The Ultimate Bombay Family Reading Path
If you love cozy mysteries but wish they had a bit more firepower, Leslie Langtry’s Greatest Hits Mystery series (often called the Bombay family series) is the perfect match. This laugh-out-loud series follows the Bombays, a multi-generational clan of professional assassins who manage to balance their deadly contracts with soccer practice, PTA meetings, and baking cookies.
For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to follow the publication order. While the books feature different members of the family as protagonists, the overarching family dynamics, running jokes, and technology upgrades (courtesy of resident gadget-maker Missi) build upon each other. Starting at the beginning ensures you do not miss any inside jokes or character introductions.
Where to Start: The Perfect Entry Point
You should absolutely start with the very first novel, 'Scuse Me While I Kill This Guy. This book introduces Gin Bombay, a single mother trying to raise her daughter while working as a top-tier hitwoman. It establishes the series' signature tone: a lighthearted, fast-paced mix of romance, suburban absurdity, and dark comedy.
Greatest Hits Mystery Order of Publication
Here is the complete order of the Greatest Hits Mystery books based on their original release years. This list includes the main novels, the historical short story collections, and the holiday novellas:
- 'Scuse Me While I Kill This Guy (2007) – Book 1: Focuses on Gin Bombay. Gin is a single mother balancing Girl Scout cookie sales with taking out targets, whose life gets complicated by a target's bodyguard.
- Guns Will Keep Us Together (2008) – Book 2: Focuses on Dakota Bombay. Dakota is a suave hitman who discovers he has a son, while his grandmother demands a marketing plan for the family business.
- Stand by Your Hitman (2008) – Book 3: Focuses on Missi Bombay. Missi is an inventor who goes on a reality TV show in Costa Rica to get close to a target.
- I Shot You Babe (2009) – Book 4: Focuses on Coney Bombay. Coney is a philosopher-assassin working undercover at a carnival.
- Paradise by the Rifle Sights (2011) – Book 5: Focuses on Paris Bombay, who reluctantly stars in a reality dating show.
- Snuff the Magic Dragon: And Other Bombay Family Bedtime Stories (2013) – Book 6: A collection of historical short stories detailing Bombay ancestors.
- Bombay Family Bedtime Stories (2013) – Book 7: A compiled volume containing the family’s historical bedtime lore.
- Four Killing Birds (2013) – A Christmas-themed novella focusing on Missi Bombay.
- My Heroes Have Always Been Hitmen: And Other Bombay Family Bedtime Stories (2013) – Book 8: Another historical short story collection featuring ancestors.
- Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas (2015) – A holiday short story featuring Missi and her cousins carrying out a mission on a private island.
- Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Hitmen (2017) – Book 9: Focuses on the next generation, including Gin's daughter Romi Bombay.
Chronological Order vs. Publication Order
Because Leslie Langtry has written both contemporary novels and historical short story anthologies, readers often wonder if they should attempt a chronological reading order. Here is how the timeline splits:
The Historical Ancestor Stories
The collections Snuff the Magic Dragon and My Heroes Have Always Been Hitmen (often bundled together under the title Bombay Family Bedtime Stories) are composed of short stories that take place throughout history. They depict various Bombay ancestors executing targets in different eras, including a Wild West cowboy assassin (Rio Bombay), an Antebellum-era hitman (Aberdeen Bombay), and a Scottish Viking slayer (Dublin Bombay). They also detail historical encounters with famous figures like Rasputin, the Minotaur, and the Countess of Blood.
While these events chronologically precede the main novels by decades or even centuries, they are best read after Book 5 (Paradise by the Rifle Sights). Reading them too early can disrupt the flow of the modern Bombay family’s main story arc, and the humor works best once you are already familiar with the quirky nature of the family.
The Main Modern Timeline
The contemporary novels follow a direct chronological line, starting with Gin Bombay and progressing through her siblings and cousins, eventually concluding (for now) with the younger generation in Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Hitmen. The holiday novellas fit neatly into the later half of the series, with Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas often numbered as Book 4.5 or 5.5 depending on the listing.
What to Know Before You Start
The Greatest Hits Mystery series is not your average gritty thriller. Before diving in, keep the following elements in mind:
The Comedic Assassin Premise
The Bombay family treats assassination like a respectable, multi-generational family business. It is run with corporate-style marketing plans, grandmotherly oversight, and strict codes of ethics (they only kill bad people). If you are looking for realistic tradecraft or dark, gritty suspense, you won't find it here. The series is heavily satirical and leans into the absurdity of mixing suburban normalcy with lethal weapons.
The Shared Universe
Leslie Langtry is also famous for her Merry Wrath Mysteries, which follow a former CIA agent who becomes a Girl Scout leader in Iowa. While the Merry Wrath books and the Greatest Hits Mysteries share a very similar sense of humor, quirky characters, and lighthearted action, they function as distinct series. You do not need to read one to understand the other, though fans of one will almost certainly enjoy the other.
Practical Reader Advice
Here are a few quick tips to help you navigate your journey with the Bombay family:
Can the books be read as standalones?
Yes, to an extent. Each novel centers on a different Bombay family member, complete with their own romance and target assignment, meaning the main mystery of each book is fully resolved. However, the recurring cast, the evolution of the family's business, and Gin's daughter growing up are continuous threads. You will get the most enjoyment by reading them sequentially.
Where to find the short stories
If you are looking for the holiday novellas, they are frequently sold together in the Greatest Hits Mysteries Holiday Bundle or featured in multi-author Christmas cozy anthologies. The historical bedtime stories are easiest to acquire via the combined Bombay Family Bedtime Stories volume.