Carolyn Ridder Aspenson Books in Order

Where to Begin Your Carolyn Ridder Aspenson Journey

With dozens of novels spanning multiple genres, Carolyn Ridder Aspenson offers something for every mystery lover. Whether you prefer gritty, fast-paced police procedurals, lighthearted paranormal cozy mysteries with snarky protagonists, or classic small-town amateur sleuth stories, her books are known for their lively dialogue and relatable female leads. Depending on your favorite subgenre, there are three primary starting points.

For fans of gritty detective suspense, the best place to start is the Rachel Ryder Series, beginning with the prequel novella Fatal Fortune or the first novel, Damaging Secrets. If you prefer laugh-out-loud paranormal cozy mysteries, start with the Midlife Psychic Medium Series (featuring Angela Panther) beginning with Unfinished Business, or the Witches of Holiday Hills Series (featuring Abby Odell) starting with There's a New Witch in Town. For a traditional Southern cozy mystery without any magical elements, pick up the Lily Sprayberry Realtor Series, starting with the prequel novella Escrowbar Holder or the debut novel, Deal Gone Dead.

Rachel Ryder Series: Gritty Detective Thrillers

This series moves away from the paranormal to follow Detective Rachel Ryder as she tackles intense, gritty crimes in small-town Georgia. While the books are largely self-contained investigations, Rachel’s personal life and character growth develop continuously, so reading them in order is highly recommended.

Although the first full-length novel is Damaging Secrets, Aspenson later published the prequel novella Fatal Fortune, which details the events that set Rachel's career in motion. You can read the prequel first for a chronological experience, or read it after the first few books as a companion story.

Rachel Ryder Recommended Reading Order

1. Fatal Fortune (2023) - Prequel Novella
2. Damaging Secrets (2021)
3. Hunted Girl (2021)
4. Overkill (2021)
5. Countdown (2022)
6. Body Count (2022)
7. Fatal Silence (2023)
8. Deadly Means (2023)
9. Final Fix (2023)
10. Dark Intent (2024)
11. Foul Play (2025)

Midlife Psychic Medium Series (Angela Panther)

This is Carolyn Ridder Aspenson's debut series and remains a fan-favorite. It follows Angela Panther, a suburban housewife who unexpectedly discovers she can communicate with the dead—specifically, her own deceased mother. The tone balances paranormal cozy mystery with midlife reinvention. The main books should be read in publication order to follow Angela's evolving family dynamics and psychic abilities.

Angela Panther Recommended Reading Order

1. Unfinished Business (2013)
2. Unbreakable Bonds (2014)
3. Unbinding Love (2015)
4. Uncharted Territory (2015)
5. The Ghosts (2015)
6. The Christmas Elf (2015)
7. Unexpected Outcomes (2017)
8. Undetermined Events (2018)
9. The Event (2018)
10. The Favor (2019)
11. Undesirable Situations (2021)
12. Uncertain Affairs / Uncertain Circumstances (2022)
13. Untrue Accusations (2022)
14. The Garland Ghoul (2022)
15. Uncovered Truths (2024)

The Midlife in Castleberry Psychic Medium Series (Chantilly Adair)

Often confused with the Angela Panther books, this companion series is set in Castleberry, Georgia, but focuses on a completely different protagonist: Chantilly Adair. After a fall, Chantilly begins seeing ghosts, leading to a new career as a psychic medium. Chronologically, the novella Haunting Hooligans takes place first and acts as the perfect introduction, though it was published fourth in the sequence.

Chantilly Adair Recommended Reading Order

1. Haunting Hooligans (2020) - Prequel Novella
2. Get Up and Ghost (2019)
3. Ghosts are People Too (2019)
4. Praying for Peace (2019)
5. Deceased and Desist (2021)
6. Déjà Boo (2022)
7. Ghost from the Grave (2020)
8. Apparitions and Alibis (2024)

Witches of Holiday Hills Cozy Mystery Series

This series stars Abby Odell, a young ghostwriter who discovers she comes from a line of powerful witches after her mother's passing. Abby is assisted in her amateur detective work by Cooper, her sassy Burmese cat familiar. Unlike the psychic medium series, this is a pure magic-and-spells cozy mystery series that should be read in publication order to track Abby's training and her developing romance.

Witches of Holiday Hills Recommended Reading Order

1. There's a New Witch in Town (2020)
2. Witch This Way (2020)
3. Who's That Witch? (2021)
4. Another Witch Bites the Dust (2022)
5. Hungry Like the Witch (2022)
6. Witchy Wonderland (2022)
7. Witch or Without You (2023)
8. Bust a Witch (2023)
9. Let's Hear it for the Witch (2023)
10. Any Way You Witch It (2023)
11. Goody Witch Shoes (2023)
12. Don't Worry Be Witchy (2023)
13. All Out of Spells (2023)
14. All She Wants To Do Is Witch (2023)
15. There's a New Witch in Town Christmas Edition (2023)
16. Sharp Dressed Witch (2023)
17. Carol of the Witches (2023)
18. Every Spell You Break (2024)
19. Bizarre Love Potion (2024)
20. Walking on a Witchy Line (2024)
21. Witch in the Wind (2024)
22. Hip to be Witchy (2024)
23. You Dropped a Curse on Me (2024)

Lily Sprayberry Realtor Cozy Mystery Series

If you prefer your cozy mysteries without any ghosts or magic, the Lily Sprayberry books are the perfect fit. Lily is a real estate agent in Georgia who frequently stumbles onto murder scenes. The prequel novella Escrowbar Holder introduces Lily and her business partner, Belle Pyott, as they establish their real estate agency and Lily gets her first taste of amateur sleuthing. Reading it first sets up the characters nicely, though starting with Deal Gone Dead is also perfectly acceptable.

Lily Sprayberry Recommended Reading Order

1. Escrowbar Holder (2023) - Prequel Novella
2. Deal Gone Dead (2018)
3. Decluttered and Dead (2018)
4. The Scarecrow Snuff Out (2018)
5. Santa's Little Thief (2018)
6. Signed, Sealed and Dead (2019)
7. Bidding War Break In (2019)
8. Open House Heist (2019)
9. Realtor Rub Out (2019)
10. The Claus Killing (2019)
11. Squatter's Fight (2019)
12. Foreclosure Fatality (2020)
13. Upgraded for Murder (2023)
14. A Listing To Die For (2024)

Jenna Wyatt Detective Series

Starting in 2025, Aspenson introduced a brand new grit-suspense detective thriller series featuring investigator Jenna Wyatt. This series is perfect for readers who enjoyed the style of the Rachel Ryder books and want another intense procedural series.

• How They Were Taken (2025)

Collaborative and Shared Universe Series

Carolyn Ridder Aspenson has participated in collaborative, multi-author cozy mystery projects. The most notable of these are the Funeral Fakers and Grave Theatrics series, which share characters and settings with other cozy mystery authors like Sam Cheever. Aspenson's direct contributions to these shared universes can be read as standalones or alongside the partner novels.

Funeral Fakers & Grave Theatrics Contributions

• Mourning Crisis (2018)
• Death and the Diva (2022)
• An Unconventional Mourning (2022)

Pooch Party Cozy Mystery Series

Perfect for dog lovers, this lighthearted trilogy features plenty of canine companions alongside small-town mystery solving.

1. Pooches, Pumpkins, and Poison (2019)
2. Hounds, Harvest, and Homicide (2019)
3. Dogs, Dinners, and Death (2020)

The Inn at Laurel Creek

For readers looking for a touch of small-town romance mixed with mystery, this short series follows the stories of the guests and owners of a cozy local inn.

1. The Inn at Laurel Creek (2014)
2. Zoe and Daniel’s Story (2017)

Standalone Novellas and Companion Works

• Santa's Gift (2013) - A holiday short story
• Spooks for Sale (2021) - Part of the Magical Real Estate series
• A Haunted Offer (2021) - A paranormal cozy short story
• Fright Night Felony (2023) - Part of the Witchy Holiday series