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Elizabeth MacPherson Books In Order

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Publication Order of Elizabeth MacPherson Books

Sick of Shadows (1984)Description / Buy at Amazon
Lovely in Her Bones (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
Highland Laddie Gone (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
Paying the Piper (1988)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Windsor Knot (1990)Description / Buy at Amazon
Missing Susan (1991)Description / Buy at Amazon
MacPherson's Lament (1992)Description / Buy at Amazon
If I'd Killed Him When I Met Him... (1995)Description / Buy at Amazon
The PMS Outlaws (2000)Description / Buy at Amazon

Writing mystery novels filled with both suspense and intrigue, the American author Sharyn McCrumb is well known for her unique brand of fiction that also combines elements of the supernatural and the historical, as she brings them altogether into one intoxicating mix, allowing them all to infuse themselves with each other, a formula that has proven itself to be highly successful throughout the course of her career. Hailing from Wilmington in North Carolina, she is very much an American author at heart, as she speaks and writes from her own experiences, making them easier to relate to in the process, something which her many fans worldwide have come to appreciate her for over the years. An award-winning author too, she has managed to gain the much coveted Edgar Award for her efforts, something which is largely due to her resolutely Southern perspective, this being an aspect of her writing that distinctively gives it a rich flavor and an idiosyncratic sense of a personality. She is also well known for her sense of accuracy when dealing with the past too, as she handles the minutiae of period detail in an extremely professional manner, all due to her well managed and extensively researched handling of the subject matter. This ensures that each novel she writes is an entirely engrossing one, and one which draws the reader in, as she immerses them in the narrative, along with the down-to-earth characters that resonate on a far more personal level. Giving the reader an insight into the past, she also entertains them as well, drawing from more fantastical elements too, such as the paranormal, along with creating situations that seem wholly real in how they are portrayed upon the page. Keeping readers engaged and engrossed, she is able to craft compelling narratives, ones that keep people guessing right until the very last page with her ever addictive style of writing. One such series is that of her ongoing ‘Elizabeth MacPherson’ series of novels, as they follow the eponymous protagonist throughout, as she handles a series of investigations, getting to the bottom of each and every mystery. Set in the south of the USA, the books feature Elizabeth MacPherson as a forensic anthropologist using all her many skills in order to get to the bottom of the case. Gifted and determined, she is a highly singular individual, something which goes some way towards explaining why she has become so popular with readers over the course of her McCrumb’s long and illustrious career.

Lasting for over nine books in total so far with the last being written in 2000, this series appears to have quietened down in recent years, despite there being room for it to continue growing. Starting in 1984 with ‘Sick of Shadows’ it managed to come a long way during the course of its run, as the character of MacPherson managed to grow and develop exponentially over its entire course. Knowing and understanding the genre clearly, this is exemplary example of it in action, as McCrumb makes the most of every tool at her disposal, really taking it to the limit, whilst setting a benchmark for the genre as a whole.

Sick of Shadows

Initially brought out on the 14th of June in 1984, this was was later reissued in 1989, but was originally released through the ‘Ballantine Books’ publishing label. Marking Sharyn McCrumb as a definite talent to watch, it really worked at setting the tone of the ‘Elizabeth MacPherson’ series of mysteries to come, along with establishing McCrumb’s series as a whole. Not only that, but she also created a strong and engaging mystery in the process, one that kept her readers hooked throughout, all whilst developing the leading protagonist of MacPherson herself.

Fearing a fortune hunter is set to marry the young and ever delicate Eileen Chandler, her family are worried for her and her fate as they seek to protect her. That’s when her cousin, Elizabeth MacPherson, steps up to help her and attempt to offer her support the best she can, but this doesn’t turn out quite as either of them would’ve hoped. At the wedding a dead body is unfortunately discovered, which then sends MacPherson on a hunt of her own, as she sets about looking to get to the bottom of the case. Will she find the killer? Can she help her cousin? What will happen when she is sick of shadows?

Lovely in Her Bones

Released through the ‘Ballantine Books’ publishing outlet once more, this manages to pick-up from where the last title left off, providing another mystery for the forensic expert Elizabeth MacPherson in her second investigation. Originally published in 1985 it was brought out just one year after the first, with it later being reissued in 1990 on the 13th of May, as it followed on in the same vein as the original. Met with eager anticipation by the public, the books manages to develop not only the narrative itself, but that of MacPherson as a character too.

A somewhat obscured North Carolina based Indian tribe is looking to make a legal claim to the area of land that they live by right of history. This leads Elizabeth MacPherson to undergo an Appalachian dig which she hopes will uncover the truth of the situation and ultimately see who is in the right. Things take a different turn, though, after they encounter a murder, one which sets them on an alternative path, as MacPherson uncovers a set of secrets that she never expected. Will they find the killer? Can they uncover the truth? Just how is it lovely in her bones?

The Elizabeth MacPherson Series

A fine example of the mystery novel genre, it really understands what it’s working with here, as McCrumb really worked at pushing the boundaries of the format. A master of suspense and intrigue, she has crafted a set of stories that will stand the test of time for generations to come, as more and more readers discover it every day. Whilst a new book hasn’t come out recently, there’s still plenty of room to continue expanding upon it indefinitely, something which will ensure its legacy carries on for years to follow.

Book Series In Order » Characters » Elizabeth MacPherson

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