Most Recommended Books

Track reading, wishlists & new-book alerts

Get
Skip to content
Share:

Samantha Wolf Mysteries Books in Order

Part ofTara Ellis Books in Order

Browse the Samantha Wolf Mysteries by Tara Ellis in order, with quick summaries, series background, and easy help picking the best place to start.

Last updated: July 9, 2026

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you).

Samantha Wolf Mysteries books in publication order

Sort:

13 books

1

The Mystery Of Hollow Inn

by Tara Ellis

2014

Sam and Ally head to the mountains of Montana for summer break, only to find vandalism, ghost stories, and rumors of buried treasure at Hollow Inn. Helping family quickly turns into their first real mystery.

2

The Beach House Mystery

by Tara Ellis

2015

A quiet week at the beach turns strange when Sam and Ally meet suspicious neighbors and hear stories about a sea creature and a haunted lighthouse. A missing girl and a mysterious boat pull the whole group deeper in.

3

The Heiress of Covington Ranch

by Tara Ellis

2015

Middle school brings Sam and Ally a new friend and a new mystery. An abandoned ranch, a stolen ruby, and trouble surrounding one of their teachers all point to a family story that is not over yet.

4

The Secret of Camp Whispering Pines

by Tara Ellis

2015

Summer camp should mean hiking, swimming, and fun, but Sam and Ally find secrets instead. New friendships, hidden clues, and growing danger turn Camp Whispering Pines into a case they cannot ignore.

5

A Mysterious Christmas on Orcas Island

by Tara Ellis

2016

A holiday trip to Orcas Island comes wrapped in local legend and suspicious behavior. Ghost stories, shady adults, and a mysterious loner give Sam another case to untangle.

6

The Case of the Curious Canine

by Tara Ellis

2016

Volunteering at an animal shelter sounds perfect to Sam, until dogs start arriving with odd symptoms and the adults seem far too calm about it. Solving this case means choosing between a mystery and her heart.

7

The Haunting of Eagle Creek Middle School

by Tara Ellis

2016

While planning a Halloween fundraiser, Sam, Ally, and Cassy stumble into a ghost story tied to their own school. The deeper they dig, the more they uncover secrets that could change lives in the present.

8

The Legend of Shadow Mountain

by Tara Ellis

2017

An unexpected trip to Alaska turns dangerous when Sam and her friends are caught in a plane crash. To survive, they must cross unforgiving wilderness, face a local legend, and reach help before time runs out.

9

The Mystery of Old Gully Trail

by Tara Ellis

2018

When Sam and Ally meet a troubled girl, they are drawn into a family secret tied to the origins of their town. The trail into the woods leads them straight into buried history.

10

Return to Hollow Inn

by Tara Ellis

2019

Back at Hollow Inn, Sam and Ally are pulled into a new mystery when a young guest goes missing. Familiar ground feels different this time, and even family brings complications.

11

The Secret of Sanctuary

by Tara Ellis

2019

A visit to Sanctuary brings Sam into contact with new allies and old secrets. What starts as another local puzzle grows into a deeper mystery with consequences beyond one town.

12

The Mystery at Ocean Side

by Tara Ellis

2022

When a troubled boy moves in next door, strange things begin happening around Ocean Side. Sam follows the trail into riddles, family secrets, and a fight to save a local landmark.

13

The Case of the Missing Tree Star

by Tara Ellis

2023

What looks like a small missing-item case quickly grows into something more for Sam. As always, the real mystery is not the object itself, but the people and secrets around it.

Samantha Wolf Mysteries books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Mystery Of Hollow Inn"

    The Mystery Of Hollow Inn

    by Tara Ellis

    2014Samantha Wolf Mysteries, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Secret of Camp Whispering Pines"

    The Secret of Camp Whispering Pines

    by Tara Ellis

    2015Samantha Wolf Mysteries, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Beach House Mystery"

    The Beach House Mystery

    by Tara Ellis

    2015Samantha Wolf Mysteries, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "The Heiress of Covington Ranch"

    The Heiress of Covington Ranch

    by Tara Ellis

    2015Samantha Wolf Mysteries, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "The Haunting of Eagle Creek Middle School"

    The Haunting of Eagle Creek Middle School

    by Tara Ellis

    2016Samantha Wolf Mysteries, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "A Mysterious Christmas on Orcas Island"

    A Mysterious Christmas on Orcas Island

    by Tara Ellis

    2016Samantha Wolf Mysteries, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "The Case of the Curious Canine"

    The Case of the Curious Canine

    by Tara Ellis

    2016Samantha Wolf Mysteries, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "The Legend of Shadow Mountain"

    The Legend of Shadow Mountain

    by Tara Ellis

    2017Samantha Wolf Mysteries, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "The Mystery of Old Gully Trail"

    The Mystery of Old Gully Trail

    by Tara Ellis

    2018Samantha Wolf Mysteries, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "Return to Hollow Inn"

    Return to Hollow Inn

    by Tara Ellis

    2019Samantha Wolf Mysteries, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "The Secret of Sanctuary"

    The Secret of Sanctuary

    by Tara Ellis

    2019Samantha Wolf Mysteries, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "The Mystery at Ocean Side"

    The Mystery at Ocean Side

    by Tara Ellis

    2022Samantha Wolf Mysteries, Book 12
  13. Book cover for "The Case of the Missing Tree Star"

    The Case of the Missing Tree Star

    by Tara Ellis

    2023Samantha Wolf Mysteries, Book 13

Series background & context

The Samantha Wolf Mysteries are Tara Ellis's clean, old-fashioned adventure series for younger readers, though plenty of adults who grew up on Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden will recognize the appeal right away. At the center are Samantha Wolf, usually called Sam, and her best friend Ally, two smart, curious girls growing up on the coast of the Pacific Northwest in Washington State. They are the sort of kids who cannot leave a loose thread alone.

That curiosity gets them into all kinds of trouble.

Some mysteries take them away from home, to a Montana inn, a summer camp, a beach community, Orcas Island, or even the Alaskan wilderness. Others begin much closer to everyday life, in a middle school basement, a local animal shelter, or the woods near town. That range is part of the fun. The series keeps the same core cast and tone, but each book gives Sam and her friends a new setting, a new local legend, and a fresh puzzle to work through.

As the series grows, the world around Sam fills out nicely. Ally is her main partner, but other recurring characters matter too, including Cassy and the boys who often help untangle the bigger messes. Family plays a real role in these books. So do sibling tensions, new friendships, and the ordinary feelings that come with being twelve and trying to make sense of people. Ellis keeps the stories accessible without making the characters feel flat.

The tone is light, but never flimsy. These are not high-body-count thrillers scaled down for kids. They are clue-driven mysteries with real stakes, strong atmosphere, and a warm sense of place. Legends, rumors, missing items, suspicious adults, haunted stories, and hidden family histories all show up again and again. So does Sam's instinct that something small usually points to something bigger.

They are mystery books first.

If you want a family-friendly series with smart young detectives, memorable settings, and quick, satisfying plots, this is one of Tara Ellis's most welcoming entry points. The books can often be enjoyed on their own, but reading them in order lets you watch Sam's circle grow and the friendships deepen. That steady, familiar cast is a big part of why the series works so well.

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.

Comments

Did we miss something? Have feedback?

Help us improve this page by sharing your thoughts

We only use your email to notify you about replies.

All comments are moderated.

Discover and track your reading on the go

Track your reading, manage wishlists, and get notified when new books are added.