Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Dead of Winter | 2016 | Jean Rabe | Buy |
| 2 | The Dead of Night | 2017 | Jean Rabe | Buy |
| 3 | The Dead of Summer | 2019 | Jean Rabe | Buy |
| 4 | The Dead of Jerusalem Ridge | 2020 | Jean Rabe | Buy |
| 5 | The Dead of Autumn | 2022 | Jean Rabe | Buy |
| 6 | The Dead of Sled Run: A Piper Blackwell Mystery | - | Jean Rabe | N/A |
The Piper Blackwell series by Jean Rabe follows a small-town Kentucky sheriff as she solves murder cases in her close-knit rural community. Each book is named after a season or local landmark, beginning with The Dead of Winter in 2016. The mysteries are set against the backdrop of the Kentucky countryside, where Piper must deal with both the crimes and the personalities of her neighbors.
The series has grown to six books, with entries covering different seasons and locations including Jerusalem Ridge and Sled Run. Rabe brings her background in fantasy writing to the mystery genre with strong sense of place and character-driven storytelling. Readers who enjoy small-town mysteries with a determined female lead will find the Piper Blackwell books a good fit.