Colleen C.M. Gleason Books in Order

Where Should You Start Reading Colleen C.M. Gleason?

With more than forty novels spanning paranormal romance, steampunk, historical mystery, and cozy fantasy, Colleen C.M. Gleason (who writes as Colleen Gleason, C.M. Gleason, Joss Ware, and Colleen Cambridge) offers something for every reader. Because her series span wildly different genres, styles, and eras, the best place to start depends entirely on your reading mood:

• For Gothic action and romance lovers: Start with The Rest Falls Away, the first book in the acclaimed Gardella Vampire Chronicles. It is a thrilling blend of Regency romance, historical detail, and Buffy-style vampire hunting.
• For fans of Sherlock Holmes and steampunk: Start with The Clockwork Scarab, launching the young adult Stoker & Holmes series. It features the brilliant niece of Sherlock Holmes and the kick-ass sister of Bram Stoker in a retro-futuristic Victorian London.
• For cozy mystery enthusiasts: Start with Tomes, Scones & Crones under the Three Tomes Bookshop series, or pick up her Agatha Christie-inspired Murder at Mallowan Hall (written under the pen name Colleen Cambridge).
• For dark, post-apocalyptic romance fans: Start with the Envy Chronicles (originally published under the pseudonym Joss Ware, also known as the Heroes of New Vegas).

The Gardella Vampire Universe Reading Order

This is Gleason's signature universe. The main sequence follows Victoria Gardella in the 19th century, while a sequel spinoff leaps forward to her descendant Macey Gardella in the Roaring Twenties. Additionally, there are crucial tie-in novellas that bridge character arcs. For the absolute best experience, read this universe in publication order to avoid spoilers.

Phase 1: Victoria Gardella (The Regency Era)

1. The Rest Falls Away (2007)
2. Rises the Night (2007)
3. The Bleeding Dusk (2008)
4. When Twilight Burns (2008)
5. As Shadows Fade (2009)

Note: The short story/novella Max Stops the Presses (2013) is a companion piece featuring Max Denton and is best read after finishing Victoria's main arc.

Phase 2: Macey Gardella & Max Denton (The Roaring Twenties Spinoff)

This series moves the vampire-slaying action to 1920s Chicago, focusing on Victoria's descendant, Macey Gardella. Because certain novellas are deeply intertwined with the main novels, read them in this precise sequence:

1. Roaring Midnight (2013)
2. Raging Dawn (2015) (A Max Denton novella)
3. Roaring Shadows (2015)
4. Raging Winter (2015) (A Max Denton novella)
5. Roaring Dawn (2016)

The Stoker & Holmes Series

This popular young adult steampunk mystery series unites Mina Holmes (Sherlock's niece) and Evaline Stoker (Bram's sister). It is a standalone series, though fans of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles will appreciate a major Easter egg: Evaline Stoker is established as a descendant of Victoria Gardella, inheriting the family's vampire-hunting prowess and physical traits.

Read this series in strict chronological/publication order:

1. The Clockwork Scarab (2013)
2. The Spiritglass Charade (2014)
3. The Chess Queen Enigma (2015)
4. The Carnelian Crow (2017)
5. The Zeppelin Deception (2019)

The Draculia Vampire Trilogy

For readers who want historical romance with a heavy dose of vampire mythology, this trilogy (sometimes called the Regency Dracula series) is set in the same Regency period as Victoria Gardella's stories but shifts focus to gothic romance between mortals and vampire lords. They should be read in order:

1. The Vampire Voss (2011) (Also published as Dark Rogue: The Vampire Voss)
2. The Vampire Dimitri (2011) (Also published as Dark Saint: The Vampire Dimitri)
3. The Vampire Narcise (2011) (Also published as Dark Vixen: The Vampire Narcise)
4. Vampire of the Caribbean (2018) (A companion novel set in the same world)

Three Tomes Bookshop Series

Writing as Colleen Gleason, this series marks her foray into the popular Cozy Paranormal Women's Fiction subgenre. It follows a group of midlife women dealing with magic, curses, and mysteries centering on a mysterious bookshop. The order is:

1. Tomes, Scones & Crones (2021)
2. Purses, Curses & Hearses (2022)
3. Stakes, Cakes and Mandrakes (2023)
4. Hexes, Exes and Codexes (2024)

Historical Mysteries & Thrillers (As C.M. Gleason & Colleen Cambridge)

Gleason writes historical mysteries under her initials and different pseudonyms. These are great for readers who enjoy investigative, puzzle-box mysteries rather than paranormal elements.

Lincoln's White House Mysteries (As C.M. Gleason)

This series follows Adam Speed Quinn, a investigator hired by Abraham Lincoln to solve crimes in and around the White House during the American Civil War. The order is:

1. Murder in the Lincoln White House (2017)
2. Murder in the Oval Library (2018)
3. Murder at the Capitol (2020)

Marina Alexander Adventures (As C.M. Gleason)

An action-adventure thriller series following Marina Alexander as she hunts down historic artifacts and solves ancient global conspiracies. The reading order is:

1. Siberian Treasure (2011)
2. Amazon Roulette (2015)
3. Sanskrit Cipher (2021)

Phyllida Bright Mysteries (As Colleen Cambridge)

This highly popular historical cozy mystery series features Phyllida Bright, the fictional housekeeper of the real-life mystery writer Agatha Christie, solving real crimes at Christie's estate. The reading order is:

1. Murder at Mallowan Hall (2021)
2. A Trace of Poison (2022)
3. Murder by Invitation Only (2023)
4. Murder Takes the Stage (2024)
5. Two Truths and a Murder (2025)
6. Death Down the Aisle (2026)

The Envy Chronicles / Heroes of New Vegas (As Joss Ware)

Originally published under the pen name Joss Ware, this series is a dark, post-apocalyptic paranormal romance saga set in a ruined Las Vegas where survivors combat strange monsters and find love. When Gleason reclaimed the series, it was repackaged as the Heroes of New Vegas. Read them in the following order:

1. Beyond the Night (2016) (Note: Originally published as a prequel or later revised as Book 1)
2. Embrace the Night (2010) (Also published as Embrace the Night Eternal)
3. Abandon the Night (2016)
4. Night Beckons (2011) (Originally published as Night Betrayed)
5. Night Forbidden (2012)
6. Night Resurrected (2013)

What to Know Before You Start

Gleason's extensive use of pen names can make tracking her books confusing. When browsing, keep in mind that many books have been re-released with updated titles (especially the Joss Ware titles and the Draculia Trilogy). If you enjoy a specific genre of hers, it is best to stick to that series before branch-mining the rest of her bibliography, as the tone varies from lighthearted, cozy mystery in the Phyllida Bright books to dark, sensual romance in the Draculia trilogy.