Where to Start with Caryn Larrinaga
If you are new to Caryn Larrinaga's spooky, cozy, and supernatural worlds, your best starting point depends on your preferred subgenre. For readers who love cozy paranormal mysteries filled with ghosts, amateur sleuths, and lovable feline sidekicks, the clear starting point is Donn's Hill, the first book in the Soul Searchers Mysteries. If you prefer urban fantasy with a superhero twist, you should begin with Superhero Syndrome, which kicks off the Solstice Survivors series. For fans of dark folklore and gothic horror, her award-winning novella Mouse Trap or the Basque-inspired collection Galtzagorriak and Other Creatures offer excellent standalone entry points.
The Soul Searchers Mysteries Reading Order
The Soul Searchers Mysteries is Caryn Larrinaga's flagship series. Set in the fictional, heavily haunted town of Donn's Hill, the stories follow Mackenzie "Mac" Clair, a psychic who can communicate with the deceased. Alongside a crew of eccentric ghost hunters and her spirited cat, Striker, Mac solves local mysteries that merge everyday detective work with the supernatural.
While each mystery is resolved by the end of its respective book, the author highly recommends reading the series in publication order. The overarching character development, relationships, and major subplots span the entire trilogy. Furthermore, reading the sequels out of order will inadvertently spoil the whodunnit solutions and major plot twists of the earlier novels.
- Donn's Hill (2017) – Introducing Mac Clair, who moves to a haunted town hoping for a quiet life, only to get dragged into a local murder investigation when a ghost requests her help.
- Donn's Shadow (2019) – Mac's psychic work intensifies as she faces a dark presence that threatens her friends and unearths secrets about her own family's history.
- Donn's Legacy (2020) – The concluding chapter of the trilogy, where Mac must confront the legacy of her abilities and save the town from a looming spiritual threat.
Solstice Survivors Series
Stepping away from cozy mysteries, Larrinaga ventured into urban fantasy and superhero fiction with the Solstice Survivors series. The series centers on young adults who survive a terminal illness known as "Solstice Syndrome" only to develop strange, physical superpowers.
- Superhero Syndrome (2017) – The first novel follows twenty-one-year-old Tess McBray. After recovering from a fatal disease, Tess realizes that touching materials allows her skin to mimic their physical properties—transforming her body into wood, steel, or concrete. To investigate human trafficking and mysterious disappearances in her city, Tess teams up with a masked vigilante known as "The Fox."
Note: While Superhero Syndrome was written as the setup for a larger series, it remains a standalone novel as the author has not published subsequent volumes.
Standalones, Novellas, and Short Story Collections
Larrinaga is also an accomplished short fiction writer, frequently crafting tales that explore Basque folklore, gothic dread, and psychological horror.
- Hide and Seek (2015) – A chilling, suspenseful short story about a game that takes a terrifying, supernatural turn. This piece also received a popular audiobook production narrated by Jessica McEvoy.
- Galtzagorriak and Other Creatures: Stories Inspired by Basque Folklore (2017) – Drawing on her Basque heritage, Larrinaga compiled this collection of stories featuring mythical entities such as mischievous imps (Galtzagorriak), water nymphs (Lamiak), and the night spirit (Gaueko), complete with illustrations by Carina Barajas.
- A Friend in Need (2020) – A dark short story focusing on the lengths to which people will go to protect their secrets. It was adapted for audio in Season 14 of the popular horror anthology show, The NoSleep Podcast.
- Dread Softly (2021) – A collection of eleven horror stories featuring haunted objects, strange creatures, and psychological tension, highlighting the author's range in speculative fiction.
- Mouse Trap (2023) – A modern gothic horror novella. The plot follows Dakota Scott as she returns to her family's old home in Astoria, Oregon, following the death of her brother, only to find a malevolent force waiting in the walls. The novella won the League of Utah Writers Silver Quill Award.
What to Know Before You Start
Caryn Larrinaga's stories perfectly balance spooky elements with heartwarming, human dynamics. Her cozy mystery series prominently features Striker, a cat companion inspired by her real-life pet, which appeals heavily to cozy animal mystery readers. Her horror works, by contrast, tend to lean into eerie folklore and regional mythology, showcasing a darker, more atmospheric tone. If you are looking for a light, fun read with paranormal elements, start with the Soul Searchers; if you want genuine chills, pick up Mouse Trap or her short story collections.