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Maggy Thorsen Books in Order

Part ofSandra Balzo Books in Order

See the Maggy Thorsen books by Sandra Balzo in order, with summaries, series background, recurring characters, and easy guidance on where to begin.

Last updated: July 14, 2026

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Maggy Thorsen books in publication order

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17 books

1

Uncommon Grounds

by Sandra Balzo

2004

Divorced Maggy Thorsen is opening a Wisconsin coffeehouse with friends when one partner is found murdered on the floor. With Brookhills gossip swirling and Sheriff Jake Pavlik watching, Maggy starts digging into secrets powerful locals would rather keep hidden.

2

Grounds for Murder

by Sandra Balzo

2007

At a Milwaukee coffee trade convention, Maggy discovers the body of a rival coffeehouse-chain owner beneath a banquet table. Her public clashes with the victim make her look guilty, so she must sort through a packed field of enemies and competitors.

3

Bean There, Done That

by Sandra Balzo

2008

Maggy's ex-husband's new wife asks for help proving he is cheating again, then disappears and is found murdered. Though Ted once broke Maggy's heart, she cannot accept that he is a killer, especially with their son caught in the middle.

4

Brewed, Crude and Tattooed

by Sandra Balzo

2009

A freak spring snowstorm traps Maggy and her fellow Benson Plaza merchants in their dark, freezing strip mall. When their landlord is found stabbed outside, his plan to evict the tenants leaves Maggy with plenty of suspects and nowhere to go.

5

A Cup of Jo

by Sandra Balzo

2010

Maggy's rebuilt coffeehouse is ready to open, complete with an oversized inflatable coffee cup for the celebration. When the display collapses and reveals a missing event manager's body, clues point toward Sheriff Jake Pavlik, forcing Maggy to question everything.

6

From the Grounds Up

by Sandra Balzo

2010

After her coffeehouse is destroyed, Maggy plans a fresh start in an old Brookhills train depot with Sarah as her new partner. Then Sarah's uncle dies in a suspicious crash, and a string of accidents threatens the shop before it can reopen.

7

Triple Shot

by Sandra Balzo

2011

A fading television star comes to Brookhills to revisit a 1974 shootout involving the FBI, the Mafia, six deaths, and missing money. Maggy gets drawn into the old case when the past proves far from settled.

8

Murder on the Orient Espresso

by Sandra Balzo

2013

Maggy and Jake head to South Florida for a crime writers' conference and a train event inspired by a famous mystery. Stolen manuscripts, professional rivalries, and real murder leave the passengers stranded in the Everglades with danger on every side.

9

To the Last Drop

by Sandra Balzo

2016

When dental surgeon William Swope falls from his tenth-floor office window, police see a likely suicide. Maggy suspects murder, and investigating the death draws her into the Swope family's secrets while putting new strain on her relationship with Jake.

10

Importance of Being Urnest

by Sandra Balzo

2017

A shooting at Brookhills Manor leaves Sheriff Jake Pavlik hospitalized and rattles Maggy's regular coffee group. When two of its older members die soon afterward, Maggy wonders whether the deaths are connected and starts asking unwelcome questions.

11

Murder a la Mocha

by Sandra Balzo

2019

After rescuing a lost chihuahua named Mocha, Maggy learns that its dog-sitter, Arial Kingston, has vanished. A body in the dog's owners' home turns Arial into a murder suspect, and Maggy must find her before the case gets worse.

12

Death of a Bean Counter

by Sandra Balzo

2020

Maggy's barista Amy becomes the leading suspect after her older boyfriend, financial adviser Kip Fargo, is shot dead. To clear Amy, Maggy digs into Kip's unhappy clients and complicated household, finding that his respectable image hid plenty of resentment.

13

Flat White

by Sandra Balzo

2021

A temporary barista believes her online boyfriend is coming to Brookhills to propose, until he is killed by a runaway snowplow outside Uncommon Grounds. Maggy investigates whether it was truly an accident while lies, a bracelet, and a passport complicate the case.

14

French Roast

by Sandra Balzo

2022

Maggy's barista Amy is planning a future with grocer Jacques Oui until a woman from Paris arrives claiming to be his still-legal wife. When Jacques's market burns and bodies are found inside, Maggy faces a web of old relationships and new danger.

15

The Big Steep

by Sandra Balzo

2022

When Maggy's dog digs up an infant's bone near a planned tea shop, a decades-old mystery returns to Brookhills. A later murder suggests the past is still dangerous, sending Maggy after answers buried within a complicated counterculture family history.

16

Any Pot in a Storm

by Sandra Balzo

2023

Maggy reluctantly joins Sarah at a remote Wisconsin writers' retreat, where the host demands painful personal revelations. A storm cuts off heat, power, and phone service, then a murder turns the isolated lodge into a trap for everyone inside.

17

Brew Unto Others

by Sandra Balzo

2024

At Sarah Kingston's mother's wake, her sister Ruth fails to appear and is later found unconscious from carbon monoxide exposure. Maggy, Sarah, and Sarah's niece Arial investigate whether it was an accident, uncovering family secrets that reach back to California.

Maggy Thorsen books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Uncommon Grounds"

    Uncommon Grounds

    by Sandra Balzo

    2004Maggy Thorsen, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Grounds for Murder"

    Grounds for Murder

    by Sandra Balzo

    2007Maggy Thorsen, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Bean There, Done That"

    Bean There, Done That

    by Sandra Balzo

    2008Maggy Thorsen, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Brewed, Crude and Tattooed"

    Brewed, Crude and Tattooed

    by Sandra Balzo

    2009Maggy Thorsen, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "From the Grounds Up"

    From the Grounds Up

    by Sandra Balzo

    2010Maggy Thorsen, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "A Cup of Jo"

    A Cup of Jo

    by Sandra Balzo

    2010Maggy Thorsen, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Triple Shot"

    Triple Shot

    by Sandra Balzo

    2011Maggy Thorsen, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Murder on the Orient Espresso"

    Murder on the Orient Espresso

    by Sandra Balzo

    2013Maggy Thorsen, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "To the Last Drop"

    To the Last Drop

    by Sandra Balzo

    2016Maggy Thorsen, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "Importance of Being Urnest"

    Importance of Being Urnest

    by Sandra Balzo

    2017Maggy Thorsen, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "Murder a la Mocha"

    Murder a la Mocha

    by Sandra Balzo

    2019Maggy Thorsen, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "Death of a Bean Counter"

    Death of a Bean Counter

    by Sandra Balzo

    2020Maggy Thorsen, Book 12
  13. Book cover for "Flat White"

    Flat White

    by Sandra Balzo

    2021Maggy Thorsen, Book 13
  14. Book cover for "The Big Steep"

    The Big Steep

    by Sandra Balzo

    2022Maggy Thorsen, Book 14
  15. Book cover for "French Roast"

    French Roast

    by Sandra Balzo

    2022Maggy Thorsen, Book 15
  16. Book cover for "Any Pot in a Storm"

    Any Pot in a Storm

    by Sandra Balzo

    2023Maggy Thorsen, Book 16
  17. Book cover for "Brew Unto Others"

    Brew Unto Others

    by Sandra Balzo

    2024Maggy Thorsen, Book 17

Series background & context

The Maggy Thorsen mysteries are coffeehouse cozies set in Brookhills, Wisconsin, a fictional suburb outside Milwaukee where everybody seems to know everybody else's business. Maggy is a divorced woman in her forties who co-owns Uncommon Grounds, a coffeehouse that becomes a regular gathering point for commuters, friends, local regulars, and the occasional person with a grudge.

That last group causes trouble.

The series begins with Uncommon Grounds, when Maggy and two friends are preparing to open the shop and one of her partners is found dead on its floor. The case brings Maggy into contact with county sheriff Jake Pavlik. Their relationship develops across the books, but Jake is not a stock obstacle for an amateur sleuth. He knows Maggy will ask questions, and she knows that his job has limits she cannot ignore.

Maggy's closest partner through much of the series is Sarah Kingston, a blunt, capable real-estate professional with a strong opinion about nearly everything. Their friendship and business partnership give the books much of their snap. Baristas, neighbors, relatives, shop owners, and Maggy's Old English sheepdog, Frank, fill out the wider Brookhills world. The people are often eccentric, but they have histories with one another, which makes even a small disagreement capable of becoming a motive.

The mysteries grow from the everyday pressures of a close community. A coffee industry convention turns deadly in Grounds for Murder. In Brewed, Crude and Tattooed, a spring snowstorm traps local merchants at a strip mall. From the Grounds Up follows Maggy's effort to rebuild Uncommon Grounds in an old train depot while suspicious accidents pile up. Each case has its own setup, but the shop, Maggy's relationships, and the rhythm of town life carry from book to book.

The series also enjoys moving Maggy beyond her counter. Murder on the Orient Espresso takes her and Jake to South Florida for a crime writers' event built around a train excursion. Any Pot in a Storm strands Maggy at an isolated writers' retreat during a fierce storm. Later books dig into old Brookhills secrets, complicated family ties, and the past that people thought had stayed buried.

Expect humor, coffee talk, dogs, romantic continuity, and murder puzzles rather than graphic violence. The books are best read in order if you want the full picture of Maggy, Sarah, Jake, and Uncommon Grounds, though many of the later cases provide enough context for a new reader to follow along.

Start with Uncommon Grounds for the whole blend.

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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