Gambit House Mystery Books in Order

The Gambit House Mystery series mixes cozy murder plotting with family magic. At the center is the Goode family, a group of witches living in Connecticut after leaving their old New Orleans coven behind. They are not grand fantasy heroines off saving the world. They are a prickly, affectionate, sometimes exasperating family dealing with spells, secrets, romance, and dead bodies.

The first book follows Gillian Goode, who has strong gifts but does not like using them. A past spell gone wrong, and a future vision that shook her, left her wary of her own power. When a friend's death pulls her back into an investigation, she has to work alongside detectives, old emotions, and the family tensions she would rather avoid. That gives the series its first big pattern, magic is useful here, but it always comes with personal cost.

Family comes first.

The second book, Hidden Spells, shifts to Carly, the middle sister. Carly wants what Gillian avoids. She is eager to sharpen her spell work and prove herself. Then her old boyfriend Josh reappears with questions about a decades-old missing person case, and a newly discovered murder stirs up the town of Wheelton. Suddenly the book has two mysteries running at once, along with Carly's very mixed feelings about whether the past deserves another chance.

One of the nicest things about this series is its tone. The books have murder and danger, but they are not bleak. Romance threads through the cases, sister rivalry adds bite, and Joselyn the talking cockatoo brings a little comic chaos whenever things get too tense. Mallery seems less interested in building a dark magical system than in showing how strange gifts fit into everyday family life.

There is also a strong pull toward older history. Some of the magic and visions reach backward, especially when family roots or older crimes start nudging the present. That keeps the series connected to Mallery's wider love of historical fiction, even when the setting is modern and the mystery is happening right now.

These books are cozy, but not flimsy.

If you like paranormal mysteries where the supernatural element works alongside clue-finding instead of replacing it, Gambit House is a good fit. Expect witches who bicker like relatives, crimes that refuse to stay buried, and romances that are rarely simple. The fun comes from watching magic, memory, and murder keep landing in the same kitchen.