Ellie Alexander Books in Order

Where to Begin Your Ellie Alexander Journey

If you are new to Ellie Alexander’s cozy, community-driven worlds, your absolute best starting point is Meet Your Baker (2014), the book that launched her signature Bakeshop Mystery series. This series remains her flagship work, offering the perfect introduction to her style: vivid descriptions of food and drink, rich small-town settings, and lingering personal subplots that develop from book to book. Alternatively, if you prefer craft brews to pastries, you can start with Death on Tap (2018), the opener of her craft-brewery-focused Sloan Krause series. For fans of classic whodunits and bookstore settings, the Secret Bookcase Mysteries starting with The Body in the Bookstore (2024) is another excellent entry point.

The Core Recommendation: Publication Order

While the mysteries in each individual novel are self-contained and resolved by the final page, reading Ellie Alexander's books in publication order is highly recommended. The main characters—like pastry chef Jules Capshaw or brewmaster Sloan Krause—experience significant life changes, shifting romantic interests, and evolving family relationships. Reading out of order will spoil these long-term arcs and may leave you confused about changes in the supporting cast or the expansion of the local businesses.

The Bakeshop Mystery Series in Order

Set in the charming Shakespeare-loving town of Ashland, Oregon, this series follows Jules Capshaw as she returns home to help run her family's beloved bakery, Torte. This series is famous for incorporating mouthwatering recipes that you can bake in your own kitchen.

1. Meet Your Baker (2014)
2. A Batter of Life and Death (2015)
3. On Thin Icing (2015)
4. Caught Bread Handed (2016)
5. Fudge and Jury (2017)
6. A Crime of Passion Fruit (2017)
7. Trouble Is Brewing (2017) – Note: This novella serves as a crossover event with the Sloan Krause series!
8. Another One Bites the Crust (2018)
9. Till Death Do Us Tart (2018)
10. Live and Let Pie (2018)
11. A Cup of Holiday Fear (2019)
12. Nothing Bundt Trouble (2020)
13. Chilled to the Cone (2020)
14. Mocha, She Wrote (2021)
15. Bake, Borrow, and Steal (2021)
16. Donut Disturb (2022)
17. Muffin But the Truth (2022)
18. Catch Me If You Candy (2023)
19. A Smoking Bun (2024)
20. Sticks and Scones (2024)
21. Killing Me Soufflé (2025)

The Sloan Krause Mystery Series in Order

Set in the Bavarian-themed mountain village of Leavenworth, Washington, this series shifts the focus from baking to brewing. It follows Sloan Krause, a talented brewer navigating family secrets and small-town crime while working at Nitro brewery.

1. Death on Tap (2018)
2. The Pint of No Return (2018)
3. Beyond a Reasonable Stout (2019)
4. Without a Brew (2020)
5. The Cure for What Ales You (2021)
6. Hold on for Beer Life (2022)
7. Beer and Loathing (2023)
8. A Brew to a Kill (2023)
9. Ale I Want for Christmas is a Clue (2023)

For completionists, there is also a short story titled The First Pour (2023) which serves as a quick prequel introduction to Sloan's brewing world.

The Secret Bookcase Mystery Series in Order

Set in Redwood Grove, California, this series stars Annie Murray, a bookstore events coordinator at a shop themed entirely around the works of Agatha Christie. It is a dream series for lovers of classic detective fiction, cozy bookstores, and literary puzzles.

1. The Body in the Bookstore (2024)
2. A Murder at the Movies (2024)
3. Death at the Dinner Party (2024)
4. A Holiday Homicide (2024)

The Crossover Connection: Jules Meets Sloan

One of the most exciting treats for Ellie Alexander fans is the crossover novella, Trouble Is Brewing (2017). Officially part of the Bakeshop Mystery series (often listed as Book 7), this story features Sloan Krause traveling to Ashland for the Oregon Winter Beer Festival, where she crosses paths with Jules Capshaw. If you want a seamless experience, read this novella after A Crime of Passion Fruit and before starting the Sloan Krause series, as it serves as the perfect bridge between the two distinct Pacific Northwest settings.

Writing as Kate Dyer-Seeley

Before adopting the Ellie Alexander pen name for her culinary cozy mysteries, the author published several fast-paced outdoor adventure mysteries under her real name, Kate Dyer-Seeley. These books feature a slightly edgier tone than her bakeshop tales, making them great choices if you love hiking, climbing, and the rugged wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.

Pacific Northwest Mystery Series

This series follows Meg Reed, a writer for an outdoor magazine who constantly finds herself in over her head on rugged adventures.

• Scene of the Climb (2014)
• Slayed on the Slopes (2015)
• Silenced in the Surf (2016)
• First Degree Mudder (2017)
• In Cave Danger (2018)

Rose City Mystery Series

Set in Portland, Oregon, this series follows Britta Johnston as she tries to rebuild her life while managing her aunt's floral shop, only to run into deadly complications.

• Natural Thorn Killer (2018)
• Violet Tendencies (2019)

Standalones and Non-Fiction

For readers looking for something different, the author has also written outside her main series. Lost Coast Literary (2022) is a standalone contemporary novel focused on books, healing, and personal transformation. Additionally, her early non-fiction book, Underneath the Ash (2010), published under Kate Dyer-Seeley, is a deeply personal memoir about her mother’s journey with Alzheimer's disease.