🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Lois Winston
Lois Winston is a women’s fiction, mystery, chick-lit, romance and romantic suspense author who has also authored nonfiction under the pen name Emma Carlyle and her own name. According to Kirkus Reviews, her bestselling “Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery” series was a mature answer to Stephanie Plum. In addition to her prowess as an author, Lois is an award winning needlework and craft designer and also literary agent who makes use of her experiences in the craft industry to create the settings and characters in her novels. Up until very recently, Winston worked on three careers and it was from this that she got the inspiration for her award-winning mystery series. Until she retired last year, she had spent several years editing and designing in the consumer crafts industry.
All Book Series by Lois Winston
Embroidered Lies and Alibis
Latest in the series · book 17 of 17 · published 2026
Love, Lies and a Double Shot of Deception
Series opener · book 1 of 5 · published 2007
Hooking Mr. Right: A Romance with Recipes
Book 4 of 5 · published 2014 Pen name · Emma Carlyle
Four Uncles and a Wedding
Latest in the series · book 5 of 5 · published 2015 Pen name · Emma Carlyle
Moms in Black: A Mom Squad Caper
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2021
Top Ten Reasons Your Novel Is Rejected: And How to Avoid Them
Single-title series · published 2012
Dreams & Desires of Romance Tales 2
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2008
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Lois Winston?
Lois Winston is a women’s fiction, mystery, chick-lit, romance and romantic suspense author who has also authored nonfiction under the pen name Emma Carlyle and her own name. According to Kirkus Reviews, her bestselling “Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery” series was a mature answer to Stephanie Plum. In addition to her prowess as an author, Lois is an award winning needlework and craft designer and also literary agent who makes use of her experiences in the craft industry to create the settings and characters in her novels.
Which Lois Winston series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series, the earliest of Lois Winston's multi-book series: it opens with Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun (2010) and runs to 17 books across 2010–2026, ending with Embroidered Lies and Alibis (2026).
How many books has Lois Winston written?
Lois Winston has 34 books catalogued in this guide, published between 2006 and 2026. 21 of them belong to 3 named series — the largest being the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series with 17 books — and 13 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Lois Winston's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Lois Winston's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Gertie (2006–2012, 2 books), Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries (2010–2026, 17 books) and Empty Nest Mystery (2014–2016, 2 books).
How are Lois Winston's books organised into series?
This guide splits Lois Winston's 34 books into 3 named series and 13 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries (17 books, 2010–2026); Empty Nest Mystery (2 books, 2014–2016); Gertie (2 books, 2006–2012).