A Smart Chick Mystery Books in Order

The Smart Chick Mysteries follow Josephine Tulip, a household hints columnist with a knack for turning everyday know how into crime solving tools, and her best friend Danny Watkins, a talented yet underused photographer. Together they bring a light, slightly quirky energy to a set of very real mysteries.

In The Trouble with Tulip, Jo is still reeling from being left at the altar when her next door neighbor dies under suspicious circumstances. The police are ready to call it an accident, but Jo's eye for detail and Danny's camera tell a different story. As the pair follow up on small clues and chemical oddities that other people overlook, Jo slowly begins to heal from heartbreak while Danny struggles with feelings he has been hiding for years.

Blind Dates can be Murder pushes Jo out of her comfort zone when she agrees to a computer matched blind date that goes from awkward to deadly in a matter of hours. Her date collapses, suspicious items are found in his car, and suddenly Jo is tangled up in a case where she might be the intended victim. Once again, everyday tips, common sense, and faith become unlikely weapons against danger.

In Elementary, My Dear Watkins, Jo is recovering from earlier injuries and trying to keep life simple while Danny is overseas building his photography career. An anonymous email warns that her life is in danger, and an attempted shove in front of a New York train leaves her ex fiancé badly hurt. With the police skeptical and Danny far away, Jo has to rely on a mix of intuition, odd clues tied to her family's business, and help from her grandmother to untangle who wants her dead.

The tone across the series is breezy and often funny, with Jo's mishaps and her practical tips adding levity to serious situations. At the same time, the books deal honestly with betrayal, fear, and the challenge of trusting again after being hurt. Faith is woven in through Jo's conversations with God, wise older mentors, and the way both she and Danny slowly learn what it means to rely on more than their own cleverness.

Though each mystery is resolved by the final chapter, the relationship arc between Jo and Danny builds from book to book, making publication order the best way to read them. This page lists the titles, order, and summaries so you can decide whether to start at Jo's disastrous wedding day or jump in later and circle back.