East Perry County Books in Order

Set along the Mississippi River in southeast Missouri, the East Perry County series begins when Kate Meyr loses her husband and learns that his secrets are more painful than his absence. In The Forgiving Quilt, she travels to Borna to reclaim the neglected house he owned there, planning only to fix it up and sell.

The old home, once occupied by Doctor Paulson and his wife Josephine, is thick with history, creaking floorboards, and a mysterious quilt whose past will not quite stay buried.

As Kate settles in, the town's mix of stubborn locals and welcoming neighbors pulls her in two directions. She is unnerved by strange incidents around the property, convinced someone wants her gone, yet she is equally drawn to the bluffs, the river, and the sense that Borna might offer a life that is hers alone. Friendships with Clark, Ellie, and others grow slowly, and Aunt Mandy's visits bring humor along with blunt advice.

By Josephine's Guest House Quilt, Kate has turned the house into an inn named for Josephine, complete with a signature quilt each guest is invited to sign. The business gives her purpose and a way to know people passing through East Perry County, but disappearing names on the quilt hint that Josephine's story is unfinished and that the house still has claims of its own.

Later novels deepen both the haunting and the community ties. Quilt the Town Christmas follows Kate as she uses quilts and decorations to rally the town for the holidays, even while anonymous troublemakers threaten the property. In Everlasting Quilts and Church Ladies' Quilts, a mysterious attacker, complicated feelings for different men, and time spent with the Concordia Lutheran church quilting group push Kate to decide what kind of life she wants and who she will trust.

Throughout the series, quilts function as memory keepers, talismans of protection, and excuses for people to sit down together long enough to really talk.

East Perry County leans a little more atmospheric than some of Ann Hazelwood's other work, with gentle paranormal touches and sharper questions about grief, loyalty, and starting over. Even so, the tone stays inviting, with plenty of food, friendship, and scenic drives balancing the suspense. Readers who like a bit of mystery wrapped in everyday small town routines may want to follow Kate's journey from the first book to the last.