Elizabeth Zelvin Books in Order

Recovering alcoholic Bruce Kohler befriends another patient in a Bowery detox unit, only to become suspicious when the man dies. With friends Jimmy and Barbara, he investigates possible murder while struggling to maintain his own sobriety.

When Barbara's client Luz finds her boyfriend dead, Bruce Kohler and his friends help investigate the suspicions surrounding her. Hidden relationships complicate the case, while Bruce's troubled connection with his former wife puts further pressure on his recovery.

An Australian drifter's visit tests Bruce Kohler's efforts to stay sober, including an awkward disagreement over beer in his refrigerator. When the visitor is murdered, the encounter becomes another investigation for Bruce and his friends.

Bruce Kohler prepares for his first sober Christmas and Chanukah with help from Jimmy and Barbara. Trouble with holiday lights leads to a hardware-store trip and a murder, whose crucial clue depends on Bruce's experience of recovery.

Bruce Kohler, Jimmy, and Barbara spend a sober holiday in a Hamptons group house. When their journalist housemate's body washes ashore, they question the official explanation and investigate secrets that turn their vacation into a dangerous undertaking.

Bruce Kohler and his friends visit a wellness retreat near Sedona, expecting workshops and relaxation. Finding a relationship guru murdered during an early hike draws them into an investigation among the community's guests and unconventional activities.

Country musician Emerald Love, also known as Amy Greenstein, hides an unusual talent for changing shape. When someone dear to her dies, she uses those abilities to investigate, bringing her Jewish identity and unconventional skills into the mystery.

Ninety days sober, Bruce Kohler finally cleans his apartment and discovers a dead woman in his closet. Her subsequent disappearance deepens the mystery, leaving him to determine who she was and how she entered his home.

Bruce Kohler agrees to watch a friend's tank of guppies, expecting a straightforward favor. This short mystery returns him to New York's recovery community, where encounters with fellow members complicate the routine task he has accepted.

In 1493, Jewish siblings Diego and Rachel Mendoza join Columbus's second expedition while concealing their faith and Rachel's identity. Their experiences in the Caribbean expose them to colonial violence and the suffering of the Taino people.

Bruce Kohler's therapist is found dead in her office, putting members of his therapy group under suspicion. Bruce, Jimmy, and Barbara investigate whether secrets disclosed in the sessions might explain the murder and identify the killer.

After returning from Hispaniola, Diego and Rachel Mendoza search Europe and the Mediterranean for their scattered family. Their journey intersects with the plight of Joanna, a Jewish child enslaved on an island off Africa's coast.

Jimmy's financial collapse changes the familiar partnership between Bruce Kohler and his friends. As Jimmy seeks work and help with debt, Barbara considers marriage and parenthood, adding new pressures to their lives within the New York recovery community.

Rachel Mendoza solves mysteries from her position supplying the Ottoman sultan’s harem, aided by its chief eunuch. These stories follow her family through Istanbul and the conquest of Rhodes, alongside modern descendants confronting mysteries of their own.