🎯 Where Should I Start?
Best Starting Point
Publication Order of Beauty from Ashes Books
Start with: Some Kind of Lucky (2020)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Brothers Courageous Books
Start with: Shooter (2012)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Builders Books
Start with: A Secret Foundation (2018)
ⓘ About Vanessa Gray Bartal
Vanessa Gray Bartal is an American author best known for her novels in the romance genre and a couple of titles in the thriller and mystery fiction categories. Like most good and prolific writers, Gray Bartal has always been a voracious reader from early in her childhood. As it currently stands, she has over 50 novels under her name ranging from free standing coming of age adult titles, young adult books, and thriller mystery series such as The Kings of Montana, The Shadow Realm, Honeywells of Kentucky, and her highly popular Lacy Steel Mystery Books, among many others. Despite being one of the most prolific writers in the genre, she is also an accomplished baker and a full time mother who loves to travel.
All Book Series by Vanessa Gray Bartal
1
Some Kind of Lucky
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
2
Scattered Pieces Everywhere
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
1
Shooter
Series opener · book 1 of 4 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
4
Point Man
Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
1
A Secret Foundation
Series opener · book 1 of 5 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
3
A Complete Overhaul
Book 3 of 5 · published 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
4
A Total Teardown
Book 4 of 5 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
5
A Solid Cornerstone
Latest in the series · book 5 of 5 · published 2021
Buy on Amazon2021
1
Blushing Birdie
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2021
Buy on Amazon2021
3
Darling Duncan
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2021
Buy on Amazon2021
1
Wild Stallions
Series opener · book 1 of 5 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
2
Wild and Wounded
Book 2 of 5 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
4
Wild and Unbroken
Book 4 of 5 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
5
Wild and Free
Latest in the series · book 5 of 5 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
1
The Vigilante Club
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
2
Orchestrating Justice
Book 2 of 3 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
3
Vigilante Vengeance
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2014
Buy on Amazon2014
1
Cowboy Down
Series opener · book 1 of 5 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
5
Christmas With The Kings
Latest in the series · book 5 of 5 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
1
Morning Cup of Murder
Series opener · book 1 of 17 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
2
Christmas Steele
Book 2 of 17 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
3
Building Blocks of Murder
Book 3 of 17 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
4
Family Case of Murder
Book 4 of 17 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
5
Arch Enemy of Murder
Book 5 of 17 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
6
Class Reunion of Murder
Book 6 of 17 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
7
Wedding Day of Murder
Book 7 of 17 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
8
Icy Grip of Murder
Book 8 of 17 · published 2014
Buy on Amazon2014
9
Ladies' Circle of Murder
Book 9 of 17 · published 2015
Buy on Amazon2015
10
Last Resort of Murder
Book 10 of 17 · published 2016
Buy on Amazon2016
11
Fowl Friend of Murder
Book 11 of 17 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
12
Temp Job of Murder
Book 12 of 17 · published 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
13
It's Steele Christmas
Book 13 of 17 · published 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
14
Old Friend of Murder
Book 14 of 17 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
15
Stag Party of Murder
Book 15 of 17 · published 2021
Buy on Amazon2021
16
Honeymoon Cruise of Murder
Book 16 of 17 · published 2024
Buy on Amazon2024
17
Puzzling Piece of Murder
Latest in the series · book 17 of 17 · published 2026
Buy on Amazon2026
1
Worlds Apart
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
3
Common Ground
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
1
Bumpy Road to Paradise
Series opener · book 1 of 8 · published 2014
Buy on Amazon2014
2
Purgatory in Paradise
Book 2 of 8 · published 2015
Buy on Amazon2015
3
Reunited in Paradise
Book 3 of 8 · published 2015
Buy on Amazon2015
4
Growing Pains in Paradise
Book 4 of 8 · published 2016
Buy on Amazon2016
5
Enchanted Cottage in Paradise
Book 5 of 8 · published 2016
Buy on Amazon2016
6
Road Trip From Paradise
Book 6 of 8 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
7
Christmas In Paradise
Book 7 of 8 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
8
Summer Stock in Paradise
Latest in the series · book 8 of 8 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
1
Chalked and Loaded
Series opener · book 1 of 4 · published 2023
Buy on Amazon2023
2
Hacked and Jaded
Book 2 of 4 · published 2023
Buy on Amazon2023
3
Fluffed and Folded
Book 3 of 4 · published 2024
Buy on Amazon2024
4
Frosted and Sliced
Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 2025
Buy on Amazon2025
1
The Cowgirl Code
Series opener · book 1 of 5 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
2
One Classy Cowgirl
Book 2 of 5 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
3
Cowgirl Undercover
Book 3 of 5 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
4
Cowgirl on the Run
Book 4 of 5 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
5
The Cowgirl Who Loved Horses
Latest in the series · book 5 of 5 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
1
Pecked to Death
Series opener · book 1 of 7 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
2
Slumbered to Death
Book 2 of 7 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
3
Salvaged to Death
Book 3 of 7 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
4
Confederated to Death
Book 4 of 7 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
5
Kidnapped to Death
Book 5 of 7 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
6
Whispered to Death
Book 6 of 7 · published 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
7
Escaped to Death
Latest in the series · book 7 of 7 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
1
Seldom Goes
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
3
Seldom Skips
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2025
Buy on Amazon2025
1
The Shadow Grasper
Series opener · book 1 of 4 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
2
The Shadow Talker
Book 2 of 4 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
3
The Shadow Seeker
Book 3 of 4 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
4
The Shadow Lifter
Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
1
The Bun And The Gun
Series opener · book 1 of 8 · published 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
2
The Angel and The Agent
Book 2 of 8 · published 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
3
The Mouse and The Maestro
Book 3 of 8 · published 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
4
The Soldier and The Cowboy
Book 4 of 8 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
5
The Baker and the Barrister
Book 5 of 8 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
6
The Peacemaker and the Perfectionist
Book 6 of 8 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
7
The Ranger and The Hurricane
Book 7 of 8 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
8
The Finder and The Keeper
Latest in the series · book 8 of 8 · published 2021
Buy on Amazon2021
1
The WINO* Next Door: *Wife In Name Only
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 2022
Buy on Amazon2022
2
Calamity June
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2024
Buy on Amazon2024
1
A Christian Cougar
Series opener · book 1 of 6 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
2
The Pajama Affair
Book 2 of 6 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
3
Murder on the Brain
Book 3 of 6 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
4
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Book 4 of 6 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
6
With A Friend Like You
Latest in the series · book 6 of 6 · published 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Vanessa Gray Bartal?
Vanessa Gray Bartal is an American author best known for her novels in the romance genre and a couple of titles in the thriller and mystery fiction categories. Like most good and prolific writers, Gray Bartal has always been a voracious reader from early in her childhood. As it currently stands, she has over 50 novels under her name ranging from free standing coming of age adult titles, young adult books, and thriller mystery series such as The Kings of Montana, The Shadow Realm, Honeywells of Kentucky, and her highly popular Lacy Steel Mystery Books, among many others.
Which Vanessa Gray Bartal series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Lacy Steele Mysteries series, the earliest of Vanessa Gray Bartal's multi-book series: it opens with Morning Cup of Murder (2011) and runs to 17 books across 2011–2026, ending with Puzzling Piece of Murder (2026). Vanessa Gray Bartal's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Vanessa Gray Bartal written?
Vanessa Gray Bartal has 94 books catalogued in this guide, published between 2011 and 2026. 88 of them belong to 17 named series — the largest being the Lacy Steele Mysteries series with 17 books — and 6 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Vanessa Gray Bartal's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Vanessa Gray Bartal's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Lacy Steele Mysteries (2011–2026, 17 books), The Honeywells of Kentucky (2011–2012, 5 books) and The Kings of Montana (2011, 5 books), plus 14 more.
How are Vanessa Gray Bartal's books organised into series?
This guide splits Vanessa Gray Bartal's 94 books into 17 named series and 6 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Lacy Steele Mysteries (17 books, 2011–2026); Paradise, Montana Chronicles (8 books, 2014–2020); Spies Like Us (8 books, 2019–2021); Sadie Cooper Mystery (7 books, 2012–2020); Builders (5 books, 2018–2021), plus 12 further series.
