Baron Blasko Mysteries Books in Order

The Baron Blasko Mysteries drop classic vampire lore into Depression era Alabama and then treat it like a small town crime problem. Josephine Nicolson, a sharp, unmarried banker in the town of Sumter, heads to Romania to scatter her grandfather's ashes and comes home magically bound to an old world vampire.

Baron Dragomir Blasko is cultured, dangerous and very out of place in rural Alabama, so Josephine does the only thing she can think of and settles him in her basement. Their uneasy partnership is watched closely by her suspicious maid, and by neighbors who have no idea a supernatural houseguest has moved in next door.

In Fangs, the first book, a murder across the street makes Josephine wonder whether Blasko is responsible. Clearing his name means pairing her sensible banker's mind with his centuries of experience and very nonhuman perspective. As the body count rises, the two of them are forced to act as reluctant sleuths as well as reluctant roommates.

Later books like Knives and Claws push further into both crime and the uncanny. A stabbing threatens the freedom of Josephine's maid's brother, an old cult tries to summon something far worse than a single vampire, and a monstrous predator stalks lonely roads outside town. Each case forces Josephine and Blasko to navigate Southern social rules, racial tension and gossip while hiding who, and what, he really is.

The tone balances spooky fun with real stakes. There are murders to solve, victims to protect and villains who may be human, supernatural or a messy mix of both. At the same time, the books have the rhythms of a cozy mystery, with recurring side characters, domestic scenes in Josephine's big house and a running joke about what it means to have a vampire as a boarder.

If you like your mysteries laced with gothic atmosphere and a bit of wry humor, this series leans into both.

Over time the Baron Blasko books build a sense of community around Sumter and deepen the odd friendship at their core. Josephine's stubborn pragmatism and Blasko's old world manners make them an unlikely team, but watching them adapt to each new threat is a big part of the fun.