Where to Start with Carla Cassidy's Scene of the Crime
If you love high-stakes romantic suspense, small-town secrets, and gripping investigations, Carla Cassidy's Scene of the Crime series is a perfect addition to your reading list. Published under the Harlequin Intrigue imprint, this 13-book series transports readers to tense, atmospheric small towns where local sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, and FBI agents face deadly threats while finding unexpected love.
Because each book is written as a standalone romance with a complete mystery, you can technically read them in any order. However, to appreciate the character connections and the recurring locations, reading in publication order is highly recommended. In particular, several books act as direct sequels or thematic continuations of previous entries, making a structured reading path much more rewarding.
Scene of the Crime Books in Publication Order
Here is the complete list of the 13 novels in the series, following the sequence in which they were published between 2009 and 2016:
- Scene of the Crime: Bridgewater, Texas (2009) – Sheriff Matt Buchanan and FBI agent Jenna Taylor team up to solve a murder in a quiet Texas town.
- Scene of the Crime: Widow Creek (2011) – FBI agent Lexie Forbes heads to Widow Creek, Kansas, to investigate a suspicious death, finding an ally in reluctant local rancher Nick Walker.
- Scene of the Crime: Bachelor Moon (2011) – FBI profiler Sam Connelly seeks peace at a remote Louisiana bed-and-breakfast, only for a dead body to pull him into protecting innkeeper Daniella Butler.
- Scene of the Crime: Mystic Lake (2012) – Set in a mystical Kansas town, FBI profiler Amberly Nightsong and Sheriff Cole Caldwell hunt a killer targeting ritualistic victims.
- Scene of the Crime: Black Creek (2012) – A gritty investigation that tests trust and boundaries in a small town.
- Scene of the Crime: Deadman's Bluff (2013) – High-stakes danger in a rugged, isolated bluff setting.
- Scene of the Crime: Return to Bachelor Moon (2013) – FBI profiler Gabriel Blankenship returns to the Louisiana B&B to investigate the disappearance of an entire family, working alongside manager Marlena Meyers.
- Scene of the Crime: Return to Mystic Lake (2014) – FBI Special Agent Jackson Revannaugh returns to the Kansas town to solve a missing-persons case, partnering with Marjorie Clinton.
- Scene of the Crime: Baton Rouge (2014) – FBI agents (and former lovers) Alexander Harkins and Georgina Beaumont reunite in Louisiana to track a serial killer.
- Scene of the Crime: Killer Cove (2015) – A coastal mystery packed with intense romantic tension and hidden dangers.
- Scene of the Crime: The Deputy's Proof (2015) – Deputy Josh Griffin vows to protect Savannah Sinclair, whose sister's suspicious death has spawned local legends.
- Scene of the Crime: Who Killed Shelly Sinclair? (2016) – Sheriff Olivia Bradford arrives in Lost Lagoon to tackle department corruption and solve the cold case of Shelly Sinclair, working with deputy (and ex-lover) Daniel Carson.
- Scene of the Crime: Means and Motive (2016) – Police Chief Gabriel Walters and a fellow investigator chase a dangerous culprit and their own sparks in Branson, Missouri.
Subseries and Setting Continuity
While the books shift locations across Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, and Missouri, Carla Cassidy returns to a few specific settings to build deeper subseries continuity. If you prefer not to read all 13 books, you can easily read these grouped stories as self-contained duologies:
The Bachelor Moon Duology
This subseries is set around the atmospheric Bachelor Moon Bed-and-Breakfast in Louisiana. Start with Scene of the Crime: Bachelor Moon (Book 3) to meet Sam Connelly and Daniella Butler. Then, read Scene of the Crime: Return to Bachelor Moon (Book 7), which follows a new investigator, Gabriel Blankenship, arriving at the same inn to solve a mass disappearance.
The Mystic Lake Duology
Located in a mysterious Kansas town, this pair begins with Scene of the Crime: Mystic Lake (Book 4), pairing Amberly Nightsong and Cole Caldwell. The story continues with Scene of the Crime: Return to Mystic Lake (Book 8) as Agent Jackson Revannaugh is pulled back to the area by a case that echoes his own past trauma.
The Sinclair Sisters Connection
Books 11 and 12 are tied together by a single cold case. In The Deputy's Proof, Savannah Sinclair seeks answers about her sister's death. The mystery culminates in Who Killed Shelly Sinclair? as Sheriff Olivia Bradford and Deputy Daniel Carson formally investigate Shelly's murder in the small town of Lost Lagoon.
What to Know Before You Start Reading
Carla Cassidy is a member of the Romance Writers of America Honor Roll and is celebrated for her fast-paced storytelling. The Scene of the Crime series is a classic representation of the Harlequin Intrigue style: tight plots, high jeopardy, strong alpha protectors, and capable heroines. You can expect elements of romantic tropes such as ex-lovers reunited (as seen in Baton Rouge and Who Killed Shelly Sinclair?), forced proximity, and partners-to-lovers dynamics.
Since the series is published under the Harlequin banner, the books are relatively short, quick reads that focus heavily on the central mystery and the immediate chemistry between the leads. There is no major overall series arc that spans all 13 books, which gives readers the flexibility to skip books or jump directly to the settings that intrigue them most.