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Aurora Teagarden Books in Order

10 Books
1990 – 2017 Published
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Reading order

How to Read the Aurora Teagarden Series

The Aurora Teagarden cozy mystery series, written by Charlaine Harris, follows the personal life, career shifts, and amateur sleuthing of Georgia librarian Aurora "Roe" Teagarden. Because the books feature a continuous timeline where Roe grows, changes jobs, and navigates evolving relationships, it is highly recommended to read them in chronological order.

The Chronological Reading Order

  1. Real Murders (1990) – Roe's debut case involving a copycat killer targeting the members of her true-crime discussion club.
  2. A Bone to Pick (1992) – Roe inherits a house containing a hidden skull, leading her to solve an old, local mystery.
  3. Three Bedrooms, One Corpse (1994) – Exploring a career in real estate, Roe stumbles upon a body at a house showing.
  4. The Julius House (1995) – Roe buys her dream house, only to uncover the dark secret of the family that vanished from it years ago.
  5. Dead Over Heels (1996) – A mystery involving a body falling from a plane puts Roe's sleuthing skills to the test.
  6. "Deeply Dead" (1997) – A short story originally published in the anthology Murder, They Wrote. Chronologically, this short story is set between Dead Over Heels and A Fool and His Honey.
  7. A Fool and His Honey (1999) – Roe must protect her husband's niece's baby after a violent attack.
  8. Last Scene Alive (2002) – A film crew arrives in Lawrenceton to adapt a famous crime case, bringing drama and murder.
  9. Poppy Done to Death (2003) – Roe investigates when her step-sister-in-law Poppy is found murdered.
  10. All the Little Liars (2016) – Following a thirteen-year publishing gap, Roe deals with the disappearance of her teenage half-brother and his classmates.
  11. Sleep Like a Baby (2017) – Roe copes with new motherhood while solving a murder that occurs right in her own home.

Understanding the Publication Gap

Readers will notice a thirteen-year gap between Poppy Done to Death (2003) and All the Little Liars (2016). During this period, Charlaine Harris focused on writing her massive urban fantasy hit, the Sookie Stackhouse (Southern Vampire Mysteries) series. She returned to wrap up and mature Aurora's storyline in 2016 and 2017.

Hallmark Movie Adaptations vs. The Books

The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel adapted the books into a popular series of television films. The original film run starred Candace Cameron Bure as Aurora across 18 movies (2015–2022). In 2023, Hallmark debuted a prequel film series starring Skyler Samuels as a younger Aurora Teagarden. While these movies share character names and adapt some book concepts, they introduce original mysteries, change key romantic interests, and feature a significantly lighter tone than Charlaine Harris's novels.

Frequently Asked

QWhere should I start reading the Aurora Teagarden series?

You should start with the first novel, Real Murders (1990). Because the series features significant character progression and evolving romantic relationships, reading in order is the best way to enjoy it.

QHow many books are in the Aurora Teagarden series?

There are 10 full-length novels and one short story, "Deeply Dead" (1997), making 11 total entries in the literary series.

QWhere does the short story "Deeply Dead" fit in the order?

The short story "Deeply Dead" (published in the anthology Murder, They Wrote) is chronologically set between the fifth novel, Dead Over Heels (1996), and the sixth novel, A Fool and His Honey (1999).

QWhy is there a thirteen-year gap between books 8 and 9?

Charlaine Harris took a hiatus from Aurora Teagarden after publishing Poppy Done to Death in 2003 to focus on writing her bestselling Sookie Stackhouse (Southern Vampire) series before returning to Aurora in 2016.

QAre there any crossover books with Sookie Stackhouse?

No. Despite being written by the same author, the Aurora Teagarden cozy mysteries and the Sookie Stackhouse urban fantasy novels take place in entirely separate universes with no overlapping characters or events.

QHow do the Hallmark movies differ from the books?

The Hallmark films alter the timeline of events (adapting the second book, A Bone to Pick, as the first film) and significantly alter major plotlines, character deaths, and romantic relationships compared to the novels.