Hetta Coffey Books In Order

Publication Order of Hetta Coffey Mystery Books

Hetta Coffey is an award-winning series of mystery books written by an American author of young adult, mystery & thrillers and mystery books, Jinx Schwartz. The series publication took off in 2004 when Just Add Water the first book in the series was published, and since then more than nine books have been published. The series features Hetta the main character, a sassy Texan beauty with a snazzy yacht.

Just Add Water

Just Add Water is the first book in Hetta Coffey series by Jinx Schwartz. Hetta Coffey has got a yacht, and she is not afraid to use it. But since this is the series opener, we get to know how she came into owning the boat since its one of the most unlikely situation to center a storyline around. Why would a woman want to be in possession of a yacht in hopes of getting the love of her life?

Hetta is a civil engineer working on coming of age a little late. In her forty’s and still single, she is the epitome of the b-word, bossy, bold, breezy brass and brash. After quitting a lifelong series of the failed affair, Hetta now prefers living with her dog R.J. but old habit never die and trolling for biceps is her hobby. But her attention is soon captured by a parade of passing yacht- especially for their masculine male skipper. If she had a boat, she would probably get a man. In the hopes of sailing to Valhalla love paradise Hetta buys a yacht but an evil stalker, her self-destructive foibles threaten not only her new life but her newly established love life.

The first book in Hetta Coffey series is a beautiful read. Gone are the days when man-hunt escapades began in bars. But unlike many other characters, you can’t judge Hetta Coffey as shallow for only wanting to perpetually find a man because it took her a series of events to decide between buying a boat.

The story kicks off with a fast-paced race scene. The prologue is narrated in third person perspective of a man named Hudson who is fleeing after swindling cash from some shadowy people he does business with. It is entertaining, adrenaline rush thanks to Jinx Schwartz vivid description. But then the story continues to chapter one narrated in the first-person point of view of a girl. That’s when we meet Hetta Coffey- she is so opinionating and holds different aspects of the things you would find quite interesting about men. She becomes a civil engineer after quitting art school with Swahili as her majors. Hetta lives with her dog RJ; owns two credit cards, she is also single associating a lot in the company of her friend Jan.

Five years ago, Hetta Coffey was the bride that Hudson had left in the altar. The book kicks off as four Sex and The City girls looking for men in the most unlikely places except that Candace’s lead characters outnumber these girls. The girls are Jan and Hetta who have been best friends for more than 15 years. Everything is okay with the two as long as they are both single and face the world and face Jan’s ex from making Jan the desperate woman she is when he is her “backbone.”

Everything is fun in Hetta’s life until when her dog is mercy killed after he is diagnosed with bone cancer. Jan also gets involved with Lars one of Jenkins brothers Hetta dislikes so much. Hetta struggles with her midlife crisis that are triggered by Hudson’s return which is back in town for some unknown reasons tampering with Hetta’s state of the art security system. To make matters even worse, Hetta has been fired after her coworker frames her for defrauding charges.

Not only does Hetta have to decide to live in a boat but she also has to deal with Garrison, a man who fakes the ownership of the vessel and spreads false news that he is in a relationship with Hetta and other annoying Jenkins.

It’s interesting to see how Hetta can genuinely forget all her problems even an attempt on her life and focus on her newly found love. The first book in Hetta Coffey is a beautiful mix of all the amusing characters you can ever think of. The characterization is well done with both primary and supporting characters being well woven.

Just Add Salt

The sassy Texan and a globe-trotting engineer with a knack for trouble is back and this time- she is heading to the hot Mexican waters. Annoyed that her vacation plans with her ever-absent boyfriend have gone terribly wrong, she accepts a job in Baja.

But what if she and her best friend of over 15 years are unqualified to sail the boat on a thousand mile cruise in the Pacific Ocean during a hurricane season? Hiring a cute and somehow fishy captain for the trip could somehow keep them off the rocks but probably would not do the same for her future with her boyfriend. A little eye candy on the yacht can’t be all bad.

Hetta Coffey’s independence compels her to handle a very profitable (if politically and environmentally) project south of the border. True to her form, her disdainful nature and ignore for danger soon swamps her in a sea of chaos, a pesky whale, illegal aliens and a threatening Mexican machinator.

In the second book in Hetta Coffey series, Hetta Coffey sets off to Mexico working as an undercover as civil engineer spy for a Japanese firm. Since her lover is working in the Middle East, she takes her best friend and some competent sea captain. But she arrives at her destination; she has to solve several issues such as a dead body attached to her yacht’s anchor and whatever comes her way.

Jinx does a great Job in creating her heroine, Hetta. She is quite a great character, funny, edgy and of course unconventional. Her stories are an ideal blend of adventures and misadventures, and Jinx Schwartz does a wonderful job of adding an incredible entertaining cast.