🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Peggy Ehrhart
Peggy Ehrhart is an American published author. Ehrhart is a former professor of English that retired early in 2002. She currently writes mystery stories but originally studied Medieval Literature in college and graduated with her Ph.D. She regularly gives talks on mystery fiction writing. She has won awards for her nonfiction and short fiction. She has a hobby of playing the guitar which partially inspired her mystery series that has strong themes of the blues. Peggy Ehrhart is the creator and the author of the Maxx Maxwell series. This mystery series kicked off for the first time in 2008 with the publication of Sweet Man Is Gone. In 2010, there was also a short novella released with three stories featuring this character.
All Book Series by Peggy Ehrhart
Death of a Kitchen Diva
Series opener · book 1 of 26 · published 2012 Anthology · Lee Hollis
Death of a Country Fried Redneck
Book 2 of 26 · published 2012 Anthology · Lee Hollis
Death of a Christmas Caterer
Book 5 of 26 · published 2014 Anthology · Lee Hollis
Death of a Cookbook Author
Book 10 of 26 · published 2018 Anthology · Lee Hollis
Death of a Wedding Cake Baker
Book 11 of 26 · published 2019 Anthology · Lee Hollis
Death of a Blueberry Tart
Book 12 of 26 · published 2020 Anthology · Lee Hollis
Halloween Party Murder
Book 15 of 26 · published 2021 Anthology · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis,Barbara Ross
Death of an Ice Cream Scooper
Book 16 of 26 · published 2022 Anthology · Lee Hollis
Death of a Christmas Carol
Book 19 of 26 · published 2022 Anthology · Lee Hollis
Death of a Halloween Party Monster
Book 21 of 26 · published 2023 Anthology · Lee Hollis
Easter Basket Murder
Book 22 of 26 · published 2024 Anthology · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis,Barbara Ross
Death of a Gingerbread Man
Book 23 of 26 · published 2024 Anthology · Lee Hollis
Easter Egg Murder
Book 25 of 26 · published 2026 Co-authored · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis
Death of a Grill Master
Latest in the series · book 26 of 26 · published 2026 Anthology · Lee Hollis
Easter Egg Murder
Latest in the series · book 15 of 15 · published 2026 Co-authored · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis
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 Co-authored · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis
Halloween Party Murder
Book 31 of 43 · published 2021 Anthology · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis,Barbara Ross
Irish Coffee Murder
Book 34 of 43 · published 2023 Anthology · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis,Barbara Ross
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 Anthology · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis,Barbara Ross
Easter Egg Murder
Book 42 of 43 · published 2026 Co-authored · Leslie Meier,Lee Hollis
Countdown to Christmas Murder
Latest in the series · book 43 of 43 · published 2026 Anthology · Leslie Meier
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Peggy Ehrhart?
Peggy Ehrhart is an American published author. Ehrhart is a former professor of English that retired early in 2002. She currently writes mystery stories but originally studied Medieval Literature in college and graduated with her Ph.D.
Which Peggy Ehrhart series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Lucy Stone series, the earliest of Peggy Ehrhart'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). Peggy Ehrhart's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Peggy Ehrhart written?
Peggy Ehrhart has 93 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1991 and 2026. 88 of them belong to 5 named series — the largest being the Lucy Stone series with 43 books — and 5 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Peggy Ehrhart's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Peggy Ehrhart'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), Maxx Maxwell Mysteries (2008–2011, 3 books) and Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mysteries (2012–2026, 26 books), plus 2 more.
How are Peggy Ehrhart's books organised into series?
This guide splits Peggy Ehrhart's 93 books into 5 named series and 5 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Lucy Stone (43 books, 1991–2026); Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mysteries (26 books, 2012–2026); A Knit & Nibble Mystery (15 books, 2018–2026); Maxx Maxwell Mysteries (3 books, 2008–2011); Quilt Whisperer Mystery (1 book, 2026).