🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Barbara Ross
Being part of a burgeoning scene of artists and authors from the New England area, Barbara Ross writes with a style that reflects the northeastern coast. You can almost smell the ocean and the clam chowder just from reading the pages of one of her mystery novels. In fact, you can immediately discern the New England influence of her books simply by reading the titles. Mystery novels like Clammed Up and Mussled Out speak volumes about the kind of writing that Ross does. The Maine Clambake Mystery series is what Barbara Ross is best known for. She is the sole author of the series and it marks one of the more successful solo writing ventures Ross has undertaken.
All Book Series by Barbara Ross
Halloween Party Murder
Book 11 of 16 · published 2021 Co-authored · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis
Easter Basket Murder
Book 15 of 16 · published 2024 Co-authored · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis
Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 2020
Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2021
The Paysanne Cook Book
Single-title series · published 2018 Co-authored · Bob Ross
Mistletoe Murder / Mail Order Murder
Series opener · book 1 of 43 · published 1991 Anthology · Leslie Meier
St. Patrick's Day Murder
Book 14 of 43 · published 2008 Anthology · Leslie Meier
Chocolate Covered Murder
Book 18 of 43 · published 2011 Anthology · Leslie Meier
Silver Anniversary Murder
Book 26 of 43 · published 2018 Anthology · Leslie Meier
Christmas Card Murder
Book 29 of 43 · published 2020 Anthology · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis,Peggy Ehrhart
Halloween Party Murder
Book 31 of 43 · published 2021 Co-authored · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis
Irish Coffee Murder
Book 34 of 43 · published 2023 Co-authored · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis
Mother of the Bride Murder
Book 35 of 43 · published 2023 Anthology · Leslie Meier
Gingerbread Cookies and Gunshots
Book 37 of 43 · published 2023 Anthology · Leslie Meier
Candy Canes of Christmas Past
Book 38 of 43 · published 2023 Anthology · Leslie Meier
Easter Basket Murder
Book 39 of 43 · published 2024 Co-authored · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis
Easter Egg Murder
Book 42 of 43 · published 2026 Anthology · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis,Peggy Ehrhart
Countdown to Christmas Murder
Latest in the series · book 43 of 43 · published 2026 Anthology · Leslie Meier
Noir at the Salad Bar: Culinary Tales with a Bite
Book 14 of 16 · published 2017
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Barbara Ross?
Being part of a burgeoning scene of artists and authors from the New England area, Barbara Ross writes with a style that reflects the northeastern coast. You can almost smell the ocean and the clam chowder just from reading the pages of one of her mystery novels. In fact, you can immediately discern the New England influence of her books simply by reading the titles.
Which Barbara Ross series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Lucy Stone series, the earliest of Barbara Ross's multi-book series: it opens with Mistletoe Murder / Mail Order Murder (1991) and runs to 43 books across 1991–2026, ending with Countdown to Christmas Murder (2026). Barbara Ross's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Barbara Ross written?
Barbara Ross has 84 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1991 and 2026. 62 of them belong to 4 named series — the largest being the Lucy Stone series with 43 books — and 22 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Barbara Ross's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Barbara Ross's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Lucy Stone (1991–2026, 43 books), Chief Ruth Murphy Mystery (2010, 1 book) and Maine Clambake Mystery (2013–2024, 16 books), plus 1 more.
How are Barbara Ross's books organised into series?
This guide splits Barbara Ross's 84 books into 4 named series and 22 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Lucy Stone (43 books, 1991–2026); Maine Clambake Mystery (16 books, 2013–2024); Jane Darrowfield (2 books, 2020–2021); Chief Ruth Murphy Mystery (1 book, 2010).