Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | She Flew the Coop | 1994 | Michael Lee West | Buy |
| 2 | American Pie | 1996 | Michael Lee West | Buy |
| 3 | Mermaids in the Basement | 2008 | Michael Lee West | Buy |
Michael Lee West has published three standalone novels between 1994 and 2008, each set in the American South. She Flew the Coop (1994) takes place in a small Louisiana town in the 1950s and follows the women left behind when one of their own dies under mysterious circumstances. The novel blends Southern Gothic atmosphere with West’s characteristic dry wit.
American Pie (1996) explores similar territory, centered on a family and their community in the South. Mermaids in the Basement (2008) arrived over a decade later and follows a woman returning to her hometown to deal with her mother’s illness, uncovering long-buried family secrets along the way. All three books share West’s gift for creating memorable female characters who are funny, flawed, and deeply rooted in their Southern surroundings.