Where to Start with Daisy Bateman
For readers looking to dive into Daisy Bateman's work, the best starting point is her signature cozy mystery series, the Marketplace Mysteries (also known as the Claudia Simcoe series). These books combine a love of gourmet culture, quirky small-town dynamics, and clever puzzles. Because character relationships and the setting of the artisanal marketplace evolve, it is highly recommended to read them in publication order.
If you prefer dark, edge-of-your-seat suspense over cozy small-town sleuthing, you should begin with her psychological thrillers published under the pseudonym Stacie Grey. These novels are entirely standalone, meaning you can pick up any of them in any order.
The Marketplace Mysteries in Publication Order
This series stars Claudia Simcoe, a former San Francisco tech worker who leaves the city behind to open an artisanal, farm-to-table marketplace in the fictional coastal town of San Elmo, California. The books should be read in order of release:
- Murder Goes to Market (2020): Claudia's new beginning is threatened when a local vendor is found murdered with a cheese wire, making her the prime suspect. To clear her name, she must navigate San Elmo's eccentric community and find the real killer.
- A Dismal Harvest (2022): Claudia finds herself in the middle of another investigation when a local lawyer is found dead. This installment digs deep into Prohibition-era secrets, local land disputes, and small-town politics.
The Curious Case of Cherry Bomb
Before launching her main series, Bateman's name was attached to an early cozy mystery that sits outside her primary continuity:
- Cherry Bomb and the Shoes of Destiny (2019): Published by Midnight Ink (an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide that closed shortly after the book's release), this novel introduces Cheryl 'Cherry Bomb' Bombardier, a fashion-loving gourmand who gets caught up in a murder investigation during a shopping trip. It is a standalone cozy mystery with no narrative ties to the Claudia Simcoe books.
Stepping into Suspense: Psychological Thrillers as Stacie Grey
In 2024, Bateman transitioned into writing darker, faster-paced psychological suspense novels under the pen name Stacie Grey. These books trade cheese tastings and coastal California markets for remote settings, survival instincts, and decades-old secrets. Since they are standalones, publication order is optional, but here is how they were released:
- She Left (2024): A psychological thriller about Amy Brewer, a woman who survives a mass murder at a remote house party simply because she left early. Twenty years later, she and the other survivors are invited back to a secluded estate, forcing them to confront the truth of what happened that night.
- She Didn't Stand a Chance (2025): A suspense novel focusing on Gertie, who attends a tense family reunion at a isolated estate only to uncover dangerous family secrets and an active threat to her life.
- She Had Enough (2026): Her latest thriller, which centers on high-stakes tension and dark secrets, is scheduled for release on July 21, 2026.
What to Know Before You Start
Daisy Bateman's dual writing identity offers two distinct experiences. The Marketplace Mysteries are lighthearted, food-focused, and filled with humor—perfect for fans of classic cozy mystery tropes. On the other hand, the Stacie Grey thrillers are atmospheric, tense, and deal with heavier themes of survival and trauma. Her background in molecular biology and biotech research gives her plotting a precise, logical structure, regardless of which genre she is writing.