Where to Start Reading Angel Leigh McCoy
For readers new to Angel Leigh McCoy's fiction, the absolute best place to start is with the Wyrdwood Welcome trilogy. This series serves as the primary entry point to her fictional setting of Wyrdwood, a town where magic, myth, and human secrets collide. Starting with the first novel, Stalking the Moon, gives you the core setup of the world's rules, history, and recurring supernatural elements through the eyes of protagonist Viviane Rose.
If you prefer lighthearted mystery over urban fantasy suspense, you can start directly with her cozy spin-off series, the Catsitter Mysteries (also known as the Kitty Kats Around books), beginning with The Catsitter's Conundrum. Although set in the same supernatural universe, it features a self-contained cast of characters and a lighter tone, making prior knowledge of the main trilogy unnecessary.
The Wyrdwood Universe Reading Order
McCoy's main body of independent fiction takes place in and around the magical town of Wyrdwood. While the subseries can be read independently, reading them in publication order or chronological order helps you appreciate the recurring setting elements.
1. Wyrdwood Welcome Series
This is the core trilogy following Viviane Rose. These books should be read in strict chronological and publication order:
- Stalking the Moon (2020)
- Jumping the Moon (2020)
- Hexing the Moon (2020)
A companion short story, Nurse Magdaleine (2020), is also closely tied to this era of Wyrdwood and can be read alongside the main trilogy.
2. From Wyrdwood Standalones & Spin-offs
After completing the main trilogy, you can explore other stories set in the same universe. These feature different protagonists and unique supernatural mysteries:
- The Reluctant Undertaker (2024) – A standalone dark fantasy novel following Isabella as she returns to take over her family's funeral home in Wyrdwood.
3. Kitty Kats Around / Catsitter Mysteries
This series shifts the focus to cozy paranormal mystery, tracking a protagonist with cat-whispering abilities who gets entangled in local murders:
- The Catsitter's Conundrum (2022)
- Catsitter's Curse (2023)
4. Pocket Realm Romances
These are standalone romance novellas set in the Wyrdwood universe. They can be read in any order, typically enjoyed as festive or seasonal side-stories:
- Evergreen Bounty
- Take Me Instead
- Christmas Cupid
Short Stories and Collections
For readers who enjoy short fiction, McCoy has published several standalone horror and speculative tales. Many of these were originally published in anthologies or on her project site, Wily Writers, before being compiled.
Her primary collection is Dark was the Night (2020). Individual notable short stories include:
- Charlie Darwin, or The Trine of 1809 (2011)
- Creating Belle (2019)
- Cookies for Gio (2019)
- Coquettrice (2019)
- The Haunting of Mrs. Poole (2019)
- Crack o'Doom (2019)
Game Writing and Collaborative Books
Before launching her independent fiction, McCoy had an extensive career as a narrative designer and game writer. Fans of tabletop role-playing games will find her contributions across the Changeling: The Dreaming line (part of White Wolf's Classic World of Darkness) and other RPG systems:
- The Enchanted (1991)
- Pomegranates Full and Fine (1995)
- Changeling: The Dreaming (1995)
- Immortal Eyes: Shadows on the Hill (1996)
- Changeling Players Guide (1996)
- Kithbook: Nockers (1997)
- Kithbook: Sluagh (1997)
- Nobles: The Shining Host (1997)
- Kithbook: Satyrs (1998)
- Changeling Storytellers Guide (1998)
- Kithbook: Pooka (1999)
- Denizens of the Dreaming (2000)
She is also well-known for her digital game writing, serving as a senior narrative designer on the MMORPG Guild Wars 2 and contributing to the surreal, supernatural narrative of Remedy Entertainment's Control.