🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Frances Crane
Frances Crane was a cozy mystery fiction author that was best known for the “Pat Abbott” mystery series of novels. The author was born in Lawrenceville, Illinois in 1890. Her father was a manufacturer and capitalist from Chicago who built a huge business empire making ceramic and metal products. Ultimately she went to the University of Illinois where she graduated with her bachelor’s degree and was a Phi Beta Kappa. She would later attend the University of Chicago for her graduate studies. She would finally become known for her unorthodox religious beliefs and political radicalism, which made her the family’s black sheep and embarrassed her father. It was in 1941 that Frances Crane published her debut novel “The Turquoise Shop.
All Book Series by Frances Crane
Body Beneath a Mandarin Tree
Latest in the series · book 26 of 26 · published 1965
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Frances Crane?
Frances Crane was a cozy mystery fiction author that was best known for the “Pat Abbott” mystery series of novels. The author was born in Lawrenceville, Illinois in 1890. Her father was a manufacturer and capitalist from Chicago who built a huge business empire making ceramic and metal products.
Which Frances Crane series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Pat and Jean Abbott Mystery series, the earliest of Frances Crane's multi-book series: it opens with The Turquoise Shop (1941) and runs to 26 books across 1941–1965, ending with Body Beneath a Mandarin Tree (1965).
How many books has Frances Crane written?
Frances Crane has 30 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1941 and 1968. 26 of them belong to 1 named series — the largest being the Pat and Jean Abbott Mystery series with 26 books — and 4 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Frances Crane's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Frances Crane's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Pat and Jean Abbott Mystery (1941–1965, 26 books).
How are Frances Crane's books organised into series?
This guide splits Frances Crane's 30 books into 1 named series and 4 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Pat and Jean Abbott Mystery (26 books, 1941–1965).