Ellen Elizabeth Hunter Books In Order

Publication Order of Wilmington, N.C Mystery Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Author Ellen Elizabeth Hunter has a combined degree in English Literature that she got from New York University. Hunter writes traditional mysteries that are set in Wilmington, North Carolina.

She has a background in old house restoration, which she uses to write about Ashley Wilkes (who is a historic preservationist) and Melanie Wilkes (a star realtor in Wilmington), her amateur sleuths. During her time restoring homes of her own was her inspiration initially to write the books. It was voted the best mystery series to portray Wilmington, North Carolina by Spirit, which is Southwest Airlines Magazine.

Her debut novel, “Murder on the Candlelight Tour”, was released in the year 2003. She writes the “Magnolia Mysteries” series (which is also called the “Wilmington, N. C. Mystery” series). Besides this series, she has also released some stand alone work.

“Murder on the Candlelight Tour” is the first novel in the “Wilmington, N. C. Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2003. Wilmington has a lot of houses that have a ghost in them. The mansion that Ashley Wilkes is currently restoring, with a spectral crescendo thumping organist, is just one example.

Ashley makes a brutal discovery, the residents of a quaint and quiet Orange Street are scared. The weekend of Halloween finds Melanie and Ashley are dressed to kill while at the Cape Fear Crime Festival costume party. It is here that an evil trickster treats them all to murder.

Fans of the novel found this to be a quick and easy read and was a nice cozy mystery book. Everything is vivid for the reader to easily picture the story as it is happening. The book is a page turner that is well written, and the ending was tough to predict. Some hope the rest of these books are as good as this one was.

“Murder on the Candelight Tour” is the second novel in the “Wilmington, N. C. Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2004. Ashley Wilkes’ dream is coming true at the moment, as her restored Victorian home is a part of the “Olde Wilmington by Candlelight Tour”. Things take a turn for the worse when a docent gets killed in the library. The likely suspect is Binkie Higgins (Ashley’s friend and a history professor).

Fans of the novel found this to have some enjoyable characters in it. Some had to go back and read the other books in the series, after this one, it was just that good.

“Murder at the Azalea Festival” is the third novel in the “Wilmington, N. C. Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2004. It is spring and Ashley Wilkes is distracted by love to care about the recent killings. Then one happens at a garden party she is at as a guest.

She tries her best not to become involved, but she believes the actress is innocent. Who are the most promising of suspects? The entire cast of a new and hot and locally produced television show.

Fans of the novel found that this book was tough to guess who the villain was. This is another well written book by a superb author, and this is quickly becoming a favorite series for quite a few readers. This is a book that is great when looking for something nice and easy and fun to read.

“Murder at Wrightsville Beach” is the fourth novel in the “Wilmington, N. C. Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2005. Temperatures are in the nineties, and Ashley Wilkes goes to Wrightsville Beach, where Melanie has rented an oceanfront “cottage” that sleeps fourteen. Murder is something that never takes a vacation, and while the body count rises, she realizes that beach life is more than just fried fish platters and sunscreen.

House guests and neighbors all act suspiciously, it makes Ashley want to go back to town. It is here she is restoring a twenties Georgian Revival house, but even the restoration site is full of danger. Nothing is able to prepare Ashley for a moonlit stroll with a crazy killer on the pier.

Fans of the novel found themselves finishing this off in just a day, as it was simply too hard for them to put down for very long. This is recommended reading for fans of mystery novels.

“Murder On the ICW” is the fifth novel in the “Wilmington, N. C. Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2006. Under the rubble of an old moonshine operation that Ashley plans on renovating, there are the skeletal remains of a federal agent from the Prohibition era. This mysterious piece of history has something more in common with Ashley’s personal life: the young and healthy men that are all associated with Melanie.

The police suspect Ashley’s man-magnet of a sister is the killer, but Ashley’s ability to rebuild the past tells a much deeper motive. While she moves to find out who the killer is, the one that is killing Wilmington’s swinging bachelors. Ashley runs into a killer that has enough blood and dark history of his own to paint both the town, not to mention Ashley herself, red.

Fans of the novel found this one had another great story to it. With these books, there is always something to learn, and it is delivered to the reader in such a way that never takes away from the story.

“Murder on the Cape Fear” is the sixth novel in the “Wilmington, N. C. Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2006. Ashley Wilkes is toiling hard on remodeling a house that once belonged to a Civil War blockade runner. There is a murder linked to the dangerous life of Captain Pettigrew with a treasure hunt. There are old letters and a journal found in the house of the captain that let Ashley know that the daring adventures of this rugged privateer led to some big booty. Someone is ready to kill for this booty, too.

She is able to make the connection to Captain Pettigrew’s secrets when she finds the dead body of a real estate investor in a bookstore. Ashley is sure that she can find the mystery’s key is in the journal, as there are clues that point to where the bounty is. Quickly, she is in a game with a merciless killer who has no intention to lose.