Cheese Shop Mystery
Avery Aames
Culinary, Charlotte Bessette, co-owner, Ohio
First in the Series: The Long Quiche Goodbye (2010)

Books by the Bay Mystery
Ellery Adams
Bibliophile, Olivia Limoges, newspaper/reporter/writer, North Carolina
First in the Series: A Killer Plot (2010)

Book Retreat Mystery
Ellery Adams
Bibliophile, Jane Stewart, Storyton Hall Book Resort Manager, Virginia
First in the Series: Murder in the Mystery Suite (2014)

China Bayles Mystery
Susan Wittig Albert
Women Detectives, China Bayles, Herb Shop owner, Texas
First in the Series: Thyme of Death (1992)

Bewitching Mystery
Madelyn Alt
Paranormal, Maggie O’Neill, clerk & empath, Felicity Dow, antique store, Indiana
First in the Series: The Trouble with Magic (2006)

Meg Langslow Mystery
Donna Andrews
Women Detectives, Meg Langslow, blacksmith, Virginia
First in the Series: Murder with Peacocks (1999)

Novel Idea Mystery
Lucy Arlington
Bibliophile, Lila Wilkins, ex-journalist, literary agency intern, North Carolina
First in the Series: Buried in a Book (2012)

Aunt Dimity Mystery
Nancy Atherton
Paranormal, Aunt Dimity, ghost, Lori Shepherd, England
First in the Series: Aunt Dimity's Death (1992)

Booktown Mystery
Lorna Barrett
Bibliophile, Tricia Miles, bookstore, New Hampshire
First in the Series: Murder Is Binding (2008)

Agatha Raisin Mystery
M. C. Beaton
Women Detectives, Agatha Raisin, advertising retiree, PI, Cotswolds, England
First in the Series: Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (1992)

Melanie Travis Mystery
Laurien Berenson
Pets, Melanie Travis, special education teacher, mother, Connecticut
First in the Series: A Pedigree to Die For (1995)

A Witchcraft Mystery
Juliet Blackwell
Paranormal, Lily Ivory, vintage clothing shop, San Francisco, California
First in the Series: Secondhand Spirits (2009)

Haunted Home Renovation Mystery
Juliet Blackwell
Paranormal, Mel Turner (Melanie), remodeling historic houses, California
First in the Series: If Walls Could Talk (2010)

Royal Spyness Mystery
Rhys Bowen
Historical, Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, daughter of a Duke, 34th in line for throne, 1930's, London, England
First in the Series: Her Royal Spyness (2007)

Flavia de Luce Mystery
Alan Bradley
Women Detectives, Flavia de Luce, young lady, Bishop’s Lacey, 1950's, England
First in the Series: The Sweetness At the Bottom of the Pie (2009)

The Cat Who…
Lilian Jackson Braun
Pets, Jim Qwilleran, Koko & Yum Yum (cats), ex-police reporter, Midwest (Michigan)
First in the Series: The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (1966)

Mrs. Murphy Mystery
Rita Mae Brown
Pets, Mary "Harry" Haristeen, postmistress, Mrs. Murphy (cat), Tucker (Welsh corgi), Virginia
First in the Series: Wish You Were Here (1990) (with Sneaky Pie Brown)

"Sister" Jane Foxhunting Mystery
Rita Mae Brown
Pets, Jane Sister Arnold, 70-year-old Master of the Fox Hunt, Virginia
First in the Series: Outfoxed (2000)

Chocoholic Mystery
Joanna Carl
Culinary, Lee McKinney, manager, chocolate shop, Michigan
First in the Series: The Chocolate Cat Caper (2002)

Bibliophile Mystery
Kate Carlisle
Bibliophile, Brooklyn Wainwright, book-restoration expert, San Francisco, CA
First in the Series: Homicide in Hardcover (2009)

Fixer-Upper Mystery
Kate Carlisle
Home Improvement, Shannon Hammer, contractor, Northern California
First in the Series: A High-End Finish (2014)

Bookmobile Cat Mystery
Laurie Cass
Bibliophile, Minnie Hamilton, bookmobile librarian, Eddie (rescue cat), Michigan
First in the Series: Lending a Paw (2013)

Magical Bakery Mystery
Bailey Cates
Paranormal Culinary, Katie Lightfoot, manager, bakery, Savannah, Georgia
First in the Series: Brownies and Broomsticks (2012)

Pizza Lover's Mystery
Chris Cavendar
Culinary, Eleanor Swift, Slice of Delight Pizzeria, North Carolina
First in the Series: A Slice of Murder (2009)

Tea Shop Mystery
Laura Childs
Culinary, Theodosia Browning, tea room, Charleston, South Carolina
First in the Series: Death by Darjeeling (2001)

Miss Marple
Agatha Christie
Women Detectives, Miss Jane Marple, spinster, St. Mary's Mead, England
First in the Series: The Murder at the Vicarage (1930)

Dixie Hemingway Mystery
Blaize Clement
Pets, Dixie Hemingway, professional pet sitter, ex sheriff’s deputy, Florida
First in the Series: Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter (2005)

A Dog Lover's Mystery
Susan Conant
Pets, Holly Winter, dog trainer, writer, Cambridge, Massachusetts
First in the Series: A New Leash on Death (1990)

Coffeehouse Mystery
Cleo Coyle
Culinary, Clare Cosi, coffee house, manager, Greenwich Village, New York
First in the Series: On What Grounds (2003)

Emma Lord Mystery
Mary Daheim
Women Detectives, Emma Lord, newspaper owner, Alpine, Washington
First in the Series: The Alpine Advocate (1992)

Goldy Schulz
Diane Mott Davidson
Culinary, Goldy Bear Schulz, caterer, mother, Aspen Meadow, Colorado
First in the Series: Catering to Nobody (1990)

Domestic Diva Mystery
Krista Davis
Culinary, Sophie Winston, mother, Alexandria, Virginia
First in the Series: The Diva Runs Out of Thyme (2008)

Paws & Claws Mystery
Krista Davis
Pets, Holly Miller, Sugar Maple Inn, pet owners, Jack Russell Terrier, recipes, Wagtail, Virginia
First in the Series: Murder, She Barked (2013)

Midnight Louie Mystery
Carole Nelson Douglas
Pets, Temple Barr, public relations, Midnight Louie (cat), PI, Las Vegas
First in the Series: Catnap (1992)

Bookstore Cafe Mystery
Alex Erickson
Bibliophile, Krissy Hancock, bookstore/café, Ohio
First in the Series: Death By Coffee (2015)

Needlecraft Mystery
Monica Ferris
Handicraft, Betsy Devonshire, needlepoint store, Excelsior, Minnesota
First in the Series: Crewel World (1998)

Haunted Souvenir Shop Mystery
Christy Fifield
Paranormal, Glory Martine, souvenir shop, Keyhole Bay, Florida
First in the Series: Murder Buys A T-Shirt (2012)

Bad Luck Cat Mystery
Kay Finch
Pets, Sabrina Tate, vacation rentals, writer, Lavender, Texas
First in the Series: Black Cat Crossing (2015)

Murder, She Wrote
Jessica Fletcher
Women Detectives, Jessica Fletcher, retired English teacher, writer, Cabot Cove, Maine
First in the Series: Gin and Daggers (1989) (with Donald Bain)

Hannah Swensen Mystery
Joanne Fluke
Culinary, Hannah Swensen, bakery, The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden, Minnesota
First in the Series: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (2000)

Lighthouse Library Mystery
Eva Gates
Bibliophile, Lucy Richardson, librarian, Charles (library cat), Bodie Island, North Carolina
First in the Series: By Book or by Crook (2015)

Mrs. Pollifax Mystery
Dorothy Gilman
Women Detectives, Emily Pollifax, widow, spy, CIA, New Jersey
First in the Series: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (1966)

Home Repair is Homicide Mystery
Sarah Graves
Home Improvement, Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree, ex-investor, Ellie White, Eastport, Maine
First in the Series: The Dead Cat Bounce (1998)

Phryne Fisher
Kerry Greenwood
Historical Women Detectives, Phryne Fisher, 1920s, Melbourne, Australia
First in the Series: Cocaine Blues (1989)

Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery
Carolyn Haines
Women Detectives, Sarah Booth Delaney, PI, Zinnia, Mississippi
First in the Series: Them Bones (1999)

Merry Muffin Mystery
Victoria Hamilton
Culinary, Merry Wynter, Wynter Castle, renters, Autumn Vale, New York
First in the Series: Bran New Death (2013)

Aurora Teagarden Mystery
Charlaine Harris
Bibliophile, Aurora Teagarden, librarian, Lawrenceton, Georgia
First in the Series: Real Murders (1990)

Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery
Sherry Harris
Women Detectives, Sarah Winston, bargain hunter, Ellington, Massachusetts
First in the Series: Tagged for Death (2014)

Death On Demand Mystery
Carolyn Hart
Bibliophile, Annie Laurance & Max Darling, bookstore owner & investigator, South Carolina
First in the Series: Death on Demand (1987)

Claire Malloy Mystery
Joan Hess
Bibliophile, Claire Malloy, bookstore owner, Farberville, Arkansas
First in the Series: Strangled Prose (1986)

Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery
Lee Hollis
Culinary, Hayley Powell, food column, journalist, Maine
First in the Series: Death of a Kitchen Diva (2012)

Haley Randolph Mystery
Dorothy Howell
Women Detectives, Haley Randolph, designer purses, Los Angeles, California
First in the Series: Handbags and Homicide (2008)

White House Chef Mystery
Julie Hyzy
Culinary, Ollie (Olivia) Paras, White House (assistant) chef, Washington, D.C
First in the Series: State of the Onion (2008)

Odelia Grey Mystery
Sue Ann Jaffarian
Women Detectives, Odelia Gray, paralegal, Southern California
First in the Series: Too Big to Miss (2001)

A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery
Sue Ann Jaffarian
Paranormal, Emma Whitecastle, medium, California
First in the Series: Ghost a La Mode (2009)

Cat in the Stacks Mystery
Miranda James
Bibliophile, Charlie Harris, librarian, Diesel (Maine Coon cat), Mississippi
First in the Series: Murder Past Due (2010)

Barkery & Biscuits Mystery
Linda O. Johnston
Pets, Carrie Kennersly, Barkery (canine bakery) , ex-veterinary technician, Knobcone Heights, CA
First in the Series: Bite the Biscuit (2015)

Superstition Mystery
Linda O. Johnston
Pets, Rory Chasen, Lucky Dog Boutique, Pluckie (dog), Destiny, California
First in the Series: Lost Under a Ladder (2014)

Paw Enforcement Mystery
Diane Kelly
Pets, Megan Luz, police officer, K-9, Brigit (dog), Fort Worth, Texas
First in the Series: Paw Enforcement (2014)

Henny Penny Farmette Mystery
Meera Lester
Women Detectives, Abigail Mackenzie, ex-police officer, farm, bees, dog, recipes, Las Flores, California
First in the Series: A Beeline to Murder (2015)

Jaine Austen Mystery
Laura Levine
Jaine Austen, writer, Los Angeles, California
First in the Series: This Pen for Hire (2002)

Maggie Hope Mystery
Susan Elia Macneal
Historical Women Detectives, Maggie Hope, typist/secretary, American, codebreaking, 1940s, London, England
First in the Series: Mr. Churchill's Secretary (2012)

Blackbird Sisters Mystery
Nancy Martin
Nora, Emma, and Libby Blackbird, heiresses, sisters, destitute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
First in the Series: How to Murder a Millionaire (2002)

No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Alexander McCall Smith
Women Detectives, Precious Ramotswe, PI, Botswana
First in the Series: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (1998)

Savannah Reid Mystery
G. A. McKevett
Culinary, Savannah Reid, PI, Southern, San Carmelita California
First in the Series: Just Desserts (1995)

Library Lover's Mystery
Jenn McKinlay
Bibliophile, Lindsey Norris, library director, Briar Creek, Connecticut
First in the Series: Books Can Be Deceiving (2011)

Lucy Stone Mystery
Leslie Meier
Holidays, Lucy Stone, wife, mother, Maine
First in the Series: Mistletoe Murder (1991)

Spice Shop Mystery
Gail Oust
Culinary, Piper Prescott, Spice It Up! shop owner, Yankee, Brandywine Creek, Georgia
First in the Series: Rosemary and Crime (2013)

Faith Fairchild Mystery
Katherine Hall Page
Women Detectives, Faith Sibley Fairchild, minister's wife, mother, culinary artist, Massachusetts/Maine
First in the Series: The Body in the Belfry (1990)

Amelia Peabody Mystery
Elizabeth Peters
Historical Women Detectives, Amelia Peabody, Victorian feminist archaeologist, Kent, England
First in the Series: Crocodile on the Sandbank (1975)

Lois Meade Mystery
Ann Purser
Women Detectives, Lois Meade, cleaning lady, Long Farnden, England
First in the Series: Murder on Monday (2002)

Chet and Bernie Mystery
Spencer Quinn
Pets, Chet (dog), Bernie, PI, Little Detective Agency, dog’s-eye perspective, desert (Arizona)
First in the Series: Dog On It (2009)

Stand-alones
Mary Stewart
Historical Romantic Suspense, British tourists, Charity Selborne, widow, Provence, France
First in the Series: Madam, Will You Talk? (1955), Nicola Ferris, Greece, The MoonSpinners (1962)

Scumble River Mystery
Denise Swanson
Women Detectives, Skye Denison, school psychologist, Illinois
First in the Series: Madam, Will You Talk? (1955), Nicola Ferris, Greece, The MoonSpinners (1962)

A Devereaux's Dime Store Mystery
Denise Swanson
Women Detectives, Dev Sinclair, Devereaux's Dime Store and Gift Baskets, Missouri
First in the Series: Little Shop of Homicide (2012)

Dead-End Job Mystery
Elaine Viets
Women Detectives, Helen Hawthorne, part-time worker, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
First in the Series: Shop Till You Drop (2003)