Barbara Early

An American author of mystery fiction firmly set within the traditions of the genre, Barbara Early is well regarded for her in-depth and compelling suspense filled novels, ones which combine both character and narrative, which is something that many readers worldwide have warmed to over the years, as she has gained an international following along with a bestselling author status. Knowing and understanding her genre well, she has become adept at knowing exactly what it is that her readers are looking for when reading her books, as she uses the conventions and tropes of the mystery genre to great effect,…

The best place to start is the Murder, She Wrote series, the earliest of Barbara Early's multi-book series: it opens with The Murder of Sherlock Holmes (1985) and runs to 67 books across 1985–2026, ending with A Killing in Real Estate (2026). Barbara Early's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.

Barbara Early has 78 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1985 and 2026. 75 of them belong to 4 named series — the largest being the Murder, She Wrote series with 67 books — and 3 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.

Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Barbara Early's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Murder, She Wrote (1985–2026, 67 books), Bridal Bouquet Shop Mysteries (2014–2015, 3 books) and Beverly Allen Short Story Collections (2015, 2 books), plus 1 more.

This guide splits Barbara Early's 78 books into 4 named series and 3 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Murder, She Wrote (67 books, 1985–2026); Bridal Bouquet Shop Mysteries (3 books, 2014–2015); Vintage Toyshop Mystery (3 books, 2016–2018); Beverly Allen Short Story Collections (2 books, 2015).