How to Read the Maple Syrup Mysteries in Order
For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to read the Maple Syrup Mysteries in their official publication order. While each book features a self-contained whodunit that wraps up by the final page, the underlying character relationships, personal growth of protagonist Nicole Fitzhenry-Dawes, and the ongoing small-town subplots in Fair Haven build directly from one book to the next.
The Recommended Reading Order
- Book 1: A Sticky Inheritance (2016)
- Prequel Novella: Sapped (2016) — Note: Best read after Book 1
- Book 2: Bushwhacked (2016)
- Book 3: Almost Sleighed (2017)
- Book 4: Murder on Tap (2017)
- Book 5: Deadly Arms (2017)
- Book 6: Capital Obsession (2017)
- Book 7: Tapped Out (2017)
- Book 8: Bucket List (2017)
- Book 9: End of the Line (2018)
- Book 10: Slay Bells Ringing (2019) — A holiday novella collection
- Book 11: Rooted in Murder (2019)
- Book 12: Guilty or Knot (2019)
- Book 13: Stumped (2020)
Chronological Order & Novella Caveats
Chronologically, the prequel novella Sapped takes place before the events of A Sticky Inheritance. It details Nicole's life in Chicago as a high-stress criminal defense attorney and the shocking discovery that her boyfriend is secretly married, leading directly to the life transition that brings her to Fair Haven. However, author Emily James explicitly advises reading Sapped after A Sticky Inheritance. Experiencing Nicole's new life first provides much-needed context and makes her backstory in the prequel significantly more impactful.
Another key transition happens in Book 10: Slay Bells Ringing. Rather than a full-length novel, this book is a special double-novella collection containing:
- Unsilent Nights: A Maple Syrup Mystery centering on Nicole's honeymoon.
- Ginger Dead Man: A Cupcake Truck Mystery featuring Isabel Addington.
Readers should not skip Book 10, as the events in Unsilent Nights bridge the personal development of Nicole between End of the Line (Book 9) and Rooted in Murder (Book 11).
The Cupcake Truck Mysteries Connection
If you enjoy the cozy community of Fair Haven, you will want to check out Emily James's spin-off series, the Cupcake Truck Mysteries. This series follows Isabel Addington, who is running a mobile cupcake business while hiding from her past. The two series cross paths directly in the holiday novella collection Slay Bells Ringing, making it the perfect gateway if you want to expand your reading list into Isabel's tasty but dangerous world.
What to Know Before You Start
The Maple Syrup Mysteries are designed as "clean" cozy mysteries. This means readers can expect engaging suspense, clever clues, and light romantic subplots without graphic violence, gore, or strong language. The series is set against the backdrop of a beautiful, snow-covered sugarbush farm in Fair Haven, a fictional small tourist town in Northern Michigan. Alongside Nicole, a cast of lovable recurring characters—including her loyal dogs Velma and Max—bring warmth and humor to every investigation.