Where to Start with the Haggerty Mysteries
For the best reading experience, you should start the Haggerty Mystery series from the very beginning with Hearts in Hiding. While Betsy Brannon Green designs each installment around a self-contained mystery that wraps up by the final page, the town of Haggerty itself is a living, breathing community. The relationships between recurring characters, the local law enforcement, and the hilarious network of local gossips—collectively known as the "Haggerty ladies"—evolve continuously. Reading the books out of order will spoil major relationship developments and character arcs, particularly the romance and family dynamics surrounding central figures like Mark and Kate Iverson or Detective Mila Edwards.
Haggerty Mystery Books in Publication and Chronological Order
The chronological timeline of the Haggerty universe matches the order in which the books were published. Here is the recommended path through the series:
1. Hearts in Hiding (2001)
The book that launched the series introduces us to Kate Singleton, a pregnant widow fleeing a dangerous past under witness protection. Relocated to the small town of Haggerty, Georgia, Kate is given a new identity and a protective marriage of convenience to a local man. This opening novel blends high-stakes danger with heartwarming Southern charm, establishing the tone for the entire series.
2. Until Proven Guilty (2002)
Focusing on Beth Middleton, this second installment shifts the mystery to a tense custody evaluation case. After losing her fiancé, Beth takes a job that lands her in the middle of a high-stakes trial, kidnapping threats, and deep-seated family secrets. It's a gripping legal suspense novel that deepens our familiarity with Haggerty's legal and social landscape.
3. Above Suspicion (2003)
In this book, we follow Mary Grace O’Malley, the owner of a cozy bed-and-breakfast. When a guest is murdered, she partners with a local investigative reporter to dig into a decades-old town mystery. The investigation quickly threatens to expose secrets that prominent townspeople would prefer to keep buried, showing that Haggerty has a history as complex as its present.
4. Silenced (2004)
Detective Mila Edwards takes center stage in this installment, investigating the strange disappearance of two parents and the children left behind. As Mila digs into the case, she must navigate layers of local gossip and cover-ups. The book highlights the challenges of small-town police work where everyone knows everyone else's business.
5. Copycat (2005)
FBI Agent Mark Iverson faces a chilling challenge when a death row serial killer claims one of his alleged victims was actually killed by an imitator. Reopening the cold case leads Mark into a web of local secrets, missing persons, and intense community scrutiny, raising the stakes for the recurring law enforcement cast.
6. Poison (2005)
Taking a temporary detour from Georgia, Detective Mila Edwards travels to Hawaii for her wedding. However, the tropical paradise turns deadly when a maid is poisoned during a dinner party. With friends and family from Haggerty in attendance, the wedding party must work together to find the killer before the ceremony can take place.
7. Double Cross (2006)
Mark Iverson goes undercover in Colombia on what is supposed to be a rescue mission for a drug lord's hostage. He quickly realizes he has been set up, and the threat follows him and his wife, Kate, to protect their family. This is one of the most action-heavy and intense thrillers in the series.
8. Christmas in Haggerty (2006)
This holiday novella serves as a warm companion piece to the main series. Centered on Kate Iverson as she copes with painful news about her fertility, the story uses a series of dreams, neighborly love, and holiday traditions to guide her toward a heartwarming Christmas miracle. It is best read after the heavy events of Double Cross.
9. Backtrack (2007)
This entry features two parallel storylines. In one, four high school friends are trapped in a remote mountain cabin during a fierce storm with a mysterious stranger. Back in Haggerty, the spotlight shines on the beloved, feisty Miss Eugenia, who is dealing with a rival suitor and some light amateur sleuthing of her own.
10. Puzzle Pieces (2015)
Published after an eight-year hiatus, this final novel follows Presley DeGraff, who is hiding from her abusive ex-fiancé at her aunt's Haggerty home. When a human skeleton is unearthed in the backyard, Miss Eugenia and the town's senior citizens band together to solve the historical mystery and protect Presley from her past.
What to Know Before You Start
Betsy Brannon Green’s Haggerty Mystery series occupies a unique niche in the mystery genre: LDS-inspired clean suspense. While Green's faith and clean values shape the moral framework of the stories, the books are designed to appeal to any reader who enjoys a good, wholesome cozy mystery. The writing style is warm, lighthearted, and deeply rooted in the American South—a setting Green drew from her own family roots in Headland, Alabama.
One of the most charming signatures of the series is the inclusion of authentic Southern recipes at the end of the books, allowing readers to cook the very meals the characters share. The mixture of high-stakes situations—such as witness protection, drug cartels, and cold cases—with small-town baking, front-porch chats, and senior citizen gossip squads gives the series its irresistible, comforting rhythm.