Madeline Bean Culinary Mystery Reading Order at a Glance
For readers who want to experience the evolution of Madeline Bean's catering business, her relationships, and the recurring cast of quirky Los Angeles characters, reading the series in publication order is highly recommended. Because the books follow a linear timeline and character arcs progress from one novel to the next, starting from the beginning ensures you won't miss any of the running jokes or personal milestones.
- Sympathy for the Devil (1998)
- Immaculate Reception (1999)
- Killer Wedding (2000)
- Dim Sum Dead (2001)
- Mumbo Gumbo (2003)
- Perfect Sax (2004)
- The Flaming Luau of Death (2005)
The Madeline Bean Novels in Detail
1. Sympathy for the Devil (1998)
The novel that started it all introduces us to Madeline Bean, co-owner of the premier catering company Woodbine Catering. When she is hired to cater a wild, star-studded Halloween bash for notorious Hollywood producer Bruno Huntley, she expects a night of high-class entertainment. Instead, Huntley is poisoned by a contaminated dessert, and suspicion immediately falls on Madeline's business partner and ex-boyfriend, Wesley Westover. To save her business and clear Wesley's name, Madeline must dive into the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry. This stellar debut won the Macavity Award for Best First Mystery in 1999 and received nominations for the Agatha and Anthony Awards.
2. Immaculate Reception (1999)
In her second outing, Madeline lands the catering gig of a lifetime: a massive breakfast reception for 2,000 guests in honor of the Pope's visit to Los Angeles. The stakes are incredibly high, but things go from stressful to deadly when a prominent priest is found murdered. Madeline finds herself digging into a mysterious Jesuit past and navigating religious and political circles to track down a killer who threatened to turn her holy event into a public relations nightmare.
3. Killer Wedding (2000)
Madeline is tasked with catering a lavish, dinosaur-themed wedding for a pair of high-profile Hollywood elite. The eccentric event takes a macabre turn when the wedding planner's corpse is found dangling from a triceratops skeleton in the museum venue. Juggling demanding clients, a missing bride, and a killer on the loose, Madeline has to work quickly to ensure the reception doesn't end in complete disaster.
4. Dim Sum Dead (2001)
Set against the backdrop of a massive mah-jongg craze sweeping through Los Angeles, this entry centers on a high-stakes tournament catered by Madeline. When a murder is tied to a priceless, antique mah-jongg set, Madeline must piece together clues hidden within the tiles and the competitive social circles of LA's elite to find the culprit.
5. Mumbo Gumbo (2003)
Madeline's catering crew is hired to run the wrap party for the hit food-centric television series Food Freak. But when the show's head writer vanishes without a trace and the network demands an extra episode, Madeline is unexpectedly drafted to help write the script for the finale. Her investigation behind the scenes reveals a series of threatening clues, a hidden room, and a fire that uncovers a body linked to a drug ring.
6. Perfect Sax (2004)
After catering a prestigious Jazz Ball for the Woodburn School of Music, chaos strikes. A rare, million-dollar saxophone is stolen, and shortly afterward, one of Madeline's young servers is shot dead in her own bedroom. Fearing that she herself was the actual target of the bullet, Madeline investigates the crime while juggling a potential new romance with a trust-fund bachelor whose family past is tangled in high-end art theft and insurance fraud.
7. The Flaming Luau of Death (2005)
For the seventh installment, Madeline, Wesley, and their assistant Holly head to the Big Island of Hawaii for Holly's destination bachelorette getaway. The relaxing trip is instantly derailed when an uninvited man is found waiting in Holly's hotel room—and is subsequently found dead in a mud bath. Madeline must untangle Holly's secret past and find the killer before their Hawaiian vacation is cut permanently short.
The Canceled Eighth Book: Desperately Seeking Sushi
If you have seen references online to an eighth book in the series titled Desperately Seeking Sushi (often listed with a publication date of 2008 or 2009), you should know that this book was never actually published. It was announced and listed on retail sites in the mid-2000s, leading to many pre-orders. However, the title was ultimately cancelled, leaving The Flaming Luau of Death as the final published installment of Madeline's adventures. Automated library databases and book trackers still list it, which causes ongoing confusion for readers looking to complete the series.
What to Know Before You Start: Tone and Setting
Unlike many cozy mysteries that are set in sleepy, small towns, the Madeline Bean series embraces the vibrant, chaotic, and glamorous atmosphere of Los Angeles. Jerrilyn Farmer, drawing on her own background as a television writer (including writing for the game show Jeopardy!), infuses the novels with authentic Hollywood culture, lively dialogue, and a satirical look at show business. The books balance lighthearted humor and mouth-watering descriptions of gourmet food with darker undertones of greed, ambition, and betrayal.
Beyond Madeline Bean: Co-Authored Work
If you finish the Madeline Bean series and want more of Jerrilyn Farmer's signature writing style, you can check out Murder at the Academy Awards: A Red Carpet Murder Mystery (2009). Farmer co-wrote this Hollywood whodunit with the legendary comedian Joan Rivers. The story features Maxine "Max" Taylor (a fictionalized version of Rivers herself) who must solve the murder of a young Oscar nominee who collapses right at her feet during a live red-carpet broadcast.