Mary Kay Andrews Books in Order: The Complete Beach Read & Mystery Guide

Known as the “Queen of the Beach Read,” Mary Kay Andrews specializes in bright, sun-soaked Southern fiction packed with quirky characters, vintage flea-market treasures, second-chance romance, and engaging mystery subplots. Whether set along the breezy coast of Tybee Island, Georgia, or the historic districts of Atlanta, her novels offer a perfect blend of warmth, humor, and suspense.

Here is your complete guide to every Mary Kay Andrews series, standalone beach read, and mystery novel.

About the Author

Mary Kay Andrews is the pen name of Kathy Hogan Trocheck, a former investigative reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, she spent over a decade covering high-profile murder trials and local politics before turning to crime fiction in the early 1990s.

After publishing two acclaimed mystery series under her birth name, she adopted the pen name Mary Kay Andrews (a combination of her children’s names, Mary, Katie, and Andy) to write broader Southern women’s fiction. Her signature combination of interior design restoration, coastal settings, and cozy mysteries has landed her consistently atop the New York Times bestseller list.

1. Beloved Summer Standalones & Beach Town Stories

While these books are standalone stories with independent characters and plots, many share a thematic universe, recurring Southern coastal settings (like Tybee Island), and occasional minor character cameos. Reading them in publication order showcases her evolution into the premier beach read novelist:

1. Savannah Blues (2002) — Antiques picker Eloise “Weezie” Foley gets revenge on her ex-husband while uncovering a murder mystery tied to a historic Savannah mansion.
2. Little Bitty Lies (2003) — When her husband vanishes with their life savings, an Atlanta woman invents a elaborate cover story that accidentally turns her into a local sensation.
3. Hissy Fit (2004) — An interior designer left at the altar throws a legendary public tantrum, then takes on a high-stakes restoration project involving a brooding local contractor.
4. Savannah Breeze (2006) — Weezie Foley returns as her friend Bebe Loudermilk gets scammed out of her fortune by a charming con man, prompting a vengeful road trip to the Florida Keys.
5. Deep Dish (2008) — Two rival Southern cooking show hosts battle for a lucrative TV contract on a coastal island, finding sparks amidst fierce culinary competition.
6. The Blue Bistro / The Fixer Upper (2009) — A woman fleeing a bad relationship moves to a small coastal town and takes a job restoring an old beach house, uncovering local secrets.
7. Summer Rental (2011) — Four lifelong female friends rent a rustic North Carolina beach cottage for the summer, confronting life shifts, secrets, and unexpected romance.
8. Spring Fever (2012) — Set in a small North Carolina town famous for its cherry crop, two former sisters-in-law navigate family business rivalries and old flames.
9. Ladies’ Night (2013) — After her high-tech divorce leaves her cutoff and living in her mother’s derelict beach motel, a lifestyle blogger rebuilds her life alongside a quirky support group.
10. Save the Date (2014) — An Atlanta wedding florist fights to keep her business afloat while handling a celebrity wedding that threatens to unravel into total chaos.
11. Beach Town (2015) — A movie location scout finds the ultimate sleepy Florida beach community for a major film, clashing with the town’s protective, handsome schoolteacher mayor.
12. The Weekenders (2016) — A summer resident on exclusive Belle Isle discovers her husband has secretly lost their fortune and vanished, leaving her to face a island full of suspects.
13. The High Tide Club (2018) — An eccentric 99-year-old heiress hires a young lawyer to protect her coastal island estate, exposing a 1930s unsolved murder among high-society friends.
14. Sunset Beach (2019) — A former stuntwoman inherits a neglected beach cottage from her estranged father and takes a job at his legal firm, stumbling upon a cold-case disappearance.
15. Hello, Summer (2020) — A disgraced journalist returns to her Florida hometown to help run her family’s local newspaper, uncovering a political scandal disguised as a routine car crash.
16. The Newcomer (2021) — Fleeing New York after her sister’s murder, a woman hides out at a vintage Florida motel with her young niece, keeping a low profile until the owner’s handsome son takes notice.
17. The Homewreckers (2022) — A young widow working in home restoration gets cast in a beach-house renovation reality TV show, unearthing a long-buried local cold case in the process.
18. The Bright Lights of Atlanta / The Santa Suit (2021) — Holiday Novella — A woman buys a rural old farmhouse and discovers a vintage Santa suit in a closet containing heart-wrenching letters from decades past.
19. The Summer of Songbirds (2023) — Three lifelong friends reunite to save the beloved North Carolina sleepaway camp where they met as girls, confronting past heartbreaks and adult choices.
20. Summers at the Saint (2024) — The new owner of a historic landmark hotel on the Georgia coast fights to restore its former glory while navigating staff drama and a suspicious death.
21. The Shoreline Express (2025) — A coastal train journey brings together a cast of eccentric travelers, old secrets, and a midsummer mystery along the Southern seaboard.
22. The Beach Club (2026) — Two rival families fighting over ownership of an iconic barrier-island resort must unite when a stormy summer season threatens their heritage.

2. Callahan Garrity Mystery Series (as Kathy Hogan Trocheck)

Before adopting her pen name, she wrote this sharp, funny cozy mystery series starring Callahan Garrity, a former Atlanta police detective who buys a house-cleaning business called “The House Mouse” and solves crimes with her irreverent crew of cleaners.

1. Every Crooked Nook / Every Crooked Tree (1992) — Callahan Garrity investigates the murder of a former sorority sister’s husband in an affluent Atlanta suburb.
2. To Fear a Painted Devil (1993) — A neighborhood block party ends in death, leaving Callahan to clean up the mess and find a sneaky killer.
3. Homemade Sin (1994) — When Callahan’s cousin is accused of killing her abusive husband, Callahan digs into dark family dynamics to find the truth.
4. Happy Never After (1995) — The murder of a troublesome Hollywood actress filming in Atlanta lands Callahan right in the middle of movie-set politics.
5. Heart Trouble (1996) — Hired to investigate a hit-and-run, Callahan uncovers corruption inside an urban redevelopment project.
6. Strange Foliage (1997) — Callahan takes on a case involving a missing young girl and an eccentric group of Atlanta garden club enthusiasts.
7. Midnight Clear (1998) — A festive holiday case brings danger when Callahan’s brother becomes the primary suspect in a murder.
8. Irish Red (1999) — Callahan investigates a high-stakes theft at a vintage horse-racing venue in Georgia.

3. Truman Kicklighter Mystery Series (as Kathy Hogan Trocheck)

This charming two-book mystery series features Truman Kicklighter, a retired AP reporter living in a quirky St. Petersburg, Florida, retirement hotel.

1. Strange Neighbors / Lickety-Split (1996) — Truman Kicklighter uses his investigative journalism background to solve a murder inside his senior living community.
2. Crash Landing / Fidel Zell (1997) — Truman investigates the suspicious crash of a light aircraft tied to local land speculation in coastal Florida.

Finding Your Coastal Escape: Reading Recommendations

The Ultimate Beach Vacation Route

• Best For: Readers wanting sunny, lighthearted stories packed with flea-market antiquing, coastal interior design, and feel-good romance.
• Where to Start: Savannah Blues or The Homewreckers.
• Why This Route Works: These books capture Mary Kay Andrews at her absolute best—blending DIY home updates, coastal charm, and engaging light mysteries.

The Cozy Mystery Route

• Best For: Fans of female detectives, funny ensemble casts, and 1990s Southern procedural mysteries.
• Where to Start: Every Crooked Nook (Callahan Garrity #1).
• Why This Route Works: Written under her real name, this series shows off her investigative journalism roots, giving you a clever, street-smart detective balancing crime-solving with a house-cleaning service.

Reader Questions Answered

Is Mary Kay Andrews her real name?

No. Mary Kay Andrews is the pen name of Kathy Hogan Trocheck. She created the pseudonym in 2002 when she shifted from writing traditional cozy mysteries to broader Southern women’s fiction and beach reads.

Are her books explicit or clean?

Mary Kay Andrews writes light, PG-13 rated contemporary romance and mystery fiction. Her stories emphasize humor, community, Southern lifestyle, and mystery without graphic violence or explicit content.

Final Verdict

Mary Kay Andrews has perfected the art of the Southern beach read. Her ability to combine coastal atmospheres, vintage treasures, resilient female leads, and satisfying mystery subplots makes her bibliography an absolute joy to explore.

If you want a classic coastal mystery with vintage flair, dive into Savannah Blues. If you prefer a modern home-renovation summer romance, pick up The Homewreckers. Grab your sunglasses and enjoy the sun!

Written by

Emon Anam

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.