I discovered Jenn McKinlay the way most readers do — through a recommendation that came with a very specific warning: “Don’t start this at bedtime unless you have nowhere to be tomorrow.” The warning was about the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series, and it was entirely accurate. There is something about the combination of a Scottsdale bakery, two best friends who keep finding bodies, and the actual cupcake recipes included at the end of each book that makes it genuinely impossible to read just one chapter and stop.
Jenn McKinlay is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance series, which have been translated into multiple languages and distributed all over the world. She is also the winner of the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for romantic comedy and the Fresh Fiction award for best cozy mystery. Goodreads
What makes her catalog remarkable is the range within the cozy space — three long-running mystery series with completely distinct settings and casts, multiple romance series, standalone romantic comedies, and now a pivot into cozy fantasy. Wherever you enter, there is more to explore.
The Most Important Thing to Know First
All her series are independent, so you can safely start with whichever appeals most. There is no grand overarching continuity between the Cupcake Bakery series and the Library Lover’s series. They have different characters, different settings, different tones. Within each individual series, however, reading order matters — characters develop, relationships build, and recurring running jokes pay off only if you’ve been there from the beginning. Goodreads
One more thing worth knowing upfront: McKinlay writes under several names. She uses the pen names Lucy Lawrence and Josie Belle for some of her work — the Good Buy Girls Mystery series was published as Josie Belle. This guide covers everything regardless of which name it was published under. Bookreporter.com
Series 1: Cupcake Bakery Mystery — The Series That Made Her Name
Set in Scottsdale, Arizona, this series follows bakery owner Melanie Cooper and her best friend Angie DeLaura as they juggle cupcakes, love, and murder. Mel and Angie are co-owners of Fairy Tale Cupcakes — and they have an extraordinary gift for stumbling into homicides. The Arizona sunshine, the bakery community, and the genuine friendship between the two leads give this series a warmth that makes even the murder plots feel comforting. Each book also includes real cupcake recipes, which is either a bonus or a hazard depending on your relationship with your kitchen. Hachette Book Group
The complete series in order: Bookreporter.com
- Sprinkle with Murder (2010)
- Buttercream Bump Off (2011)
- Death by the Dozen (2011)
- Red Velvet Revenge (2012)
- Going, Going, Ganache (2013)
- Sugar and Iced (2014)
- Dark Chocolate Demise (2015)
- Vanilla Beaned (2016)
- Caramel Crush (2017)
- Wedding Cake Crumble (2018)
- Dying for Devil’s Food (2019)
- One for the Books (2021)
- Banana Splitsville (2022)
- Sugar Plum Poisoned (2023)
- Fatal First Edition (2024)
- A Merry Little Murder Plot (2024)
Sprinkle with Murder (2010)
The series opener — Mel Cooper and Angie DeLaura are co-owners of Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery in Scottsdale. When a client is found dead with one of their cupcakes in hand, Mel and Angie have to clear their names while simultaneously running their bakery and navigating their complicated love lives. This is a debut that knows exactly what it is: warm, funny, and genuinely entertaining. The voice is immediate and the setting is fully realized from the first chapter. It debuted at number 31 on the New York Times bestsellers list. Bookreporter.comBookreporter.com
Buttercream Bump Off (2011)
Mel’s mother becomes the prime suspect in a poisoning case. The series’ central theme of loyalty — Mel will do anything to protect the people she loves — is established here and runs through every subsequent entry.
Death by the Dozen (2011)
A television baking competition provides the murder setting. The reality TV backdrop gives McKinlay sharp satirical material alongside the cozy mystery structure.
Red Velvet Revenge (2012)
A country fair, a rivalrous cupcake competitor, and a murder that Mel has to solve while managing a booth — the outdoor event setting is a welcome change from the bakery’s immediate surroundings.
Going, Going, Ganache (2013)
A corporate team-building retreat at a photo studio ends in murder. The workplace dynamics give McKinlay room to explore how people behave when they’re forced together against their will.
Sugar and Iced (2014)
A wedding cake competition — and a bride who ends up as the victim rather than the guest of honor. Wedding settings in cozy mysteries are reliably fertile ground, and McKinlay uses it well.
Dark Chocolate Demise (2015)
The darkest — appropriately — entry in the series, dealing with blackmail and its consequences. The emotional stakes are higher here than in earlier books.
Vanilla Beaned (2016)
A music festival in Scottsdale provides the setting. The contrast between the free-spirited festival atmosphere and the methodical investigation is one of McKinlay’s better tonal balancing acts.
Caramel Crush (2017)
Mel and Joe’s relationship reaches a significant milestone. For readers who have followed the series from Book 1, the romantic payoff here is as satisfying as the mystery.
Wedding Cake Crumble (2018)
Wedding planning complications plus murder — the combination McKinlay handles better than almost any other cozy mystery writer.
Dying for Devil’s Food (2019)
A high school reunion turns deadly. The reconnection with Mel’s past gives this book a different emotional texture from the bakery-focused earlier entries.
One for the Books (2021)
A crossover event — characters from the Library Lover’s Mystery series appear alongside the Cupcake Bakery crew. A delight for readers of both series and an excellent example of McKinlay’s community-building across her fictional worlds.
Banana Splitsville (2022)
An ice cream festival, a food truck rivalry, and a murder that implicates someone close to Fairy Tale Cupcakes.
Sugar Plum Poisoned (2023)
Currently the highest-rated book in the Cupcake Bakery series by reader consensus. A holiday-themed entry with the warmth and stakes that long-term fans have come to expect from McKinlay’s seasonal mysteries. Bookreporter.com
Fatal First Edition (2024)
The series makes another crossover connection — this time with the Library Lover’s Mystery world — as the bakery crew gets involved in a mystery with bookish roots.
A Merry Little Murder Plot (2024)
A Christmas mystery that pairs holiday atmosphere with the series’ most recent cast development. As of June 2026, this is the most recently published entry in the series.
Series 2: Library Lover’s Mystery — Books for People Who Love Books About Books
This series follows Lindsey Norris, director of the Briar Creek Public Library in Connecticut. The series is a comforting blend of cozy mystery and romance set in a small coastal New England town. Lindsey’s love of reading, the library’s community of regulars, and the charms of Briar Creek itself make this the most literary-flavored of McKinlay’s cozy series — appropriate given that a librarian protagonist will always find ways to connect mysteries to books. Hachette Book Group
The complete series in order: Bookreporter.com
- Books Can Be Deceiving (2011)
- Due or Die (2012)
- Book, Line, and Sinker (2013)
- Read It and Weep (2014)
- On Borrowed Time (2014)
- A Likely Story (2015)
- Better Late Than Never (2016)
- Death in the Stacks (2017)
- Hitting the Books (2018)
- Word to the Wise (2019)
- One for the Books (2021)
- Killer Research (2022)
- The Plot and the Pendulum (2022)
- Fatal First Edition (2024)
- A Merry Little Murder Plot (2024)
- Booking for Trouble (February 2026)
Books Can Be Deceiving (2011)
Lindsey arrives in Briar Creek as the new library director — and almost immediately finds herself connected to a murder. The setting is immediately charming: a small Connecticut town with a public library at its heart, a community of regulars who treat the library as their living room, and a handsome boat captain named Sully who will feature prominently in Lindsey’s personal life across the series.
Due or Die (2012)
A library fundraiser becomes a crime scene. The community involvement of the library’s regulars — the crafternoon book club, the local eccentrics, the long-standing residents with their secrets — begins to build here into the ensemble that defines the series at its best.
Book, Line, and Sinker (2013)
A storm traps several characters together in a situation that pushes community ties to their limits. The Connecticut coastal winter atmosphere is particularly vivid.
Read It and Weep (2014)
A local film shoot brings Hollywood to Briar Creek — and disruption follows. McKinlay uses the celebrity-in-a-small-town premise for both comedy and genuine suspense.
On Borrowed Time (2014)
The library itself becomes central to the mystery — rare books, their value, and who wants them badly enough to kill for them. For book lovers, the specific library atmosphere here is particularly satisfying.
A Likely Story (2015)
A local author’s book signing turns fatal. The publishing world backdrop — literary egos, competitive jealousy, and the way small-town celebrity operates — is sharply observed.
Better Late Than Never (2016)
A long-overdue library book becomes the key to a decades-old mystery. The cold case structure gives this entry more historical depth than most of the series.
Death in the Stacks (2017)
Budget cuts threaten Briar Creek Library, and the community rallies — until murder shifts everyone’s priorities. The institutional threat to the library gives this book real emotional stakes alongside the mystery.
Hitting the Books (2018)
A literary festival brings authors to Briar Creek. The author-event setting is a natural fit for the series and McKinlay clearly enjoys the material.
Word to the Wise (2019)
Lindsey’s personal life reaches a significant development — readers who have followed the Sully relationship from Book 1 will find this entry particularly rewarding.
One for the Books (2021)
The series’ crossover with the Cupcake Bakery Mystery world — both Mel Cooper and the Fairy Tale Cupcakes crew appear alongside Lindsey and the Briar Creek community. Genuinely fun for fans of both series.
Killer Research (2022)
A genealogy project at the library uncovers a family secret someone was willing to kill to keep buried.
The Plot and the Pendulum (2022)
People are dying to get their hands on a rare, valuable book in this entry — Briar Creek Library director Lindsey Norris and her husband Sully find themselves at a point where the investigation takes them into genuinely dangerous territory. Bookreporter.com
Fatal First Edition (2024)
A valuable first edition surfaces — and murder follows it. The books-as-murder-motive premise never gets old in the Library Lover’s series.
A Merry Little Murder Plot (2024)
‘Tis the season in Briar Creek, and this year festivities become fatalities. The holiday atmosphere combined with the series’ established community warmth makes this a particularly satisfying seasonal entry. Bookreporter.com
Booking for Trouble (February 2026)
The most recent Library Lover’s Mystery, published February 24, 2026. The series’ seventeenth entry continues the Briar Creek community’s reliable combination of small-town charm and murder. Google Books
Series 3: Hat Shop Mystery — London Calling
McKinlay departs from New England and travels across the pond to London with this series. The books follow cousins Scarlett Parker, an American, and Vivian Tremont, a Brit, who are co-owners of a fashionable London hat shop called Mim’s Whims. Each book combines murder and a touch of romance in its cozy mysteries. Hachette Book Group
The London setting is the series’ defining pleasure — McKinlay researches the city with evident affection, and the hat world provides a specific, vivid professional backdrop that distinguishes this series from the American-set mysteries.
Complete series in order: Bookreporter.com
- Cloche and Dagger (2013)
- Death of a Mad Hatter (2014)
- At the Drop of a Hat (2015)
- Copy Cap Murder (2016)
- Assault and Beret (2017)
- Buried to the Brim (2020)
- Fatal Fascinator (2023)
Cloche and Dagger (2013)
Scarlett Parker arrives in London to help her cousin Vivian run Mim’s Whims — the hat shop they’ve both inherited. The London setting is immediately distinct from the American-set series: the social codes, the neighborhood, the British characters’ relationship to fashion as identity. A murder connected to the shop pulls them into their first investigation.
Death of a Mad Hatter (2014)
A society client’s murder in the middle of a very proper hat fitting. The upper-class London setting gives McKinlay delicious material for social comedy alongside the suspense.
At the Drop of a Hat (2015)
A hat competition at a prestigious English event becomes the scene of a crime. The British social event backdrop — the formality, the ritual, the barely concealed competitiveness — is vividly rendered.
Copy Cap Murder (2016)
A hat thief and a murder connect in ways that only make sense once Scarlett and Viv start pulling threads. The fashion crime angle is a creative twist on the series formula.
Assault and Beret (2017)
The fifth entry — and the last published before a three-year gap. Readers who pick this up after the earlier four will find the cousins’ dynamic fully developed and the London world richly inhabited.
Buried to the Brim (2020)
The series returned after a hiatus with this entry. A garden party, a buried secret, and a murder that connects the present to the past.
Fatal Fascinator (2023)
The most recent Hat Shop Mystery. Scarlett and Viv investigate a murder connected to the fashion world’s most exclusive circles. As of June 2026, this is the latest entry — no Book 8 has been announced, though the series appears to be ongoing.
Series 4: Books of Dubious Origin — The New Cozy Fantasy Series (2025–ongoing)
McKinlay’s most exciting recent creative development — a pivot into cozy fantasy that launched in 2025 and has already earned two starred reviews from major publications.
- Witches of Dubious Origin (Book 1, 2025)
- Witches of Questionable Intent (Book 2, November 10, 2026)
When a librarian discovers she’s descended from a long line of powerful witches, she’ll need all of her bookish knowledge to harness her family’s magic. Zoe Ziakas thinks she has a handle on her job at the Museum of Literature safeguarding the secret collection of enchanted tomes known as the Books of Dubious Origin. But when Jasper Griffin — the colleague she’s been crushing on — reports that their most volatile acquisition, The Book of Shadows, has been stolen, Zoe’s carefully cataloged world unravels. Google Books
Witches of Questionable Intent (Book 2) releases November 10, 2026. A librarian witch must use her bookish knowledge to track down a dangerous, magical tome — thanks to her training as a librarian and her newfound magical abilities, Zoe Ziakas thinks she has a handle on things, until the next crisis arrives. Google Books
The series earned a starred review from Booklist, which called it “deftly matching an ingeniously inventive plot with an engagingly quirky cast of characters — McKinlay casts a spell readers will find impossible to resist.” Library Journal also gave it a starred review, comparing it to the TV show The Librarians and praising its combination of witchcraft, mystery, and romance.
This is the series to watch for 2026 and beyond. If you love the Library Lover’s cozy atmosphere but want something with more magic, this is your next read.
Series 5: Summer Reading Series — Romance in a Small Town Library
- Summer Reading (2023)
- Love at First Book (2024)
This contemporary romance series combines McKinlay’s two great loves — books and love stories — in small-town settings that showcase her warmth and wit. Hachette Book Group
Summer Reading (2023)
A librarian, a summer, and a man who checks out the same book over and over just to talk to her. The bookish romance premise is perfectly executed — quiet, warm, and genuinely funny in McKinlay’s distinctive way.
Love at First Book (2024)
When a librarian moves to a quaint Irish village where her favorite novelist lives, the last thing she expects is to fall for the author’s prickly son — until their story becomes one for the books. The Irish village setting is a delightful departure from McKinlay’s American and British locations, and the enemies-to-lovers dynamic between a librarian and a novelist’s son is exactly as charming as it sounds. Bookreporter.com
Series 6: Bluff Point Romance — Small Town with Pets
A trilogy of contemporary romances set in the fictional small town of Bluff Point, Maine. Each book follows a different couple on their path to happily-ever-after with the assistance of a canine companion.
- About a Dog (June 2017)
- Barking Up the Wrong Tree (October 2017)
- Every Dog Has His Day (January 2018)
Each book is from the perspective of a new protagonist helped on their path to happily-ever-after by a canine companion. Since the books take place in the same small town, reading them in publication order is recommended — characters from earlier books appear in later ones. Hachette Book Group
Series 7: Museum of Literature Romance — Novella Trilogy
Three novellas set among the employees of a Museum of Literature — each following a different couple with strong classic literature references throughout. Collected in the bind-up Booked.
- Royal Valentine (2023)
- Attraction Distraction (2023)
- It Happened One Christmas Eve (2022)
Short, sweet, and ideal for readers who want to sample McKinlay’s romance voice before committing to a full series. The literary setting — museum employees surrounded by rare books and manuscripts — gives these novellas a distinctive charm.
The Good Buy Girls Mystery Series — Written as Josie Belle
For the Good Buy Girls Mystery books, McKinlay published under the pen name Josie Belle. These books focus on a group of bargain-hunting women who use their skills for finding deals to find murderers too. Like the other McKinlay series, these books also contain elements of romance. Hachette Book Group
- 50% Off Murder (2012)
- A Deal to Die For (2013)
- Buried in Bargains (2013)
- Marked Down for Murder (2014)
- Death of a Coupon Clipper (2013)
Set in St. Stanley, Virginia, following a group called the Good Buy Girls — a bargain-hunting club whose members have an unfortunate tendency to find bodies alongside the deals. The thrifting and bargain-hunting backdrop is a genuinely fresh setting for a cozy mystery series.
Standalone Novels and Romantic Comedies
McKinlay’s standalones span romantic comedy, women’s fiction, and heartfelt contemporary romance. They can be read in any order.
- Paris is Always a Good Idea (2020) — Recently adapted for screen as a streaming series for the Hallmark+ channel. A woman retraces her European backpacking trip to find the summer love who gave her a goodbye kiss so memorable she never forgot it. McKinlay’s warmest and most commercially successful standalone. Goodreads
- Wait for It (2021) — A woman relocating to Phoenix falls for her mysterious anonymous landlord in a slow-burn romance built on cranky handwritten notes and gradual revelation.
- I Can’t Even (2025) — McKinlay’s most recent romantic comedy standalone. A woman in her late twenties navigating career pivots, romantic complications, and the general chaos of figuring out what she actually wants.
- The Summer Share (May 2026) — McKinlay’s newest release, coming May 2026. A summer house-share arrangement leads to the kind of close quarters, forced proximity, and inevitable romance that McKinlay handles with particular skill. Bookreporter.com
All Jenn McKinlay Books — Master Publication List
For readers who want a single chronological view of the complete catalog:
Cozy Mysteries:
Cupcake Bakery: Sprinkle with Murder (2010) → A Merry Little Murder Plot (2024)
Library Lover’s: Books Can Be Deceiving (2011) → Booking for Trouble (2026)
Hat Shop: Cloche and Dagger (2013) → Fatal Fascinator (2023)
Good Buy Girls (as Josie Belle): 50% Off Murder (2012) → Death of a Coupon Clipper (2013)
Cozy Fantasy:
Books of Dubious Origin: Witches of Dubious Origin (2025) → Witches of Questionable Intent (November 2026)
Contemporary Romance:
Bluff Point: About a Dog (2017) → Every Dog Has His Day (2018)
Happily Ever After: The Good Ones (2019), The Christmas Keeper (2019)
Summer Reading: Summer Reading (2023), Love at First Book (2024)
Museum of Literature (novellas): It Happened One Christmas Eve (2022), Royal Valentine (2023), Attraction Distraction (2023)
Standalones:
Paris is Always a Good Idea (2020) • Wait for It (2021) • I Can’t Even (2025) • The Summer Share (2026)
Who Is Jenn McKinlay? The Author Behind the Books
McKinlay grew up reading Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie, so her love of cozy mysteries has been a life-long affair. She began her career writing romantic comedies for Harlequin. It was then at the suggestion of her agent that she explored writing cozy mysteries — and then a different agent years later who encouraged her return to women’s fiction and romantic comedies. Hachette Book GroupBookreporter.com
A TEDx speaker, she is always happy to talk books, writing, reading, and the creative process to anyone who cares to listen. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with books, pets, and her husband’s guitars. Goodreads
The biographical detail that matters most for understanding her fiction: McKinlay is also a former librarian. That background is visible everywhere in the Library Lover’s series — Lindsey Norris thinks and acts like someone who genuinely understands what libraries are for and why communities need them. The Books of Dubious Origin fantasy series doubles down on that library identity, setting its magical world inside a museum built around rare books. Bookreporter.com
Her creative range is also worth noting. The pivot from cozy mystery to cozy fantasy in 2025 was not a retreat to familiar ground — it was a genuine creative expansion into a new genre, executed with enough skill to earn multiple starred reviews and immediate fan enthusiasm. McKinlay at her career peak is more versatile than her cozy mystery reputation might suggest.
Where to Start — My Honest Recommendation
If you want her most popular series: Start with Books Can Be Deceiving (Library Lover’s #1, 2011) — the most read book in her entire catalog by reader count. The Briar Creek library community is warm, the Connecticut coastal setting is charming, and Lindsey Norris is one of the most likeable amateur sleuths in current cozy fiction. Bookreporter.com
If you want food and fun: Start with Sprinkle with Murder (Cupcake Bakery #1, 2010). The Arizona bakery setting, the Mel-and-Angie friendship, and the actual recipes make this the most immediately enjoyable entry point in her catalog.
If you want something new and different: Start with Witches of Dubious Origin (Books of Dubious Origin #1, 2025). The cozy fantasy series is her freshest creative territory and the starred reviews suggest she’s found a new gear.
If you want romance over mystery: Start with Paris is Always a Good Idea (2020) — her most beloved standalone, now a Hallmark+ series, and the book that shows her romantic comedy voice at its most polished.
If you want the London atmosphere: Start with Cloche and Dagger (Hat Shop Mystery #1, 2013). The cousin dynamic and the Mim’s Whims hat shop setting are distinctive enough from her American series to feel like a genuine change of scenery.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Jenn McKinlay written?
Jenn McKinlay has written over 68 books across 11 series, excluding contributions to anthologies. Her most recent releases are Booking for Trouble (Library Lover’s #17, February 2026) and The Summer Share (May 2026). Bookreporter.com
What is Jenn McKinlay’s most popular series?
The Library Lover’s Mystery series is the most popular by reader count, with Books Can Be Deceiving (Book 1) the most-read single title in her catalog. The Cupcake Bakery series has the strongest overall name recognition and is the one most frequently recommended as a starting point. Bookreporter.com
Do Jenn McKinlay’s series connect to each other?
They are largely independent — different settings, different characters, different towns. However, McKinlay occasionally runs crossover events where characters from one series appear in another, particularly between the Cupcake Bakery and Library Lover’s worlds. These crossovers reward fans of both series but are not necessary for understanding either.
What is Jenn McKinlay’s newest book?
Booking for Trouble (Library Lover’s Mystery #17) was released February 24, 2026. The Summer Share (standalone romance) releases May 2026, and Witches of Questionable Intent (Books of Dubious Origin #2) releases November 10, 2026. Bookreporter.com
Was Paris is Always a Good Idea adapted for TV?
Yes — Paris is Always a Good Idea has been adapted for screen as a streaming series for the Hallmark+ channel. Goodreads
What pen names does Jenn McKinlay write under?
She uses the pen names Lucy Lawrence and Josie Belle for some of her work — the Good Buy Girls Mystery series was published as Josie Belle. She also published early romance novels under Jennifer McKinlay. Bookreporter.com
What should I read after Jenn McKinlay?
Fans of McKinlay’s cozy mysteries often enjoy Kate Carlisle, Krista Davis, Paige Shelton, Eva Gates (Vicki Delany), and Elizabeth Penney — authors who share the same mix of charm, suspense, and heart. For the romantic comedy standalones, Emily Henry and Beth O’Leary cover similar warmth and wit. For the new Books of Dubious Origin fantasy series, T. Kingfisher’s cozy fantasy novels and Auralee Wallace’s In the Company of Witches are natural next steps. Goodreads
Final Verdict
Over sixty books across more than fifteen years — cozy mysteries, romantic comedies, small-town romance, and now cozy fantasy — Jenn McKinlay has built one of the most generous and varied catalogs in popular women’s fiction. Every series delivers the same essential promise: a setting so vivid it feels like somewhere you’ve actually been, characters warm enough to feel like friends, and just enough suspense or romance to make the next chapter feel urgent.
What distinguishes her from the crowded cozy mystery field is the consistency of her communities. Briar Creek, Scottsdale, the London hat shop neighborhood, the Arizona rom-com suburb — these places feel inhabited because McKinlay builds them with genuine affection rather than generic small-town shorthand. Her characters live in places that have history, quirks, and regulars. That specificity is what makes long series work, and McKinlay has made it work across three series running to seventeen, sixteen, and seven entries respectively.
Start with whatever premise appeals to you most. You will not be disappointed by the entry point you choose — and you will almost certainly want to follow it all the way to the end.
Know Your Author
Hi, I’m Emon
I’m the voice and heart behind Whimsy Read. After nine years in the world of banking, I followed my passion for storytelling into the world of SEO and content strategy. Now, I blend that analytical eye with a deep love for literature to bring you book reviews that are thoughtful, honest, and always focused on the stories that stay with you.
When I’m not reading or writing, you’ll find me enjoying joyful chaos with my wife and three kids, getting lost in a new series, or revisiting my old loves: theater, music, and gaming. At the end of the day, I believe great books are meant to be shared, and I’m so glad you’re here to share them with me.
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