A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery Books in Order
Part ofSue Ann Jaffarian Books in OrderSee the A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery books by Sue Ann Jaffarian in order, with quick summaries, series background, and where to start.
Last updated: July 12, 2026
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A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery books in publication order
11 books
Ghost a la Mode
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2009
Emma Whitecastle discovers that her ancestor Granny Apples is not resting quietly. With Granny's help, she reopens an old Julian murder and starts untangling the family scandal that branded Granny a killer.
Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2011
Emma and Granny meet the ghost of Tessa North, a young starlet still haunting Catalina Island in her polka dot bikini. To help her cross over, they have to uncover who Curtis was and how Tessa really died.
Gem of a Ghost
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2012
Emma Whitecastle and Granny Apples are drawn into another paranormal mystery, where a restless spirit and a trail of long-buried secrets put the living at risk. Cozy on the surface, the case still carries real danger.
The Silent Ghost
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2013
Kelly Whitecastle wants a normal life at Harvard, but reporter Tanisha Costello arrives with a haunting problem. Granny Apples pushes Kelly to use the gift she keeps trying to deny before a dangerous spirit gets the upper hand.
Dummy of a Ghost
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2014
Kelly Whitecastle hopes a party will be a fun reunion, until a ventriloquist's dummies seem to stare straight at her. The spirits inside them warn that their grandson Chris is in mortal danger, and Kelly has to find out why.
Ghost of a Gamble
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2014
Emma and Granny Apples head to Las Vegas to help a former showgirl haunted by a dead hood. When a mobster turns up dead and the woman disappears, the case turns into a hunt for missing loot and the truth behind an old heist.
Ghost in the Guacamole
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2015
When sisters Lucy and Rikki Ricardo feud over the family business, Emma Whitecastle is asked to contact their dead father. His ghost brings worse news, his death was no accident, and one of his daughters may be next.
The Ghost of Mistletoe Mary
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2015
At Christmas, Emma, Granny Apples, and psychic PI Jeremiah Jones join forces to find a missing homeless woman. It is one of the grittier Granny Apples cases, mixing holiday atmosphere with real danger and heartbreak.
The Ghosts of Misty Hollow
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2016
Emma Whitecastle heads to a historic Massachusetts farmhouse to help bestselling novelist Gino Costello with paranormal details for his new book. Instead she finds a family of ghosts, two missing children from the past, and a very fresh murder.
Ghosts ‘n Graveyards
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2020
Emma and Phil plan a quiet Thanksgiving with Jeremiah Jones, until Granny Apples arrives with a plea from another ghost. What starts in Julian's Pioneer Cemetery soon turns into a murder investigation.
The Ghost of Christmas Granny
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2022
A few weeks before Christmas, Emma Whitecastle begins hearing a young boy named Kaleb calling for help in her mind. When a missing-child report appears, Emma, Phil, and Granny race the clock to find him alive.
A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery books in chronological order
Ghost a la Mode
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2009A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery, Book 1
Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2011A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery, Book 2
Gem of a Ghost
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2012A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery, Book 3
The Silent Ghost
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2013A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery, Book 4
Dummy of a Ghost
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2014A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery, Book 5
Ghost of a Gamble
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2014A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery, Book 6
Ghost in the Guacamole
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2015A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery, Book 7
The Ghost of Mistletoe Mary
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2015A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery, Book 8
The Ghosts of Misty Hollow
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2016A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery, Book 9
Ghosts ‘n Graveyards
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2020A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery, Book 10
The Ghost of Christmas Granny
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
2022A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery, Book 11
Series background & context
Emma Whitecastle does not begin this series looking for ghosts. She is trying to live an ordinary Southern California life, raise her daughter, and get through her own problems in one piece. Then she learns that the dead are not always quiet, and one of them is family.
That family ghost is Ish Reynolds, better known as Granny Apples. She was famous in Julian, California, for her pies long before she became famous for something worse, being blamed for her husband Jacob's murder. Granny is funny, bossy, impatient, and impossible to ignore, even in death. Once she latches onto Emma, the two of them become an unlikely sleuthing team.
The early emotional backbone of the series is Granny's old case. Starting with Ghost a la Mode, Emma is pulled into the question of what really happened to Jacob and whether her ancestor's name can finally be cleared. That long-ago family wound gives the books a strong thread, but each installment also brings its own mystery, restless spirits, frightened clients, fresh bodies, and secrets that have sat too long in the dark.
Julian and the wider California setting matter a lot here. The books move through old houses, cemeteries, tourist towns, beaches, casinos, and family kitchens, and Jaffarian gets good use out of the contrast between everyday life and the supernatural. The ghosts are not just decorations. They usually want justice, warning, closure, or help, and that keeps the paranormal side tied closely to the mystery plot.
Emma is what keeps the whole thing grounded. She is practical, skeptical, tired, caring, and often dragged into danger against her better judgment. As the series grows, so does the supporting cast, including Phil Bowers, Emma's daughter Kelly, and psychic investigator Jeremiah Jones. Their relationships bring warmth and give the books a sense of ongoing family life, not just one haunting after another.
The tone is cozy, but not weightless. Granny can be hilarious, and the banter is part of the fun, yet the series also has room for grief, old injustice, and the lonely side of unfinished business. If you like paranormal mysteries that stay human, this is a good fit.
Start with Ghost a la Mode for the family story, then keep going if you want murder, humor, California atmosphere, and a ghost who always has one more opinion.
Edited by
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