Lucky Pie Mystery Books in Order

The Lucky Pie Mystery series, written as Gretchen Rue, serves up cozy mysteries with a dash of family magic. The setting is Split Pine Island in northern Michigan, a small tourist community where life changes with the seasons and nearly everyone knows who argued with whom before breakfast.

Este March runs the family-owned Lucky Pie Diner. Her pies are special, not only because they are good, but because old family recipes can give customers a nudge toward their hopes and dreams. Este has grown up around that magic, though she does not always understand how much control she has over it.

In A Pie to Die For, the tourist season is ending when an unpopular produce vendor is found dead on his boat. Este had argued with him and may have been one of the last people to see him alive, so suspicion lands close to home. To protect both herself and the diner, she starts asking questions in a place where every suspect is also a neighbor.

The crust is flaky. The motives are not.

The island setting is central to the series. Its seasonal rhythms, isolation, familiar faces, and dependence on local businesses make every disruption feel personal. Este cannot investigate without risking relationships, and she cannot easily leave the consequences behind. Her baking magic adds another layer, especially as she learns more about what has been passed through her family.

Live and Galette Die continues the mix of food, friendship, and murder when a television renovation project arrives on the island. A producer is found dead in Este's own house, turning a welcome opportunity into another urgent effort to clear her name and find the truth.

These are warm, food-forward mysteries with real clues and low-gore stakes. Start with A Pie to Die For to meet Este, the diner, the island, and the magical tradition behind the Lucky Pie name. Then move to Live and Galette Die for a deeper look at Este's home, her community, and her growing confidence.