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A Bought the Farm Mystery Books in Order

Part ofEllen Riggs Books in Order

Browse the Bought-the-Farm Mysteries by Ellen Riggs in order, with book summaries, series background, and tips on following Ivy Galloway and her sheepdog Keats through their animal-filled farm sleuthing.

Last updated: December 26, 2025

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Publication Order

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25 books

1
New

Beg, Burrow or Steal

by Ellen Riggs

2026

As Ivy juggles wedding plans and family chaos, old bones start turning up around Runaway Farm and a grave in the town cemetery is disturbed. Past scandals collide with present danger, forcing her to solve a generations old mystery to protect her future.

2

Till Death Zoo Us Part

by Ellen Riggs

2025

Wedding planning takes a back seat when escaped animals from a local zoo disrupt Ivy’s big day and a groom is found dead at the venue. Ivy and Kellan must investigate a maze of motives before their own walk down the aisle is ruined.

3

One Horse Open Slay

by Ellen Riggs

2025

Clover Grove’s Christmas tree lighting is overshadowed when Keats discovers a body behind the local museum and a priceless antique sleigh vanishes. With only a nervous Shetland pony as witness, Ivy races to solve the crime before holiday celebrations go up in smoke.

4

Hit the Road, Quack

by Ellen Riggs

2025

A mouthy duck lands in Ivy’s new pond just as a romance guru and her fans arrive at Runaway Farm. When the love expert ends up dead and Ivy’s sister is entangled in the fallout, Ivy, Keats and their feathery witness scramble to expose the truth.

5

Sheep with One Eye Open

by Ellen Riggs

2024

Ivy’s twin nephews launch an eco friendly lawn mowing business using sheep, and Runaway Farm signs on as their first client. When the flock spots more than weeds and a new crime surfaces, Ivy and Keats discover that these woolly workers never sleep on the job.

6

Roo the Day

by Ellen Riggs

2024

A long held wish for a wallaby becomes a full blown crisis when a runaway kangaroo bounds into Clover Grove and gets blamed for a suspicious death. Ivy joins the chase, determined to clear the marsupial and corner a human killer.

7

Bee All and End All

by Ellen Riggs

2024

Dragged back into high school drama by a beekeeping scandal and a dreaded reunion, Ivy finds old rivalries alive and stinging. When criminal mischief hits the hives, she and Keats must uncover who is weaponizing sweet Clover Grove honey.

8

Think Outside the Fox

by Ellen Riggs

2023

A forestry crew thins the woods around Clover Grove, and the new sunlight exposes more than trees. When a dream home project turns deadly, Ivy, Keats and friends hunt a sly killer who knows how to use the forest for cover.

9

Mouse of Ill Repute

by Ellen Riggs

2023

A Halloween fundraiser in nearby Thistledown promises harmless scares, until a real skeleton appears and a tiny stowaway mouse begs for rescue. Ivy’s newest pocket sized sidekick and Keats help her navigate haunted houses, corn mazes and a very real murderer.

10

Tweet Revenge

by Ellen Riggs

2022

When a mysterious songbird keeps visiting Runaway Farm, Ivy and Jilly follow its trail to a stash of old love letters and a fresh crime. As Jilly’s wedding nears, long buried secrets in Clover Grove turn dangerously personal.

11

For Love or Bunny

by Ellen Riggs

2022

Jilly’s orchard wedding is days away when a ravenous rabbit colony overruns the cemetery and a gardening expert ends up dead. With the mayor threatening to cancel the ceremony, Ivy and Keats must unmask a killer before the big day.

12

Double Dog Dare

by Ellen Riggs

2022

Keats’s breeder tracks Ivy down with heartbreaking news, and the search for the dog’s missing sister pulls them into a dangerous dognapping case. To save the kidnapped collie, Ivy and her team must untangle a crime that links two towns.

13

Deerly Departed

by Ellen Riggs

2022

A holiday theme park called Clausville invites Ivy to help with a reindeer in crisis, then Santa himself is accused of murder. With a beloved attraction at risk, Ivy, Keats and a troubled reindeer race to clear his name before Christmas is ruined.

14

Between a Squawk and a Hard Place

by Ellen Riggs

2022

Ivy finally meets Runaway Farm’s original owner, animal benefactor Hannah Pemberton, only to find trouble close behind. When a new visit to nearby Thistledown turns deadly, Ivy and Keats are caught between old loyalties and a fresh small town mystery.

15

Swan with the Wind

by Ellen Riggs

2021

Jilly’s long estranged grandmother calls from a retirement community, accused of a suspicious death that neighbors blame on a vicious swan. Ivy, Keats and Percy hit the road to help, only to find family drama, secrets and danger waiting by the lake.

16

How to Get a Neigh with Murder

by Ellen Riggs

2021

Tiny but determined, Clippers the miniature horse is training as a service animal when a deathbed confession and a new murder collide. Ivy, Bocelli the singing donkey and Keats trot into trouble to honor an old promise and stop a ruthless killer.

17

Don't Rock the Goat

by Ellen Riggs

2021

Spring brings a trio of pregnant rescue goats to Runaway Farm and an unwelcome blast from Ivy’s past. When another murder shakes Clover Grove, an ornery pickpocket goat joins the crime solving crew as Ivy fights to stop a killer before the kids arrive.

18

Twas the Bite Before Christmas

by Ellen Riggs

2020

Right before Christmas, a grieving, loudmouthed donkey demands room at the inn and refuses to stop singing the blues. His arrival coincides with a holiday murder, forcing Ivy, Keats and friends to decode his message before someone else misses Christmas entirely.

19

Till the Cat Lady Sings

by Ellen Riggs

2020

Keats hates the idea of a feline partner, yet a pushy ginger cat insists on joining Ivy’s latest investigation. When a spiteful cat sitter targets Ivy and a client dies in the family’s new salon, every paw is needed to protect the Galloway name.

20

Swine and Punishment

by Ellen Riggs

2020

Wilma the escape artist sow has been voted most likely to kill among the farm’s animals, so when another body turns up, she takes the blame. As a reality show invades Clover Grove, Ivy and Keats wade through mud and media to find the truth.

21

Dogcatcher in the Rye

by Ellen Riggs

2020

Eager to turn her new hobby farm into a country inn, Ivy is horrified when Keats finds a body in her rye field and her high school sweetheart, now police chief, pegs her as a suspect. Clearing her name means digging into deadly hometown secrets.

22

Dark Side of the Moo

by Ellen Riggs

2020

Trying to repair her inn’s reputation, Ivy hosts a corporate retreat for former colleagues, only to discover a guest dead in the cow barn. With the herd unfairly blamed, she and Keats must find the real killer hiding among familiar faces.

23

Alpaca Lies

by Ellen Riggs

2020

Runaway Farm’s star attraction is Alvina, a dancing alpaca who loves waltzing with handsome men. When a ballroom troupe arrives in town and their famous instructor ends up dead, Alvina becomes the prime suspect and Ivy must tango with danger to clear her.

24

A Streak of Bad Cluck

by Ellen Riggs

2020

A bridge club of elderly ladies should be an easy booking, but their visit ends in tragedy when one guest takes her final flight. As foxes prowl and someone stalks the farm, Ivy and Keats scramble to solve a case full of ruffled feathers.

25

A Dog with Two Tales

by Ellen Riggs

2020

Big city HR executive Ivy thinks she knows how her life will go, until she meets an abused sheepdog in desperate need of rescue. Saving Keats drags her into real danger and shows her a possible future far from corporate cubicles.

Series background & context

The Bought-the-Farm mysteries follow Ivy Galloway, a burned out human resources executive who trades corporate life for a ramshackle hobby farm and country inn in her hometown of Clover Grove.

Her new beginning starts when she rescues Keats, a frighteningly smart border collie who becomes both family and partner in crime solving. Together they return to Clover Grove, where Ivy impulsively buys Runaway Farm and Inn and discovers that rural life comes with zoning nightmares, difficult guests and a surprising number of dead bodies.

Each book drops a fresh challenge in Ivy’s lap. In the short prequel A Dog with Two Tales, she meets Keats and realizes just how far she is willing to go to save one dog from the wrong owner. In Dogcatcher in the Rye, her rye field hides a corpse that threatens the grand opening of the inn and puts her squarely on the chief of police’s suspect list.

From there, the series leans into the cozy chaos of farm life. Dark Side of the Moo brings Ivy’s former corporate colleagues to Runaway Farm for a retreat that ends with a body in the cow barn. A Streak of Bad Cluck sees a bridge club visit turn deadly, while Till the Cat Lady Sings introduces Percy, an opinionated ginger cat whose talents prove very useful when the family salon becomes a crime scene.

Rescue animals are never just window dressing. A dancing alpaca drives the plot of Alpaca Lies, a caroling donkey turns up with terrible news in Twas the Bite Before Christmas, and a giant sow named Wilma is blamed for murder in Swine and Punishment. Later books add a miniature therapy horse, escape artist goats, a wallaby sized complication and even a reindeer in trouble at a holiday theme park.

Across the series, Ivy’s big, boisterous family and her best friend Jilly pitch in, whether that means renovating the inn on a shoestring, running interference with cranky neighbors or chasing clues through corn mazes and Christmas markets. Her slow burn second chance with Kellan Harper, the local police chief and her former high school sweetheart, threads through the investigations without ever taking over the story.

Tonally, the Bought-the-Farm books are fast paced but gentle. The murders matter, and danger is real, yet the focus stays on puzzles, relationships and the joy of watching a motley crew of animals and humans build a life together at Runaway Farm. If you like your cozies clean, funny and full of four legged sidekicks, this series is built to feel like a long visit with friends.

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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All 25 A Bought the Farm Mystery Books in Order (2026)