murder. 2008
11. Cream Puff Murder. 2009

Ford, Jacey. (Partners in Crime) Series features three former FBI agents who start a security consulting business. Each book concentrates on one character but refers to the others. Best to read in order.
1. Dangerous Curves. 2004
2. I Spy. 2005
3. Dead Heat. Feb. 2006
also Kick @$$. (anthology) 2005

Fowler, Earlene. (Benni Harper Series) Cowgirl, quilter, and sometimes detective Benni Harper frequently finds bodies in this California based series.
1. Fool’s Puzzle. 1995
2. Irish Chain. 1996
3. Kansas Troubles. 1997
4. Goose in the Pond. 1998
5. Dove in the Window. 1999
6. Mariner’s Compass.. 2000
7. Seven Sisters. 2001
8. Arkansas Traveler. 2002
9. Steps to the Alter. 2002
10. Sunshine and Shadow. 2003
11. Broken Dishes. 2004
12. Delectable Mountains. 2005
13. Tumbling Blocks. 2007

Freedman, J. F. Author is a wonderful storyteller whose novels are nothing less than compulsive page turners. Try one of these legal thrillers.
1. Against the Wind. 1991
2. House of Smoke. 1996
3. Key Witness. 1997
4. The Disappearance. 1998
5. Above the Law. 2000
4. Bird's Eye View. 2001
5. Fallen Idols. 2003
6. A Killing in the Valley. 2006

Galenorn, Yasmine. (Chinz’n China Mystery). Series about Emerald O’Brien, a 30ish mom and divorcee who seems to celebrate her skills as a medium, and doesn’t mind being called the town witch. She owns a tea room in the small village of Chiqetaw, Washington, which is near Seattle. Bad spirits, curses, and more seem to follow her. Supporting characters are interesting, especially her friends. No more in the series.
1. Ghost of a Chance. 2003
2. Legend of the Jade Dragon. 2004
3. Murder Under a Mystic Moon. 2005
4. A Harvest of Bones. 2005
5. One Hex of a Wedding. 2006

George, Anne. Southern sisters, sensible Patricia and flighty Mary Alice Crane in their 60s, solve crimes and snap at each other in a Georgia setting. (Anne George passed away in 2001)
1. Murder on a Girls’ Night Out 1996
2. Murder on a Bad Hair Day. 1996
3. Murder Runs in the Family. 1997
4. Murder Makes Waves 1997
5. Murder Gets a Life. 1999
6. Hurder Shoots the Bull. 1999
7. Murder Carries a Torch. 2000
8. Murder Boogies With Elvis. 2001

Gerritsen, Tess. A series featuring Detective Jane Rizzoli and Medical Examiner Dr. Maura Isles.
1. The Surgeon. 2001
2. The Apprentice. 2002
3. The Sinner. 2003
4. Body Double. 2004
5. Vanish. 2005
6. The Mephisto Club. 2006

Goff, Christine L. (Birdwatcher’s Mystery Series) In each book, there is a different hero. All are set in Colorado in an area that also serves as a bird sanctuary.
1. A Rant of Ravens. 2000
2. Death of a Songbird. 2001
3. A Nest in the Ashes. 2002
4. Death Takes a Gander. 2004
5. Death Shoots a Birdie. 2006

Grafton, Sue. Kinsey Millhone is a female Sam Spade; a thorough professional, a loner, clear-headed and unsentimental. She has become the template for tough, female P.I. characters.
1. A is for Alibi. 1982
2. B is for Burglar. 1985
3. C is for Corpse. 1986
4. D is for Deadbeat. 1987
5. E is for Evidence. 1988
6. F is for Fugitive. 1989
7. G is for Gumshoe. 1990
8. H is for Homicide. 1991
9. I is for Innocent. 1992
10. J is for Judgment. 1996
11. K is for Killer. 1994
12. L is for Lawless. 1995
13. M is for Malice. 1996
14. N is for Noose. 1998
15. O is for Outlaw. 1999
16. P is for Peril. 2001
17. Q is for Quarry. 2003
18. R is for Richocet. 2004
19. S is for Silence. 2005
20. T is for Trespass. 2007

Graves, Sarah. (Home Repair is Homicide Mystery) Jacobia Tiptree (Jake) is a divorcee with a 17-year-old son. She has a peculiar relationship with her idiot ex-husband brain surgeon. She was a financial counselor in New York with a questionable past. After a trip to Eastport, Maine, she decides to buy an old house and start over. Between her falling-down house and her amateur sleuthing, she stays plenty busy. Description of the area and what the folks are like is right on, author actually lives in Easport.
1. Dead Cat Bounce. 1998
2. Triple Witch. 1999
3. Wicked Fix. 2000
4. Repair to Her Grave. 2001
5. Wreck the Halls. 2002
6. Unhinged. 2003
7. Mallets Aforethought. 2004
8. Tool and Die. 2005
9. Nail Biter. 2006
10. Trap Door. 2006
11. The Book of Dead Houses. 2007

Green, Chloe. Fashion stylist Dallas O’Connor, who arranges fashion shoots for a Texas department store, always ends up with a dead body. Light, racy reading.
1. Going Out in Style. 2000
2. Designed to Die. 2001
3. Fashion Victim. 2002

Guiver, Patricia. (Pet Detective Mystery Series) Very British Ms. Doolittle has made a new life for herself in California along with her Doberman pinscher Watson. Together with her homicide detective boyfriend Jack Mallory the pair solve their share of animal related mysteries.
1. Delilah Doolittle and the Purloined Pooch. 1997
2. Delilah Doolittle and the Motley Mutt. 1998
3. Delilah Doolittle and the Careless Coyote. 1998
4. Delilah Doolittle and the Missing Macaw. 2000
5. Delilah Doolittle and the Canine Chorus. 2001
6. Delilah Doolittle and the Beastly Bloodline. 2003

Halleran, Tucker. An older series with only two books featuring character Cam MacCardle. These short fun reads remind me of watching an episode of Magnum P.I.
1. A Cool Clear Death. 1984
2. Sudden Death Finish. 1985

Hamilton, Steve. Alex McKnight Series - Alex is a former ball player and as a Detroit cop, he takes a bullet near the heart and is forced to take a disability retirement. He moves to Paradise, in Michigan’s upper peninsula and rents cabins to hunters. One Book, One Community choice for 2008.
1. A Cold Day in Paradise. 1998
2. Winter of the Wolf Moon. 2000
3. The Hunting Wind. 2001
4. North of Nowhere. 2002
5. Blood Is the Sky. 2003
6. Ice Run. 2004
7. A Stolen Season. 2006

Harris, Charlaine. (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries) The Aurora Teagarden series features a librarian turned real estate agent with a knack for winding up at a murder scene. Recently republished.
1. Real Murders. 1990
2. A Bone to Pick. 1992
3. Three Bedrooms, One Corpse. 1994
4. The Julius House. 1995
5. Dead Over Heels. 1996
6. A Fool and His Honey. 1999
7. Last Scene Alive. 2002
8. Poppy Done to Death. 2003

Harris . . .(Lily Bard Mystery) Lily Bard is a 30-something cleaning woman who solves malicious mischief in Shakespeare, Arkansas. This series is darker because of Lily’s background as crime victim.
1. Shakespeare's Landlord. 1996
2. Shakespeare's Champion. 1997
3. Shakespeare's Christmas. 1998
4. Shakespeare's Trollop. 2000
5. Shakespeare's Counselor. 2001

Harris . . . (Southern Vampire Mysteries) Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Vampire mysteries. May become a movie!
1. Dead Until Dark. 2001
2. Living Dead in Dallas. 2002
3. Club Dead. 2003
4. Dead to the World. 2004
5. Dead as a Doornail. 2005
6. Definitely Dead. 2006
7. All Together Dead. 2007
8. From Dead to Worse. 2008

Harris, Lee. (Christine Bennett Mysteries) Her Christine Bennett, ex-nun/amateur sleuth, series is easy to identify by the holidays in the titles. No more in the series.
1. The Good Friday Murder. 1992
2. The Yom Kippur Murder. 1992
3. The Christening Day Murder. 1993
4. The St. Patrick’s Day Murder. 1994
5. The Christmas Night Murder. 1994
6. The Thanksgiving Day Murder. 1995
7. The Passover Murder. 1996
8. The Valentines Day Murder. 1996
9. The New Year’s Eve Murder. 1997
10. The Labor Day Murder. 1998
11. The Father’s Day Murder. 1999
12. The Mother’s Day Murder. 2000
13. The April Fools’ Day Murder. 2001
14. The Happy Birthday Murder. 2002
15. The Bar Mitzvah Murder. 2004
16. The Silver Anniversary Murder. 2005
17. The Cinco de Mayo Murder. 2006

Harrison, Janis. (Gardening Mysteries) Professional florist Bretta Solomon has a fertile imagination and a talent for amateur sleuthing in Branson, Missouri. Series probably over.
1. Roots of Murder. 1999
2. Murder Sets Seed. 2000
3. Lilies That Fester. 2001
4. A Deadly Bouquet. 2002
5. Reap a Wicked Harvest. 2004
6. Blindweed. 2005

Hart, Carolyn G. (Death on Demand) A prolific writer with several series. This centers on bookstore owner Annie Laurance in Broward's Rock, South Carolina.
1. Death on Demand. 1987
2. Design for Murder. 1988
3. Something Wicked. 1988
4. Honeymoon with Murder. 1989
5. A Little Class on Murder. 1989
6. Deadly Valentine. 1990
7. The Christie Caper. 1991
8. Southern Ghost. 1992
9. Mint Julep Murder. 1995
10. Yankee Doodle Dead. 1998
11. White Elephant Dead. 1999
12. Sugarplum Dead. 2000
13. April Fool Dead. 2002
14. Engaged to Die. 2003
15. Murder Walks the Plank. 2004
16. Death of the Party. 2005
17. Dead Days of Summer. 2006
18. Death Walked In. 2008

Hart . . .(Henrie O Series) The shorter Henrie O series feature veteran journalist and crime solver Henrietta O’Dwyer Collins in San Antonio.
1. Dead Man’s Island. 1993
2. Scandal in Fair Haven. 1994
3. Death in Lover’s Lane. 997
4. Death in Paradise. 1998
5. Death on the River Walk. 1999
6. Resort to Murder. 2001
7. Set Sail for Murder. 2007

Hart, Ellen. (Jane Lawless Series) Author of several culinary series. Jane Lawless is the owner of the Lyme House Restaurant and Pub in Minneapolis and an amateur sleuth.
1. Hallowed Murder. 1989
2. Vital Lies. 1991
3. Stage Fright. 1992
4. A Killing Cure. 1993
5. A Small Sacrifice. 1994
6. Faint Praise. 1995
7. Robbers' Wine. 1996
8. Wicked Games. 1998
9. Hunting the Witch. 1999
10. Merchant of Venus. 2001
11. Immaculate Midnight. 2002
12. An Intimate Ghost. 2004
13. The Iron Girl. 2005
14. Night Vision. 2006
15. The Mortal Groove. 2007

Hart. . . . (Sophie Greenway Series) Also set in Minnesota, the antics of food columnist Sophie Greenway.
1. This Little Piggy Went to Murder. 1994
2. For Every Evil. 1995
3. The Oldest Sin. 1996
4. Murder in the Air. 1997
5. Slice And Dice. 2000
6. Dial M For Meat Loaf. 2001
7. Death on a Silver Platter. 2003
8. No Reservations Required. 2005

Healy, Jeremiah. (John Francis Cuddy Mystery) Grieving the loss of his wife Beth, private eye John Francis Cuddy manages to do his best to solve a few crimes.
1. Blunt Darts. 1984
2. The Staked Goat. 1986
3. So Like Sleep. 1987
4. Swan Dive. 1988
5. Yesterday’s News. 1989
6. Right to Die. 1991
7. Shallow Graves. 1992
8. Foursome. 1993
9. Act of God. 1994
10. Rescue. 1995
11. Invasion of Privacy. 1996
12. The Only Good Lawyer. 1998
13. Spiral. 1999

Henry, Sue. (Jessie Arnold Mystery) The author lives in Anchorage Alaska and sets her mystery series featuring sled dog racer Jessie Arnold and Alaska state Trooper Alex Jensen there as well.
1. Murder on the Iditarod Trail. 1991
2. Termination Dust. 1995
3. Sleeping Lady. 1996
4. Death Takes Passage. 1997
5. Deadfall. 1998
6. Murder on Yukon Quest. 1999
7. Beneath the Ashes. 2000
8. Dead North. 2001
9. Cold Company. 2002
10. Death Trap. 2003
11. Murder at Five Finger Light. 2005
12 Degrees of Separation. 2008

Hillerman, Tony. The novels feature Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, Navajo tribal police officers in the southwest. The author, now in his late 70s, is past president of Mystery Writers of America and has received their Edgar and Grand Master Awards.
1. The Blessing Way. 1970
2. Dance Hall of the Dead. 1973
3. Listening Woman. 1978
4. People of Darkness. 1980
5. The Dark Wind. 1982
6. Ghostway. 1984
7. Skinwalkers. 1986
8. A Thief of Time. 1988
9. Talking God. 1989
10. Coyote Waits. 1980
11. Sacred Clowns. 1993
12. The Fallen Man. 1996
13. The First Eagle. 1998
14. Hunting Badger. 1999
15. The Wailing Wind. 2002
16. The Sinister Pig. 2003
17. Skeleton Man. 2004
18. The Shapeshifter. 2006

Holtzer, Susan. The major attraction of Holtzer’s series is that they take place in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her main character, Anneke Haagen, is a divorced computer consultant assisted by local cop and former pro linebacker Karl Genesco.
1. Something to Kill For. 1994
2. Curly Smoke. 1995
3. Bleeding Maize and Blue. 1996
4. Black Diamond. 1997
5. The Silly Season. 1999
6. The Wedding Game. 2000
7. Better Than Sex. 2001

Housewright, David. (Rushmore McKenzie Series) Character is Rushmore McKenzie, called just McKenzie. He’s a cool ex-cop. Left the force, took a huge reward, and is now a P.I. He’s very loyal, his former partner is his best friend, whose daughters adore Mac. Set in St. Paul, Minnesota. He has more money and time than he knows what to do with. So, he “takes” on cases.
1. A Hard Ticket Home. 2004
2. Tin City. 2005
3. Pretty Girl Gone. 2006
4. Dead Boyfriends. 2007
5. Mad Man on a Drum. 2008

Housewright also did an earlier series featuring former St. Paul cop, Holland Taylor. Probably won’t be more in this series.
1. Penance. 1997
2. Practice to Deceive. 1998
3. Dearly Departed. 1999

Houston, Victoria. (Loon Lake Fishing Mysteries) This series takes places in Loon Lake, Wisconsin where the newly appointed Chief of Police, Lewellyn Ferris is as good a police detective as she is a fly-fisherman.
1. Dead Angler. 2000
2. Dead Creek. 2000
3. Dead Water. 2001
4. Dead Frenzy 2003
4. Dead Hot Mama 2004
5. Dead Jitterbug. 2005
6. Dead Boogie. 2006
7. Dead Madonna. 2007
8. Dead Hotshot. 2008

Hunter, Maddy. (Passport to Peril Mystery) Emily Andrew leads a group of globe-trotting Iowans on trips. Characterizations of the Iowa senior citizen bunch are really funny. Good descriptions of the locales they travel to. Since there’s at least one murder per trip, you have to wonder how long Emily can keep her job!
1. Alpine for You. 2003 (Switzerland)
2. Top O’ the Mournin’. 2003 (Ireland)
3. Pasta Imperfect. 2004 (Italy)
4. Hula Done It. 2005 (Hawaii)
5. G'Day to Die. 2006 (Australia)
6. Norway to Die. 2007

Hyde, Elisabeth. Does stand alone novels, some mysteries included. The Abortionist's Daughter is a mystery novel that includes reflections on a marriage between two high-profile professionals, the trials of raising a special needs child, on raising a teenaged daughter, and the ethics of abortion.
1. Her Native Colors. 1986
2. Monoosook Valley. 1989
3. Crazy as Chocolate. 2002
4. The Abortionist's Daughter. 2006

Isenberg, Jane. (Bel Barrett Mysteries) Bel Barrett is a fifty-something community college professor living in New Jersey who copes with menopause and murder.
1. The “M” Word. 1999
2. Death in a Hot Flash. 2000
3. Mood Swings to Murder. 2000
4. Midlife Can be Murder. 2001
5. Out of Hormone’s Way. 2002
6. The Proof is in the Patch. 2003
7. Hot and Bothered. 2003
8. Hot on the Trail. 2004
9. Hot Wired. 2005

Jance, J.A. (J.P. Beaumont Series) Another writer with more than one series going to confuse and or delight her fans. Her longest series stars Seattle homicide cop J.P. Beaumont. Check the site for other series.
1. Until Proven Guilty. 1985
2. Injustice For All. 1996
3. Trial by Fury. 1986
4. Taking the Fifth. 1987
5. Improbable Cause. 1988
6. A More Perfect Union. 1988
7. Dismissed with Prejudice. 1989
8. Minor in Possession. 1990
9. Payment in Kind. 1991
10. Without Due Process. 1992
11. Failure to Appear. 1993
12. Lying in Wait. 1994
13. Name Withheld. 1995
14. Breach of Duty. 1996
15. Birds of Prey. 2001
16. Partner in Crime. 2003
17. Long Time Gone. 2005
18. Justice Denied. 2007

Jance . .(Joanna Brady Series) Her second series features Joanna Brady who is the sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona.
1. Desert Heat. 1993
2. Tombstone Courage. 1994
3. Shoot, Don’t Shoot. 1995
4. Dead to Rights. 1996
5. Skeleton Canyon. 1997
6. Rattlesnake Crossing. 1998
7. Outlaw Mountain. 1998
8. Devil’s Claw. 2001
9. Paradise Lost. 2001
10. Partner in Crime. 2002
11. Exit Wounds. 2003
12. Dead Wrong. 2006

Jance . .(Ali Reynolds Series) Ali is a 40+ ex TV newscaster, who is encouraged by her college-aged son to set out on a new life in Sedona, AZ.
1. Edge of Evil. 2006
2. Web of Evil 2007.
3. Hand of Evil. 2007

Johnson, Claire M. (Mary Ryan Mystery) Mary Ryan is 35, cranky, newly divorced, and owns the American Fare restaurant in San Francisco. Series features restaurant lore and murder.
1. Beat Until Stiff. 2002
2. Roux Morgue. 2005

Johnston, Linda O. (Kendra Ballantyne Series) Features Kendra Ballantyne, pet-sitter, and Lexie.
1. Sit, Stay, Slay. 2005
2. Nothing to Fear but Ferrets.
3. Fine Feathered Death. 2006
4. Meow is for Murder. 2007
5. The Flight of the Iguana. 2007

Kahn, Sharon. (Ruby, the Rabbi’s Wife) Set in Eternal Texas about the late rabbi’s wife Ruby Rothman. Ruby is in her mid-40s and finds it hard to behave as a rabbi’s wife should. Her first mystery seems connected to her late husband’s hit and run death.
1. Fax Me a Bagel. 1998
2. Never Nosh a Matzo Ball. 2000
3. Don’t Cry for Me, Hot Pastrami. 2001
4. Hold the Cream Cheese, Kill the Lox. 2002
5. Which Big Giver Stole the Chopped Liver. 2004
6. Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire. 2006

Kakonis, Tom. Dark crime thrillers featuring tough, hard-boiled Tom Waverly who is a professional gambler. The author was dropped by his publisher, so no new books are planned.
1. Michigan Roll. 1988
2. Double Down. 1991
3. Shadow Counter. 1993

Kandel, Susan. (Cece Caruso Mystery) Set in Hollywood about author Cece Caruso, age 39, who writes biographies of dead mystery authors. She lives in an old bungalow and favors classic, vintage clothing. Her daughter, best friend, and sometimes boyfriend are regular characters. She’s like a grown up hippie.
1. I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason. 2004
2. Not a Girl Detective. 2005
3. Shamus in the Greenroom. 2006
4. Christietown. 2007

Katz, Jon. (Suburban Detective Mystery Series). Features Kit Deleeuw, who is in his mid forties and who has left the hectic pace of Wall Street for his placid Rochambeau, New Jersey suburban home. He deals with picking up kids at the mall, crabgrass, and murder. Now writes nonfiction.
1. Death by Station Wagon. 1993
2. The Family Stalker. 1994
3. The Last Housewife. 1995
4. The Father’s Club. 1996
5. Death Row. 1998

Kellerman, Jonathan. (Alex Delaware Novels) Alex Delaware is a retired child psychologist who on occasion aids the police particularly in solving difficult murder cases.
1. When the Bough Breaks. 1985
2. Blood Test. 1986
3. Over the Edge. 1987
4. Silent Partner. 1989
5. Time Bomb. 1990
6. Private Eyes. 1992
7. Devil’s Waltz. 1993
8. Bad Love. 1994
9. Self Defense. 1995
10. The Web. 1996
11. The Clinic. 1997
12. Survival of the Fittest. 1997
13. Monster. 1999
14. Dr. Death. 2000
15. Flesh and Blood. 2001
16. The Murder Book. 2002
17. A Cold Heart. 2003
18. Therapy. 2004
19. Rage. 2005
20. Gone. 2006
21. Obsession. 2007
22. The Conspiracy Club. 2008

Kelly, Susan. Liz Connors is former English professor working as a research assistant-true crime writer. This is an older series but well done and very readable.
1. The Gemini Man. 1985
2. The Summertime Soldiers. 1986
3. Trail of the Dragon. 1988
4. Until Proven Innocent. 1990
5. And Soon I’ll Come to Kill You. 1991
6. Out of the Darkness. 1992

Kienzle, William. (Father Koester Mystery) Fr. Robert Koesler, with the help of a couple of Detroit Free Press reporters gets involved in all sorts of criminal concerns around the Detroit area. The books have a genuine authentic feel as Kienzle was a priest himself for many years. He passed away in 2001.
1. The Rosary Murders. 1979
2. Death Wears a Red Hat. 1980
3. Mind over Murder. 1981
4. Assault with Intent. 1982
5. Shadow of Death. 1983
6. Kill and Tell. 1984
7. Sudden Death. 1985
8. Deathbed. 1986
9. Deadline for a Critic. 1987
10. Marked for Murder. 1988
11. Eminence. 1989
12. Masquerade. 1990
13. Chameleon. 1991
14. Body Count. 1992
15. Dead Wrong. 1993
16. Bishop as Pawn. 1994
17. Call No Man Father. 1995
18. Requiem for Moses. 1996
19. The Man Who Loved God. 1997
20. The Greatest Evil. 1998
21. No Greater Love. 1999
22. Till Death. 2000
23. The Sacrifice. 2001
24. The Gathering. 2002

Kiker, Douglas. The former NBC news correspondent wrote a couple of mysteries a few years ago. He died in August 1991.
1. Murder on Clam Pond. 1986
2. Death at the Cut. 1988

Kling, Christine. (Seychelle Sullivan Mysteries) Tugboat captain Seychelle Sullivan solves crimes in Ft. Lauderdale.
1. Surface Tension. 2002
2. Cross Current. 2004
3. Bitter End. 2005
4. Wrecker's Key. 2007

Krieg, Joyce. (Talk Radio Mystery) Shauna J Bogart is a radio talk show host who gets involved with murder in Sacramento, CA.
1. Murder off Mike. 2003
2. Slip Cue. 2004
3. Riding Gain. 2005

Lakin, Rita. (Gladdy Gold Mysteries) Series about 75-year-old Gladys Gold and her gang of eccentric Fort Lauderdale retirees.
1. Getting Old is Murder. 2005
2. Getting Old is the Best Revenge. 2006
3. Getting Old in Criminal. 2007
4. Getting Old is To Die For. 2007

Laurie, Victoria. (Psychic Eye Mystery) Series featuring Abby Cooper who is a p.i. - psychic intuitive. Set in Royal Oak, MI, the books have plenty of local flavor. There’s a good looking almost-boyfriend and lots of clients seeking their fortune.
1. Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye. 2004
2. Better Read Than Dead. 2005
3. A Vision of Murder. 2005
prequel in Drop Dead Blonde anthology. 2005
4. Killer Insight. 2006
5. Crime Seen. 2007
6. Death Perception. 2008

Lehane, Dennis. (Patrick Kenzie/Angela Gennaro Novels) The author admits to letting the series with Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro go on hiatus while he writes other books. His most well known is Mystic River.
1. A Drink Before the War. 1994
2. Darkness, Take My Hand. 1996
3. Sacred. 1997
4. Gone Baby Gone. 1998
5. Prayers for Rain. 1999

Lippman, Laura . (Tess Monaghan Series) Newspaper writer Tess Monaghan gets involved in crime investigations. Not as well known as Grafton or Evanovich but still very entertaining.
1. Baltimore Blues. 1997
2. Charm City. 1997
3. Butcher’s Hill. 1998
4. In Big Trouble. 1999
5. The Sugar House. 2000
6. In A Strange City. 2001
7. The Last Place. 2002
8. By a Spider’s Thread. 2004
9. No Good Deeds. 2006
10. Another Thing to Fall. 2008

Lovelace, Merline. (Cleo North Series) Former special agent Cleo North is a strong, brave, resourceful heroine. The author’s military background comes out in Cleo’s disdain for procedure. If you like Suzanne Brockman, you’ll like the author’s military thrillers. Prolific author also does historical sagas and romantic thrillers.
1. The First Mistake. 2005
2. The Middle Sin. 2005
3. The Last Bullet. 2005

Lutz, John. Fred Carver, private investigator in Del Moray, Florida is an ex-cop turned private eye. He does other series and stand alones.
1. Tropical Heat. 1986
2. Scorcher. 1987
3. Kiss. 1988
4. Flame. 1990
5. Bloodfire. 1991
6. Hot. 1992
7. Spark. 1993
8. Torch. 1994
9. Burn. 1995
10. Lightning. 1996

McBain, Ed. An up close look at life and death inside a fictional New York City police precinct, the 87th Precinct with Steve Carella. For folks who are committed to reading a series in strict order it’s a challenge. Just to confuse things McBain has another series starring lawyer Matthew Hope that did officially come to a conclusion several years ago. (McBain died in July, 2005)
1. Cop Hater. 1956
2. The Mugger. 1956
3. The Pusher. 1956
4. The Con Man. 1957
5. Killer’s Choice. 1957
6. Killer’s Payoff. 1958
7. Killer’s Wedge. 1958
8. Lady Killer. 1958
9. ‘Til Death. 1959
10. King’s Ransom. 1959
11. Give the Boys a Great Big Hand. 1960
12. The Heckler. 1960
13. See Them Die. 1960
14. Lady, Lady, I Did it. 1961
15. The Empty Hours. 1962.
16. Like Love. 1962
17. Ten Plus One. 1963
18. Ax. 1964
19. He Who Hesitates. 1965
20. Doll. 1965
21. Eighty Million Eyes. 1966
22. Fuzz. 1968
23. Shotgun. 1969
24. Jigsaw. 1970
25. Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here. 1971
26. Sadie When She Died. 1972
27. Let’s Hear it for the Deaf Man. 1972
28. Hail to the Chief. 1973
29. Bread. 1974
30. Blood Relatives. 1975
31. So Long as You Both Shall Live. 1976
32. Long Time No See. 1977
33. Calypso. 1979
34. Ghosts. 1980
35. Heat. 1981
36. Ice. 1983
37. Lightning. 1984
38. Eight Black Horses. 1985
39. Poison. 1987
40. Tricks. 1987
41. Lullaby. 1989
42. Vespers. 1990
43. Widows. 1991
44. Kiss. 1992
45. Mischief. 1993
46. And All Through the House. 1994
47. Romance. 1995
48. Nocturne. 1997
49. The Big Bad City. 1998
50. The Last Dance. 2000
51. Money, Money, Money. 2001
52. Fat Ollie’s Book. 2003
53. The Frumious Bandersnatch. 2004
54. Hark! 2004
55. Fiddlers. 2005

Novels featuring Matthew Hope:
1.Goldilocks. 1977
2. Rumpelstiltskin. 1981
3. Beauty and the Beast. 1983
4. Jack and the Beanstalk. 1984
5. Snow White and Rose Red. 1985
6. Cinderella. 1986
7. Puss in Boots. 1987
8. The House that Jack Built. 1988
9. Three Blind Mice. 1990
10. Mary, Mary. 1993
11. There was a Little Girl. 1994
12. Gladly the Cross-eyed Bear. 1996
13. The Last Best Hope. 1997

McBride, Susan. (Debutante Dropout Mysteries) Features Andrea Blevins Kendricks who, to her mother’s dismay, is a Dallas debutante dropout. Amusing mother-daughter relationship. Andrea gets mixed up in local happenings “by accident.” Series has ended.
1. Blue Blood. 2004
2. The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. 2005
3. The Lone Star Lonely Hearts Club. 2006
4. Night of the Living Deb. 2007
5. Too Pretty to Die. 2008

MacDonald, Patricia. Her books blends a mix of old fashioned suspense with elements of psychological terror. Stand alones.
1. The Unforgiven. 1981
2. Stranger in the House. 1983
3. Little Sister. 1986
4. No Way Home. 1989
5. Mother’s Day. 1994
6. Secret Admirer. 1995
7. Lost Innocents. 1998
8. Not Guilty. 2002
9. Suspicious Origin. 2003
10. The Girl Next Door. 2004
11. Married to A Stranger. 2006
12. Stolen in the Night. 2007

McKevett, G. A. (The Savannah Reid Mysteries) Full-figured Savannah is from Georgia, has a huge family, and owns the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency in California. She loves food and has a down-to-earth attitude.
1. Just Desserts. 1995
2. Bitter Sweets. 1996
3. Killer Calories. 1997
4. Cooked Goose. 1998
5. Sugar and Spite. 2000
6. Sour Grapes. 2001
7. Peaches and Screams. 2002
8. Death by Chocolate. 2003
9. Cereal Killer. 2004
10. Murder a la Mode. 2005
11. Corpse Suzette. 2006
12. Fat Free and Fatal. 2007
13. Poisoned Tarts. 2008

McNamara, Joseph. A retired police chief, McNamara wrote three novels that offer readers an interesting and entertaining look at life in a police precinct. Similar to the writing of Joseph Wambaugh.
1. The First Directive. 1984
2. The Fatal Command. 1997
3. Blue Mirage. 1990

Maron, Margaret. (Deborah Knott Mystery) Another author with more than one series. The Judge Deborah Knott series is set in North Carolina.
1. Bootlegger’s Daughter. 1992
2. Southern Discomfort. 1993
3. Shooting at Loons. 1994
4. Up Jumps the Devil. 1996
5. Killer Market. 1997
6. Homefires Burning. 1998
7. Storm Track. 2000
8. Uncommon Clay. 2001
9. Slow Dollar. 2002
10. High Country Fall. 2004
11. Rituals of the Season. 2005
12. Winter's Child. 2006
13. Hard Row. 2007

Martin, Nancy. (Blackbird Sisters) Featuring Nora, the former debutante and her two eccentric sisters in Philadelphia. Laugh out loud funny.
1. How to Murder a Millionaire. 2002
2. Dead Girls Don’t Wear Diamonds. 2003
3. Some Like it Lethal. 2004
4. Cross Your Heart and Hope to Die. 2005
5. Have Your Cake and Kill Him Too. 2006
6. Crazy Little Thing Called Death. 2007
7. Murder Melts in Your Mouth. 2008

Matetsky, Amanda. (Paige Turner Mystery Series) Korean War widow Paige Turner lives in Greenwich Village (NYC) in 1954. She works for a crime magazine (underpaid and undervalued) although she wants to be a writer. Author captures the times and characters well.
1. Murderers Prefer Blondes. 2003
2. Murder Is a Girl's Best Friend. 2004
3. How to Marry a Murderer. 2005
4. Murder on a Hot Tin Roof. 2006

Mayor, Archer. (Joe Gunther Novels) Mayor is a Vermont assistant medical examiner which reflects in his books with detailed forensic procedures. The series centers on Joe Gunther, a police detective in Brattleboro, Vermont.
1. Open Season. 1988
2. Borderlines. 1990
3. Scent of Evil. 1992
4. The Skeleton’s Knee. 1993
5. Fruits of the Poisonous Tree. 1994
6. The Dark Root. 1995
7. The Ragman’s Memory. 1996
8. Bellows Falls. 1997
9. The Disposable Man. 1998
10. Occam’s Razor. 1999
11. The Marble Mask. 2000
12. Tucker Peak. 2001
13. The Sniper’s Wife. 2002
14. Gatekeeper. 2003
15. The Surrogate Thief. 2004
16. St. Albans Fire. 2005
17. The Second Mouse. 2006
18. Chat. 2007
19. The Catch. 2008

Meier, Leslie. (Lucy Stone Mysteries) The mysteries with the cuter than cute names. Part-time sleuth Lucy Stone, wife, mother, and college student solves crimes in Tinker’s Cove Maine.
1. Mail-Order Murder. 1991 (republished as Mistletoe Murder, 1998)
2. Tippy-Toe Murder. 1994
3. Trick or Treat Murder. 1996
4. Back to School Murder. 1997
5. Valentine Murder. 1999
6. Christmas Cookie Murder. 1999
7. Turkey Day Murder. 2000
8. Wedding Day Murder. 2001
9. Birthday Party Murder. 2002
10. Father's Day Murder. 2003
11. Star Spangled Murder. 2004
12. New Year's Eve Murder. 2005
13. Bake Sale Murder. 2006
14. St. Patrick's Day Murder. 2008

Meredith, D. R. (Reading Group Mysteries) Reference librarian Megan Clark solves crimes with the help of her mystery book group, Murder by the Yard.
1. Murder in Volume. 2000
2. By Hook or By Book. 2000
3. Murder Past Due. 2001
4. Tome of Death. 2005
5. Murder by the Book. 2006

Meyers, Annette. (Smith and Wetzon Series) A mystery series featuring Smith and Wetzon, Wall Street financial experts and headhunters.
1. The Big Killing. 1989
2. Tender Death. 1990
3. The Deadliest Option. 1991
4. Blood on the Street. 1992
5. Murder the Musical. 1993
6. These Bones Were Made for Dancin'. 1995
7. The Groaning Board. 1997
8. Hedging. 2005

Morgan, Deborah. (Antique Lover's Mysteries) With all the current interest on selling old treasures on eBay, these mysteries featuring an antique dealer are sure to entertain. Retired FBI agent Jeff Talbot can’t help but become involved in investigating murder. “One man’s junk is another man’s motive”
1. Death is a Cabaret 2001
2. The Weedless Widow 2002
3. The Marriage Casket. 2003
4. Four on the Floor. 2004
5. The Majolica Murders. 2006

Muller, Marcia. (Sharon McCone Series) One of the first women writers who introduced and popularized the notion of a female detective. Sharon McCone is a San Franciso private eye.
1. Edwin of the Iron Shoes. 1977
2. Ask the Cards a Question. 1982
3. The Cheshire Cat’s Eye. 1983
4. Games to Keep the Dark Away. 1984
5. Leave a Message for Willie. 1984
6. Double (with Bill Pronzini). 1984
7. There’s Nothing to be Afraid of. 1985
8. Eye of the Storm. 1988
9. There’s Something in a Sunday. 1989
10. The Shape of Dread. 1989
11. Trophies and Dead Things. 1990
12. Where Echoes Live. 1991
13. Pennies on a Dead Woman’s Eyes. 1992
14. Wolf in the Shadows. 1993
15. Till the Butchers Cut Him Down. 1994
16. The McCone Files. 1995
17. A Wild and Lonely Place. 1995
18. The Broken Promise Land. 1996
19. Both Ends of the Night. 1997
20. While Other People Sleep. 1998
21. McCone and Friends. 1999
22. A Walk Through Fire. 1999
23. Listen to the Silence. 2000
24. Dead Midnight. 2002
25. The Dangerous Hour. 2004
26. Vanishing Point. 2006
27. The Ever Running Man. 2007

O’Kane, Leslie. Allie Babcock is a behavior therapist for dogs in Boulder Colorado. According to the author, there won't be any more books in this series. AKA Leslie Caine.
1. Play Dead. 1998
3. Ruff Way to Go. 2000
4. Give the Dog a Bone. 2002

O’Neil, Vincent. (Frank Cole Series) Frank, a former computer business owner, now lives in the town of Exile in the Florida panhandle. He can only make minimum wage or the rest goes to a bad bankruptcy settlement in court. He works as a contract “fact checker” for an insurance firm. He ends up becoming a reluctant investigator.
1. Murder in Exile. 2006
2. Reduced Circumstances. 2007

O’Shaughnessy, Perri. (Nina Reilly Series) Written by sisters Mary and Pamela. South Lake Tahoe attorney Nina Reilly and sidekick Sandy Whitefeather prosecute crime in true Perry Mason fashion.
1. Motion to Suppress. 1995
2. Invasion of Privacy. 1996
3. Obstruction of Justice. 1997
4. Breach of Promise. 1998
5. Acts of Malice. 1999
6. Move to Strike. 2000
7. Writ of Execution. 2001
8. Unfit to Practice. 2002
9. Presumption of Death. 2003
10. Unlucky in Law. 2004
11. Case of Lies. 2005

Palmer, Linda. (A Daytime Mystery). The heroine of the book is Morgan Tyler, 30ish head writer and producer of a top-rated, New York-based TV soap opera called “Love of My Life.” She resides at the Dakota, a 19th century Gothic landmark in the middle of New York City.
1. Love is Murder. 2004
2. Love Her to Death. 2005
3. Love You Madly. 2006
4. Kiss of Death. 2007

Paretsky, Sara. (V.I Warshawski Series) V.I. is another hard-boiled, gritty P.I. from Chicago. This one was even made into a movie!.
1. Indemnity Only. 1982
2. Deadlock. 1984
3. Killing Orders. 1985
4. Bitter Medicine. 1987
5. Blood Shot. 1988
6. Burn Marks. 1990
7. Guardian Angel. 1991
8. Tunnel Vision. 1994
9. Windy City Blues. 1995
10. Hard Time. 1999
11. Total Recall. 2001
12. Blacklist. 2003
13. Fire Sale. 2005

Parker, Robert B. (Spenser Novels) Spenser is a private investigator with a wicked sense of humor. His friend Hawk and girlfriend Susan are a vital part of what makes the series work.
1. The Godwulf Manuscript. 1973
2. God Save the Child. 1974
3. Mortal Stakes. 1975
4. Promised Land. 1976
5. The Judas Goat. 1978
6. Wilderness. 1979
7. Early Autumn. 1981
8. A Savage Place. 1981
9. Ceremony. 1982
10. Looking for Rachel Wallace. 1982
11. The Widening Gyre. 1983
12. Valediction. 1984
13. A Catskill Eagle. 1985
14. Taming a Seahorse. 1986
15. Pale Kings and Princes. 1987
16. Crimson Joy. 1988
17. Playmates. 1989
18. Stardust. 1990
19. Pastime. 1991
20. Double Deuce. 1992
21. Paper Doll. 1993
22. Walking Shadow. 1994
23. Thin Air. 1995
24. Chance. 1996
25. Small Vices. 1997
26. Sudden Mischief. 1998
27. Hush Money. 1999
28. Hugger Mugger. 2000
29. Potshot. 2001
30. Widow’s Walk. 2002
31. Back Story. 2003
32. Bad Business. 2004
33. Cold Service. 2005
34. School Days. 2005
35. Dream Girl. 2006
36. Now and Then. 2007
37. Stranger in Paradise. 2008

Patterson, James. (Alex Cross Series) Patterson has created one of America’s most memorable modern hero, Alex Cross, who is a psychiatrist and homicide cop in Washington D.C. Morgan Freeman played the character in the movies. See his site for other series.
1. Along Came a Spider. 1993
2. Kiss the Girls. 1995
3. Jack and Jill. 1996
4. Cat and Mouse. 1997
5. Pop Goes the Weasel. 1999
6. Roses are Red. 2000
7. Violets are Blue. 2001
8. Four Blind Mice. 2002
9. Big Bad Wolf. 2003
10. London Bridges. 2004
11. Mary, Mary. 2005
12. Cross. 2006
13. Double Cross. 2007

Patterson . . .(Women's Murder Club) The Women’s Murder Club is now a TV series.
1. 1st to Die. 2001
2. 2nd Chance. 2002
3. 3rd Degree. 2004
4. 4th of July. 2005
5. 5th Horseman. 2006
6. 6th Target. 2007
7. 7th Heaven. 2008

Pence, Joanne. (Angie Amalfi Mysteries) Funny food mysteries featuring freelance cooking writer, Angelina Amalfi and San Francisco homicide detective Paavo Smith.
1. Something’s Cooking. 1993
2. Too Many Cooks. 1994
3. Cooking Up Trouble. 1995
4. Cooking Most Deadly. 1996
5. Cook’s Night Out. 1998
6. Cooks Overboard. 1998
7. A Cook in Time. 1999
8. To Catch a Cook. 2000
9. Bell, Cook and Candle. 2002
10. If Cooks Could Kill. 2003
11. Two Cooks A-Killing. 2003
12. Courting Disaster. 2004
13. Red Hot Murder. 2006
14. The Da Vinci Cook. 2007

Pickard, Nancy. Director of the Port Frederick Civic Foundation, Jenny Cain is privy to the charitable intentions of the town's wealthiest citizens. Another older series, but still a worthwhile read. Some titles are being reissued.
1. Generous Death. 1984
2. Say No to Murder. 1985
3. No Body. 1986
4. Marriage is Murder. 1987
5. Dead Crazy. 1988
6. Bum Steer. 1989
7. I.O.U. 1991
8. But I Wouldn’t Want to Die There. 1993
9. Confession. 1994
10. Twilight. 1995

Powers, Martha. Author does stand-alone suspense books. Whether you officially label them thrillers, suspense, mysteries, whodunits, or cozies, they’re great reads.
1. Sunflower. 2000
2. Bleeding Heart. 2000
3. Death Angel. 2006

Pronzini, Bill. (Nameless Series) His character, Nameless, actually is never given a name, hence the nameless series.
1. The Snatch. 1971
2. The Vanished. 1973
3. Undercurrents. 1973
4. Blowback. 1977
5. Twospot. 1978
6. Labyrinth. 1980
7. Hoodwink. 1981
8. Scattershot. 1982
9. Dragonfire. 1982
10. Bindlestiff. 1983
11. Casefile. 1983
12. Quicksilver. 1984
13. Nightshades. 1984
14. Double 1084
15. Bones. 1985
16. Deadfall. 1986
17. Shackles. 1988
18. Jackpot. 1990
19. Breakdown. 1991
20. Quarry. 1992
21. Epitaphs. 1992
22. Demons. 1993
23. Hardcase. 1995
24. Sentinels. 1996
25. Spadework. 1996
26. Illusions. 1997
27. Boobytrap. 1998
28. Crazybone. 2000
29. Bleeders. 2002
30. Spook. 2003
31. Nightcrawlers. 2005
32. Mourners. 2006
33. Savages. 2007
34. Fever. 2008

Richards, Linda L. (Madeline Carter Novel) Madeline was a New York stockbroker until her best friend was murdered in front of her. She decides to start her life over with a move to Los Angeles, the world of movie stars and the moneyed set.
1. Mad Money. 2004
2. The Next Ex. 2005
3. Calculated Loss. 2006

Ripley, Ann. (Gardening Mysteries) Organic gardener and PBS television host Louise Eldridge. Was published in paperback, now hardcover.
1. Mulch. 1994
2. Death of a Garden Pest. 1996
3. Death of a Political Plant. 1998
4. Garden Tour Affair. 1999
5. Perennial Killer. 2000
6. Harvest of Murder. 2001
7. Christmas Garden Affair. 2002
8. Death at the Spring Plant Sale. 2003
9. Summer Garden Murder. 2005
10. Death in the Orchid Garden. 2006

Robb, J.D.  (In Death Series) Most fans know Robb is Nora Roberts and that this series takes place in the future. Cop Eve Dallas is tough and the best at solving murders. A regular cast of characters appear in each book including Rourke.
1. Naked in Death. 1995
2. Glory in Death. 1996
3. Immortal in Death. 1996
4. Rapture in Death. 1996
5. Ceremony in Death. 1997
6. Vengeance in Death. 1997
7. Holiday in Death. 1998
Silent Night Anthology. (Midnight in Death)
8. Conspiracy in Death. 1999
9. Loyalty in Death. 1999
10. Witness in Death. 2000
11. Judgment in Death. 2000
12. Betrayal in Death. 2001
Out of this World Anthology. (Interlude in Death)
13. Seduction in Death. 2001
14. Reunion in Death. 2002
15. Purity in Death. 2002
16. Portrait in Death. 2002
17. Imitation in Death. 2003
18. Remember When. 2003 (2-parter with Nora Roberts)
19. Divided in Death. 2004
20. Visions in Death. 2004
21. Survivor in Death. 2005
22. Origin in Death. 2005
23. Memory in Death. 2006
Bump in the Night Trilogy. (Haunted in Death)
24. Born in Death. 2006
25. Innocent in Death. 2007
26. Creation in Death. 2007
27. Stranger in Death. 2008

Roberts, Lillian M. (Veterinarian Mystery) Mystery series featuring a veterinarian Andi Pauling.
1. Riding for a Fall. 1996
2. The Hand that Feeds You. 1997
3. Almost Human. 1998

Rosenfelt, David. (Andy Carpenter Series) Andy is a lawyer with a wicked sense of humor. A quick, entertaining, and laugh out loud mystery series.
1. Open and Shut. 2002
2. First Degree. 2003
3. Bury the Lead. 2004
4. Sudden Death. 2005
5. Dead Center. 2006
6. Play Dead. 2007

Rowe, Sean. (Matt Shannon Series) Matt “Loose Cannon” Shannon is an ex-FBI agent turned head of security for a line of cruise ships.
1. Fever. 2005

Sandford, John. (Lucas Davenport Mysteries) This series features Lucas Davenport, police homicide detective who writes computer games in his spare time. Set in Minneapolis.
1. Rules of Prey. 1989
2. Shadow Prey. 1990
3. Eyes of Prey. 1991
4. Silent Prey. 1992
5. Winter Prey. 1993
6. Night Prey. 1994
7. Mind Prey. 1995
8. Sudden Prey. 1996
9. Secret Prey. 1998
10. Certain Prey. 1999
11. Easy Prey. 2000
12. Chosen Prey. 2001
13. Mortal Prey. 2002
14. Naked Prey. 2003
15. Hidden Prey. 2004
16. Broken Prey. 2005
17. Invisible Prey. 2007
18. Phantom Prey. 2008

Scott, Justin. (Ben Abbott Novels) Series features Ben Abbott, a former Wall-Street high roller and ex-con. After jail, Ben has taken over his family’s real estate business in Newbury, Connecticut and becomes and amateur detective.
1. HardScape. 1994
2. StoneDust. 1995
3. FrostLine. 2003
4. McMansion. 2007
5. Mausoleum. 2007

Scott, Michele. (Wine Lover’s Mystery) Nikki Sands is an aspiring actress waiting a tables between jobs. She becomes an amateur sleuth after taking a job at a Napa Valley winery. Comes complete with recipe and wine pairings.
1. Murder Uncorked. 2005
2. Murder by the Glass. 2006
3. Silenced by Syrah. 2007
4. A Vintage Murder. 2008

Sefton, Maggie. (Knitting Mysteries) Series set in Colorado that features CPA Kelly Flynn who is also an amateur sleuth.
1. Knit One, Kill Two. 2005
2. Needled to Death. 2005
3. A Deadly Yarn. 2006
4. A Killer Stitch. 2007
5. Dyer Consequences. 2008

Short, Sharon. (Toadfern Mysteries) Laundromat owner/stain expert Josie Toadfern lives in small-town Paradise, Ohio.
1. Death of a Domestic Diva. 2003
2. Death by Deep Dish Pie. 2004
3. Death in the Cards. 2005
4. Hung Out to Die. 2006
5. Murder Unfolds. 2007
6. Tie Dyed and Dead. 2008

Simpson, Thomas William. He writes psychological suspense thrillers, usually with startling endings. (ML)
1. The Caretaker. 1998
2. The Handcock Boys. 2000
3. The Editor. 2000

Slaughter, Karin. Medical examiner Sara Linton and her ex-husband Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver solve crime in Grand County, Georgia.
1. Blindsighted. 2001
2. Kisscut. 2002
3. Faint Cold Fear. 2003
4. Indelible. 2004
5. Faithless. 2005
6. Beyond Reach. 2006
7. Fractured. 2008

Speart, Jessica. (Rachel Porter Mysteries) Rachel is a hot-tempered U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent. She has a firey temper and a smart mouth. Books have conservation messages and appealing characters.
1. Gator Aide. 1997
2. Tortoise Soup. 1998
3. Bird Brained. 1999
4. Border Prey. 2000
5. Black Delta Night. 2001
6. A Killing Season. 2002
7. Coastal Disturbance. 2003
8. Blue Twilight. 2004
9. Restless Waters. 2005
10. Unsafe Harbor. 2006

Stabenow, Dana. (Kate Shugak Novel) Her mysteries feature investigator Kate Shugak. Another series taking place in Alaska.
1. A Cold Day for Murder. 1993
2. A Fatal Thaw. 1993
3. Dead in the Water. 1993
4. A Cold-Blooded Business. 1994
5. Play with Fire. 1995
6. Blood Will Tell. 1996
7. Breakup. 1997
8. Killing Grounds. 1998
9. Hunter’s Moon. 1999
10. Midnight Come Again. 2000
11. The Singing of the Dead. 2001
12.A Fine and Bitter Snow. 2002
13. A Grave Denied. 2003
14. A Taint in the Blood. 2004
15. A Deeper Sleep. 2007

Stewart, Mike. A man, Tim McInnes, reluctantly goes back home to see if he can discover how and why his brother was murdered. As much a complex look at family relationships, as it is a good murder mystery.
1. Sins of the Brother. 1999
2. Dog Island. 2000
3. A Clean Kill. 2002
4. A Perfect Life. 2005

Straley, John. (Cecil Younger Series) Author lives in Sitka, Alaska and “has no intentions of ever moving.” His character, Cecil Younger, is an alcoholic private investigator based in Sitka. The story lines use the stark Alaskan landscape as a backdrop to a host of eccentric characters.
1. The Woman Who Married a Bear. 1992
2. The Curious Eat Themselves. 1994
3. The Music of What Happens. 1996
4. Death and the Language of Happiness. 1997
5. Angels Will Not Care. 1998
6. Cold Water Burning. 2001

Swanson, Denise. (Scumble River Mysteries) When school psychologist Skye Denison left her hometown of Scumble River, she vowed to never go back. After being jilted and losing her job, she does go back home. The author captures the feeling of a Midwest small town complete with secrets and quirky characters.
1. Murder of a Small Town Honey. 2000
2. Murder of a Sweet Old Lady. 2001
3. Murder of a Sleeping Beauty. 2002
4. Murder of a Snake in the Grass. 2003
5. Murder of a Barbie and Ken. 2003
6. Murder of a Pink Elephant. 2004
7. Murder of a Smart Cookie. 2005
8. Murder of a Real Bad Boy. 2006
9. Murder of a Botoxed Blonde. 2007
10. Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry. 2008

Talley, Marcia. (Hannah Ives Mysteries) Author is a librarian and writes mysteries about Hannah Ives, a breast cancer survivor.
1. Sing it to Her Bones. 1999
2. Unbreathed Memories. 2000
3. Occasion of Revenge. 2001
4. In Death’s Shadow. 2004
5. This Enemy Town. 2005
6. Through the Darkness. 2006
7. Dead Man Dancing. 2008

Tanenbaum, Robert. The author is one of the country’s most respected and successful trial lawyers. The series features New York chief assistant district attorney Roger “Butch” Karp and his wife, Marlene Ciampi.
1. No Lesser Plea. 1987
2. Depraved Indifference. 1989
3. Immortal Certainty. 1991
4. Reversible Error. 1992
5. Material Witness. 1993
6. Justice Denied. 1994
7. Corruption of Blood. 1994
8. Falsely Accused. 1996
9. Irresistible Impulse. 1997
10. Reckless Endangerment. 1998
11. Act of Revenge. 1999
12. True Justice. 2000
13. Enemy Within. 2001
14. Absolute Rage. 2002
15. Resolved. 2003
16. Hoax. 2004
17. Fury. 2005
18. Counterplay. 2006
19. Malice. 2007
20. Escape. 2008

Temple, Lou Jane. (Heaven Lee Mystery) Heaven is a respected Kansas City chef. These mysteries are served with recipes on the side.
1. Death by Rhubarb. 1996
2. Revenge of the Barbeque Queens. 1997
3. A Stiff Risotto. 1998
4. Bread on Arrival. 1998
5. The Cornbread Killer. 1999
6. Red Beans and Vice. 2001
7. Death is Semi-Sweet. 2002

Temple. . . . She's started another food-themed series, only this one is historical in nature. It appears each book may have a different heroine.
1. The Spice Box. 2005
2. Death Du Jour. 2006

Viets, Elaine. (Dead End Job Mysteries) Helen Hawthorne trades her lavish lifestyle to work a series of dead end jobs. In the first book, it’s explained why Helen is on the run, working low-paying, under-the-table jobs. Each book focuses on a job and a murder or two.
1. Shop Till You Drop. 2003
2. Murder Between the Covers. 2003
3. Dying to Call You. 2004
4. Just Murdered. 2005
5. Murder Unleashed. 2006
6. Murder With Reservations. 2007
7. Clubbed to Death. 2008

Wald, Noreen. (Ghost Writer Mystery) The story of Jake O'Hara, ghostwriter extraordinare. She lives in New York with her mother and belongs to Ghostwriters Anonymous. AKA Nora Charles.
1. Ghostwriter. 1999
2. Death Comes for the Critic. 2000
3. Death Never Takes a Holiday. 2000
4. Remembrance of Murders Past. 2001
5. Enter Dying. 2002

Weaver, Michael. A man and woman on a well-deserved vacation let a stranger, needing help, into their isolated mountain cabin. What happens next will surprise you. (M)
1. Impulse. 1993

Wesson, Marianne. (Lucinda Hayes Mystery) This series features Cinda Hayes, an attorney and director of the Boulder County Rape Crisis Center.
1. Render up the Body. 1998
2. A Suggestion of Death. 2000
3. Chilling Effect. 2004

White, Kate. (Bailey Weggins Series) Author is the editor of Cosmo and her books have been described as “Nancy Drew meets Cosmo.” Bailey is a 30ish, single-again true crime writer for a leading Manhattan women's magazine. Smart and savvy, she's got a sixth sense when it comes to seeing the truth in a story-especially if it's murder.
1. If Looks Could Kill. 2002
2. A Body to Die For. 2003
3. ‘Til Death Do Us Part. 2004
4. Over Her Dead Body. 2005
5. Lethally Blonde. 2007

White, Stephen. (Alan Gregory Thriller) Psychologist Alan Gregory and attorney Lauren Crowder are caught up in solving a variety of crimes around the scenic Boulder Colorado area. Similar in tone to the Kellerman series.
1. Privileged Information. 1991
2. Private Practices. 1994
3. Higher Authority. 1994
4. Harm’s Way. 1996
5. Remote Control. 1997
6. Critical Conditions. 1998
7. Manner of Death. 1999
8. Cold Case. 2000
9. The Program. 2001
10. Warning Signs. 2002
11. Best Revenge. 2003
12. Blinded. 2004
13. Missing Persons. 2005
14. Kill Me. 2006
15. Dry Ice. 2007
16. Dead Time. 2008

Wolzien, Valerie. (Josie Pigeon Mysteries) Mysteries about building contractor Josie Pigeon and her all-woman construction crew.
1. Shore to Die. 1996
2. Permit for Murder. 1997
3. Deck the Halls with Murder. 1998
4. This Old Murder. 2000
5. Murder in the Forecast. 2001
6. A Fashionable Murder. 2003
7. Death at a Premium. 2005

Wood, Ted. (Reid Bennett Mystery) Reid is a former Toronto police officer who resigned from the force after killing two men who were attacking a young woman. He moves away from the big city to begin life again in a small town. Sam is his trained police dog and partner.
1. Dead in the Water. 1983
2. Murder on Ice. 1984
3. Live Bait. 1985
4. Fool’s Gold. 1986
5. Corkscrew. 1987
6. When the Killing Starts. 1989
7. On the Inside. 1990
8. Flashback. 1992
9. Snowjob. 1993
10. A Clean Kill. 1995

Woods, Stuart. (Stone Barrington Novels) The author’s life reads like one of his characters. He’s a sailor and pilot and has lived in many places. These stories involve a New York City detective, Stone Barrington, who is a well-bred but unpretentious detective. His life evolves as the series continues.
1. New York Dead. 1991
2. Dirt. 1996
3. Dead in the Water. 1997
4. Swimming to Catalina. 1998
5. Worst Fears Realized. 1999
6. L.A. Dead. 2000
7. Cold Paradise. 2001
8. The Short Forever. 2002
9. Dirty Work. 2003
10. Reckless Abandon. 2004
11. Two Dollar Bill. 2005
12. Dark Harbor. 2006
13. Fresh Disasters. 2007
14. Shoot Him if He Runs. 2007

Woods . . .(Holly Barker Series) His second series takes place in Florida with a female protagonist, Holly Barker.
1. Orchid Beach. 1998
2. Orchid Blues. 2001
3. Blood Orchid. 2002
4. Iron Orchid. 2005

Wright, Nina. (Whiskey Mattimue Series) She gets the name because of her smoky voice. She’s a 30-something widow who owns a realty business in the resort town of Magnet Springs, Michigan. She has an ill-mannered afghan hound and an interesting cast of supporting characters.
1. Whiskey on the Rocks. 2005
2. Whiskey Straight Up. 2006
3. Whiskey & Tonic. 2007
4. Whiskey & Water. 2008

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