A Renaissance Faire Mystery Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Wicked Weaves |
2008 |
Buy |
| Ghastly Glass |
2009 |
Buy |
| Deadly Daggers |
2010 |
Buy |
| Harrowing Hats |
2011 |
Buy |
| Treacherous Toys |
2012 |
Buy |
| Murderous Matrimony |
2013 |
Buy |
| Perilous Pranks |
2013 |
Buy |
| Bewitching Boots |
2014 |
Buy |
| Fatal Fairies |
2015 |
Buy |
A Renaissance Faire Mystery Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Wicked Weaves |
2008 |
Buy |
| Ghastly Glass |
2009 |
Buy |
| Deadly Daggers |
2010 |
Buy |
| Harrowing Hats |
2011 |
Buy |
| Treacherous Toys |
2012 |
Buy |
| Perilous Pranks |
2013 |
Buy |
| Murderous Matrimony |
2013 |
Buy |
| Bewitching Boots |
2014 |
Buy |
| Fatal Fairies |
2015 |
Buy |
Biscuit Bowl Food Truck Mystery Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Death on Eat Street |
2014 |
Buy |
| Fat Tuesday Fricassee |
2015 |
Buy |
| Fry Another Day |
2015 |
Buy |
| Gator Bowl |
2015 |
Buy |
Biscuit Bowl Food Truck Mystery Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Death on Eat Street |
2014 |
Buy |
| Gator Bowl |
2015 |
Buy |
| Fry Another Day |
2015 |
Buy |
| Fat Tuesday Fricassee |
2015 |
Buy |
Canterville Book Shop#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| A Dickens of a Murder |
2015 |
Buy |
Canterville Book Shop#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| A Dickens of a Murder |
2015 |
Buy |
Christmas Tree Valley Mysteries#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Murder Fir Christmas |
2015 |
Buy |
Christmas Tree Valley Mysteries#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Murder Fir Christmas |
2015 |
Buy |
Family Matters Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| A Family for the Sheriff |
1999 |
Buy |
| Family by the Bunch |
1999 |
Buy |
| Husband Found |
1999 |
Buy |
| Paternity Lessons |
1999 |
Buy |
| The Way to a Cowboy’s Heart |
1999 |
Buy |
Family Matters Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Family by the Bunch |
1999 |
Buy |
| A Family for the Sheriff |
1999 |
Buy |
| Husband Found |
1999 |
Buy |
| The Way to a Cowboy’s Heart |
1999 |
Buy |
| Paternity Lessons |
1999 |
Buy |
Jacks Jackson#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Those Who Walk in Darkness |
2016 |
Buy |
Jacks Jackson#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Those Who Walk in Darkness |
2016 |
Buy |
Joyce & Jim Lavene Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Everything Guide to Writing a Novel |
2004 |
Buy |
Joyce & Jim Lavene Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Everything Guide to Writing a Novel |
2004 |
Buy |
Joyce & Jim Lavene Standalone Novels Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| A Time for Love |
1999 |
Buy |
| Flowers in the Night |
1999 |
Buy |
| If Not for You |
1999 |
Buy |
| Only You |
1999 |
Buy |
| Save Your Heart For Me |
2000 |
Buy |
| Dowager Duchess, The |
2002 |
Buy |
| Madison’s Miracles |
2004 |
Buy |
| Emilie’s Christmas Love |
2012 |
Buy |
| Love’s Treasured Secrets |
2013 |
Buy |
| Visions of Love |
2013 |
Buy |
Joyce & Jim Lavene Standalone Novels Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| A Time for Love |
1999 |
Buy |
| Only You |
1999 |
Buy |
| Flowers in the Night |
1999 |
Buy |
| If Not for You |
1999 |
Buy |
| Save Your Heart For Me |
2000 |
Buy |
| Dowager Duchess, The |
2002 |
Buy |
| Madison’s Miracles |
2004 |
Buy |
| Emilie’s Christmas Love |
2012 |
Buy |
| Visions of Love |
2013 |
Buy |
| Love’s Treasured Secrets |
2013 |
Buy |
Missing Pieces Mystery Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| A Timely Vision |
2010 |
Buy |
| A Spirited Gift |
2011 |
Buy |
| A Touch of Gold |
2011 |
Buy |
| A Haunting Dream |
2012 |
Buy |
| A Finder’s Fee |
2013 |
Buy |
| Dae’s Christmas Past |
2014 |
Buy |
| A Watery Death |
2015 |
Buy |
Missing Pieces Mystery Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| A Timely Vision |
2010 |
Buy |
| A Touch of Gold |
2011 |
Buy |
| A Spirited Gift |
2011 |
Buy |
| A Haunting Dream |
2012 |
Buy |
| A Finder’s Fee |
2013 |
Buy |
| Dae’s Christmas Past / A Ghost Horse Christmas |
2014 |
Buy |
| A Watery Death |
2015 |
Buy |
Peggy Lee Garden Mysteries Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Pretty Poison |
2005 |
Buy |
| Fruit of the Poisoned Tree |
2006 |
Buy |
| Poisoned Petals |
2007 |
Buy |
| Perfect Poison |
2008 |
Buy |
| A Corpse for Yew |
2009 |
Buy |
| Buried By Buttercups |
2012 |
Buy |
| A Thyme to Die |
2013 |
Buy |
| Lethal Lily |
2014 |
Buy |
| Killing Weeds |
2015 |
Buy |
Peggy Lee Garden Mysteries Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Pretty Poison |
2005 |
Buy |
| Fruit of the Poisoned Tree |
2006 |
Buy |
| Poisoned Petals |
2007 |
Buy |
| Perfect Poison |
2008 |
Buy |
| A Corpse for Yew |
2009 |
Buy |
| Buried By Buttercups |
2012 |
Buy |
| A Thyme to Die |
2013 |
Buy |
| Lethal Lily |
2014 |
Buy |
| Killing Weeds |
2015 |
Buy |
Pet Psychic Mystery#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Telltale Turtle |
2008 |
Buy |
Pet Psychic Mystery#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Telltale Turtle |
2008 |
Buy |
Pie Shop Mysteries Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Plum Deadly |
2013 |
Buy |
| Treacherous Tart |
2014 |
Buy |
Pie Shop Mysteries Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Plum Deadly |
2013 |
Buy |
| Treacherous Tart |
2014 |
Buy |
Pumpkin Patch Mystery#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Give ’em Pumpkin to Talk About |
2015 |
Buy |
Pumpkin Patch Mystery#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Give ’em Pumpkin to Talk About |
2015 |
Buy |
Purple Door Detective Agency#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Be My Banshee |
2015 |
Buy |
Purple Door Detective Agency#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Be My Banshee |
2015 |
Buy |
Retired Witches Mysteries Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Spell Booked |
2014 |
Buy |
| Looking for Mr. Good Witch |
2015 |
Buy |
| Putting on the Witch |
2016 |
Buy |
Retired Witches Mysteries Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Spell Booked |
2014 |
Buy |
| Looking for Mr. Good Witch |
2015 |
Buy |
| Putting on the Witch |
2016 |
Buy |
Sharyn Howard Mystery Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Last Dance |
1999 |
Buy |
| One Last Good-Bye |
2000 |
Buy |
| The Last to Remember |
2001 |
Buy |
| Until Our Last Embrace |
2001 |
Buy |
| Dreams Don’t Last |
2002 |
Buy |
| For the Last Time |
2002 |
Buy |
| Glory’s Last Victim |
2003 |
Buy |
| Last Fires Burning |
2003 |
Buy |
| Last One Down |
2004 |
Buy |
| Last Rites |
2004 |
Buy |
| Before The Last Lap |
2005 |
Buy |
| The First Shall Be Last |
2007 |
Buy |
Sharyn Howard Mystery Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Last Dance |
1999 |
Buy |
| One Last Good-Bye |
2000 |
Buy |
| The Last to Remember |
2001 |
Buy |
| Until Our Last Embrace |
2001 |
Buy |
| For the Last Time |
2002 |
Buy |
| Dreams Don’t Last |
2002 |
Buy |
| Last Fires Burning |
2003 |
Buy |
| Glory’s Last Victim |
2003 |
Buy |
| Last Rites |
2004 |
Buy |
| Last One Down |
2004 |
Buy |
| Before The Last Lap |
2005 |
Buy |
| The First Shall Be Last |
2007 |
Buy |
Stock Car Racing Mysteries Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Swapping Paint |
2007 |
Buy |
| Hooked Up |
2008 |
Buy |
Stock Car Racing Mysteries Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Swapping Paint |
2007 |
Buy |
| Hooked Up |
2008 |
Buy |
Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Hero’s Journey |
2013 |
Buy |
| That Old Flame of Mine |
2013 |
Buy |
| Playing with Fire |
2014 |
Buy |
| In Hot Water |
2015 |
Buy |
| Sweet Pepper Hero |
2016 |
Buy |
Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| That Old Flame of Mine |
2013 |
Buy |
| Hero’s Journey |
2013 |
Buy |
| Playing with Fire |
2014 |
Buy |
| In Hot Water |
2015 |
Buy |
| Sweet Pepper Hero |
2016 |
Buy |
Taxi For The Dead Paranormal Mysteries Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Broken Hearted Ghoul |
2014 |
Buy |
| Undead By Morning |
2014 |
Buy |
| Dead Girl Blues |
2015 |
Buy |
Taxi For The Dead Paranormal Mysteries Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Undead By Morning |
2014 |
Buy |
| Broken Hearted Ghoul |
2014 |
Buy |
| Dead Girl Blues |
2015 |
Buy |
Joyce and Jim Lavene were a prolific husband-and-wife team who wrote cozy mysteries together for nearly two decades, from 1999 through 2016. They produced over 150 books spanning dozens of series, each with a distinct setting and hook. The Sharyn Howard Mystery series, which kicked off their career in 1999 with Last Dance, follows a small-town sheriff solving crimes across twelve books.
Their later work expanded into themed mysteries. The Peggy Lee Garden Mysteries blend gardening lore with murder investigations, while A Renaissance Faire Mystery is set among the costumed vendors and performers of a traveling fair. The Missing Pieces Mystery series features Dae O’Donnell, a woman with psychic abilities on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery combines small-town firefighting with ghostly encounters.
The Lavenes also wrote paranormal-tinged cozies like the Retired Witches Mysteries and Taxi For The Dead, as well as romance novels early in their career under the Family Matters series. Their books are known for quirky settings, light humor, and characters readers can settle in with over multiple installments.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Joyce & Jim Lavene written?
Joyce & Jim Lavene has written 156 books across 38 series.
What was Joyce & Jim Lavene's first book?
Joyce & Jim Lavene’s first book is A Family for the Sheriff, published in 1999.
What are Joyce and Jim Lavene's most popular series?
Their most popular series include the Peggy Lee Garden Mysteries (9 books), the Sharyn Howard Mystery series (12 books), the Missing Pieces Mystery series (7 books), and A Renaissance Faire Mystery series (9 books).