Vonnie Vines Books in Order

The Vonnie Vines series moves Megan Matthews's Pelican Bay setting into mystery territory. Vonnie is a new private investigator with big goals, limited money, and a sharp instinct for getting herself into the middle of a case. The books combine murders, missing people, family chaos, and a romance complicated by her former Navy SEAL boyfriend, Broadrick.

In 1st Murder, Vonnie is struggling to make her investigation business work when her only client turns up dead. Suddenly she has a murder to solve, a missing man to locate, and a reason to wonder whether Broadrick has been honest with her. The local police are not thrilled to have her interfering, but Vonnie is not built to walk away from a problem.

She has a lot on her plate.

Pelican Bay gives the mysteries a close-knit, occasionally absurd atmosphere. Friends, relatives, mob figures, local officers, and neighbors keep crossing paths, so every new clue threatens to expose an old secret. Vonnie's determination is real, but the series also leaves room for office-building mishaps, strange pets, and the awkwardness of investigating people she knows.

2nd Shooter finds Vonnie questioning a case that the public considers solved, while she also manages a friend's romantic crisis and a local mobster's cat. In 3rd Strike, the death of a high school baseball coach puts someone close to her family under suspicion, and Broadrick's absence leaves Vonnie to handle escalating problems alone.

The fourth book, 4th Suspect, puts Vonnie in immediate danger when her least-favorite mentor dies in her office and she becomes a leading suspect. At the same time, another investigation exposes painful secrets within a family connection. The mysteries have consequences, but the series keeps its brisk, mischievous tone.

Readers who like a capable but imperfect amateur-to-professional sleuth will find plenty to enjoy here. Start with 1st Murder, then continue in order. Vonnie's cases stand on their own to a degree, but her relationship with Broadrick, her family troubles, and the town's growing list of secrets build across the series.