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Order of Laura Childs Books
When you pick up a Laura Childs novel, you're not just opening a book — you're stepping into a world where danger lurks behind lace curtains, tea is poured with trembling hands, and Southern charm masks deadly secrets. But who is the mind behind these deliciously tangled tales?
Laura Childs, the New York Times bestselling author of The Tea Shop Mysteries, The Scrapbooking Mysteries, and The Cackleberry Club Mysteries, was born Gerry Schmitt in Princeton, Illinois. (Yes, Laura Childs is a pen name, because even mystery queens like to keep a few secrets of their own.) While her exact date of birth isn't widely publicized — fitting for a woman who deals in mysteries — it’s safe to say she was born in the post-war boom years, right into a generation that prized creativity, resilience, and a good story.
Before she ever spun webs of intrigue in Charleston tearooms or New Orleans ateliers, Laura Childs was an advertising titan. She studied at Midland University in Nebraska, where she earned her degree in Journalism and Marketing, sharpening the very storytelling skills that would one day make her a beloved author. (Because what is advertising, if not the fine art of spinning a tale people want to believe?)
In her “former life,” as she sometimes jokingly calls it, she rose through the ranks of the corporate world, eventually becoming the CEO of her own marketing firm. It’s almost ironic, isn’t it? A woman who once sold ideas now sells intricate plots filled with murder, mystery, and a sprinkle of scones or scrapbooks.
But Laura Childs wasn’t content just to sit behind a desk and dream. She plunged into the cutthroat world of publishing with a fierce passion — and a deep understanding of human psychology, branding, and the irresistible lure of a cozy mystery with a sharp edge. Her debut novel, Death by Darjeeling, the first in her Tea Shop Mysteries, came out in 2001, and readers have been obsessed ever since.
Today, Laura Childs is celebrated for her cozy mysteries, a genre where the murders are plentiful but the gore is minimal, and where amateur sleuths (armed with recipes, crafts, and determination) solve crimes the professionals can't. Her writing style is immersive, fast-paced, and peppered with authentic settings — probably because she travels extensively, soaking up atmospheres and details like a literary sponge.
In addition to her many series (which now total over 40 books and counting), Childs also writes thrillers under her real name, Gerry Schmitt. Here’s where that epic twist comes in: while her Laura Childs novels offer a charming escape, her Gerry Schmitt thrillers (The Afton Tangler Series) are darker, sharper, and far more chilling — proof that she can do sweet and sinister, often at the same time.
Personal Life? True to her characters, Laura Childs lives a life brimming with creativity. She resides in Plymouth, Minnesota with her husband, who is a technology executive — because even a queen of cozy needs a king of gadgets. When she isn’t plotting fictional murders, she enjoys travel, art collecting, and (fittingly) sipping tea in historic tearooms — always with a notebook nearby, just in case inspiration strikes.
Death? Thankfully, Laura Childs (Gerry Schmitt) is very much alive, still actively writing, still surprising fans, and still building worlds where danger is never far from the next batch of muffins.
In the end, Laura Childs embodies the irony at the heart of all great mystery writers: a bright, cheerful personality who dreams up darkness; a former marketing guru who now sells secrets and suspense; a woman who knows that even the coziest settings can hide the deadliest plots.
And if you thought you knew cozy mysteries — think again. Because with Laura Childs, nothing is ever as sweet, simple, or safe as it seems.
Publication Order of Series Books
Publication Order of Cackleberry Club Mystery
| Title | Year | Amazon Links |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs in Purgatory | 2008 | Amazon |
| Eggs Benedict Arnold | 2009 | Amazon |
| Bedeviled Eggs | 2010 | Amazon |
| Stake & Eggs | 2012 | Amazon |
| Eggs in a Casket | 2014 | Amazon |
| Scorched Eggs | 2014 | Amazon |
| Egg Drop Dead | 2016 | Amazon |
| Eggs on Ice | 2018 | Amazon |
Publication Order of Scrapbooking Mystery
| Title | Year | Amazon Links |
|---|---|---|
| Keepsake Crimes | 2003 | Amazon |
| Photo Finished | 2004 | Amazon |
| Bound for Murder | 2004 | Amazon |
| Motif for Murder | 2006 | Amazon |
| Frill Kill | 2007 | Amazon |
| Death Swatch | 2008 | Amazon |
| Tragic Magic | 2009 | Amazon |
| Fiber and Brimstone | 2010 | Amazon |
| Skeleton Letters | 2011 | Amazon |
| Postcards from the Dead | 2012 | Amazon |
| Gilt Trip (with Diana Orgain) | 2013 | Amazon |
| Gossamer Ghost | 2014 | Amazon |
| Parchment and Old Lace (with Terrie Farley Moran) | 2015 | Amazon |
| Crepe Factor (with Terrie Farley Moran) | 2016 | Amazon |
| Glitter Bomb (with Terrie Farley Moran) | 2018 | Amazon |
| Mumbo Gumbo Murder (with Terrie Farley Moran) | 2019 | Amazon |
Publication Order of Tea Shop Mystery
| Title | Year | Amazon Links |
|---|---|---|
| Death by Darjeeling | 2001 | Amazon |
| Gunpowder Green | 2002 | Amazon |
| Shades of Earl Grey | 2003 | Amazon |
| The English Breakfast Murder | 2003 | Amazon |
| The Jasmine Moon Murder | 2004 | Amazon |
| Chamomile Mourning | 2005 | Amazon |
| Blood Orange Brewing | 2006 | Amazon |
| Dragonwell Dead | 2007 | Amazon |
| The Silver Needle Murder | 2008 | Amazon |
| Oolong Dead | 2009 | Amazon |
| The Teaberry Strangler | 2010 | Amazon |
| Scones & Bones | 2011 | Amazon |
| Agony of the Leaves | 2012 | Amazon |
| Sweet Tea Revenge | 2013 | Amazon |
| Steeped in Evil | 2014 | Amazon |
| Ming Tea Murder | 2015 | Amazon |
| Devonshire Scream | 2016 | Amazon |
| Pekoe Most Poison | 2017 | Amazon |
| Plum Tea Crazy | 2018 | Amazon |
| Broken Bone China | 2019 | Amazon |
| Lavender Blue Murder | 2020 | Amazon |
| Haunted Hibiscus | 2021 | Amazon |
| Twisted Tea Christmas | 2021 | Amazon |
| A Dark and Stormy Tea | 2022 | Amazon |
| Lemon Curd Killer | 2023 | Amazon |
| Honey Drop Dead | 2023 | Amazon |
| Murder in the Tea Leaves | 2024 | Amazon |
| Peach Tea Smash | 2024 | Amazon |
| High Tea and Misdemeanors | 2025 | Amazon |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
| Title | Year | Amazon Links |
|---|---|---|
| Egg Shooters | 2021 | Amazon |