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Rhys Bowen Books in Order

Explore all Rhys Bowen books in order, with quick summaries, series guides, and where-to-start tips for her mysteries and historical novels.

Last updated: June 30, 2026

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180 books

Peter Penny's Dance

by Rhys Bowen

1976

A picture book built around Peter Penny and a small, memorable adventure. It has the simple, rhythmic feel of an early read-aloud favorite.

Benjamin's Balloon

by Rhys Bowen

1978

Benjamin's balloon carries him up and away into adventure. It is a classic picture-book premise, light, imaginative, and easy to love.

Septimus Bean and His Amazing Machine

by Rhys Bowen

1980

Septimus Bean has built an astonishing machine, but nobody quite knows what it is for. The fun is in the invention, the whimsy, and the discovery.

Magic Growing Powder

by Rhys Bowen

1981

Two swindlers promise short King Max a magical way to grow taller. His clever daughter sees through the trick and steps in to save both her father and the kingdom.

California Girl

by Rhys Bowen

1983

A California setting gives this teen romance some sun and freedom, but the real story is still about identity, attraction, and where a girl fits in.

Daydreamer

by Rhys Bowen

1983

A girl who spends a lot of time in her head has to deal with what happens when real life interrupts the fantasy. Gentle romance meets self-discovery.

Helpful Hattie

by Rhys Bowen

1983

Hattie means well, but being helpful can create its own kind of trouble. This is a simple children's story about energy, good intentions, and learning by doing.

Love Match

by Rhys Bowen

1983

A seemingly perfect pairing turns out to be less straightforward than anyone hoped. The match matters, but so does what the heroine learns about herself.

Ten-Boy Summer

by Rhys Bowen

1983

A summer full of boys sounds like chaos waiting to happen, and the book knows it. Flirty, funny, and knowingly dramatic.

Exchange of Hearts

by Rhys Bowen

1984

A swap in perspective, or in place, shakes up a teen romance and makes everyone reconsider what they thought they wanted. Light and heartfelt.

Ghost of a Chance

by Rhys Bowen

1984

A playful title hints at romance with a teasing edge of mystery. The story turns on hopes that may be foolish, and feelings that turn out not to be.

Lovebirds

by Rhys Bowen

1984

This YA romance looks at what happens when attraction becomes visible to everybody else. Sweetness and social embarrassment go hand in hand.

The Two of Us

by Rhys Bowen

1984

A relationship between two young people is tested by the usual mix of expectation, timing, and misunderstanding. Intimate, direct, and very teen.

Tommy Loves Tina

by Rhys Bowen

1984

A straightforward teen romance about what happens when liking someone becomes everybody else's business. Sweetness and awkwardness arrive together.

Winner Take All

by Rhys Bowen

1984

Competition sharpens every feeling in this YA romance. When winning starts to matter too much, friendships and crushes both get messy.

101 Ways to Meet Mr. Right

by Rhys Bowen

1985

A playful setup for a romance about schemes, hopes, and the gap between advice and reality. Finding the right boy is clearly not as easy as a list.

Follow That Boy

by Rhys Bowen

1985

A crush turns into a chase, literal or emotional, and the pursuit proves more revealing than the goal. Fast, funny, and a little exasperated.

The Great Boy Chase

by Rhys Bowen

1985

The title tells the story's mood: energetic, comic, and centered on pursuit. Boys may be the goal, but friendship and self-respect keep complicating the chase.

Best Friends Forever

by Rhys Bowen

1986

Promises of forever friendship are tested by the usual mix of crushes, jealousy, and change. It is a warm look at how hard it can be to stay close while growing up.

Growing Pains

by Rhys Bowen

1986

Teen life gets more complicated as ordinary mistakes start carrying bigger consequences. The story is about awkward change, bruised feelings, and learning on the fly.

My Secret Love

by Rhys Bowen

1986

Keeping feelings hidden only works for so long. This is a straightforward teen romance about private crushes becoming impossible to ignore.

Old Friends, New Friends

by Rhys Bowen

1986

Shifting loyalties and new faces test a group that thought it already knew where everyone stood. Friendship proves as tricky as romance.

Out of Love

by Rhys Bowen

1986

A breakup, or the fear of one, forces a teen heroine to rethink what love really means. It is a clean, direct story about hurt feelings and growing up.

The Graduates

by Rhys Bowen

1986

Graduation should feel like a finish line, but for these teens it opens up questions about friendship, future plans, and first love. Everyone is changing, ready or not.

The Trouble with Toni

by Rhys Bowen

1986

Toni's latest problem pulls friends and feelings into a familiar teenage mess. What starts small quickly becomes the kind of drama that feels huge at school.

Wanted: Date for Saturday Night

by Rhys Bowen

1986

A teen girl goes looking for the perfect date and discovers that a plan on paper is never the same as real life. Fast, light, and full of social pressure.

Write Every Day

by Rhys Bowen

1986

A practical, encouraging guide built to help young writers get words on the page. The emphasis is on habit, confidence, and actually doing the work.

Dear Cousin

by Rhys Bowen

1987

Family ties bring fresh complications when a cousin enters the picture. Letters, secrets, and rivalry all push the story along.

Double Take

by Rhys Bowen

1987

First impressions prove unreliable when a teen relationship gets a second look. What seemed settled becomes much less clear.

Flip Side

by Rhys Bowen

1987

A teen heroine gets to see the other side of a situation and finds it far less simple than she expected. Romance and perspective shift together.

Make Me a Star

by Rhys Bowen

1987

A taste of attention and ambition sends one teen toward the spotlight. The real challenge is working out what, and who, is worth chasing.

Never Say Goodbye

by Rhys Bowen

1987

A relationship faces the ache of parting and the hope that endings may not be final. The tone is more bittersweet than breezy.

Nothing in Common

by Rhys Bowen

1987

Two people who seem completely mismatched are forced to spend time together and discover things are not so obvious after all. It is a classic teen setup with warmth.

Surf's Up

by Rhys Bowen

1987

Sun, surf, and teenage possibility make this a breezy romance with just enough drama underneath. A fun setting does not make feelings any simpler.

The Last Dance

by Rhys Bowen

1987

One final school event becomes a backdrop for big feelings and hard goodbyes. It is a tender teen story about endings that do not feel neat.

Trading Places

by Rhys Bowen

1987

A switch in roles gives two girls a new view of each other's lives. What sounds fun at first quickly gets more personal and complicated.

Tug of War

by Rhys Bowen

1987

Pulled between different loyalties, a teen heroine has to decide who and what she will fight for. The emotional push and pull is the whole point.

Two Girls, One Boy

by Rhys Bowen

1987

The triangle in the title tells you everything that matters. Two friends and one boy are enough to turn ordinary feelings into full-scale drama.

Big Sister

by Rhys Bowen

1988

Being the older sister is not always an honor, especially when love and family expectations start colliding. This one leans into responsibility and resentment.

Blind Date

by Rhys Bowen

1988

A supposedly simple setup for romance goes sideways in all the expected ways. The awkwardness is half the fun.

Campus Cousins

by Rhys Bowen

1988

College dreams and family connections bring two cousins into the same orbit. New independence comes with plenty of emotional spillover.

Dream Come True

by Rhys Bowen

1988

A long-held wish finally seems possible, and that is when the real complications start. It is a light teen story about hope meeting reality.

Home Sweet Home

by Rhys Bowen

1988

Home is supposed to be comforting, but change has a way of making even familiar places feel new. Family and romance both complicate the picture.

It's My Turn

by Rhys Bowen

1988

After feeling sidelined, a teen girl decides she wants her shot at happiness and attention. What follows is part wish fulfillment, part lesson in what matters.

Out in the Cold

by Rhys Bowen

1988

A teen heroine suddenly feels left out, overlooked, or shut out, and the hurt shows. It is a quick story about loneliness and finding a way back in.

At Your Service

by Rhys Bowen

1989

Working at the Heartbreak Cafe teaches Debbie that service jobs come with pride, pressure, and plenty of emotional mess. Romance is no easier than taking orders.

Catch of the Day

by Rhys Bowen

1989

The Heartbreak Cafe crew deal with shifting loyalties, mixed signals, and another round of summer romance. Debbie has to decide what is real and what only looks good at first glance.

Having a Ball

by Rhys Bowen

1989

A big social occasion promises glamour and delivers stress, embarrassment, and maybe a little romance. Bowen knew how to make teen events feel huge.

Just Desserts

by Rhys Bowen

1989

Debbie and the Heartbreak Cafe crew face more upheaval as work, romance, and community tensions all heat up. The final payoff is anything but neat.

Madam Sarah

by Rhys Bowen

1989

An enigmatic woman stands at the center of this dramatic story, where image, mystery, and hard choices all matter. The title figure gives the book its pull.

No Experience Required

by Rhys Bowen

1989

When her parents split up, spoiled Debbie Lesley has to get a job at the Heartbreak Cafe. There she clashes with Joe, a tough coworker who is not impressed by her old life.

One Step Too Far

by Rhys Bowen

1989

A single decision pushes a teen situation past safe territory and into real consequences. This is a story about limits, mistakes, and what comes after.

Roadtrip

by Rhys Bowen

1989

A trip away from home turns into a rolling mix of friendship tests, attraction, and bad timing. Time on the road speeds everything up.

The Main Attraction

by Rhys Bowen

1989

Life at the Heartbreak Cafe gets more complicated as Debbie tries to balance work, family change, and the people pulling at her heart. The beachside drama keeps building.

Love to Go

by Rhys Bowen

1990

Fast food, fast feelings, and a changing future keep the Heartbreak Cafe gang on edge. Debbie learns love is not nearly as easy to package as a takeout order.

Summer Heat

by Rhys Bowen

1990

Hot weather, high emotions, and a summer romance create exactly the kind of pressure the title promises. Quick, direct, and full of teen feeling.

Boy Trouble for Tess and Ali

by Rhys Bowen

1991

Back at the beach, Tess risks straining her friendship with Ali when she starts falling for Ali's older brother. Summer suddenly feels much less simple.

Fool's Gold

by Rhys Bowen

1991

A teen romance about chasing something that looks perfect and learning it may not be what it seemed. The emotional lesson lands with a light touch.

Homecoming Dance

by Rhys Bowen

1991

A big school dance brings excitement, nerves, and the kind of social pressure that can make one evening feel like everything. Teen emotions run high from start to finish.

New Year's Eve

by Rhys Bowen

1991

A holiday countdown gives this YA story its ticking-clock energy. New beginnings sound great, but romance and friendship make the night much messier.

Starring Tess and Ali

by Rhys Bowen

1991

Ali expects a dull summer at the beach until spirited Tess moves in next door. Their new friendship is exciting, messy, and more complicated than either girl expected.

Tess and Ali and the Teeny Bikini

by Rhys Bowen

1991

Another summer at Rose Bay brings a boy-crazy new influence and fresh pressure on Tess and Ali. A little beachside fun threatens to pull their friendship off course.

Tess and Ali, Going on Fifteen

by Rhys Bowen

1991

On their final shared summer at the beach, Tess and Ali have to face how much growing up can change a friendship. It is a tender story about the edge between childhood and something older.

Billy and Ben

by Rhys Bowen

1992

A younger-reader story about two boys and the friendship, trouble, or adventure that grows between them. It is written for quick, accessible reading.

Graduation Day

by Rhys Bowen

1992

As school ends, the future suddenly feels real. This is a quick YA story about endings, beginnings, and the emotions packed into one milestone day.

My Phantom Love

by Rhys Bowen

1992

Romance gets a teasingly mysterious edge when the object of affection is hard to pin down. The title promises longing, confusion, and a little fantasy.

Night of the Prom

by Rhys Bowen

1992

Prom night should be glamorous, but teenage plans have a way of unraveling. Bowen turns one big social event into a story of nerves, hopes, and hurt feelings.

On My Own

by Rhys Bowen

1992

A teen heroine is pushed toward independence and has to work out who she is without leaning on everyone else. Growing up is the real love story here.

Amazing Grace

by Rhys Bowen

1993

Grace finds herself in the middle of a story about feelings, self-discovery, and the gap between how life should go and how it really does. Warm and readable.

The Secrets of Lake Success

by Rhys Bowen

1993

A young adult story built around a new setting, buried secrets, and the uneasy thrill of not quite knowing whom to trust. Summer freedom comes with emotional complications.

Trade Winds

by Rhys Bowen

1993

A change of scene stirs up romance, uncertainty, and the sense that life could shift course at any moment. It is a breezy YA story with an undercurrent of change.

Getting Personal

by Rhys Bowen

1994

A relationship that should stay simple becomes much more complicated once real feelings get involved. It is built on closeness, misunderstanding, and romantic risk.

Ginger's First Kiss

by Rhys Bowen

1994

Ginger and her friends launch the Boyfriend Club with big plans, makeovers, and high school hopes. Of course, first kisses and first expectations rarely go the way anyone imagines.

Ginger's New Crush

by Rhys Bowen

1994

Just when Ginger thinks she has learned a little about boys, a new crush scrambles everything again. Friendship advice and real feelings do not always match.

Karen's Perfect Match

by Rhys Bowen

1994

Practical Karen tries to deal with romance on her own carefully planned terms. The result is a sweet, awkward look at crushes colliding with real life.

Queen Justine

by Rhys Bowen

1994

Justine likes attention and usually expects to get it. In the search for a boyfriend, though, popularity may not help as much as she thinks.

Roni's Dream Boy

by Rhys Bowen

1994

Roni thinks she knows exactly what her perfect boyfriend should be like. Real life, and real friendship, prove a lot messier than daydreams.

Roni's Two-Boy Trouble

by Rhys Bowen

1994

Roni finds one boy complicated enough, so two is a recipe for disaster. The Boyfriend Club has plenty to say, but she still has to choose for herself.

The Apartment

by Rhys Bowen

1994

A new living situation opens the door to romance, secrets, and the uneasy excitement of change. The apartment itself becomes the hinge of the story.

The Sutcliffe Diamonds

by Rhys Bowen

1994

Family, money, and a valuable inheritance push the tension in this fast YA drama. The glittering title hints at how much trouble wealth can cause.

Dear Karen

by Rhys Bowen

1995

Karen's sensible voice is put to the test when romance and friendship questions get personal. Advice is easy to give, much harder to live by.

Forever Friday

by Rhys Bowen

1995

One especially important Friday stretches out into a story about anticipation, plans, and all the ways young friendships can wobble. It is brisk and playful.

Four's a Crowd

by Rhys Bowen

1995

Adding one more person to the mix is enough to upset the balance of a close group. Friendships are tested in familiar middle-school fashion.

Friday Night Fright

by Rhys Bowen

1995

A scary evening, or what feels like one, pushes a group of kids into comic panic. It is a light read built on suspense without real darkness.

Justine's Baby-Sitting Nightmare

by Rhys Bowen

1995

Justine takes on a baby-sitting job and gets far more chaos than she expected. It is a light, fast story about responsibility, embarrassment, and growing up.

Karen's Lessons in Love

by Rhys Bowen

1995

Karen approaches romance like a problem to solve, then discovers feelings do not follow tidy rules. It is a gentle, funny look at learning as you go.

No More Boys

by Rhys Bowen

1995

After one too many romantic messes, the girls swear off boy trouble. That vow is about as stable as you'd expect at fourteen.

Roni's Sweet Fifteen

by Rhys Bowen

1995

A big birthday should be pure fun, but Roni's celebration comes with all the usual high school complications. Family expectations and romantic hopes collide fast.

Sleepover Madness

by Rhys Bowen

1995

A simple sleepover turns into a chain of small disasters, hurt feelings, and laughs. It is quick, younger-skewing friendship drama with lots of energy.

The Boy Next Door

by Rhys Bowen

1995

A teen romance in which the familiar boy nearby starts to look a lot more interesting, and a lot more complicated. Friendship, attraction, and awkward timing do the rest.

The Boyfriend Wars

by Rhys Bowen

1995

The club's friendships are tested when crushes and misunderstandings turn into open competition. Suddenly the girls are not just chasing boys, they are battling over them.

Cool in School

by Rhys Bowen

1996

Tia gets invited to a party by the coolest guy around, but getting there means persuading Tamera to help. One night out suddenly feels worth a lifetime of grounding.

Homegirl on the Range

by Rhys Bowen

1996

A change of scene gives Tia and Tamera new adventures and new chances to embarrass themselves. Even far from home, sisterly chaos follows them.

One Crazy Christmas

by Rhys Bowen

1996

The holidays should bring family fun, but Tia and Tamera are never that lucky. One festive season turns into a comic mess of plans, pressure, and twin confusion.

Secret Valentine

by Rhys Bowen

1996

Mystery notes and romantic guesses make Valentine's Day more stressful than sweet. The fun comes from not knowing who means what.

Toe-Shoe Trouble

by Rhys Bowen

1996

A dance or performance problem throws everything off balance. The book mixes ambition, embarrassment, and friendship in an age-appropriate way.

Who Do You Love?

by Rhys Bowen

1996

A young heroine has to sort out what she really wants from love rather than what everyone expects. It is a straightforward, emotional teen romance.

You Read My Mind

by Rhys Bowen

1996

Twin intuition, school drama, and boy trouble make life extra complicated for Tia and Tamera. The sisters have to work out whether they really understand each other after all.

All Rapped Up

by Rhys Bowen

1997

Music, school, and the sisters' very different personalities collide in another quick, funny adventure. One plan too many threatens to leave both twins embarrassed.

Evans Above

by Rhys Bowen

1997

Constable Evan Evans trades city policing for a quiet Welsh village, then finds two hikers murdered on a mountain trail. Small-town gossip, rivalries, and old grudges make the case anything but simple.

Flamingo Revenge

by Rhys Bowen

1997

Stephanie and her friends battle the Flamingoes again, this time over the future of the pool club. Rivalries, crushes, and one last chance to win make the stakes feel huge.

Fun, Sun, and Flamingoes

by Rhys Bowen

1997

Sunshine, school politics, and the dreaded Flamingoes make life complicated for Stephanie. It is a brisk middle-school story full of rivalry, friendship, and crush trouble.

He's All That

by Rhys Bowen

1997

A new romance and a familiar case of mixed-up identities send Tia and Tamera into another tangle of school and family drama. Twin life keeps the stakes twice as high.

Star Quality

by Rhys Bowen

1997

A brush with fame puts Tia and Tamera in the spotlight and tests how well they can handle attention. Stardom turns out to be more trouble than glamour.

Summer Daze

by Rhys Bowen

1997

Summer jobs go wrong, so Tia and Tamera end up as junior counselors at camp. Romance, rivalry, and one lifeguard make the season anything but restful.

Evan Help Us

by Rhys Bowen

1998

An archaeological discovery sets two Welsh villages at odds, and the excitement turns deadly when money and local pride get involved. Evan has to untangle greed, ambition, and a murder before the feud gets worse.

Evanly Choirs

by Rhys Bowen

1999

Evan joins the local male choir just as a famous tenor returns home and stirs up old trouble. When the singer hints that his memoirs will expose secrets, murder follows close behind.

Love Potion

by Rhys Bowen

1999

A crush gets a mischievous twist in this light romance about trying to control love and learning you really cannot. Fun, fast, and a little chaotic.

The King and I

by Rhys Bowen

1999

A royal or theatrical fantasy brushes up against ordinary teen life in this playful, romance-leaning story. The title promises glamour, but the emotions stay personal.

Torn Apart

by Rhys Bowen

1999

Crushes, misunderstandings, and divided loyalties pull a teen relationship to the breaking point. The story leans into the ache of feeling split in two directions at once.

Evan and Elle

by Rhys Bowen

2000

A glamorous French restaurant opens in Llanfair, then a string of fires ends with a body in the ruins. Evan follows the trail from Wales to France in search of a killer.

Seal of the Confessional

by Rhys Bowen

2000

A crime and a sacred silence collide in this tense short mystery. The title promise is clear: what is heard in confidence may carry a terrible cost.

Evan Can Wait

by Rhys Bowen

2001

A documentary crew arrives to raise a World War II bomber from a Welsh lake, and old wounds come with it. When one filmmaker turns up dead, Evan finds the past is anything but buried.

Kiss and Lie

by Rhys Bowen

2001

A kiss sets off a chain of lies that grows harder to control with every chapter. This YA story leans into secrets, guilt, and romantic confusion.

Murphy's Law

by Rhys Bowen

2001

After killing a man in self-defense, Molly Murphy flees Ireland for America and lands on Ellis Island under suspicion. When another man is murdered there, she becomes the obvious suspect and must save herself.

Secrets

by Rhys Bowen

2001

Private truths and public appearances collide in a teen story where what is hidden matters most. The tension comes from who will speak first.

Death of Riley

by Rhys Bowen

2002

Trying to start over in New York, Molly apprentices herself to a private investigator. When her mentor's office becomes a crime scene, she is pulled into a dangerous case of her own.

Evans to Betsy

by Rhys Bowen

2002

Barmaid Betsy is dazzled by a New Age center and its promises of hidden powers. When the center's director vanishes, her dreams may hold clues, but they may also put her in terrible danger.

Doppelganger

by Rhys Bowen

2003

A sharp, unsettling short mystery in which a disturbing double turns an ordinary situation into something far more dangerous. Identity and deception are at the heart of it.

Evan Only Knows

by Rhys Bowen

2003

Visiting his mother in Swansea, Evan learns the man convicted of killing his father is accused of murder again. Against his own instincts and loyalties, he starts to believe the young man may be innocent.

For the Love of Mike

by Rhys Bowen

2003

Molly juggles runaway girls, cheating husbands, and sweatshop secrets, then a body in the East River drags her into the city's criminal underworld. It is more perilous than any routine job should be.

Evan's Gate

by Rhys Bowen

2004

Renovating a mountain cottage should mark a new start for Evan and Bronwen, until he uncovers a child's skeleton in the yard. The old death soon seems tied to a girl missing in the present.

Evan Blessed

by Rhys Bowen

2005

A missing hiker leads Evan to a hidden bunker and the sense that a clever predator is at work. When his own fiancee disappears, the case turns frighteningly personal.

In Like Flynn

by Rhys Bowen

2005

Molly goes undercover at a senator's mansion to expose fake spiritualists, only to find an old kidnapping case may hold darker truths. The séance atmosphere is eerie, and murder is close behind.

Evanly Bodies

by Rhys Bowen

2006

A teenage girl vanishes after her family arranges a marriage for her, while Evan also hunts a killer targeting local men. The two mysteries collide in a tense and dangerous investigation.

Oh Danny Boy

by Rhys Bowen

2006

Molly wants distance from Daniel Sullivan until he is jailed and accused of taking bribes. Clearing his name means stepping into a case tied to a brutal serial killer.

Her Royal Spyness

by Rhys Bowen

2007

Flat broke and far down the line of succession, Lady Georgiana escapes to London to make her own way. Then a man winds up dead in her bathtub, and Georgie has to clear her name fast.

In Dublin's Fair City

by Rhys Bowen

2007

A chance to return to Ireland becomes complicated when Molly boards a liner and finds a famous actress missing, then another passenger dead. So much for a quiet crossing home.

A Royal Pain

by Rhys Bowen

2008

Georgie is ordered to chaperone a Bavarian princess and steer her toward the Prince of Wales. Between maid work, shoplifting scandals, and a body in a bookshop, the plan falls apart quickly.

Tell Me, Pretty Maiden

by Rhys Bowen

2008

Snowed under with work, Molly thinks she may finally need help, then she finds a speechless young woman collapsed in Central Park. Everyone else wants the woman locked away, but Molly suspects a bigger story.

In a Gilded Cage

by Rhys Bowen

2009

After a suffrage protest lands her in jail, Molly takes on two private cases among educated young women and wealthy families. A suspicious death pushes her toward some very dangerous men.

Royal Flush

by Rhys Bowen

2009

Sent back to Castle Rannoch, Georgie must keep a royal guest from seducing the Prince of Wales. A secret mission at Balmoral adds danger, scandal, and the threat of murder.

Royal Blood

by Rhys Bowen

2010

Georgie is dispatched to a wedding in Transylvania, where the atmosphere is creepy even before a guest is poisoned. Saving the celebration means solving the crime before panic takes over.

The Last Illusion

by Rhys Bowen

2010

When a stage illusion goes horribly wrong before Harry Houdini can perform, Molly is drawn into the dangerous world of vaudeville magic. Someone may be using tricks to hide a very real crime.

Bless the Bride

by Rhys Bowen

2011

With her wedding to Daniel close at hand, Molly promises to give up detective work, then promptly takes one last case. A missing Chinese bride leads her into a troubling and tightly controlled world.

Naughty in Nice

by Rhys Bowen

2011

On the French Riviera, Georgie hunts for the Queen's stolen snuff box and ends up modeling for Coco Chanel. Then a necklace disappears and murder crashes the catwalk.

The Amersham Rubies

by Rhys Bowen

2011

Before America, Molly is a sharp young woman in Ireland helping at a grand house party. When a priceless ruby necklace disappears, she finds herself solving her very first mystery.

Hush Now, Don't You Cry

by Rhys Bowen

2012

Molly and Daniel's honeymoon at a Newport estate turns sour when their host is found dead below the cliffs. Molly tries to stay out of it, but the chase begins anyway.

Masked Ball at Broxley Manor

by Rhys Bowen

2012

At a masked Halloween ball, young Georgie meets a foreign prince she expected to dread and finds him unexpectedly charming. Then her rescuer vanishes, and the whole glittering evening turns strange.

The Twelve Clues of Christmas

by Rhys Bowen

2012

A cozy village Christmas job turns grim when one death is followed by another, and then another. Georgie starts to suspect someone is arranging deadly accidents in the snow.

Heirs and Graces

by Rhys Bowen

2013

Georgie is asked to polish an uncouth new heir fresh from Australia, only to arrive at a house full of hostile relatives. When the duke is murdered, the young heir becomes the obvious suspect.

The Face in the Mirror

by Rhys Bowen

2013

Newly married and bored by domestic life, Molly attends a suffragist meeting and meets a woman who claims to live in a haunted house. It is just the kind of mystery she cannot resist.

The Family Way

by Rhys Bowen

2013

Pregnant and meant to be resting, Molly stumbles onto a missing servant case at the same time babies are being kidnapped across New York. She cannot stop digging, even when Daniel sends her away for safety.

City of Darkness and Light

by Rhys Bowen

2014

After violence at home shatters Molly's new family life, she travels to Paris with baby Liam. There she finds her friends missing and a murder waiting in the City of Light.

Dreamwalker

by Rhys Bowen

2014

After her mother's death, California girl Addy is sent to a strange Welsh boarding school and discovers a hallway into another world. Soon she learns her vivid dreams are a dangerous power.

Queen of Hearts

by Rhys Bowen

2014

A transatlantic trip meant to support Georgie's mother through a Reno divorce turns into a Hollywood mystery. Jewel theft, movie people, and a sudden murder make the voyage anything but restful.

Through the Window

by Rhys Bowen

2014

Confined to bed after Liam's birth, Molly starts watching the street from her window. What she sees across the way soon stirs her old detective instincts.

Away in a Manger

by Rhys Bowen

2015

At Christmas, Molly and Bridie try to help a ragged girl singing in the street and discover two children with good manners, bad circumstances, and a missing mother. The trail leads high into New York society.

Malice at the Palace

by Rhys Bowen

2015

Georgie is assigned to Princess Marina's side ahead of a royal wedding and told to keep scandal at bay. Then one of the groom's supposed mistresses is murdered.

The Edge of Dreams

by Rhys Bowen

2015

A train crash, taunting notes, and a killer with no obvious pattern leave Daniel baffled. Molly's strange dreams may hold the clue they need, if she can decipher them in time.

Crowned and Dangerous

by Rhys Bowen

2016

Georgie's hopes for a quick marriage to Darcy are derailed when his father is arrested for murder in Ireland. Proving his innocence means walking into family tensions and old resentments.

Time of Fog and Fire

by Rhys Bowen

2016

Daniel vanishes into secret work, and a glimpse of him in San Francisco tells Molly he is in trouble. She sets off cross-country with Liam into danger she can barely guess.

In Farleigh Field

by Rhys Bowen

2017

A dead parachutist lands on a country estate in wartime England, and suspicions quickly turn to espionage. Family loyalties, Bletchley secrets, and looming betrayal drive the story.

On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service

by Rhys Bowen

2017

An Italian house party gives Georgie the chance to help a friend and quietly stop a royal scandal. Too bad the hostess hates her, Darcy is undercover, and trouble is brewing everywhere.

The Ghost of Christmas Past

by Rhys Bowen

2017

Hoping for a peaceful Christmas, Molly instead lands in a house haunted by the disappearance of a little girl ten years earlier. Then, on Christmas Eve, the missing child seems to come home.

Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding

by Rhys Bowen

2018

Before Georgie can marry Darcy, she has to inspect the country estate where they might live. Sabotage, bad staff, and what looks like an attempt on her life suggest someone wants her gone.

The Tuscan Child

by Rhys Bowen

2018

Years after her father's death, Joanna travels to Tuscany to uncover the truth behind his wartime past. What she finds is a love story shadowed by betrayal and long-kept secrets.

What Child Is This

by Rhys Bowen

2018

During the London Blitz, a grieving couple find shelter in a seemingly abandoned mansion on Christmas night. There, in the dark, they encounter an unexpected act of grace.

Love and Death Among the Cheetahs

by Rhys Bowen

2019

Georgie's honeymoon in Kenya should be romantic, but Darcy is on a secret mission and the Happy Valley set is a mess of affairs and lies. When a local lord dies, the case looks far from accidental.

The Victory Garden

by Rhys Bowen

2019

During World War I, Emily Bryce throws herself into war work and finds love, grief, and hard choices on a Devon estate. Old journals and healing herbs shape the life she must rebuild.

Above the Bay of Angels

by Rhys Bowen

2020

After a dying stranger hands her a letter, Bella seizes the chance to work in Queen Victoria's kitchens and escape her old life. Then blackmail and a suspected poisoning threaten everything.

The Last Mrs. Summers

by Rhys Bowen

2020

A trip to Cornwall with Belinda leads Georgie into a tense house full of bad history and worse secrets. When murder strikes, Belinda becomes the prime suspect.

God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen

by Rhys Bowen

2021

Christmas at Sandringham sounds festive until Georgie learns the Queen expects her to spy. A string of suspicious deaths makes the holiday gathering downright dangerous.

The Venice Sketchbook

by Rhys Bowen

2021

A bequest sends Caroline to Venice to scatter her great-aunt's ashes and unlock the past. The story that emerges is one of art, war, love, and an old secret still waiting to be set right.

Peril in Paris

by Rhys Bowen

2022

Pregnant and restless, Georgie heads to Paris to visit Belinda and ends up helping Darcy with a dangerous errand. Soon she is chasing a killer while Europe edges toward war.

Where the Sky Begins

by Rhys Bowen

2022

After the Blitz destroys her life in London, Josie Banks starts over in the countryside and builds a small tea shop. New love and an old husband make her fragile peace hard to keep.

Wild Irish Rose

by Rhys Bowen

2022

Back on Ellis Island to help new arrivals, Molly is shaken when a murder suspect turns out to be her dead ringer. The case echoes her own past and feels strangely fated.

All That Is Hidden

by Rhys Bowen

2023

When Daniel suddenly announces a move to Fifth Avenue and a run for sheriff on the Tammany ticket, Molly knows something is wrong. Politics, wealth, and lies make this a dangerous mystery.

The Paris Assignment

by Rhys Bowen

2023

Separated from her husband by war and devastated by loss, Madeleine returns to occupied France to aid the resistance. Her mission is fueled by grief, courage, and the hope of justice.

The Proof of the Pudding

by Rhys Bowen

2023

Georgie's first house party at Eynsleigh should be a triumph, until a dinner at a nearby manor ends in apparent poisoning. She has to protect her chef and her reputation before the baby arrives.

In Sunshine or in Shadow

by Rhys Bowen

2024

Typhoid sends Molly north for the summer, where boredom quickly gives way to a body in the Catskills. Family visits, artists, and old tensions make for a lively and dangerous holiday.

The Rose Arbor

by Rhys Bowen

2024

A missing girl in 1968 leads Liz Houghton toward an abandoned village and a mystery reaching back to the Blitz. The past feels uncomfortably close from the start.

We Three Queens

by Rhys Bowen

2024

With a newborn at home and Wallis Simpson hidden on the estate, Georgie already has enough to manage. Then a film crew starts shooting on the grounds, and one of its stars is murdered.

From Cradle to Grave

by Rhys Bowen

2025

While hunting for a suitable nanny, Georgie notices a string of mysterious deaths among young men around London. The cases seem unrelated, until she fears Darcy may be next.

Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure

by Rhys Bowen

2025

After her husband asks for a divorce, Ellie Endicott heads for the South of France with two unlikely companions. What begins as escape becomes friendship, reinvention, and the start of war.

Silent as the Grave

by Rhys Bowen

2025

Bridie lands a role in one of the new motion pictures, and Molly is soon worrying about more than stage fright. Deadly accidents on set suggest sabotage, and she goes undercover to find out why.

New

The Castle in the Glen

by Rhys Bowen

2026

A ghostwriter researching a mystery novel on the Isle of Skye discovers it is based on a real unsolved crime. A powerful family would prefer the truth stay buried.

New

To Crown It All

by Rhys Bowen

2026

As the coronation of King George VI approaches, Georgie suspects her mother is sending a hidden plea for help from dangerous company. When a German count is murdered, the duchess becomes the obvious suspect.

New

Vanished in the Crowd

by Rhys Bowen

2026

During New York's 1909 Hudson-Fulton celebrations, Molly takes a case involving a missing scientist and some secretive Vassar women. When a parade turns deadly, her loyalties are split on every side.

Coming Soon

A Whiff of Scandal

by Rhys Bowen

2027

Molly Murphy Sullivan faces another historical mystery in which gossip, reputation, and one dangerous secret threaten to become something far deadlier than talk.

Where should I start?

If you want cozy Welsh village mysteries: Evans AboveEvan Help UsEvanly Choirs
If you want an immigrant sleuth in old New York: Murphy's LawDeath of RileyFor the Love of Mike
If you want witty royal capers: Her Royal SpynessA Royal PainRoyal Flush
If you want sweeping historical standalones: In Farleigh FieldThe Tuscan ChildThe Venice SketchbookThe Rose Arbor

Author bio

Rhys Bowen was born in Bath, England, and grew up with strong ties to both England and Wales, a mix that shows up all through her fiction. She studied at the University of London, then started out not in publishing but in broadcasting, working in drama at the BBC.

That early TV work seems to have suited her.

While working on a play she didn't much like, she decided she could write a better one herself. It was a bold move, and an important one. That script was produced, and it helped set her on the road toward a writing life. She later lived in Australia and worked there in broadcasting too, before eventually settling in the United States after marrying John Quin-Harkin.

For years she wrote children's and young adult books under her married name, Janet Quin-Harkin. She was hugely productive, turning out picture books, teen romances, and series fiction at a fast clip. That long apprenticeship mattered. It taught her how to keep pages moving, how to build character quickly, and how to write with the kind of clarity that makes a story easy to fall into.

Places matter in her books.

When she turned to adult mysteries, she drew on the landscapes and histories she knew best. Evans Above, the first Evan Evans novel, takes readers to a Welsh village in Snowdonia, where small-town humor sits right beside murder. Then came Murphy's Law, which introduced Molly Murphy, an Irish immigrant trying to build a life in early twentieth-century New York. That series gave Bowen room to explore Ellis Island, political corruption, class, family, and the rough energy of a changing city.

Molly quickly became one of her signature characters. Smart, impulsive, and hard to keep out of trouble, she is the kind of sleuth who pulls readers along because she feels fully alive on the page. Later books in the series widen Molly's world even more, taking her from New York to Newport, Paris, San Francisco, and beyond. In more recent installments, Bowen has written the series with her daughter Clare Broyles.

Her other major heroine, Lady Georgiana Rannoch of Her Royal Spyness, lets Bowen lean into a lighter, funnier side. Georgie is a minor royal in 1930s Britain, high-born, broke, and constantly getting mixed up in murders, scandals, and royal errands. The books are breezy, sharp, and affectionate about British class absurdities without ever losing their mystery plot.

Bowen also reached a wide audience with standalones such as In Farleigh Field, The Tuscan Child, and The Venice Sketchbook. These novels keep her gift for atmosphere and historical detail, but they trade the recurring sleuth for larger family stories, wartime secrets, and emotional reckonings that unfold across different timelines.

Today she divides her time between California and Arizona. When she is not writing, she has spoken about loving travel, hiking, painting, singing, playing the Celtic harp, and spoiling her grandchildren. It all fits the books somehow: the curiosity, the warmth, the sense that history is made of real people with messy lives.

That human touch is what makes readers stay.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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