Poppy Mystery Tale Books in Order

The Poppy Mystery Tale books show Leigh Russell writing in a lighter key. The series begins in Barking Up the Right Tree, where Emily’s boyfriend leaves her and she unexpectedly inherits her great aunt’s cottage in the Wiltshire village of Ashton Mead, on the condition that she takes care of an unknown pet.

The mystery pet turns out to be Poppy, a spirited rescue puppy with a knack for sensing trouble. As Emily settles into village life, making friends with Hannah at the Sunshine Tea Shoppe and other locals, she finds that small communities can hide big secrets. When a neighbour’s child disappears, Emily and Poppy are drawn into a dangerous search that proves the village is less sleepy than it looks.

Subsequent books keep that mix of warmth and jeopardy. In Barking Mad a body in the river puts suspicion on Emily’s reserved neighbour Richard. Poppy Takes the Lead sees a petty feud with bullying local Silas turn deadly, leaving Emily under a cloud of suspicion. Poppy’s Christmas Cracker revolves around a new French patisserie opening just before Christmas and a murder that threatens Hannah’s livelihood. Poppy Plays Fair follows a travelling fair whose visit ends in tragedy when a woman falls from the Ferris wheel.

Throughout the series Emily is an amateur sleuth, guided as much by empathy and curiosity as by logic. Poppy is never a talking animal or a gimmick, but her sharp nose and boundless energy often give Emily the push she needs to notice something everyone else has missed.

The tone is cosy and reassuring, with little on page violence, but there are always real stakes for friendships, reputations and sometimes lives. Readers who enjoy classic village mysteries with a contemporary feel, gentle humour and a strong sense of community will find this series an inviting counterpart to Russell’s darker police procedurals.