Grace & Favor Mysteries Books In Order

Publication Order of Grace & Favor Books

The Grace & Favor Mysteries series is a series of highly popular cozy mystery books written by the famous American novelist named Jill Churchill. It is comprised of a total of 7 books, which were released between the years 1999 and 2010. Author Jill has set the plots in the series in upstate New York, U.S., at the time of the Great Depression. She has introduced the central characters of the series in the form of two New Yorkers named Lily Brewster and Robert Brewster. At the beginning of the series, they are depicted as inheriting a house from one of their relatives after he passes away. And instead of living in the house or selling it away, the Brewsters decide to turn it into a guest house so as to earn their living. Author Jill began writing this mystery series in the year 1999 and also released its debut book in the same year under the title of ‘Anything Goes’. After the series’ 6th book was published in 2005, the 7th book was released after a gap of five years. This book, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, was actually stuck in a dispute between the writer and the publisher. However, it was finally released after the dispute was settled and after that no other book was written or published as a part of the series.

One of the books written earlier in the series by author Jill is titled as ‘In the Still of the Night’. It was published by the Avon publication in the year 2000. Author Jill has set the plot in New York, United States, at the time of the year 1932. In the starting sequence of the book, Robert Brewster and her sister Lily Brewster are introduced has having all the appearances of being highly rich in spite of losing all their family fortune in the Great Depression of the year 1929. As they are left with nothing to earn their livelihood, they wonder what to do with their rich status and what to take up so as to move on in their lives. Thankfully, their great uncle named Horatio leaves a mansion for them known as Grace and Favor. It is located on the Hudson near the Hyde Park of Franklin Roosevelt. Both the siblings continue to live in their own style that they were accustomed to, but had to face certain troublesome limitations. Knowing the situation of the Brewters, old Horatio’s left attached strings with his offers along with a strict attorney for managing the funds for them. He wanted to make sure that they do not become society bums once again. As a result, the Brewsters have no other choice than start working to earn money and survive. Lily gets a brilliant idea with which they can earn handsome money without actually working much. They decide to make the cottage as a guest house and make huge profits. This way, the Brewters can also party with their friends and at the same time lure them to come to Grace & Favor to enjoy a paying weekend. They even promise them to call popular celebrities as guests so as to turn the guest house business more profitable. One of their friends named Sinclair gets busy with the written work of his book and so he is not able to join the Brewsters at the party. Also, Almelia Earhart does not come as she has to plan her flight to cross-Atlantic. And when the party actually begins, the Brewsters fall short of luminaries and have to long on open hostility and snide barbs among their guests. Soon after, the glamorous and glittering party turns into a whodunit and one of the guests is discovered dead. After learning that one more guest is missing, Robert and Lily Brewster begin chasing a killer, who appears to be ready to kill more people.

One of the other well known books written in the series by author Jill is titled as ‘Who is Sorry Now?’. It was published by Avon in the year 2006. At the start of the story, the brother and sister pair and Robert Brewster and Lily Brewster are shown being grateful that they are in some good company even though they do not any money left after losing everything in the 1929 market crash. Because of the Great Depression, it appears that times could not get any tougher in the Hudson Valley as even the revered Police Chief loses his home. The poor town also goes on to get stripped of its only Post Office. Due to this unfortunate event, all the mails start getting dumped from the trains directly into the Hudson River and steaming it up. In order to find their packages and letters, the people of the town begin to rummage through the postal bags. In the middle of such a terrible situation, Robert Brewster assists a young widow and her grandfather, newly arrived from Germany, to haul his old trunk to the shop of his granddaughter. By seeing the happiness on their faces, Robert thinks that he has earned himself a couple of new friends. Another special friend made by him is the train porter, who joins him in helping the widow and her grandfather.

After the passage of some time, a red swastika is discovered painted on the window of the young widow, following which the train porter’s dead body is found. These incidents make Robert Brewster believe that something much darker and much deeper is taking place in the sleepy small town of Hudson Valley. He finds that things are not going well at his mansion, Grace & Favor, where he lives along with his sister Lily Brewster. The Police Chief has just discovered a very old skeleton after digging up the mansion front yard ground. Robert joins the Police Chief in finding the truth about both the murders. They wonder whether they are connected to each other somehow. Now, the siblings feel that they have to unravel the truth related to the murders as soon as possible in order to prevent their quiet town’s community from getting torn apart by secrets, hatred, and a deadly killer. It seems that the brutal killer has set his eyes on the Brewsters’ guest house mansion this time and they can’t allow this to happen or else they will lose their only means to earn their living in such testing times.

2 Responses to “Grace & Favor Mysteries”

1. shirley weatherhead: 2 years ago

   Would love to see this series continued!

   Reply
2. Patricia A Boatman: 2 years ago

   Jill, Please bring back the “Grace and Favor” mysteries. I loved this brother and sister duo. I bought all the ones you wrote. Whats the hold up? I’ve been waiting years to see the continuation.
   Sincerley,
   Pat B.

   Reply