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John Ceepak Mystery Books in Order

Part ofChris Grabenstein Books in Order

Find the John Ceepak Mystery books by Chris Grabenstein in order, with summaries, series background, and easy reading order help.

Last updated: July 5, 2026

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John Ceepak Mystery books in publication order

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9 books

1

Tilt-a-Whirl

by Chris Grabenstein

2005

A billionaire is found dead on an amusement park ride in Sea Haven, New Jersey. Newly hired officer John Ceepak and local cop Danny Boyle have to sort through a very messy murder.

2

Mad Mouse

by Chris Grabenstein

2006

On Labor Day weekend, Danny Boyle and the people he cares about find themselves targeted by a revenge-minded attacker. Ceepak is steady as ever, but the ride gets wild.

3

Whack A Mole

by Chris Grabenstein

2007

Ceepak and Danny take on another twisty investigation in Sea Haven, where summer fun and serious crime sit side by side. The case keeps changing shape as soon as it seems solved.

4

Hell Hole

by Chris Grabenstein

2008

A brutal crime opens up the darker side of Shore-town life, and Ceepak's code is tested by greed, fear, and long-buried secrets. Danny Boyle narrates every sharp turn.

5

Mind Scrambler

by Chris Grabenstein

2009

A baffling case leaves Ceepak and Danny sorting through deception, spectacle, and conflicting motives. It is another smart, dark ride through Sea Haven's offbeat summer world.

6

Rolling Thunder

by Chris Grabenstein

2010

Ceepak and Danny get swept into another violent Shore-town mystery, where local politics and hidden grudges rumble beneath the summer crowds. The case only gets messier as it unfolds.

7

Ring Toss

by Chris Grabenstein

2011

This brisk mystery drops Ceepak and Danny into another boardwalk case where nothing stays simple for long. Short, sharp, and twisty, it still has the full Sea Haven feel.

8

Fun House

by Chris Grabenstein

2012

Another case pulls Ceepak and Danny behind the bright lights of the Jersey Shore, where the fun-house surface hides uglier truths. The investigation moves fast and hits close to home.

9

Free Fall

by Chris Grabenstein

2013

When a home health aide and friend of Danny Boyle becomes a suspect in a poisoning, Ceepak and Danny have to untangle money, lies, and conflicting stories. What starts as a routine call turns into a very personal case.

John Ceepak Mystery books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Tilt-a-Whirl"

    Tilt-a-Whirl

    by Chris Grabenstein

    2005John Ceepak Mystery, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Mad Mouse"

    Mad Mouse

    by Chris Grabenstein

    2006John Ceepak Mystery, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Whack A Mole"

    Whack A Mole

    by Chris Grabenstein

    2007John Ceepak Mystery, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Hell Hole"

    Hell Hole

    by Chris Grabenstein

    2008John Ceepak Mystery, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Mind Scrambler"

    Mind Scrambler

    by Chris Grabenstein

    2009John Ceepak Mystery, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Rolling Thunder"

    Rolling Thunder

    by Chris Grabenstein

    2010John Ceepak Mystery, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Ring Toss"

    Ring Toss

    by Chris Grabenstein

    2011John Ceepak Mystery, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Fun House"

    Fun House

    by Chris Grabenstein

    2012John Ceepak Mystery, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Free Fall"

    Free Fall

    by Chris Grabenstein

    2013John Ceepak Mystery, Book 9

Series background & context

John Ceepak is the steady center of Grabenstein's adult mystery work, a former military cop turned police officer in Sea Haven, New Jersey. He has a strict moral code, sometimes so strict it feels almost old-fashioned, and that is exactly what makes him memorable. Around him spins Danny Boyle, the younger local cop who narrates the books and gives the series its warmth, humor, and Shore-town flavor.

The setting matters as much as the detectives. Sea Haven is full of boardwalk rides, beach crowds, summer jobs, political grudges, and off-season emptiness. That contrast keeps the series interesting. On the surface, it is a fun vacation town. Underneath, there is money, corruption, violence, and a steady supply of people making very bad choices.

Each book works as its own case, but the best reason to read in order is the partnership. Danny changes over time. So does his understanding of Ceepak, whose code can seem impossible until you watch what it costs him to live by it.

These are not hardboiled books in the grim, joyless sense. They are sharp, twisty, and often funny, with a strong sense of place.

Start with Tilt-a-Whirl and keep going in publication order. If you like beach-town mysteries, offbeat titles, and detectives whose relationship matters as much as the clues, this is a very easy series to settle into.

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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