Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deadly Secrets | 2011 | Terry Odell | Buy |
| 2 | Deadly Bones | 2012 | Terry Odell | Buy |
| 3 | Deadly Puzzles | 2014 | Terry Odell | Buy |
| 4 | Deadly Production | 2015 | Terry Odell | Buy |
| 5 | The Mapleton Mystery Novellas | - | Terry Odell | N/A |
| 6 | Deadly Places | 2015 | Terry Odell | Buy |
| 7 | Deadly Fun | 2020 | Terry Odell | Buy |
| 8 | Deadly Assumptions | 2018 | Terry Odell | Buy |
| 9 | Deadly Engagement | 2018 | Terry Odell | Buy |
| 10 | Deadly Relations | 2023 | Terry Odell | Buy |
| 11 | Deadly Adversaries | - | Terry Odell | N/A |
| 12 | Deadly Optons | - | Terry Odell | Buy |
The Mapleton Mystery series by Terry Odell follows police chief Gordon Hepler in the small fictional town of Mapleton, Colorado. Gordon left a big-city police department for what he expected would be a quieter posting, but Mapleton turns out to have no shortage of deadly problems. The series blends police procedural investigation with small-town dynamics, where everybody knows everybody and secrets run deep.
Starting with Deadly Secrets in 2011, the series has grown to twelve entries. Unlike Odell’s Blackthorne, Inc. books, the Mapleton series puts the mystery front and center rather than romance, though Gordon’s personal life does develop across the books. Each story presents a new case for Gordon and his small department to crack, from murders and cold cases to suspicious accidents.
The books are best read in order because Gordon’s relationships with the townspeople and his own staff develop over time. The Colorado mountain setting gives the series a distinct atmosphere, with weather and geography playing a role in several of the plots.