How to Read The Leafy Hollow Mysteries
If you are looking for a cozy escape filled with quirky characters, gardening tips, and twisty whodunnits, Rickie Blair's The Leafy Hollow Mysteries is the perfect destination. The series follows Verity Hawkes, a reclusive widow from Vancouver who travels to the fictional, picturesque town of Leafy Hollow in southern Ontario. Over the course of the series, Verity transforms from an introverted horticulturalist searching for her missing aunt Adelaide into a confident local landscape designer and, eventually, a licensed private investigator.
Because the series features a strong, continuous character arc for Verity and deepens the relationships among the eccentric townsfolk, we highly recommend reading the books in their official publication order. Fortunately, the chronological order matches the publication sequence perfectly, making it simple to follow Verity's journey from the first spade in the soil to the final solved mystery.
The Leafy Hollow Mysteries in Order of Publication
Here is the complete list of the mainline novels in the series, following their original release sequence:
1. From Garden to Grave (2016)
The series begins with Verity Hawkes arriving in Leafy Hollow to find her eccentric Aunt Adelaide, who has mysteriously vanished. Soon, one of Adelaide's clients turns up dead, and Verity finds herself as the prime suspect. To clear her name, Verity must navigate a town populated by suspicious characters, including a tipsy carpenter, a gossip-loving vegan baker, and a handsome local police officer.
2. Digging Up Trouble (2017)
Verity is settling into her new life as Leafy Hollow's local gardener, but the peace is short-lived. While working on a new landscaping project, she uncovers clues that reignite her search for Aunt Adelaide. When a fresh murder strikes the village, Verity must balance planting beds with plotting out suspect timelines to keep herself and her friends safe.
3. A Branch Too Far (2017)
When a local resident suffers a fatal fall, the police quickly rule it an accident. However, Verity suspects foul play, especially when the mother of her best friend is implicated in the tragedy. Verity digs deep into Leafy Hollow's social circles to uncover a tangled web of secrets and protect those she cares about.
4. Muddy Waters (2017)
Rainy weather brings trouble to Leafy Hollow. When a body is discovered in a muddy ditch, Verity is pulled into a complex investigation that involves historical village rivalries and hidden motives. As she seeks the truth, she must deal with a variety of red herrings and a village full of tight-lipped suspects.
5. Snowed Under (2018)
Winter arrives in Leafy Hollow, bringing a deep freeze and a million-dollar crossword competition that has the entire village on edge. When a participant is found dead under suspicious circumstances, Verity must brave the elements and decode a series of cryptic clues to track down a clever killer before the snow covers their tracks.
6. The Grave Truth (2019)
Verity's personal life takes center stage when her long-estranged father suddenly reappears in Leafy Hollow. His unexpected return brings back painful memories and drags Verity into a cold case murder investigation that stretches back decades, forcing her to confront long-buried secrets about her own family's history.
7. Picture Imperfect (2019)
A high-profile double murder rocks the local art community when a valuable painting is stolen and a Leafy Hollow resident is accused of the crime. Verity steps in to investigate the local art scene, trying to separate masterpiece from forgery and identify the true killer before an innocent person is locked away.
8. Doubt on a Limb (2020)
In the final installment of the mainline series, Verity Hawkes faces her most personal case yet. Armed with her newly minted private investigator license, she must solve a final, complex puzzle that threatens to tear the peaceful community of Leafy Hollow apart, tying up the remaining threads of her journey from Vancouver transplant to local hero.
Publication Order vs. Chronological Order
For readers wondering if they should tackle this series out of order, the short answer is no. Rickie Blair designed the series to be read sequentially. While each book presents a self-contained murder mystery that is resolved by the final chapter, the underlying story elements—such as Verity's search for her missing aunt Adelaide, her career progression, and her evolving relationships with Leafy Hollow's residents—build directly from one book to the next. Reading them out of order will spoil major character developments and family secrets.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into Leafy Hollow, here are a few practical tips to enhance your reading experience:
- The Setting: Leafy Hollow is a fictional village inspired by the rural areas of southern Ontario. It is characterized by its close-knit community, local shops, and lush gardens, offering a distinctly Canadian flavor to the cozy mystery genre.
- Audiobooks: For those who prefer listening, the audiobooks are narrated by Petrea Burchard. Her narration is widely praised by fans for bringing the quirky personalities of the villagers to life.
- Tone: The books lean heavily on humor, character development, and horticulture. While there is always a murder to solve, the tone remains lighthearted, comforting, and focused on community resilience.
Spin-Offs and Other Works by Rickie Blair
It is worth noting that Rickie Blair has also written the Ruby Danger series, which is a collection of financial thrillers. This series reflects Blair's former career as a financial journalist. It has a slightly faster, more suspenseful tone than the lighthearted cozy vibes of Leafy Hollow.
Readers sometimes confuse the Ruby Danger short story Danger and the Sting (officially Book 2.5 in that series) with the Leafy Hollow Mysteries. However, Danger and the Sting is entirely separate and belongs to the Ruby Danger universe. Currently, there are no crossover books or spin-offs set directly in the Leafy Hollow world.