Country Store Mysteries Books In Order

Publication Order of Country Store Mysteries Books

Maddie Day is a pseudonym used by Edith Maxwell.

Born on November 2, 1952, she is an Agatha-Award winning author. Under Maddie Day, she is known for writing mystery series, in the genre of traditional, historical, and cozy mysteries that are set in the U.S.

She was born in Pasadena, growing up in Temple City, a suburb in Los Angeles, California. She had three siblings, two sisters and a brother. Her father was a teacher at a high school and her mother was a real estate appraiser as well as a Girl Scout Leader.

In 1970, she was an exchange student in Brazil for a year with AFS Intercultural Programs. She attended the University of California at Irvine and graduated with her B.A. in linguistics in 1974. She also got a PhD in linguistics in 1981 when she graduated from Indiana University.

Before writing fiction as a full-time author, she had a variety of jobs. The author was an auto mechanic, taught independent childbirth classes in Massachusetts, taught English to citizens in Japan, owned and operated her own small farm that was certified organic, wrote freelance articles, and produced software documentation for companies in Boston. She has lived in many places that include Japan, Brazil, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

Her first fiction to be published was in 1961, winning a fiction contest for children and being featured in the Pasadena Star-News. Her first short story to be published written as an adult came in 1996. Her first novel debuted in 2012. Day belongs to the Sisters in Crime writing group and has been the president for the New England chapter. She also belongs to the Short Mystery fiction Society, the Mystery Writers of America, and the Historical Novel Society. She has been writing full-time since 2013.

Day wanted to write cozy mysteries because the world is scary enough and she doesn’t want to read thrillers. When she finishes a book, she doesn’t want to feel worse about society and so writes books that follow along in that vein. Besides writing, she is also a great home chef. She resides in Massachusetts with her beau, working on a mystery when not in the kitchen cooking up something good. She also includes recipes in some of her books, an added bonus for readers!

Flipped for Murder is the first book in the Country Store Mysteries series by Maddie Day. If you’re looking for a cozy new series that is freshly baked, check out this book!

The story is set in southern Indiana in a small town where someone new is making a new start, if only a killer wouldn’t mess things up. Robbie Jordan is contending with a broken heart and looking to begin again. So she’s giving up her West Coast life to go to Indiana and its rolling hills.

She visits her Aunt Adele and that’s when South Lick makes its way into her heart. When she sees that a country store that’s a bit run down has a sign advertising that it’s for sale, she makes a split decision to buy it. Using her carpenter and cooking skills, she’ll be able to transform it back into a thriving business.

The town shows up to experience Pans ‘n Pancakes and celebrate the re-opening. But when the assistant of the mayor, who was viewed as disagreeable, is discovered dead Robbie finds that maybe bad press is not what she wants.

Everyone’s looking at her, and she doesn’t know what to do. She’s going to have to come up with some sleuthing skills if she wants to be able to make it clear that she’s innocent and find a killer. If not, she may be next on the list to be served for dinner. Can Robbie catch a killer, or will she be too late? Read this book to find out!

Grilled for Murder is the second book in the Country Store Mysteries series by Maddie Day. This is a cool cozy mystery and comes with recipes that the reader can try out themselves.

Robbie needs to find a killer if she wants to keep her restaurant open. In South Lick, she’s successfully turned the country store around and made it into a restaurant called Pans ‘N Pancakes. The eatery is a hit and is a popular attraction for miles. But being so current and hip can also mean that it attracts trouble.

Erica Shermer is the widow of the brother of Jim Shermer, an attractive lawyer in town. However, Erica doesn’t seem to be mourning her late husband all that much. When attending a homecoming part at Robbie’s place, Erica acts flirty and obnoxious. She even appears to make flirtatious eyes at Jim, her dead ex’s sibling.

Then Erica is found in the store dead the morning after. She’s apparently been beaten to death with cookware. Worse, the police seem to think it could be Phil, Robbie’s friend that stayed after the part to close things up. Robbie needs to clear Phil’s name and make sure that her customers have nothing to worry about. It’s time to come out from the counter and find a murderer. Can she do it? Read this book to find out!