Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sick of Shadows | 1984 | Sharyn McCrumb | Buy |
| 2 | Lovely in Her Bones | 1985 | Sharyn McCrumb | Buy |
| 3 | Highland Laddie Gone | 1986 | Sharyn McCrumb | Buy |
| 4 | Paying the Piper | 1988 | Sharyn McCrumb | Buy |
| 5 | The Windsor Knot | 1990 | Sharyn McCrumb | Buy |
| 6 | Missing Susan | 1991 | Sharyn McCrumb | Buy |
| 7 | MacPherson’s Lament | 1992 | Sharyn McCrumb | Buy |
| 8 | If I’d Killed Him When I Met Him… | 1995 | Sharyn McCrumb | Buy |
| 9 | The PMS Outlaws | 2000 | Sharyn McCrumb | Buy |
The Elizabeth MacPherson series is Sharyn McCrumb’s longest-running mystery series, with nine books published between 1984 and 2000. Elizabeth is a forensic anthropology student (and later practitioner) whose family gatherings, academic pursuits, and travels keep putting her in proximity to dead bodies. The series is set in Virginia, Scotland, and various Southern locations.
McCrumb uses Elizabeth’s Southern family as both comic relief and a source of mystery plots. The books often involve family reunions, weddings, or academic conferences where someone winds up murdered. The series grows with its protagonist, moving from campus mysteries to international settings as Elizabeth’s career advances.