Penelope Cress Books in Order

Reverend Ward permits an archaeological society to investigate an old well beneath the baptismal font. The excavation threatens to reveal secrets someone wants concealed, drawing the island parish into trouble rooted in the well's unexplained closure.

Reverend Jessamy Ward returns to her childhood island as its new parish priest, despite her mother's warnings. A murder coincides with her arrival, forcing her to investigate while hidden family secrets threaten both her vocation and her new life.

Reverend Jess Ward prepares for her formal installation while family visits and funerals complicate island life. A businessman's disappearance, followed by the discovery of his body, forces her to confront troubling family legends and local secrets.

Reverend Jess Ward joins the island walking group to get fit and introduces her sister's Brazilian lover to its members. With a competitive walkathon approaching, friendly ambition takes a dangerous turn when someone may be willing to kill.

Reverend Jess Ward hopes a romantic Paris getaway with Lawrence might lead to a proposal. Instead, a countess's missing jewelry and a masked assailant pull the couple into a mystery that threatens their peaceful escape.

A body washes up during Wesberrey's summer regatta, just days before a much-anticipated wedding. Reverend Jess Ward investigates under growing community expectations, questioning whether solving the death will require accepting her family's mystical heritage.

Christmas preparations on Wesberrey unravel into rivalry, a missing mystic, and reports of a ghostly nun. Reverend Jess Ward must untangle the parish's troubles before Midnight Mass while facing a major event in her own life.

Reverend Jess Ward hopes Halloween on Wesberrey will pass peacefully after months of unsettling discoveries. When tragedy strikes, she must draw on her family's support and her emerging psychic knowledge to uncover those responsible.

Vicar Jess is already busy with harvest festival preparations when another body appears on her island. A documentary crew led by an old flame adds pressure, turning her latest murder inquiry into a very public investigation.

Retired detective Mike Atwell investigates a mystery author's death during a seaside writing retreat. His ex-wife and a teenage hacker join him as suspects multiply among writers, relatives, and fans concealing secrets of their own.

Private investigator Mike Atwell looks into an ice cream salesman's death while pursuing a missing adult film star. A turf dispute and possible illicit business raise questions about whether his two cases might be connected.

Mike Atwell's golf outing leads to a murdered general and a growing list of suspects with reasons to dislike him. Reports of the victim's ghost complicate an investigation that may have an entirely earthly explanation.

An amateur production of Hamlet turns dangerous when an actor is stabbed behind the scenery. Mike Atwell investigates to defend the accused stage manager, uncovering rivalries and secrets before another performance leads to further violence.

A church bake sale becomes a murder investigation when elderly Dottie is found dead after asking unsettling questions about the past. Mike Atwell’s team probes a long-concealed tragedy while threatening love letters and a documentary producer create further complications.

A university department head's death looks accidental, but retired detective Mike Atwell suspects murder. Academic rivalries, hidden relationships, and arguments over scientific ethics complicate his investigation, especially when another poisoning raises the stakes on campus.

A drag queen’s onstage death brings Mike Atwell’s investigators into Canterbury’s cabaret community. Rivalries, secrets, and an obsessive admirer complicate the search for her killer, while a documentary producer’s growing involvement with the team raises concerns closer to home.