A Callie Parrish Mystery books in order

A Callie Parrish Mystery is Fran Rizer's eight-book cozy mystery series following a mortuary cosmetologist in South Carolina who solves murders, known for its nursery-rhyme-themed titles.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fancy Stolen Casket 2007 Fran Rizer Buy
2 Casket Case 2008 Fran Rizer Buy
3 Hey Diddle Diddle, the Corpse and the Fiddle 2008 Fran Rizer Buy
4 Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, There’s a Body in the Car 2011 Fran Rizer Buy
5 Mother Hubbard Has a Corpse in the Cupboard 2013 Fran Rizer Buy
6 A Corpse Under the Christmas Tree 2013 Fran Rizer Buy
7 Murder is on the Clock 2015 Fran Rizer Buy
8 A Skull Full of Posies 2017 Fran Rizer Buy

The Callie Parrish series follows Calamine “Callie” Parrish, a mortuary cosmetologist in a small South Carolina town. Her job is doing makeup on the dead at Middleton’s Mortuary. Her problem is that she keeps finding bodies that aren’t supposed to be dead yet.

The eight books, published between 2007 and 2017, are cozy mysteries with a Southern flavor. Each title riffs on a nursery rhyme or familiar saying, and the tone balances humor with genuine mystery plotting. Callie’s knowledge of the funeral business and her connections around town make her a natural amateur investigator, even when she would rather stay out of trouble. The series started with Berkley Prime Crime and later titles were self-published.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the A Callie Parrish Mystery series?

There are 8 books in the A Callie Parrish Mystery series, published between 2007 and 2017.

What is the first book in the A Callie Parrish Mystery series?

The first book in the A Callie Parrish Mystery series is A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fancy Stolen Casket, published in 2007.

Why do the Callie Parrish books have nursery rhyme titles?

The books play on nursery rhymes and well-known phrases, twisting them to fit the mystery plots. For example, the first book is A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fancy Stolen Casket, and the fourth is Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, There’s a Body in the Car.

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