Hope Street Church Mysteries Books in Order
Part ofEllery Adams Books in OrderFollow the Hope Street Church Mysteries by Ellery Adams in order, with book summaries, series background, character notes, and guidance on where to begin Cooper Lee’s faith-tinged investigations.
Last updated: January 14, 2026
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Publication Order
11 books
Dying to Sell
by Ellery Adams
2025
An unscrupulous real estate agent pressures a wealthy friend of Grammy Lee to sell her stately home, and Cooper is asked to look into him before anything worse happens. When the man is murdered instead, the Hope Street group must navigate staff secrets and federal interest in the case to uncover the truth.
A Taste for Crime
by Ellery Adams
2024
A vicious review from a famous food critic threatens to destroy local chef Anton Parsley’s restaurant, and Cooper’s boyfriend is caught in the fallout. When the critic is murdered in the dining room, Cooper and her Bible study friends dig into the woman’s carefully hidden past to find who wanted her silenced.
Methods of Malice
by Ellery Adams
2023
Hope Street Church’s Bible study group volunteers for a community theater production of It’s a Wonderful Life, complete with a scandal shadowed Broadway director. When the assistant director is found murdered, Cooper Lee must look past onstage drama to expose motives lurking behind the curtain.
The Deeds of the Deceitful
by Ellery Adams
2020
A weekend getaway at a newly restored historic inn sounds perfect to Cooper Lee and her Bible study friends. When the inn’s pompous co owner is murdered and Cooper’s own mother becomes a suspect, the group must pick apart staff secrets, a stolen painting, and long simmering resentments.
Fate of the Fallen
by Ellery Adams
2016
During a perfect summer day in the park, Cooper Lee’s Bible study group stumbles into another tragedy when a man is found dead in the woods. With her fiancé’s sister accused, Cooper follows a trail through a hit and run, a homeless veteran, and park regulars who know too much.
The Root of All Evil
by Ellery Adams
2014
Cooper Lee has never been happier, with close friends, a solid boyfriend, and a new baby in the family on the way. A series of church robberies and the murder of an art teacher shatter that calm, drawing the Hope Street group into a case that mixes theft, betrayal, and Halloween chills.
The Root of All Evil
by Ellery Adams
2014
The Way of the Wicked
by Ellery Adams
2010
Cooper Lee and her Hope Street Bible study friends volunteer with a charity delivering meals to homebound neighbors. When one recipient is murdered, suspicion falls on the volunteers, and the group quietly questions fellow helpers to find out who turned good intentions into cover for a crime.
The Way of the Guilty
by Ellery Adams
2010
The Graves of the Guilty
by Ellery Adams
2010
Cooper is finally feeling settled, with close friends and a promising relationship, when her sister discovers a corpse and becomes the prime suspect. As the Bible study group hunts a killer, Cooper also faces a dangerous new romantic temptation that could upend her hard-won stability.
The Path of the Crooked
by Ellery Adams
2009
Reeling from a breakup and stuck in a dull job, Cooper Lee joins a Bible study group at Hope Street Church for a fresh start. When the woman who invited her is murdered and the victim’s husband is blamed, Cooper and her new friends investigate to protect an innocent man.
Series background & context
The Hope Street Church Mysteries begin with Cooper Lee at a low point. Her long term boyfriend has just left her, she is back living over her parents’ garage, and her work repairing office machines in Richmond, Virginia, feels repetitive and small. On a whim she accepts an invitation to a Bible study at Hope Street Church.
That decision quietly redirects her life.
The Bible study group is a mix of ages and personalities, from Cooper’s warm grandmother to professionals juggling complicated careers. They meet for scripture, coffee, and mutual support. Before long, they also start solving murders. When a woman who first welcomed Cooper into the group is found dead and her husband, a respected church elder, is blamed, the friends cannot believe he is guilty. They begin to ask questions the police are too busy or too skeptical to pursue.
Each book frames a new mystery against the rhythms of church and community life. The group delivers meals to shut ins and finds one recipient murdered. Cooper’s sister discovers a corpse and becomes a suspect. A series of robberies at local churches turns lethal. Later cases involve a park picnic gone wrong, a historic inn with a dangerous secret, a charity theater production with a backstage death, and an influential food critic whose demise threatens a beloved chef.
Throughout, Cooper wrestles with everyday issues as much as with clues. She navigates dating and heartbreak, career doubts, and shifting family roles. Members of the group face job losses, caregiving stress, and questions about what forgiveness really looks like when someone has done serious harm.
Faith is present but never preachy. The characters pray, quote scripture, and talk honestly about doubt. Their beliefs push them to care about victims and suspects alike. At the same time, they know that justice sometimes needs human hands, so they dig through financial records, volunteer rosters, rehearsal schedules, and old secrets in search of the truth.
The tone stays cozy, with potlucks, holiday festivals, and warm Southern details balancing the darker moments. Recipes from Grammy Lee’s kitchen at the end of the books underline that food and hospitality are part of how this group loves one another.
Readers who enjoy amateur sleuths with a strong support network, mysteries tied to community institutions, and stories where spiritual questions sit alongside everyday humor will feel at home on Hope Street. Cooper’s path is messy, caring, and very human, and the series invites you to walk beside her as she grows braver one case at a time.
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