Books On Board
series Reading Order

Ballad Books in Order

12 Books
1990 – 2016 Published
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Reading order

The Recommended Reading Path

For the best experience, we recommend reading the Ballad series in publication order. While Sharyn McCrumb designs each book as a self-contained story that can stand alone, reading them in the order they were written allows you to watch the characters grow and see the Appalachian setting itself evolve over time. You'll meet Sheriff Spencer Arrowood in the first book, and the beloved clairvoyant Nora Bonesteel makes her debut in the second book, becoming a key thread throughout the rest of the series.

Ballad Books in Publication Order

Following the publication timeline is the simplest way to experience the series. Here is the order in which the books were released:

  1. If Ever I Return, Pretty Peggy-O (1990)
  2. The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter (1992)
  3. She Walks These Hills (1994)
  4. The Rosewood Casket (1996)
  5. The Ballad of Frankie Silver (1998)
  6. The Songcatcher (2001)
  7. Ghost Riders (2003)
  8. The Devil Amongst the Lawyers (2010)
  9. The Ballad of Tom Dooley (2011)
  10. King's Mountain (2013)
  11. Nora Bonesteel's Christmas Past (2014) — Novella
  12. Prayers the Devil Answers (2016)
  13. The Unquiet Grave (2017)

Understanding the Chronological Caveats

While the framing narrative of many Ballad books takes place in the contemporary Appalachian region, almost every book features a deep dive into the region's past. A strict chronological timeline based on historical settings is not recommended because the modern characters serve as your guide to these historical mysteries. However, if you want to know how the historical backstories stack up, here is the chronological timeline of the events they explore:

  • King's Mountain: Set in 1780 during the Revolutionary War's Battle of King's Mountain.
  • The Ballad of Frankie Silver: Centers on the 1833 trial of Frankie Silver, the first woman hanged for murder in North Carolina.
  • Ghost Riders: Explores the lingering ghost stories and historical trauma of the Civil War in the 1860s.
  • The Ballad of Tom Dooley: Dives into the infamous 1866 post-Civil War murder trial that inspired the famous folk song.
  • The Unquiet Grave: Focuses on the late 1890s legend of the Greenbrier Ghost.
  • The Devil Amongst the Lawyers: Takes place during a 1935 murder trial in Virginia.
  • Prayers the Devil Answers: Set in 1936 during the Great Depression.

Key Subseries and Overlapping Characters

Although the books function as standalones, they are bound together by two primary figures:

The Spencer Arrowood Contemporary Mysteries

Sheriff Spencer Arrowood is the central figure in the contemporary line of books, including If Ever I Return, Pretty Peggy-O, She Walks These Hills, and The Rosewood Casket. These focus on modern police investigations intertwined with local folklore.

The Nora Bonesteel Folklore Path

Nora Bonesteel, a traditional mountain woman who possesses "the Sight" (clairvoyance), appears in most books starting with The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter. She takes center stage in the novella Nora Bonesteel's Christmas Past, bringing a supernatural element to the series.

Standalone Historical Ballads

Books like Prayers the Devil Answers and The Unquiet Grave shift the focus entirely to historical periods and do not feature Sheriff Arrowood, serving as standalone tales that expand the thematic universe of the Appalachian mountains.

Frequently Asked

QWhere should I start reading the Ballad series?

Start with If Ever I Return, Pretty Peggy-O (1990). It introduces Sheriff Spencer Arrowood and sets the atmospheric tone for the entire series.

QAre the Ballad books standalones?

Yes. Most books in the series feature self-contained historical or contemporary mysteries. You can read them out of order, but reading by publication order helps you track recurring characters like Spencer Arrowood and Nora Bonesteel.

QIs Nora Bonesteel based on a real person?

Yes, Sharyn McCrumb based Nora Bonesteel on her real-life friend Charlotte Ross, an Appalachian State University professor who belongs to a family known for having "the Sight."

QDoes Sheriff Spencer Arrowood appear in every book?

No. Sheriff Arrowood is the protagonist of the contemporary novels, but he does not appear in the historical standalones like Prayers the Devil Answers or The Devil Amongst the Lawyers.

QWhat is the historical event behind The Ballad of Frankie Silver?

It explores the true story of Frankie Silver, an 18-year-old woman hanged in North Carolina in 1833 for the murder of her husband, a case that remains wrapped in historical controversy.

QAre there any co-authored books or spin-offs in the Ballad series?

No, Sharyn McCrumb is the sole author of the Ballad series, and there are no direct spin-off series, though the novella Nora Bonesteel's Christmas Past focuses specifically on one of the main recurring characters.