V.D. Bucket Books in Order

Retired health inspector Victor moves with his wife and cats to a Greek mountain village, buying a house from the local undertaker. Language mishaps, eccentric neighbors, and alarming discoveries about the property complicate their hopes for a tranquil new life.

Three months after moving to Greece, Victor and Marigold deepen their village friendships and hold a traditional house blessing. Matchmaking, work at the local taverna, and a missing Albanian neighbor bring fresh complications to their increasingly eventful retirement.

As summer heat brings water shortages to Meli, Victor takes work guiding tourists and experiments with the village's abundant courgettes. Unexpected visitors, an injured cat, and a friend's plans to settle in Greece keep the household in turmoil.

Victor's crowded Greek household grows tense as wedding guests overstay their welcome and a troublesome cat compounds the friction. Between finding the couple a home, local politics, and work aboard a cruise boat, retirement proves surprisingly demanding.

With relatives filling the house for Barry and Cynthia's wedding, Victor juggles entertaining guests, preparing a speech, and managing the reception food. Bridezilla behavior, unfamiliar healthcare, and questions about his parentage add further complications to life in Greece.

Guzim's attachment to a tortoise alarms Victor, whose former career as a public health inspector makes the possibility of food poisoning particularly embarrassing. Life in Greece continues to challenge his carefully maintained standards and expectations.

Victor persuades Marigold to welcome Violet Burke into their downstairs storage space. Meanwhile, Milton suspects someone is stalking him, unaware that the local expatriate book club has taken an interest in his erotic writing.

As his season representing tourists ends, Victor receives an unexpected job offer and encounters someone from his past at the Diros Caves. Geraldine's visit with her irritating new partner adds another complication to the household.

Violet Burke moves into the renovated apothiki and cycles around the village seeking cleaning work. With Marigold visiting England, Victor considers cookery classes and hopes to make progress on writing about their adventures in Greece.

An alarming encounter with the Greek police leaves Victor looking distinctly suspicious in a bloodstained apron. Meanwhile, expatriate dinners, unexpected freeloaders, troublesome pets, and a peeping neighbor create another round of village mishaps for him and Marigold.

A romantic weekend in Monemvasia brings Victor and Marigold unexpected encounters with fellow villagers. Back home, Victor prepares for his mother's eightieth birthday and faces the uncomfortable prospect of reading Milton's erotic fiction in public.

Victor accompanies Violet Burke to Warrington to collect her belongings while worrying about Marigold at home. An overstaying houseguest, a missing goat, and work on a newly purchased ruin complicate Easter preparations in Meli.

Victor struggles to write romantic verses for a vow renewal while returning to public health inspection duties. Violet's engagement, Marigold's matchmaking, and a rival tour representative add fresh complications to the Buckets' life in Greece.

Victor and Marigold explore Arcadia on a second honeymoon, visiting a monastery and ruined castle. Back in Meli, a jumble sale, competing cleaners, and Guzim's alarming report about the cats keep village life eventful.

The village kafenio reopens after decades, prompting disagreements over its men-only rules. As Victor investigates secrets surrounding an ostracised goatherder, a burglar disrupts Meli's peace and Violet receives help from an old friend from England.

When Guzim disappears during a wet January, Victor must tend his own chickens. This shorter visit to Meli explores the Albanian shed dweller's background while Violet finds a companion and a Bucket pet is stolen.

A fatal fire and a mysterious death lead to revelations about Despina's troubled past. As Victor and Marigold encounter someone from their own history, familiar village comedy mingles with a darker account of hidden suffering.

An infestation among Marigold's cats creates panic as the rental apartments prepare for their first paying guests. Guzim searches for Doruntina, while Violet draws Victor back to Warrington and a buffet that offends his professional instincts.

Nikos faces a campaign of insulting graffiti and rubbish dumped in his fields. Meanwhile, Victor welcomes a former colleague, Violet walks out on Christos, and romantic invitations complicate another round of everyday life in Meli.

Victor temporarily takes charge of the village kafenion under the scrutiny of sceptical customers. A disastrous haircut, Marigold's matchmaking, and an anxious meeting with his former prisoner half-brother bring further complications to life in Greece.