Where to Start Reading Dawn Eastman's Books
Dawn Eastman has written two distinct cozy mystery series, both set in the state of Michigan. If you are new to her work, the best starting point is Pall in the Family, the first book in her bestselling Family Fortune Mystery series. This book serves as an excellent introduction to Eastman's signature blend of humor, quirky family dynamics, and small-town charm. If you prefer traditional mysteries with a medical twist over paranormal cozy elements, you should begin with Unnatural Causes, the debut of the Dr. Katie LeClair series.
Family Fortune Mystery Series
The Family Fortune Mystery series is set in the fictional, New Age-friendly tourist town of Crystal Haven, Michigan. It follows Clytemnestra 'Clyde' Fortune, a former police officer who returned home to Ann Arbor's quirky neighboring town. Clyde's family is famous for their psychic abilities: her mother, Rose, reads tarot cards, and her aunt, Vi, is a self-proclaimed pet psychic. Although Clyde is a skeptic who prefers old-fashioned police work, she frequently has to deal with both her family's eccentricities and her own emerging intuitive abilities. The series is best read in publication order to follow Clyde's personal growth, her developing relationship with homicide detective Mac, and the ongoing family dynamics.
Family Fortune Books in Reading Order
- Pall in the Family (2013): Clyde Fortune returns to Crystal Haven to walk dogs and clear her head, only to be dragged into investigating a local psychic's murder with the help of a traumatized Shih Tzu.
- Be Careful What You Witch For (2014): During the town's annual Fall Festival, a coven ritual ends in murder, and Clyde must clear the name of her best friend Diana while keeping her relationship with Detective Mac under wraps.
- A Fright to the Death (2015): A winter getaway turns into a locked-room mystery when a blizzard traps Clyde, Mac, and their families in a haunted, castle-like hotel where a proprietor is found dead.
- An Unhappy Medium (2016): A 'Zombie Fun Run' organized by Clyde's nephew Seth goes wrong when a runner is murdered. The case becomes deeply personal when Clyde's estranged sister, Grace, returns after fifteen years and becomes the prime suspect.
Dr. Katie LeClair Medical Mystery Series
Drawing on Dawn Eastman's real-life background as a family medicine physician, this series takes a more grounded approach to the cozy mystery genre. The books follow Dr. Katie LeClair as she settles into a new medical practice in the small town of Baxter, Michigan, only to find herself performing off-the-books investigations when her patients and neighbors are caught up in murders.
Dr. Katie LeClair Books in Reading Order
- Unnatural Causes (2017): Dr. Katie LeClair's quiet life is disrupted when a patient is found dead from an apparent suicide involving medication Katie allegedly prescribed. To clear her professional reputation, Katie launches her own investigation.
- Do No Harm (2018): Just as Baxter prepares for its Halloween festival, a new patient claims he was wrongfully imprisoned for murder and goes missing, while a college student investigating Katie's previous case is found dead in the woods.
Publication Order vs. Chronological Order
Fortunately for readers, there are no complicated timelines or prequel stories to navigate in Dawn Eastman's bibliography. The chronological order matches the publication order exactly for both series. Because character relationships, career shifts, and town events carry over from one book to the next, it is highly recommended to read each series in the order they were released.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into Dawn Eastman's books, keep these helpful reading tips in mind:
- Two Different Tones: The Family Fortune series leans heavily into the paranormal cozy subgenre with psychic predictions, quirky pets, and lighthearted humor. The Dr. Katie LeClair series is a standard medical cozy mystery, focusing on small-town medicine, forensics, and realistic investigative procedures.
- Standalone vs. Series Continuity: While the individual murder mysteries in each book are fully resolved by the final page, the character arcs, romantic relationships, and family secrets build continuously. Reading them out of order will spoil major relationship milestones.
- Status of the Series: Currently, both series are considered complete or on hiatus, with the last Family Fortune book published in 2016 and the last Katie LeClair book published in 2018.