Books On Board

Clara McKenna Books in Order

  • 5 Books
  • 2019 – 2023 Published

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Reading order
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Where to Start with Clara McKenna

If you are diving into the cozy, horse-centric, and aristocratic world created by Clara McKenna (the pen name of Anna Loan-Wilsey), the best place to start is the very beginning of her signature series. You should begin your journey with Murder at Morrington Hall (2019), the book that introduces the series' core couple, American heiress Stella Kendrick and British Viscount Lyndhurst, affectionately known as "Lyndy."

Because the series relies heavily on the evolving relationship, social standing, and personal growth of its main characters, reading the books in strict publication order is highly recommended. The romantic tension, the cultural clashes between Stella’s Gilded Age American background and Lyndy’s traditional British Edwardian upbringing, and the overarching plot threads build directly from one book to the next.

Stella and Lyndy Mystery Series in Publication Order

The Stella and Lyndy mysteries are set in the early 20th century (beginning in 1905) and take readers from the lush, wild landscapes of the New Forest in Hampshire to prestigious English resort towns, historic castles, Scotland, and even across the Atlantic to Montana. Here is the chronological sequence of their investigations:

  • Murder at Morrington Hall (2019) – Stella is forced into an arranged marriage with Lyndy, but the union is quickly overshadowed by the murder of the local vicar on the family estate. This book establishes the central characters, the horse-racing backdrop, and the initial sparks of romance.
  • Murder at Blackwater Bend (2020) – Stella strives to prove herself in the local equestrian circles but finds herself investigating the death of a groom at a nearby estate, exposing the dark side of local horse breeders.
  • Murder at Keyhaven Castle (2021) – The couple travels to Keyhaven Castle, the estate of Lyndy's formidable grandmother. When a family member is killed and a valuable treasure is stolen, Stella and Lyndy must clear the family name. This entry won high praise, including being named one of Suspense Magazine's Best of 2021.
  • Murder at the Majestic Hotel (2022) – Set in the fashionable spa town of Harrogate, the duo plans a brief respite before their wedding, only to be dragged into a high-society murder at a grand hotel.
  • Murder on Mistletoe Lane (2023) – The first holiday mystery of the series. Now married, Stella and Lyndy celebrate Christmas at their new home, Morrington Manor, but the discovery of a body in the local churchyard disrupts their first festive season together.
  • Murder at Glenloch Hill (2024) – A USA Today bestseller that takes the couple to the Highlands of Scotland. Stella and Lyndy visit the ancestral home of Lyndy’s mother, finding a mystery intertwined with local folklore, family secrets, and the game of golf.
  • Murder at Cottonwood Creek (2025) – In this installment, Stella and Lyndy travel to Montana in 1906 to visit Stella's mother and stepfather. What was meant to be a simple family reunion turns deadly when a night guard at a fossil dig site is murdered.
  • Murder at Pellhurst Pond (Forthcoming, scheduled for October 27, 2026) – The next anticipated mystery, returning the sleuths to English soil and another complex mystery of high-society secrets.

The Hattie Davish Mysteries (Writing as Anna Loan-Wilsey)

Before adopting the Clara McKenna pen name, the author published historical cozy mysteries under her real name, Anna Loan-Wilsey. This series features Hattie Davish, a young, independent traveling secretary in the late 19th-century United States. Traveling from town to town, Hattie uses her keen observational skills and typing machine to solve baffling crimes in a rapidly changing Gilded Age America.

Like the Stella and Lyndy series, the Hattie Davish novels should be read in order of release to appreciate Hattie's personal journey and changing situations:

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  • A Lack of Temperance (2012) – Set in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, Hattie takes a position with a temperance leader and must investigate the leader's sudden disappearance and subsequent murder mysteries in a bustling Victorian spa town.
  • Anything but Civil (2013) – Hattie travels to Galena, Illinois, to assist a Civil War historian. When local veterans and prominent citizens begin dying under mysterious circumstances, she is drawn into a web of decades-old wartime secrets.
  • A Sense of Entitlement (2014) – Set in Newport, Rhode Island, Hattie finds herself typing for a wealthy family in their grand summer cottage. The Gilded Age glamour is shattered by a murder that highlights the deep divide between the ultra-rich and their servants.
  • A Deceptive Homecoming (2015) – Hattie returns to her own hometown of Kokomo, Indiana, only to find that home is no longer safe. She must clear a family member's name and confront her past when a prominent local citizen is found dead.
  • A March to Remember (2016) – Taking place in Washington, D.C., Hattie helps prepare for a suffragist march, but the political tension turns lethal when a leading activist is murdered.

    • What to Know Before You Start

    Clara McKenna’s books are celebrated for their meticulous historical detail, which stems from her professional background in library science and research. The Edwardian setting of the Stella and Lyndy series capture the twilight of the Gilded Age, the strict social etiquette of the British peerage, and the changing roles of women in the early 1900s. Readers will enjoy the vivid descriptions of horse breeding, the New Forest ponies, grand estates, and traditional English country life.

    While both series feature strong mystery elements, the Stella and Lyndy series has a significant romantic subplot. The growth of Stella and Lyndy’s relationship—from an arranged marriage of convenience to a true partnership in both love and sleuthing—is a central pillar of the books. In contrast, the Hattie Davish series focuses more on the independence of a working woman traveling across the expanding American frontier of the 1890s.

    There are no major chronological deviations or spin-offs, making the publication order the absolute best path for both series. The books do not feature co-authored entries or major short story collections, providing a clean, straightforward reading experience for cozy mystery fans.

    Frequently Asked

    Do I need to read the Stella and Lyndy books in order?

    Yes, it is highly recommended to read the Stella and Lyndy Mystery series in order. The overarching relationship between Stella Kendrick and Viscount Lyndhurst progresses significantly with each book, moving from their arranged marriage in the first book to their life as newlyweds in later novels.

    What is Clara McKenna's real name?

    Clara McKenna is the pen name of Anna Loan-Wilsey. Under her real name, she has written the 1890s-set Hattie Davish Mystery series.

    Who is the main character in the Hattie Davish series?

    The main character is Hattie Davish, an independent traveling typewriter and secretary who solves mysteries across late 19th-century America.

    Where is the Stella and Lyndy series set?

    The series is primarily set in the New Forest region of Hampshire, England, though subsequent books take the characters to Harrogate, the Scottish Highlands, and Montana in the United States.

    What is the latest book in the Stella and Lyndy series?

    The latest published book is Murder at Cottonwood Creek (2025). The eighth book in the series, Murder at Pellhurst Pond, is scheduled for release in late 2026.