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Murder She Wrote (Donald Bain) Books in Order

Part ofDonald Bain Books in Order

Browse Donald Bain's Murder She Wrote novels in order, with summaries, series background, and help choosing the right Jessica Fletcher starting point.

Last updated: July 14, 2026

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Murder She Wrote (Donald Bain) books in publication order

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50 books

1

Hooray for Homicide

by Donald Bain

1985

When a Hollywood producer working on one of Jessica's novels is murdered, the case ties into a millionaire's disappearance at sea. Jessica follows the trail from publishing to show business, where money and image keep getting in the way of the truth.

2

The Murder of Sherlock Holmes

by Donald Bain

1985

At a costume party on her publisher's country estate, Jessica finds a guest dressed as Sherlock Holmes murdered. With suspects packed under one roof, her first case as a sleuth becomes a classic closed-circle puzzle.

3

Lovers and Other Killers

by Donald Bain

1986

Jessica's vacation turns busy fast, first with a killer lurking around Seattle academia, then with a deadly fox hunt in Kentucky. Two very different settings give her two chances to prove that polite people can still hide dangerous motives.

4

Gin & Daggers

by Donald Bain

1989

Jessica heads to London to visit a celebrated mystery writer, only to find the trip ruined by murder. In an elegant country-house setting, she must sort through literary rivalries, secrets, and a killer close at hand.

5

Manhattans & Murder

by Donald Bain

1994

A Christmas book trip to New York takes a dark turn when Jessica spots Cabot Cove crook Waldo Morse working as a sidewalk Santa, then finds him dead. The city is festive, but the case quickly turns mean and complicated.

6

Brandy and Bullets

by Donald Bain

1995

Jessica helps oversee a Cabot Cove mansion's conversion into an art colony, only to watch the creative dream turn deadly. As artists start dying under suspicious circumstances, she has to uncover who brought murder to the studio.

7

Martinis & Mayhem

by Donald Bain

1995

Jessica travels to San Francisco to promote her latest book and catch up with Inspector George Sutherland. Between the city's glamour and a sudden murder, what should have been a pleasant visit becomes another case.

8

Rum & Razors

by Donald Bain

1995

Looking for sunshine in St. Thomas, Jessica checks into a beautiful island inn and senses trouble almost at once. When the owner turns up dead by the lagoon, paradise gives way to a sharp, dangerous investigation.

9

A Deadly Judgment

by Donald Bain

1996

In Boston, Jessica helps an eccentric lawyer defend a tycoon accused of killing his brother. When the defendant's only alibi ends up dead, the trial becomes even more dangerous and Jessica may be next in the killer's sights.

10

A Palette for Murder

by Donald Bain

1996

In the Hamptons, Jessica indulges her quiet love of painting and joins a sketch class by the sea. Then a young model is found dead in the studio, drawing her into a case of art, money, and deception.

11

Murder on the QE2

by Donald Bain

1997

Jessica sets sail for London aboard the QE2 as one of several guest lecturers. When a fellow speaker is murdered at sea, the luxury voyage turns into a tight, time-sensitive mystery with nowhere for the killer to hide.

12

The Highland Fling Murders

by Donald Bain

1997

A British book tour leads Jessica and friends to Inspector George Sutherland's family castle in Scotland, where old legends still hang in the air. When a local killing echoes the ghost story haunting the estate, she cannot look away.

13

A Little Yuletide Murder

by Donald Bain

1998

Jessica hopes for a peaceful Christmas in Cabot Cove, but the season is spoiled when the town's Santa is murdered. Holiday cheer gives way to old grudges, local suspicion, and another case that refuses to stay buried.

14

Murder in Moscow

by Donald Bain

1998

Jessica joins an American publishing group in Moscow and walks straight into intrigue far beyond books. After a Russian publisher is poisoned, she finds herself caught between politics, espionage, and people who do not want the truth exposed.

15

Knock 'em Dead

by Donald Bain

1999

Jessica is thrilled when one of her novels is chosen for a Broadway adaptation, but backstage tensions soon turn lethal. As bodies start appearing offstage, she has to figure out who is willing to kill for a hit.

16

Murder at the Powderhorn Ranch

by Donald Bain

1999

Visiting a friend's ranch, Jessica is drawn into the deaths of a vacationing couple and the messy business behind the land around them. With a local reporter at her side, she digs into greed, development, and murder out West.

17

Trick or Treachery

by Donald Bain

2000

Halloween in Cabot Cove grows stranger when a spiritual medium arrives and a self-proclaimed witch is found dead in a graveyard. Jessica follows the rumors, grudges, and staged scares to the very real killer.

18

Blood on the Vine

by Donald Bain

2001

A trip to Napa Valley for rest becomes work when an old Hollywood friend dies in what looks like suicide. Jessica starts asking questions and finds a vineyard full of enemies, resentments, and sour secrets.

19

Murder in a Minor Key

by Donald Bain

2001

At the New Orleans Jazz Festival, Jessica enjoys insider access until arts critic Wayne Copely is found dead beside a famous voodoo queen's grave. To solve it, she has to read the city as closely as she reads people.

20

Provence to Die for

by Donald Bain

2002

Jessica travels to Provence expecting superb food and a slower pace, then lands in the middle of a culinary murder mystery. The setting is beautiful, but the appetites around her are not all harmless.

21

You Bet Your Life

by Donald Bain

2002

Two years after witnessing a friend's Las Vegas wedding, Jessica returns to find the bride accused of murdering her high-rolling husband. Casino glamour, media attention, and a long list of grudges make the case anything but simple.

22

Destination Murder

by Donald Bain

2003

A scenic rail trip through British Columbia becomes far less relaxing when a traveler dies after sipping a Bloody Mary. With the suspects gathered in a luxurious dining car, Jessica has to solve the case before the journey ends.

23

Majoring In Murder

by Donald Bain

2003

Jessica takes a visiting professor role at a small college just as its first tornado in decades tears through town. When one man who ignored the warning turns up dead, campus drama and hidden motives come into focus.

24

A Vote for Murder

by Donald Bain

2004

In Washington, Jessica joins a senator's literacy push and expects receptions, speeches, and political small talk. Instead she finds a chief of staff dead, and her search leads from Virginia parlors to the FBI.

25

Dying to Retire

by Donald Bain

2004

Jessica attends a funeral at a Florida retirement community and begins to suspect her friend's natural death was helped along. With a lively group of retirees aiding her, she looks past the sunshine for a killer.

26

Margaritas and Murder

by Donald Bain

2005

Jessica travels to San Miguel de Allende with her publisher and friends for a little rest and sun. But when one of them is kidnapped for ransom, the trip becomes a tense race to find him alive.

27

The Maine Mutiny

by Donald Bain

2005

Cabot Cove's first Lobster Festival should be good publicity for the town and a useful assignment for Jessica. Instead, her reporting pulls her into a knot of murder and harbor-town intrigue.

28

A Question of Murder

by Donald Bain

2006

At a writers' conference in the Berkshires, Jessica agrees not to spoil a murder-mystery party hosted by friends. Then a young actor's staged death turns out to be real, and nobody knows where the script ends.

29

Three Strikes and You're Dead

by Donald Bain

2006

While visiting friends in Arizona, Jessica watches their foster son shine on the baseball field, only to see his rival found dead the next day. With the young player marked as the obvious suspect, she digs into the team's darker side.

30

Coffee, Tea, or Murder?

by Donald Bain

2007

Jessica boards an inaugural flight from Boston to London at the invitation of a Cabot Cove entrepreneur. The trip should end with a reunion with George Sutherland, but murder at the airport brings turbulence instead.

31

Panning for Murder

by Donald Bain

2007

A cruise to Alaska becomes serious when Jessica's friend's sister, chasing a family gold claim, vanishes from the ship. Following the missing woman's trail puts Jessica up against greed, old stories, and fresh danger.

32

A Slaying in Savannah

by Donald Bain

2008

Jessica inherits the chance at a million dollars, but only if she can solve a decades-old Savannah murder. Settling into a haunted old mansion, she finds that greed in the present may be as dangerous as the crime in the past.

33

Murder on Parade

by Donald Bain

2008

Cabot Cove's Fourth of July celebration is bigger than ever thanks to an overbearing businessman bankrolling the festivities. When he winds up dead on fireworks night, Jessica faces a town full of suspects.

34

A Fatal Feast

by Donald Bain

2009

Jessica is already juggling writer's block, Thanksgiving dinner, and a visit from George Sutherland when she stumbles over a body in Cabot Cove. The holiday setting is warm, but the case is anything but cozy.

35

Madison Avenue Shoot

by Donald Bain

2009

Grady talks Jessica into visiting New York and appearing in an advertising campaign he is helping produce. Then a hated executive is murdered on set, leaving Jessica to untangle ambition, nerves, and family loyalties.

36

Nashville Noir

by Donald Bain

2010

When a gifted young singer from Cabot Cove is accused of murdering a country music publisher, Jessica heads to Nashville to help. Behind the bright lights and big dreams, she finds a harsher world than anyone back home expected.

37

The Queen's Jewels

by Donald Bain

2010

Jessica finally gets her long-awaited voyage on the Queen Mary 2, only to find herself shadowed by a stolen diamond and a murder. Once the ship is at sea, the chase for both jewel and killer becomes inescapable.

38

Skating on Thin Ice

by Donald Bain

2011

A young skater's hopes of competing in pairs are ruined by a string of suspicious accidents at the rink. When one member of the trio ends up dead, Jessica looks beneath the polished surface for jealousy and sabotage.

39

The Fine Art of Murder

by Donald Bain

2011

An Italian art theft leaves Jessica shaken, and months later the aftermath reaches Cabot Cove when an old friend's son begs for help. To solve his mother's murder, she may have to trace the crime all the way back to Italy.

40

Domestic Malice

by Donald Bain

2012

Jessica joins the board of Cabot Cove's women's shelter and soon meets a badly abused woman who refuses to press charges. Days later the case turns to murder, and the town's respectable surface starts to crack.

41

Trouble at High Tide

by Donald Bain

2012

Vacationing in Bermuda, Jessica hears rumors of killings that echo Jack the Ripper. She dismisses the talk until a young woman is found dead on the beach and the pattern starts to look frighteningly real.

42

Close-up on Murder

by Donald Bain

2013

Hollywood comes to Cabot Cove to film one of Jessica's older novels, reopening a notorious local murder. When the actress playing the victim is shot for real, Jessica has to separate old scandal from a brand-new crime.

43

Prescription for Murder

by Donald Bain

2013

A Florida book trip reunites Jessica with Seth Hazlitt and draws them into a dangerous medical case. When a physician working on a potentially huge Alzheimer's treatment dies in a staged accident, business and espionage collide.

44

Aloha Betrayed

by Donald Bain

2014

On Maui to lecture about community help in police work, Jessica teams up with retired detective Mike Kane after a fellow speaker is found dead below a cliff. The case soon turns on local activism, land, and betrayal.

45

Death of a Blue Blood

by Donald Bain

2014

Jessica and George Sutherland spend New Year's at an English castle where a lady's maid is found dead before the ball. Then a second death by poison turns aristocratic manners into a full house of suspects.

46

Killer in the Kitchen

by Donald Bain

2015

Jessica's favorite local restaurant is threatened when a famous chef opens next door and sparks a nasty feud. After the celebrity cook is stabbed, Jessica sets out to clear the obvious suspect and find the real killer.

47

The Ghost and Mrs Fletcher

by Donald Bain

2015

Eve Simpson is trying to sell one of Cabot Cove's oldest houses, but the place is falling apart and rumored to be haunted. When the owner dies after predicting his own end, Jessica suspects something more solid than a ghost.

48

Design For Murder

by Donald Bain

2016

Jessica heads to New York during fashion week to support a Cabot Cove designer's big debut. A model's sudden death on the runway, and another soon after, show how lethal the glamour business can be.

49

Hook, Line, and Murder

by Donald Bain

2016

A fly-fishing contest should be a relaxing outing for Jessica and Maureen Metzger, until their guide's violent past resurfaces. When an escaped convict, a murdered lawyer, and Maureen's disappearance collide, Cabot Cove is thrown into crisis.

50

A Time for Murder

by Donald Bain

2019

An old case from Jessica Fletcher's past refuses to stay buried. Returning to the years when Frank was alive and Grady was still young, Jessica must untangle how an earlier murder still casts a shadow.

Series background & context

Donald Bain wrote the largest share of the original Murder, She Wrote novel run, building a long shelf of cases around Jessica Fletcher after the television show's early tie-in books. His version of the series starts with Gin & Daggers and keeps the core idea simple: Jessica is a famous mystery novelist from Cabot Cove, Maine, who keeps finding real murder wherever life takes her.

That could be a country estate in England, a Broadway theater, a college campus, a Florida retirement community, or a cruise ship crossing the Atlantic. Bain understood that Jessica needed a believable reason to leave town, so book tours, lectures, old friends, family visits, and publishing work often get her through the front door. Once there, somebody dies and the story turns into a puzzle.

Cabot Cove is always waiting in the wings.

When the action stays in town, the books get much of their energy from local connections. Jessica knows the shop owners, doctors, troublemakers, and old stories that shape the community. That knowledge helps in cases such as Trick or Treachery, Domestic Malice, Killer in the Kitchen, and The Ghost and Mrs Fletcher. A murder in Cabot Cove is never just a body. It unsettles people Jessica has known for years.

The books that travel have a different pleasure. Bain places Jessica in London, Scotland, Moscow, New Orleans, Napa Valley, Bermuda, Maui, Italy, and many other locations. Murder on the QE2 and The Queen's Jewels use the contained world of an ocean liner. Murder in a Minor Key brings her to the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Panning for Murder sends her toward Alaska and a disputed family gold claim. The setting changes, but Jessica's method does not.

She asks questions that sound harmless until they are not.

Bain's stories sit comfortably in the cozy-mystery tradition, though they can touch on abuse, business corruption, political pressure, medical research, and art theft. Violence is not the point. The satisfaction comes from watching Jessica organize loose details, understand what a suspect wants, and stay calm when somebody else is trying to rush her toward a wrong answer.

For readers, the series works both as a trip through familiar television territory and as a long sequence of mostly independent mysteries. Start early if you want to see Bain establish the rhythm. Pick a setting that appeals if you prefer to drop in anywhere. Either way, the promise is dependable: Jessica Fletcher will be courteous, curious, and a good deal tougher than the killer expects.

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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