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A Pot Thief Murder Mystery Books in Order

Part ofJ Michael Orenduff Books in Order

Find every A Pot Thief Murder Mystery by J. Michael Orenduff in order, with summaries, series background, and easy where-to-start guidance.

Last updated: July 14, 2026

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A Pot Thief Murder Mystery books in publication order

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10 books

1

The Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy

by J Michael Orenduff

2009

Hubie plans to recover sacred pots stolen from the secluded San Roque Pueblo, except they are hidden high inside an upscale Albuquerque building. A murder arrest and a mysterious woman derail his scheme, forcing him to solve two problems at once.

2

The Pot Thief Who Studied Pythagoras

by J Michael Orenduff

2009

Pottery dealer Hubie Schuze is offered a fortune to steal a rare museum piece, then decides the security is too tight. When the pot vanishes anyway, he becomes a suspect and must find the real thief before the case turns lethal.

3

The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein

by J Michael Orenduff

2010

Hubie accepts a secret appraisal job for a reclusive pottery collector, only to find replicas among the valuable pieces and lose his payment. When the collector turns up dead, Hubie is drawn into the victim's dangerous private world.

4

The Pot Thief Who Studied Escoffier

by J Michael Orenduff

2011

A Santa Fe restaurateur hires Hubie to make one hundred dinner plates for a new Austrian restaurant. When the kitchen staff begins dying, he must untangle the rivalries behind the scenes before the job, and his escape, turn deadly.

5

The Pot Thief Who Studied Billy the Kid

by J Michael Orenduff

2012

While searching a cliffside cave for ancient pottery, Hubie discovers a corpse where it should not be and is left stranded after his truck disappears. With Susannah's help, he follows the clues into a mystery tied to Billy the Kid.

6

The Pot Thief Who Studied D. H. Lawrence

by J Michael Orenduff

2012

Hubie agrees to recover a legendary handcrafted pot connected to D. H. Lawrence's years in Taos. A blizzard traps him at the Lawrence ranch with several strangers, and it soon becomes clear that one of them is a killer.

7

The Pot Thief Who Studied Georgia O'Keeffe

by J Michael Orenduff

2016

Hubie tries to reach rare Tompiro pottery hidden inside the heavily guarded Trinity Site, while Susannah uncovers a possible lost Georgia O'Keeffe painting. When an associate is murdered, forged pots and private secrets turn the search into a dangerous case.

8

The Pot Thief Who Studied Edward Abbey

by J Michael Orenduff

2018

Back at the University of New Mexico as a pottery teacher, Hubie struggles with modern campus life. When a young life model is murdered and he becomes a suspect, he must sort through feuding faculty, students, and a killer's plan.

9

The Pot Thief Who Studied the Woman at Otowi Crossing

by J Michael Orenduff

2021

Hubie Schuze finds a man dead outside his Albuquerque pottery shop, apparently stabbed by an unseen attacker. A note linking the victim to Hubie, and a new job running a university art department, pull him into a baffling investigation.

10

The Pot Thief Who Studied Calvin

by J Michael Orenduff

2025

Hubie's nephew brings him a curious 3D-printed pot, and a newspaper photo soon attracts dangerous attention. After a murder, the Albuquerque pottery dealer must discover the object's true history before the people seeking it strike again.

A Pot Thief Murder Mystery books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Pot Thief Who Studied Pythagoras"

    The Pot Thief Who Studied Pythagoras

    by J Michael Orenduff

    2009A Pot Thief Murder Mystery, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy"

    The Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy

    by J Michael Orenduff

    2009A Pot Thief Murder Mystery, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein"

    The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein

    by J Michael Orenduff

    2010A Pot Thief Murder Mystery, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "The Pot Thief Who Studied Escoffier"

    The Pot Thief Who Studied Escoffier

    by J Michael Orenduff

    2011A Pot Thief Murder Mystery, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "The Pot Thief Who Studied D. H. Lawrence"

    The Pot Thief Who Studied D. H. Lawrence

    by J Michael Orenduff

    2012A Pot Thief Murder Mystery, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "The Pot Thief Who Studied Billy the Kid"

    The Pot Thief Who Studied Billy the Kid

    by J Michael Orenduff

    2012A Pot Thief Murder Mystery, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "The Pot Thief Who Studied Georgia O'Keeffe"

    The Pot Thief Who Studied Georgia O'Keeffe

    by J Michael Orenduff

    2016A Pot Thief Murder Mystery, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "The Pot Thief Who Studied Edward Abbey"

    The Pot Thief Who Studied Edward Abbey

    by J Michael Orenduff

    2018A Pot Thief Murder Mystery, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "The Pot Thief Who Studied the Woman at Otowi Crossing"

    The Pot Thief Who Studied the Woman at Otowi Crossing

    by J Michael Orenduff

    2021A Pot Thief Murder Mystery, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "The Pot Thief Who Studied Calvin"

    The Pot Thief Who Studied Calvin

    by J Michael Orenduff

    2025A Pot Thief Murder Mystery, Book 10

Series background & context

A Pot Thief Murder Mystery follows Hubert, usually called Hubie, Schuze, an Albuquerque dealer in ancient pottery with a questionable sideline in finding artifacts on public land. Hubie sees himself as a rescuer of old craft traditions. The law sees a pot thief. That disagreement is the starting point for a series that mixes crime puzzles with arguments about history, ownership, and what people owe the past.

Hubie runs a pottery shop called Spirits in Clay, and he has a gift for landing in situations that are far more dangerous than a quiet business day should allow. A tempting commission, a missing vessel, a strange buyer, or an old clue can lead him toward murder. He is clever, stubborn, and not especially good at staying out of an investigation once he thinks something does not add up.

The setting matters as much as the crimes.

Most of the action unfolds across New Mexico, especially Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, and the state’s wide open country. The books bring in pottery traditions, local food, art, history, university life, and the occasional hard-to-reach building or isolated ranch. Those details give each mystery its own shape without losing the series’ familiar home base.

The first book, The Pot Thief Who Studied Pythagoras, puts Hubie in trouble after he agrees to consider stealing a rare museum piece. From there, the series moves through stolen sacred objects, secretive collectors, restaurant rivalries, a snowbound gathering, a cave with a body in it, and crimes linked to artists and historical figures. The mysteries can get serious, but the tone stays lively and conversational.

Hubie’s friends, romantic complications, and encounters with Detective Whit Fletcher help give the books continuity. Each novel has its own central case, so readers can pick one up on its own. Reading in order, though, makes the changing relationships and running jokes more rewarding.

Expect a cozy-leaning mystery with sharper edges than the label sometimes suggests. There are real risks, but also wry dialogue, oddball schemes, and plenty of room for Hubie to think aloud about the world while trying not to become the next victim.

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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