The Recommended Reading Order for Vicky Hill
For the best experience, readers should follow the Vicky Hill series in publication order. While each book presents a self-contained, quirky murder mystery, the overarching character growth, Vicky’s personal life, her long-standing rivalry with fellow reporter Annabel Lake, and the ongoing saga of her father—a notorious thief known as "The Fog" who is currently on the run—develop sequentially across the books. Reading out of order will spoil these recurring subplots.
Here is the recommended reading path for the series:
- A Vicky Hill Exclusive! (2008)
- Scoop! (2009)
- Exposé! (2009)
- Thieves! (2011)
- Accused! (2015)
- Trapped! (2021)
A Deeper Dive: The Vicky Hill Bibliography
1. A Vicky Hill Exclusive! (2008)
The series begins by introducing us to 23-year-old Vicky Hill, who has grand dreams of becoming a high-profile investigative journalist. Instead, she finds herself stuck writing obituaries for the sleepy Gipping Gazette in the Devon town of Gipping-on-Plym. Her mundane routine is shattered when Sir Hugh Trewallyn, a local hedge-jumping enthusiast, dies under highly suspicious circumstances. Sensing her big break, Vicky starts digging, only to find herself entangled in a web of local secrets that somehow tie back to her own fugitive father.
2. Scoop! (2009)
Vicky is back on the hunt for a front-page scoop. When a champion hedge cutter is mysteriously electrocuted, Vicky is convinced it is murder. Her stubborn editor, however, wants her focusing on mundane local events like the annual pool tournament. Defying orders, Vicky investigates on her own, navigating a string of disastrous blind dates, professional sabotage from her rival Annabel Lake, and a killer who wants to ensure her next story is her last.
3. Exposé! (2009)
Small-town eccentricity is on full display as Gipping-on-Plym enters its annual snail-racing season. The festivities are cut short by the sudden and mysterious death of local celebrity Scarlett Flemming. Vicky immediately senses a cover-up. As she dives into the competitive underbelly of snail racing and local high society, she must dodge threats to her life while trying to keep her personal life from unraveling.
4. Thieves! (2011)
A rash of antique silver thefts sweeps through the Devon countryside, followed quickly by the discovery of a dead body in a shallow stream. Vicky sees a direct link between the thefts and the murder. Her investigation forces her to confront her father's criminal legacy once again, balancing her duty to the truth with her desire to protect her family's deepest secrets.
5. Accused! (2015)
In this high-stakes installment, the tables are turned. Vicky finds herself at the center of a criminal investigation when she is accused of a serious crime. To clear her name, she has to dig into a cold case that reaches back years, unraveling a complex web of blackmail and deceit while her father's shady past looms larger than ever.
6. Trapped! (2021)
A festive treat for fans, this holiday-themed Christmas novelette catches up with Vicky during a snowy winter season. Stuck working at the newspaper over the holidays and dealing with frustrating new living arrangements, Vicky stumbles onto a fresh mystery involving a suspicious stranger and her nemesis, Annabel Lake. It is a cozy, atmospheric addition that wraps up some of the series' signature charm in a shorter format.
What to Know Before You Start
Hannah Dennison drew directly from her own life when creating Vicky Hill. Before moving to Los Angeles to pursue screenwriting, Dennison worked as an obituary reporter in Devon, giving the series its authentic, highly detailed small-town newspaper atmosphere. The series is celebrated for its mix of slapstick British humor, eccentric country pastimes (such as snail racing and hedge jumping), and a lighthearted approach to the traditional cozy mystery. While there is always a murder at the center, the tone remains breezy, humorous, and deeply endearing.
Are There Spin-offs or Crossovers?
While Hannah Dennison has written other highly popular cozy mystery series, such as the Honeychurch Hall Mysteries (featuring Kat Stanford) and the Island Sisters Mysteries, there are no character crossovers or shared plotlines with the Vicky Hill books. All of her series are set in distinct fictional universes, though they share the same signature warmth, vivid English settings, and lighthearted comedic tone. You do not need to read any of Dennison's other novels to fully enjoy and understand Vicky's adventures in Gipping-on-Plym.