Diana Xarissa Dunn Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Diana Xarissa

With a prolific library of over 100 books, Diana Xarissa Dunn (who frequently publishes as Diana Xarissa or D.X. Dunn) has built several distinct cozy mystery and romance universes. The best way to dive into her work is to choose a specific starting point based on your preferred subgenre. If you want a classic cozy village setting with a senior sleuth, begin with the Isle of Man Cozy Mysteries. If you prefer a paranormal twist with helpful spirits, start with the Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy books. For fans of traditional, murder-free mysteries set in England, the Markham Sisters novellas are the perfect introduction.

The Isle of Man Cozy Universe: Aunt Bessie's Saga

The crown jewel of Xarissa's catalog is the character Elizabeth 'Bessie' Cubbon, a sharp-witted spinster living in Laxey on the Isle of Man. However, many readers do not realize that Aunt Bessie actually made her debut in a romance series before getting her own dedicated mysteries.

1. Isle of Man Romance Series (The Prequels)

Before launching her full-time mystery writing career, Xarissa wrote a series of heartwarming contemporary romance novels set on the Isle of Man. Crucially, Aunt Bessie first appears as a supporting character in the second book of this series, Island Inheritance. If you want to see Bessie before she starts stumbling over dead bodies, start here.

• Island Escape (2013)
• Island Inheritance (2013)
• Island Heritage (2015)
• Island Christmas (2015)

2. Original Isle of Man Cozy Mysteries (The A-Z Series)

The core series follows Aunt Bessie as she solves a dizzying number of local crimes. This series is famous for its strict alphabetical naming convention (A to Z) using verbs. The books should be read in order, as characters grow, marry, and move within Laxey over the course of the series.

1. Aunt Bessie Assumes (2014)
2. Aunt Bessie Believes (2014)
3. Aunt Bessie Considers (2014)
4. Aunt Bessie Decides (2015)
5. Aunt Bessie Enjoys (2015)
6. Aunt Bessie Finds (2015)
7. Aunt Bessie Goes (2015)
8. Aunt Bessie's Holiday (2016)
9. Aunt Bessie Invites (2016)
10. Aunt Bessie Joins (2016)
11. Aunt Bessie Knows (2016)
12. Aunt Bessie Likes (2017)
13. Aunt Bessie Meets (2017)
14. Aunt Bessie Needs (2017)
15. Aunt Bessie Observes (2017)
16. Aunt Bessie Provides (2018)
17. Aunt Bessie Questions (2018)
18. Aunt Bessie Remembers (2018)
19. Aunt Bessie Solves (2018)
20. Aunt Bessie Tries (2019)
21. Aunt Bessie Understands (2019)
22. Aunt Bessie Volunteers (2019)
23. Aunt Bessie Wonders (2020)
24. Aunt Bessie's X-Ray (2020)
25. Aunt Bessie Yearns (2020)
26. Aunt Bessie Zeroes In (2020)

3. Aunt Bessie Cold Case Mysteries

Once the alphabetical cozy series concluded with Aunt Bessie Zeroes In, Xarissa immediately launched a sequel series. Set more than two years after the original series began, this series features Aunt Bessie joining a formal, unusual cold case unit. These books are named after specific files in alphabetical order.

1. The Adams File (2021)
2. The Bernhard File (2021)
3. The Carter File (2021)
4. The Durand File (2021)
5. The Evans File (2022)
6. The Flowers File (2022)
7. The Goodman File (2022)
8. The Howard File (2022)
9. The Irving File (2023)
10. The Jordan File (2023)
11. The Keller File (2023)
12. The Lawrence File (2024)
13. The Moss File (2024)
14. The Newton File (2024)

The Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy Universe

Another popular Isle of Man setting focuses on paranormal mysteries involving spirits and human detectives working in tandem.

1. Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy Series

This 26-book alphabetical series (from A to Z) features Fenella Woods, a nearly fifty-year-old single American woman who moves to Douglas on the Isle of Man for a fresh start. Upon moving into her new flat, she discovers she shares it with Mona, the ghost of the previous owner. Together, they solve local crimes.

1. Arrivals and Arrests (2016)
2. Boats and Bad Guys (2017)
3. Cars and Cold Cases (2017)
4. Dogs and Danger (2017)
5. Encounters and Enemies (2017)
6. Friends and Frauds (2018)
7. Guests and Guilt (2018)
8. Hop-tu-Naa and Homicide (2018)
9. Invitations and Investigations (2018)
10. Joy and Jealousy (2019)
11. Kittens and Killers (2019)
12. Letters and Lawsuits (2019)
13. Marsupials and Murder (2020)
14. Neighbors and Nightmares (2020)
15. Orchestras and Obsessions (2020)
16. Proposals and Poison (2020)
17. Questions and Quarrels (2021)
18. Roses and Revenge (2021)
19. Secrets and Suspects (2021)
20. Theaters and Threats (2021)
21. Umbrellas and Undertakers (2022)
22. Visitors and Victims (2022)
23. Weddings and Witnesses (2022)
24. Xylophones and X-Rays (2022)
25. Yachts and Yelps (2023)
26. Zephyrs and Zombies (2023)

2. Margaret and Mona Ghostly Cozy Series

This sequel series picks up directly after the events of the original ghostly mysteries. When Fenella Woods goes away on her honeymoon, her niece Margaret Woods moves into the luxury Douglas Promenade apartment. Margaret soon finds herself dealing with both the resident ghost Mona and local crimes investigated by her police inspector boyfriend, Ted Hart.

1. Murder at Atkins Farm (2024)
2. Murder at Barker Stadium (2024)
3. Murder at Collins Airfield (2024)

The Markham Sisters & Janet Markham Bennett Universe

Set in the picturesque region of Derbyshire, England, this universe centers on Janet Markham. Unlike the Isle of Man mysteries, the original Markham Sisters series features cozy, novella-length puzzles without murders.

1. Markham Sisters Books

This series follows Janet Markham and her sister Joan as they travel, go on holidays, and encounter quirky mysteries. Like Xarissa's other major series, it spans 26 books and follows a strict A-Z alphabetical order of cases.

1. The Appleton Case (2015)
2. The Bennett Case (2015)
3. The Chalmers Case (2015)
4. The Donaldson Case (2016)
5. The Ellsworth Case (2016)
6. The Fenton Case (2016)
7. The Green Case (2016)
8. The Hampton Case (2017)
9. The Irwin Case (2017)
10. The Jackson Case (2017)
11. The Kingston Case (2017)
12. The Lawley Case (2018)
13. The Moody Case (2018)
14. The Norman Case (2018)
15. The Osborne Case (2018)
16. The Patrone Case (2019)
17. The Quinton Case (2019)
18. The Rhodes Case (2019)
19. The Somerset Case (2020)
20. The Tanner Case (2020)
21. The Underwood Case (2020)
22. The Vernon Case (2020)
23. The Walters Case (2020)
24. The Xanders Case (2020)
25. The Young Case (2020)
26. The Zachery Case (2020)

2. Janet Markham Bennett Cozy Thrillers

In the sequel series, Janet Markham has married Edward Bennett. Together, the couple embarks on a series of undercover espionage assignments. This series shifts the tone slightly towards cozy thriller territory while retaining the alphabetical name structure (A-N).

1. The Armstrong Assignment (2021)
2. The Blake Assignment (2021)
3. The Carlson Assignment (2021)
4. The Doyle Assignment (2021)
5. The Everest Assignment (2022)
6. The Farnsley Assignment (2022)
7. The George Assignment (2022)
8. The Hamilton Assignment (2022)
9. The Ingram Assignment (2023)
10. The Jacobs Assignment (2023)
11. The Knox Assignment (2023)
12. The Lock Assignment (2024)
13. The Miles Assignment (2024)
14. The Nichols Assignment (2024)

Other Cozy Mystery & Romance Series

For readers looking for shorter commitments or different backdrops, Xarissa offers several smaller series, all of which use alphabetical or numerical naming structures:

• Lady Elizabeth Cozy in Space: A delightful cozy sci-fi mystery series following Lady Elizabeth across the cosmos (e.g., Alibis in Alpha Sector to Fires in Flux Sector).
• Sunset Lodge Mysteries: Set in a lakeside resort, following investigations from The Body in the Annex to The Body in the Greenhouse.
• Midlife Crisis Mysteries: Follows middle-aged sleuthing in different locations, beginning with Anxious in Nevada.
• F6 Books: A numerical cozy series running from Just This Once to Six Dead Men.
• Later In Life Love Story: Heartwarming contemporary romances beginning with Second Chances.
• Realities Trilogy: A speculative romance trilogy consisting of Mirrored Realities, Fractured Realities, and Convergent Realities.
• Distania Chronicles: Middle-grade adventure books written under the D.X. Dunn pen name (beginning with An Unexpected Adventure).