Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery Books In Order

Publication Order of Claire's Candles Cozy Mystery Books

“Claire’s Candles” is a series of cozy mystery novels by Agatha Frost, a suspense, crime and mystery author. Her other series include the “Scarlet Cove” and the “Peridale Café” series. Growing up, Frost was a huge lover of cozy mysteries and hence it is not surprising that she would end up becoming a cozy mystery author. She is now one of the most prolific authors in the genre with more than thirty titles to her name. “Pancakes and Cakes,” the first of the “Peridale Cafe Mystery” series debuted in 2017 and she has never looked back since. The crime fiction fanatic has said that one of her hobbies is curling up on her couch with a good murder mystery and a cup of tea.

Frost is known for writing interesting novels that will keep her readers glued onto the page right from the first page up to the last. A read of the “Claire’s Candles” series of novels is like a real life take on what protagonists go through trying to navigate the many challenges in their lives. The veteran master of cozy mystery writing has mastered the art of storytelling and comes up with interesting plots each and every time. As a self confessed lover of romances, her novels also include aspects of romance and the Claire’s Candles series is no exception. She is also known for writing excellent characters that are well rounded and fleshed out. She currently lives in a small sleepy village in England from where she writes her best selling cozy mysteries.

The lead of the “Claire’s Candles” series is Claire Harries, a middle aged and overworked woman who works at a candle factory. She had humble beginnings but events in her life are going to change everything. The thirty five year old woman has been feeling stuck as she still lives at home and dreams of one day having her own candle shop. At the start of the series in “Vanilla Bean Vengeance” everything changes when her immediate superior is shoved to death from a high window. Claire was witness to the crime and saw the woman getting pushed. With the authorities insisting it was an accident, she is determined to get justice for the dead woman. She teams up with her friend Damon and retired detective inspector to find justice for the murdered woman. In “Black Cherry Betrayal,” the second novel of the series, Claire’s dreams of owning a candle shop are closer to becoming reality. She just got the lease for the old tea room which she intends to convert into a candle shop. But when she enters the place she is met with an awful stench and they soon find the owner decomposing in the old attic. The police seem clueless and so Claire sets about investigating. In “Rose petal Revenge,” Claire is working to resolve the murder mystery of one of Damon’s friends. She is also getting closer to Ryan, her best friend from childhood and their relationship may just turn into something intimate.

“Vanilla Bean Vengeance” the first novel of the series introduces Claire Harris a thirty five year old woman with dreams of one day owning a small candle shop in Northash. But given her age, she is afraid of taking the risk and is now stuck in a dead end job working for the local candle factory and still living with her parents. Her life would do with a little bit of excitement. She never expected any excitement from the factory but that is where she gets it as she is the eyeball witness to her boss being shoved out of her window and falling to her death. Her life is turned upside down as the business is plunged into uncertainty along with her life. She feels that she has to investigate and if possible solve the crime. Teaming up with her closest friends and her ex detective father, Claire investigates and uncovers a tangled web of lies, conspiracies, secrets and cover-ups. But will she be able to find the truth before the dream of having her own shop becomes a journey too far.

“Black Cherry Betrayal” the second novel of the “Claire’s Candles” series by Agatha Frost continues from where the first left off. Claire Harris the lead is overjoyed that she finally got the keys to the rented place where she will soon start her candle shop. But when she opens the door to inspect the new premises, a foul stench wafts through and what had been excitement becomes trepidation. In the attic is the body of the owner of the building Jane Brindle badly decomposed. The building was perfect as it was in the heart of the village but now she cannot use it, at least not for the moment. Jane her landlord had retired as an eighty year old and after hounding Em her daughter to take over the tea business for months, her efforts had proved unsuccessful. The daughter had eventually moved to the south of France or so everyone believed. Her mother had never left and now she has been found dead and many fingers are being pointed at the free spirited daughter. Even Claire is getting some fingers pointed at her for daring to try to change things too much. Four months earlier, Jane had said that she was leaving to go find a new life in warmer climes and nobody knows how she wound up dead in the attic. Could Opal, her wealthy 100 year old mother, be somehow involved? It is clear that the person who killed Claire’s landlord was close to her and she needs to find out who before she loses her dream.

In “Rose Petal Revenge,” Claire has already left the factory and set up her own candle shop. She is now in a relationship with Damon, a former colleague and long time friend she met at the factory. His birthday is coming up and she is looking forward to spending some time with him. But things go awry when his online gaming friend is found battered to death. Did someone decide to take the usually violent online games into the real world? and could there be real life rivalries playing out. Claire is not so sure that Damon knows his online friends that well and thinks some of them could be capable of murder.