Lorena McCourtney Books In Order

Publication Order of The Julesburg Mysteries Books

Publication Order of Second Chance At Love Books

Publication Order of Ivy Malone Mysteries Books

Publication Order of Andi McConnell Mystery Books

Publication Order of Cate Kinkaid Files Books

Publication Order of Mac 'N' Ivy Mysteries Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Mysteries Of Sparrow Island Books

As a result of living in Southern Oregon for many years, author Lorena McCourtney likes to set her novels in the state of Oregon. She was born on July 19. 1933 in Eastern, Washington. At first, she wrote many stories (around 250 that were in take home Sunday school papers) aimed at young kids, before moving on to romance novels. Currently, she writes cozy mystery novels that contain some humor to them. She writes the series “Cate Kinkaid Files”, “Julesburg Mysteries”, “Andi McConnell Mystery”, and the “Ivy Malone Mysteries”.

Her first paid writing gig was when she was still in high school, and she wrote an article about her father and how he wanted to move to the state of Alaska. She sent it to a magazine called “The Alaska Sportsman” and found herself less astonished then her parents when they wanted to publish it. She only made fifteen dollars of the piece, but became a local celebrity for a time. After she graduated college, they would move to Alaska and teach for sixteen years.

McCourtney is a collector. She collects spurs and pocket knives. She does not know why she collects pocket knives but believes it has something to do with her being a mystery writer. But the spurs she collects because she has always liked horses.

McCourtney says that she writes her stories to serve her Lord and that she is directed in her writing by God. She is using her talent to write what He wants her to write, but at the same time she wants to write a riveting story and not preach to her readers. When she reads, she likes the twisting and turning that the mystery and thriller genre has and that seems to be what she likes to write as well.

“Dying to Read” is the first book in the “Cate Kinkaid Files” series that was released in 2012. Cate Kinkaid has just started to be an assistant to her private investigator uncle until she gets a real job. Finally. After she sent out many resumes and worked very hard to get this job. It is quite simple, all she has to do is that a certain woman lives at a certain address. Seems simple enough. The large and brooding house contains a dead body, and it complicates what was supposed to be a simple job. Cate might just be in over head on this case.

Fans of the novel find that the novel is a great cozy mystery but not something that you will be able to see what will happen next coming right off the bat. It will keep you guessing, and for a novel with Christian laced parts and so light that it will not offend the non believers out there. This novel is a great way to spend some time while reading as you will laugh, have a simple read, and you will not have to exercise the mind all that much. The novel is full of quirk and will pull you into something that features a great heroine with a great dry sense of humor.

“Dolled Up to Die” is the second book in the “Cate Kinkaid Files” series that was released in 2013. Cate gets a frantic phone call that makes her drive to the scene of a crime. The crime is quite nasty and is a triple homicide. This is something that is supposed to be for police departments, but the victims are not at all who she expects. A new rule for Cate while she works as assistant private detective is to be sure that the victims have human DNA. These three are something else, and who would shoot these three dolls? Then there is a victim with human DNA.

Fans of the novel found themselves laughing during the entire novel, and yet again McCourtney has written another winning novel. It has great action and drama that makes it hard for readers to put down. She writes complex stories that have a lot of things being interwoven in to make for a much more complex read. These novels twist and turn like no other, but at the same time you have fun and at the very least, you will crack a grin while reading. Not to mention the part where there is quite a great mystery story here too. You will be wondering what happens next the whole time you read it.

“Death Takes a Ride” is the third book in the “Cate Kinkaid Files” series that was released in 2014. Cate arrives at H&B Vintage Auto Restorations so that she give one of her friends a ride. Trouble is able to find her even there and this time it is in the form of a wounded man, a dead man, and quite obvious case of self defense. The owner of the place, who is named Matt Halliday wants to hire her for something, but it is not for this case. She is supposed to find a man that owns a motorcycle that Matt wants to buy. As she keeps on searching for the bike, she begins to think that the shooting she came up upon, may not be as cut and dry as it was made to look.

Fans of the novel found this to be a great read from McCourtney and a great example of her writing. Some feel that she has struck yet again and written another winner. Cate is a great and lovable character who is able to find her self center stage for some pretty sticky situations that she has a hard time getting out of. McCourtney is great at writing a novel that pulls you right on in and keep you laughing and up all night wanting to see how things play out. People lose track of time because of Lorena’s writing talent here in this book. Some like the way that the novel is a mystery but does not feel the need to have a lot of blood and guts or scare the readers to death a lot.

McCourtney won American Christian Fiction Writer’s Mystery Book of the year. She has won Daphne Du Maurier Award of Excellence on two different occasions.