The Recommended Reading Path
For the best reading experience, you should read the Eddie LaCrosse Mysteries in publication order. While each novel is a self-contained mystery that can technically be read as a standalone, the overarching development of Eddie's character, his relationships, and the slow revelation of his tragic backstory build sequentially from book to book.
By following the publication order, you will experience the world-building and character dynamics exactly as Alex Bledsoe intended, watching Eddie grow from a cynical mercenary into a detective forced to confront his past and his principles.
Eddie LaCrosse Books in Publication Order
The core series is composed of five novels and one standalone ebook short story that serves as the chronological sixth entry. Here is the order in which they were released:
1. The Sword-Edged Blonde (2007)
This debut novel introduces Eddie LaCrosse, a freelance 'sword jockey' operating out of an office above Angelina's Tavern in the city of Neceda. For a standard fee of twenty-five gold pieces a day plus expenses, Eddie takes on a case for a childhood friend who has become King Philip. Hired to determine if the queen is unfaithful, Eddie finds himself caught in a web of royalty, treason, and murder. To solve the case, he must confront his own tragic history and the memory of his lost love, Rhiannon.
2. Burn Me Deadly (2009)
In this second outing, Eddie is hired to protect a young woman named Laura, who is fleeing a powerful noble. What starts as a bodyguard job quickly descends into a deadly conspiracy involving dragon cults, corrupt crime lords, and alchemical poison. The novel expands on the low-fantasy elements of the world while maintaining its gritty, street-level detective atmosphere.
3. Dark Jenny (2011)
Eddie travels to the island kingdom of Grandygold, a land heavily inspired by Arthurian legend. When the queen’s favorite knight is poisoned by a golden apple, Eddie is hired to find the culprit before the fragile kingdom erupts into civil war. This mystery pays homage to classic tales of Camelot, reframed through the cynical, hard-boiled lens of a private eye.
4. Wake of the Bloody Angel (2012)
Eddie takes to the high seas when he is hired by Angelina, the tavern owner where he lives, to solve a twenty-year-old mystery. He is tasked with finding out what happened to her first love, the notorious pirate captain Black Edward Tew, and his legendary ship. This pirate-themed investigation introduces the ex-pirate sword jockey Jane Argo, who becomes a recurring ally in the series.
5. He Drank, and Saw the Spider (2014)
In the fifth novel, Eddie seeks a quiet, retired life, but trouble finds him when he discovers an abandoned child in the snowy woods. The infant turns out to be the heir to a kingdom, targeted by assassins. Forced out of hiding, Eddie must protect the baby from ruthless political forces while dealing with the fallout of his own past decisions.
6. The Key to the Coward's Spell (2016)
This Tor.com Original ebook is a standalone short story set after the events of the novels. Hired by a local blacksmith to investigate a smuggling ring rumored to be shielded by powerful magic, Eddie must navigate a web of secrets while recovering from an injured arm. The story features a return appearance from the ex-pirate Jane Argo.
Chronology, Flashbacks, and Standalone Nature
A notable aspect of the Eddie LaCrosse series is its use of a non-linear narrative structure. While the external timeline of the books generally moves forward, Bledsoe frequently employs extensive flashbacks to reveal Eddie's noble origins, his training, and the monumental mistake that led to his self-imposed exile. Because of this, the chronological history of Eddie's youth is pieced together gradually across multiple books, reinforcing why reading them in publication order is highly recommended.
However, if you happen to pick up a later book first, you will not be lost. Alex Bledsoe designed each mystery to be a self-contained case with a clear resolution, ensuring that new readers can jump into the series at almost any point without feeling disoriented by the overarching continuity.
Short Stories and the Wider Universe
In addition to the main books, Eddie LaCrosse has appeared in shorter fiction:
- "Finger Stakes": A short story published in the anthology The New Hero Volume 2 (2012), featuring the ex-pirate character Jane Argo.
- "White Hart, Black Knight": A short story published in Uncanny Magazine (2015), inspired by Arthurian lore and Sir Gawain.
- Give the People What They Want and Other Stories (2023): A career-spanning short story collection by Alex Bledsoe that opens with stories set in the Eddie LaCrosse universe, alongside his other series.
What to Know Before You Start
The Eddie LaCrosse Mysteries are set in a low-fantasy medieval world where magic is subtle, rare, and generally treated with suspicion rather than celebrated. The tone is heavily inspired by 1940s hard-boiled detective fiction, particularly the works of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. Eddie operates like a classic noir detective—using his wits, cynical humor, and street-smart instincts to solve crimes in the rough-and-tumble town of Neceda.
It is also worth noting that while Alex Bledsoe is famous for his Appalachian urban fantasy series, the Tufa novels, the two series exist in entirely separate fictional universes and do not share any characters or plot connections.