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Carolyn G Hart Books in Order

See Carolyn G Hart's books in order, with quick summaries, series guides for Death On Demand, Henrie O, and Bailey Ruth, plus where to start.

Last updated: July 6, 2026

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71 books

The Secret of the Cellars

by Carolyn G Hart

1964

Three teens in a sleepy college town get tangled up in a spy caper after a strange buyer takes over an old mansion. The setup is classic middle-grade suspense with a strong mystery pull.

Dangerous Summer

by Carolyn G Hart

1969

A student gets embroiled in a dangerous spy plot while traveling through Europe. Hart keeps the pace brisk and the stakes high in this early young adult suspense novel.

No Easy Answers

by Carolyn G Hart

1970

A college student risks everything to prove his father innocent of treason. It is a lean, serious suspense story about loyalty, politics, and the cost of chasing the truth.

Rendezvous in Veracruz

by Carolyn G Hart

1970

An American college student finds herself caught in an international crime spree. The story moves quickly, using travel and danger to keep the pressure high.

Danger High Explosives!

by Carolyn G Hart

1972

A peaceful protest of the Vietnam War becomes a nightmare in this early suspense novel. Hart gives the story youth, urgency, and a sharper edge than her later cozies.

Flee From the Past

by Carolyn G Hart

1975

A woman who has built a safe family life discovers a stranger knows the dangerous secrets she left behind years earlier in Italy. To protect the people she loves, she has to face the past head on.

A Settling of Accounts

by Carolyn G Hart

1976

Kay Emory thinks her past is buried until a London trip leaves her accused of a crime she did not commit. World War II secrets and unfinished business drive this historical suspense tale.

Escape from Paris

by Carolyn G Hart

1982

Two American sisters risk their lives helping Allied soldiers escape occupied France during World War II. It is a tense, fast-moving story of courage, sacrifice, and danger under occupation.

Castle Rock

by Carolyn G Hart

1983

Death on a dude ranch forces a young woman to hunt for a killer while watching her own back. The New Mexico setting gives this romantic thriller plenty of space and menace.

Death by Surprise

by Carolyn G Hart

1983

A murder case twists around a California lawyer's family tree and exposes danger close to home. Hart gives the setup a strong classic-mystery feel while keeping the tension personal.

The Rich Die Young

by Carolyn G Hart

1983

Wealth and privilege turn poisonous in this standalone suspense novel, where family ambition and hidden motives crowd around a dangerous death. Hart keeps the pressure on the people money cannot protect.

The Devereaux Legacy

by Carolyn G Hart

1986

A young woman investigates her family's secret past on a haunted plantation. The mood is romantic and gothic, but the real engine is buried history finally pushing into the present.

Brave Hearts

by Carolyn G Hart

1987

A diplomat's wife finds love and danger in the Philippines during World War II. Hart blends wartime peril, personal loyalty, and romantic suspense in a brisk standalone.

Death On Demand

by Carolyn G Hart

1987

Annie Laurance's mystery bookstore becomes the center of a locked-room killing when a visiting author dies during a gathering of crime writers. Annie and Max must solve it before Annie takes the blame.

Design For Murder

by Carolyn G Hart

1988

Annie is asked to stage a mock murder for a spring house tour, but a real corpse appears before the night is over. The setup is theatrical, social, and perfectly suited to a classic cozy.

Honeymoon with Murder

by Carolyn G Hart

1988

Newly married Annie and Max should be settling into bliss, but trouble follows them quickly. What begins with romance turns into a lively mystery packed with suspects, danger, and cozy banter.

Something Wicked

by Carolyn G Hart

1988

During a spooky stretch on Broward's Rock, Annie and Max find that playful scares can hide very real malice. Hart uses the festive surface to frame a tight mystery about deceit and revenge.

A Little Class on Murder

by Carolyn G Hart

1989

Annie takes a teaching gig on the great women of crime fiction, then finds herself in the middle of campus scandal. A suicide, two killings, and faculty politics give the case real bite.

Deadly Valentine

by Carolyn G Hart

1990

A lavish Valentine's ball at Howard Cahill's estate ends with Sydney Cahill dead and Laurel caught in the fallout. Annie and Max have to cut through jealousy, wealth, and romantic ruin.

The Christie Caper

by Carolyn G Hart

1991

Annie's love of classic mysteries is tested when a Christie-flavored puzzle on Broward's Rock turns all too real. Books, fans, and murder make this one especially playful.

Southern Ghost

by Carolyn G Hart

1992

Annie steps into a case shaped by an old Southern house, a local ghost story, and a vanished heiress. Atmosphere matters here, but so do greed and very human lies.

The Last To Know

by Joan Hess

1992

This short Henrie O outing gives Hart's seasoned reporter another chance to test her instincts away from routine. It is a compact holiday mystery with travel, tension, and a quick investigative payoff.

Dead Man's Island

by Carolyn G Hart

1993

Retired reporter Henrie O heads to a private island at an old friend's request and walks straight into a family gathering full of money and suspicion. It is a classic closed-circle setup with real bite.

Scandal in Fair Haven

by Carolyn G Hart

1994

Henrie O returns to a seemingly settled town only to find that old scandal still has teeth. Past loyalties and respectable facades begin to crack once murder enters the picture.

Mint Julep Murder

by Carolyn G Hart

1995

At the Dixie Book Festival, Annie is assigned to babysit a group of honored authors just as a tell-all publisher turns up dead. Literary egos and Southern charm make a lively mix.

Death in Lovers' Lane

by Carolyn G Hart

1997

Henrie O is pulled into a case where romance, memory, and old grudges refuse to stay buried. The mystery leans on personal histories as much as on present-day clues.

Death in Paradise

by Carolyn G Hart

1998

A beautiful getaway becomes another test of Henrie O's nerve and judgment when paradise turns uncertain. Hart balances scenery and menace as the trip closes in around her sleuth.

Yankee Doodle Dead

by Carolyn G Hart

1998

Broward's Rock's Fourth of July festivities erupt when bullying retired general Bud Hatch is shot. Annie and Max investigate a case tangled up with local history, prejudice, and long memory.

Crime on Her Mind

by Carolyn G Hart

1999

This short-story collection brings together Carolyn Hart's female sleuths, including Annie Darling and Henrie O. It is a good sampler of her lighter mysteries, quick puzzles, and steady storytelling.

Death on the River Walk

by Carolyn G Hart

1999

In the bright public world of the River Walk, Henrie O finds herself facing another murder and too many polished lies. Her reporter's instincts cut through surface charm and tourist gloss.

White Elephant Dead

by Carolyn G Hart

1999

A stormy night, a Women's Club van, and one dead volunteer leave Annie's friend Henny under suspicion. Annie and Max dig into blackmail, buried tragedies, and a killer who counted on confusion.

Skulduggery

by Carolyn G Hart

2000

An anthropologist is pulled into a San Francisco chase after ancient bones surface and people begin dying. Hart mixes romance, history, and a fast-moving hunt for the truth.

Sugarplum Dead

by Carolyn G Hart

2000

Christmas on Broward's Rock ought to be bright, but Annie is drawn into a case shadowed by family bitterness and old betrayals. The holiday trimmings only make the danger feel sharper.

April Fool Dead

by Carolyn G Hart

2001

Worry around Rachel's school turns deadly when a teacher dies and bad jokes stop being funny. Annie has to sort out pranks, hidden motives, and the damage adults do.

Resort to Murder

by Carolyn G Hart

2001

A trip that should offer rest instead brings Henrie O into the orbit of people with money, nerves, and too many secrets. Hart uses the resort setting for a brisk, well-contained mystery.

Secrets and Other Stories of Suspense

by Carolyn G Hart

2002

A collection of short mysteries and suspense stories that shows Hart working in a tighter space. Expect quick setups, romantic unease, and cleanly delivered twists.

Engaged to Die

by Carolyn G Hart

2003

A society woman's engagement announcement is derailed when her younger artist fiance is found dead. Annie and Max investigate love, money, and the stories people tell about respectable lives.

Letter From Home

by Carolyn G Hart

2003

Told through letters from Oklahoma during World War II, this standalone follows a young woman writing to the boy she loves overseas. The mystery is quieter here, built around memory, loss, and long-buried truth.

Murder Walks the Plank

by Carolyn G Hart

2004

Annie's costume mystery cruise begins as a fundraiser and ends with a guest overboard and the body count rising. The festive setup hides a bigger plot involving kidnapping, robbery, and murder.

Cooks' Books

by Carolyn G Hart

2005

A light, food-minded collection that connects reading, recipes, and the pleasures of the kitchen. It is the sort of book to dip into for ideas, memories, and table talk.

Death of the Party

by Carolyn G Hart

2005

A grand celebration on Broward's Rock turns grim when several polished guests have reasons to hate the host. Annie and Max sort through old injuries, good manners, and very bad motives.

Dead Days of Summer

by Carolyn G Hart

2006

A desperate plea for help pulls Max into a case that turns personal and dangerous. Annie refuses to stand back when accusation and murder close in around him.

Set Sail for Murder

by Carolyn G Hart

2007

What should be a relaxing voyage becomes another dangerous investigation for retired reporter Henrie O. Travel, old grievances, and sharp observation drive the mystery.

Death Walked In

by Carolyn G Hart

2008

A dying woman says she hid something in the Franklin house Annie and Max are restoring, and a stolen coin collection soon turns murder into a family crisis. Break-ins and gunfire make this one especially tense.

Ghost at Work

by Carolyn G Hart

2008

Bailey Ruth, a lively emissary from Heaven's Department of Good Intentions, returns to Adelaide to help a pastor's wife with a corpse on her porch. Her first mission mixes ghostly rule-breaking with a solid murder puzzle.

Much Depends on Dinner

by Carolyn G Hart

2008

A nonfiction collection about meals, kitchens, and the daily business of cooking, with the kinds of stories that gather around the table. It is warm, practical, and easy to dip into.

A Feast of Cooks

by Carolyn G Hart

2009

A food-centered anthology that brings together recipes, reflections, and kitchen wisdom from a range of cooks. It is built for browsing as much as for planning a meal.

Dare to Die

by Carolyn G Hart

2009

A mysterious young woman named Iris returns to Broward's Rock and seems to unsettle everyone she meets. Annie's attempt to help ends in murder and a hunt for an enemy hiding among friends.

Merry, Merry Ghost

by Carolyn G Hart

2009

Sent home for Christmas, Bailey Ruth must protect a newly discovered grandson after a wealthy woman is poisoned before she can change her will. With every heir angry and greedy, the holiday case turns crowded and dangerous.

Your Turn

by Carolyn G Hart

2009

A compact suspense tale about the moment an ordinary life tips into risk. Hart keeps the setup lean, the tension quick, and the finish sharp.

Ghost in Trouble

by Carolyn G Hart

2010

Bailey Ruth arrives at a grand family home just in time to save a woman from a falling pot and to investigate a suspicious death. Posing as an assistant, she digs through old resentments and family secrets.

Laughed 'Til He Died

by Carolyn G Hart

2010

Three linked deaths around Broward's Rock's youth recreation center pull Annie and Max into a knot of money, missing teens, and family strain. The puzzle spreads wider with every clue.

Dead by Midnight

by Carolyn G Hart

2011

When police call a local woman's death a suicide, Annie spots details that do not fit. Her refusal to let it go leads to more killings and a tense trap for a careful murderer.

Cry in the Night

by Carolyn G Hart

2012

A woman already living with fear realizes the danger around her is not finished yet. Hart plays this one as straight suspense, tightening the pressure until the truth finally breaks loose.

Death Comes Silently

by Carolyn G Hart

2012

After a charity-shop volunteer leaves Annie urgent messages about a scandal, Annie finds her dead with an ax nearby. What looks simple quickly opens into a deeper tangle of gossip, secrets, and murder.

What the Cat Saw

by Carolyn G Hart

2012

A quiet household begins to feel unsafe as small details build toward violence. Hart keeps the tension close and domestic, letting ordinary moments and sharp observation reveal something much darker.

Dead, White, and Blue

by Carolyn G Hart

2013

Shell Hurst vanishes during Broward's Rock's Fourth of July celebrations, and a second disappearance makes the case darker. Annie and Max trace blackmail, adultery, and betrayal through the height of tourist season.

Ghost Gone Wild

by Carolyn G Hart

2013

Hijacked onto the Rescue Express, Bailey Ruth lands in Adelaide just in time to save wealthy Nick Magruder from a shooting. Stripped of some of her ghostly powers, she has to solve a murder the hard way.

Cliff's Edge

by Carolyn G Hart

2014

In ancient Rome, Camilla endures a cold arranged marriage until another man awakens hope and danger. Hart turns the historical setting into a story of desire, power, and the cost of choosing your own life.

Death at the Door

by Carolyn G Hart

2014

Annie suspects there is more to an apparent suicide on Broward's Rock, especially after a second killing rattles the island. The clues point toward money, status, and people who want the truth buried.

Ghost Wanted

by Carolyn G Hart

2014

Bailey Ruth is sent to protect the name of Lorraine Marlow, the Lady of the Roses haunting Adelaide's college library. A stolen rare book, a shooting, and a framed student give this case a bookish twist.

Don't Go Home

by Carolyn G Hart

2015

When a missing man is linked to an abandoned car, a murdered woman, and a weapon hidden in the trunk, Annie and Max face a case built to deceive. The deeper they dig, the less anyone's story holds together.

From the Queen

by Carolyn G Hart

2015

Thrift-shop owner Ellen Gallagher finds a first edition of Poirot Investigates signed to the Queen of England, then loses it to a thief. Annie Darling steps in for a compact, book-loving mystery about rare treasures and loose talk.

Ghost to the Rescue

by Carolyn G Hart

2015

Bailey Ruth is sent to help struggling single mother and writer Deidre Davenport after a predatory professor ends up dead. Deidre's fingerprints on the weapon make the case urgent and painfully personal.

High Stakes

by Carolyn G Hart

2015

Aspiring actress Kirsten Soderstrom agrees to go undercover for a covert agency to trap a crooked senator. The job gets complicated fast when the target seems more human, and more innocent, than she expected.

Ghost Times Two

by Carolyn G Hart

2016

Bailey Ruth's job is to guide Jimmy Taylor into the next life, but he refuses to leave the woman he loves behind. When Megan becomes the prime suspect in her boss's murder, Bailey Ruth has to clear her first.

Ghost on the Case

by Carolyn G Hart

2017

A ransom demand pushes Susan Gilbert toward her boss's safe, then leaves her poised to take the fall for a murder. Bailey Ruth races through Adelaide to untangle the kidnapping plot before Susan is trapped for good.

Walking on My Grave

by Carolyn G Hart

2017

During a quiet winter on Broward's Rock, Annie is pulled into danger when Ves Roundtree says someone is trying to kill her and make it look accidental. Money, resentment, and old lies soon crowd the case.

Peril Off Padre

by Carolyn G Hart

2018

After a hurricane shifts the waters off Padre Island, rumors of Aztec gold spark a scramble among treasure hunters, archaeologists, and locals. Greed turns the search deadly as murder follows the tide.

Ghost Ups Her Game

by Carolyn G Hart

2020

Bailey Ruth drops into Adelaide and finds Professor Iris Gallagher standing over a corpse with the weapon in her hand. To save Iris, she has to sort out blackmail, college politics, and murder.

Ghost Blows a Kiss

by Carolyn G Hart

2021

Bailey Ruth rescues Fran Loring from drowning, only to learn Fran has fled the scene of a killing at the Chandler mansion. With the wrong police chief in charge, Bailey Ruth must prove Fran is not the murderer.

Where should I start?

If you want the classic bookstore mysteries: Death On DemandDesign For MurderDeadly Valentine
If you prefer an older, sharper sleuth: Dead Man's IslandScandal in Fair HavenDeath in Paradise
If you like a paranormal cozy twist: Ghost at WorkMerry, Merry GhostGhost in Trouble
If you want a strong standalone: Letter From HomeEscape from Paris

Author bio

Carolyn G Hart was born Carolyn Gimpel in Oklahoma City in 1936, and that city stayed central to her life. She grew up there, went to Cleveland Elementary, Taft Junior High, and Classen High School, and decided when she was just eleven that she wanted to be a newspaper reporter. Long before she published novels, she was already working on school papers and learning how stories are built.

She carried that interest in reporting to the University of Oklahoma, where she studied journalism and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1958. During a junior-year trip to Europe, she met her future husband, Philip. After college, while he was in law school, she worked as a reporter for The Norman Transcript.

Then life shifted.

After the birth of her son, she stepped away from daily newspaper work. In 1964, after her daughter Sarah was born, she entered and won a writing contest for a mystery aimed at adolescent girls. That prize gave her a new path. She began writing mysteries for younger readers, then moved into suspense novels for adults.

The early books did not make her an overnight success.

For years, Hart kept working while the market for contemporary women mystery writers slowly caught up. She published young adult mysteries, standalones, and suspense novels, but the big change came in 1987 with Death On Demand. That novel introduced Annie Laurance, later Annie Darling, owner of a mystery bookstore on Broward's Rock, South Carolina. The series let Hart bring together two things she clearly loved: fair-play murder puzzles and the long conversation of mystery fiction itself.

Readers who start there usually see why the books lasted. Annie and Max Darling solve murders in an island community that looks charming on the surface and complicated underneath. Hart filled the series with book talk, sharp setups, and the kind of suspects who seem manageable until they are not. Later entries deepened that world, while books like Dead Man's Island launched her Henrie O series, centered on a retired reporter with grit, skepticism, and very sensible shoes.

She was not interested in only one kind of sleuth.

With Ghost at Work, Hart added Bailey Ruth Raeburn, a cheerful red-haired ghost sent back to Oklahoma by Heaven's Department of Good Intentions. That series is lighter and more playful, but it still runs on the same engine: a tight puzzle, a threatened innocent, and a heroine who keeps asking questions. Outside the series, Hart also wrote standalones that showed a different side of her range. Letter From Home, set in World War II and told through letters, is one readers often single out for its warmth and emotional pull.

The mystery world noticed her work in plain, concrete ways. Hart won three Agatha Awards for Best Novel, two Anthony Awards, two Macavity Awards, and in 2014 she was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. She also served as president of Sisters in Crime and taught professional writing at the University of Oklahoma School of Journalism from 1982 to 1985.

What stands out across her career is her steadiness. She kept faith with classic mystery structure, liked smart women and stubborn people, and knew that small communities can hide very large secrets. She has long made her home in Oklahoma City, and that groundedness, along with her affection for books, cats, and cleanly built puzzles, runs through nearly everything she wrote.

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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