Murder She Wrote (Jessica Fletcher) Books in Order
Part ofJessica Fletcher Books in OrderExplore the Murder She Wrote books by Jessica Fletcher in order, with quick summaries, series background, reading order tips, and where to begin.
Last updated: July 11, 2026
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Murder She Wrote (Jessica Fletcher) books in publication order
67 books
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A Date with Murder
by Jessica Fletcher
2018
Jessica Fletcher looks into a friend's suspicious death and uncovers a shady dating service with money, secrets, and more than one victim around it. The deeper she digs, the clearer it becomes that the killer may already be watching her.
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.
Manuscript for Murder
by Jessica Fletcher
2019
Jessica receives an explosive unpublished novel from her publisher just before his apparent suicide. Following the manuscript's clues pulls her into a deadly political conspiracy that reaches far beyond New York.
Murder in Red
by Jessica Fletcher
2019
When Jessica Fletcher's friend dies after a routine procedure at a new private hospital in Cabot Cove, she suspects more than malpractice. Her search for answers exposes a darker scheme before more people wind up dead.
Murder In Season
by Jessica Fletcher
2020
Christmas has come to Cabot Cove, and Jessica is busy with family plans and the town parade while her home nears completion. Then a reporter and a centuries-old local mystery turn the holiday into another dangerous case.
The Murder of Twelve
by Jessica Fletcher
2020
Stranded in a hotel during a historic blizzard, Jessica Fletcher finds herself trapped with a wedding party, twelve uneasy guests, and a killer. The snowbound weekend turns into a tense closed-circle mystery.
Debonair in Death
by Jessica Fletcher
2021
A murder in Cabot Cove's art and treasure trade puts one of Jessica's favorite local women under suspicion. To clear her name, Jessica joins forces with Michael Haggerty and uncovers a case much bigger than it first appears.
Killing in a Koi Pond
by Jessica Fletcher
2021
After a writers' conference, Jessica visits an old college friend at her grand South Carolina home. When the friend's wealthy new husband turns up dead in the koi pond, Jessica faces a house full of possible enemies.
Death on the Emerald Isle
by Jessica Fletcher
2023
Jessica's speaking trip to Belfast turns into a detour through Northern Ireland when she agrees to deliver paintings for a neighbor. Once a family member turns up dead, old secrets and local tensions come to the surface.
Killer on the Court
by Jessica Fletcher
2023
Jessica expects a quiet beachside visit with Grady, Donna, and young Frank, but Donna soon finds her boss dead on a tennis court. With the small community locked down, Jessica has to solve the case before the family getaway is completely wrecked.
A Killer Christmas
by Jessica Fletcher
2024
Cabot Cove is ready for Christmas until a missing man returns to stop the sale of his family home and soon after a prospective buyer is murdered. Jessica is not convinced the most obvious troublemaker did it.
Fit for Murder
by Jessica Fletcher
2024
Evelyn Phillips draws Jessica into concerns about an older friend's charming young yoga instructor neighbor. When the man is found dead in his weight room and Evelyn becomes the top suspect, Jessica starts pulling apart the performance.
Murder Backstage
by Jessica Fletcher
2024
Jessica joins Emma MacGill and friends in Edmonton for a musical review starring a beloved entertainer. The vacation ends when a hotel bartender, who also works backstage at the theater, is found dead.
A Body in Boston
by Jessica Fletcher
2025
A lecture trip to Boston includes dinner with Harry McGraw, until a young woman stumbles into the bar covered in blood after finding her boyfriend's corpse. Jessica is soon balancing Harry's blackmail case with a murder that hits closer to home.
Snowy with a Chance of Murder
by Jessica Fletcher
2025
After a bad fall leaves Jessica stuck in a wheelchair, she passes the time watching a strange new neighbor create risqué snow sculptures. Then a blizzard hits, the man is found dead in the yard, and Jessica has to investigate from her window.
The Body in the Trees
by Jessica Fletcher
2025
Autumn tourists come to Cabot Cove for hiking and foliage, but one of them never comes back from the woods. When the missing woman is found tangled high in a tree, Jessica learns she brought a dangerous secret to town.
A Killing in Real Estate
by Jessica Fletcher
2026
Cabot Cove is split over a luxury hotel proposal when a powerful developer is found dead in the woods. Jessica suspects the apparent heart attack was murder, and the town's battle over progress suddenly gets personal.
Murder Most Trivial
by Jessica Fletcher
2026
A pub trivia win sends Jessica, Seth, Maureen, and Mort to Los Angeles for a televised tournament. Before the games really begin, a crew member is murdered and Jessica has to solve a case surrounded by cameras and mystery-show lore.
Murder She Wrote (Jessica Fletcher) books in chronological order

The Murder of Sherlock Holmes
by Donald Bain
1985Murder She Wrote, Book 1
Hooray for Homicide
by Donald Bain
1985Murder She Wrote, Book 2
Lovers and Other Killers
by Donald Bain
1986Murder She Wrote, Book 3
Gin & Daggers
by Donald Bain
1989Murder She Wrote, Book 4
Manhattans & Murder
by Donald Bain
1994Murder She Wrote, Book 5
Rum & Razors
by Donald Bain
1995Murder She Wrote, Book 6
Brandy and Bullets
by Donald Bain
1995Murder She Wrote, Book 7
Martinis & Mayhem
by Donald Bain
1995Murder She Wrote, Book 8
A Deadly Judgment
by Donald Bain
1996Murder She Wrote, Book 9
A Palette for Murder
by Donald Bain
1996Murder She Wrote, Book 10
The Highland Fling Murders
by Donald Bain
1997Murder She Wrote, Book 11
Murder on the QE2
by Donald Bain
1997Murder She Wrote, Book 12
Murder in Moscow
by Donald Bain
1998Murder She Wrote, Book 13
A Little Yuletide Murder
by Donald Bain
1998Murder She Wrote, Book 14
Murder at the Powderhorn Ranch
by Donald Bain
1999Murder She Wrote, Book 15
Knock 'em Dead
by Donald Bain
1999Murder She Wrote, Book 16
Trick or Treachery
by Donald Bain
2000Murder She Wrote, Book 17
Blood on the Vine
by Donald Bain
2001Murder She Wrote, Book 18
Murder in a Minor Key
by Donald Bain
2001Murder She Wrote, Book 19
Provence to Die for
by Donald Bain
2002Murder She Wrote, Book 20
You Bet Your Life
by Donald Bain
2002Murder She Wrote, Book 21
Majoring In Murder
by Donald Bain
2003Murder She Wrote, Book 22
Destination Murder
by Donald Bain
2003Murder She Wrote, Book 23
Dying to Retire
by Donald Bain
2004Murder She Wrote, Book 24
A Vote for Murder
by Donald Bain
2004Murder She Wrote, Book 25
The Maine Mutiny
by Donald Bain
2005Murder She Wrote, Book 26
Margaritas and Murder
by Donald Bain
2005Murder She Wrote, Book 27
A Question of Murder
by Donald Bain
2006Murder She Wrote, Book 28
Three Strikes and You're Dead
by Donald Bain
2006Murder She Wrote, Book 29
Coffee, Tea, or Murder?
by Donald Bain
2007Murder She Wrote, Book 30
Panning for Murder
by Donald Bain
2007Murder She Wrote, Book 31
Murder on Parade
by Donald Bain
2008Murder She Wrote, Book 32
A Slaying in Savannah
by Donald Bain
2008Murder She Wrote, Book 33
Madison Avenue Shoot
by Donald Bain
2009Murder She Wrote, Book 34
A Fatal Feast
by Donald Bain
2009Murder She Wrote, Book 35
Nashville Noir
by Donald Bain
2010Murder She Wrote, Book 36
The Queen's Jewels
by Donald Bain
2010Murder She Wrote, Book 37
Skating on Thin Ice
by Donald Bain
2011Murder She Wrote, Book 38
The Fine Art of Murder
by Donald Bain
2011Murder She Wrote, Book 39
Trouble at High Tide
by Donald Bain
2012Murder She Wrote, Book 40
Domestic Malice
by Donald Bain
2012Murder She Wrote, Book 41
Prescription for Murder
by Donald Bain
2013Murder She Wrote, Book 42
Close-up on Murder
by Donald Bain
2013Murder She Wrote, Book 43
Aloha Betrayed
by Donald Bain
2014Murder She Wrote, Book 44
Death of a Blue Blood
by Donald Bain
2014Murder She Wrote, Book 45
Killer in the Kitchen
by Donald Bain
2015Murder She Wrote, Book 46
The Ghost and Mrs Fletcher
by Donald Bain
2015Murder She Wrote, Book 47
Design For Murder
by Donald Bain
2016Murder She Wrote, Book 48
Hook, Line, and Murder
by Donald Bain
2016Murder She Wrote, Book 49
A Date with Murder
by Jessica Fletcher
2018Murder She Wrote, Book 50
Manuscript for Murder
by Jessica Fletcher
2019Murder She Wrote, Book 51
Murder in Red
by Jessica Fletcher
2019Murder She Wrote, Book 52
A Time for Murder
by Donald Bain
2019Murder She Wrote, Book 53
The Murder of Twelve
by Jessica Fletcher
2020Murder She Wrote, Book 54
Murder In Season
by Jessica Fletcher
2020Murder She Wrote, Book 55
Killing in a Koi Pond
by Jessica Fletcher
2021Murder She Wrote, Book 56
Debonair in Death
by Jessica Fletcher
2021Murder She Wrote, Book 57
Death on the Emerald Isle
by Jessica Fletcher
2023Murder She Wrote, Book 58
Killer on the Court
by Jessica Fletcher
2023Murder She Wrote, Book 59
Fit for Murder
by Jessica Fletcher
2024Murder She Wrote, Book 60
Murder Backstage
by Jessica Fletcher
2024Murder She Wrote, Book 61
A Killer Christmas
by Jessica Fletcher
2024Murder She Wrote, Book 62
Snowy with a Chance of Murder
by Jessica Fletcher
2025Murder She Wrote, Book 63
A Body in Boston
by Jessica Fletcher
2025Murder She Wrote, Book 64
The Body in the Trees
by Jessica Fletcher
2025Murder She Wrote, Book 65
Murder Most Trivial
by Jessica Fletcher
2026Murder She Wrote, Book 66
A Killing in Real Estate
by Jessica Fletcher
2026Murder She Wrote, Book 67
Series background & context
The Murder, She Wrote books revolve around Jessica Fletcher, a widowed former English teacher from Cabot Cove, Maine, who became a bestselling mystery novelist almost by accident and then kept finding herself in the middle of real crimes. The setup is wonderfully steady. Jessica might be home, on a book trip, visiting friends, or taking what should be a quiet holiday. Soon enough someone is dead, the obvious suspect looks wrong, and Jessica starts asking the patient questions everyone else skipped.
Cabot Cove is the series' true home base. That small-town setting gives the books their warmth, their gossip, and a lot of their humor. Jessica knows how people talk when they are hiding something, and she knows when old resentments are pretending to be neighborliness. Recurring figures like Dr. Seth Hazlitt, sheriffs Amos Tupper and Mort Metzger, Maureen Metzger, nephew Grady, Harry McGraw, and George Sutherland help the books feel lived in, even when each mystery is mostly self-contained.
But the books are not stuck in Maine.
A big part of the fun is how far they let Jessica roam. She turns up in London, Moscow, Provence, Bermuda, Hawaii, Italy, Arizona, Nashville, and aboard ocean liners and trains, always carrying the same mix of courtesy, curiosity, and stubbornness. Some stories lean into travel atmosphere, like Murder on the QE2, Provence to Die for, and Death on the Emerald Isle. Others stay closer to Cabot Cove and its local trouble, like The Maine Mutiny, Domestic Malice, or The Ghost and Mrs Fletcher.
The series also spans a few distinct eras. The earliest books tied closely to the television world, including The Murder of Sherlock Holmes and the other James Anderson novelizations. The long original-novel run really takes shape with Gin & Daggers and continues for decades, first in a very classic cozy mode, then with somewhat brisker, more contemporary entries like A Date with Murder, Murder in Red, and Killing in a Koi Pond. Different writers helped carry the line forward, but the heart of it stays recognizable.
Jessica is the reason that consistency works.
She is not flashy. She is observant, decent, and hard to rattle. She notices the extra glance, the forced alibi, the social detail that does not fit. The stakes matter, but the books rarely confuse bloodshed with excitement. What keeps readers coming back is the balance: a comfortable world, a fair mystery, a smart central character, and the quiet pleasure of watching her put things right. If you want cozy mysteries with strong settings, recurring friends, and a sleuth who wins with patience instead of swagger, this series knows exactly what it is doing.
Edited by
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