Gray Whale Inn Mysteries Books In Order

Publication Order of Gray Whale Inn Mystery Books

Publication Order of Gray Whale Inn Short Stories/Novellas

The world of cozy mysteries would not be complete without the talented Karen Maclnerney’s name coming up. Known best for the outstanding Gray Whale Inn Mysteries Series by Karen Maclnerney, she enjoys teaching writing classes, chauffering kids, trying new adventurous recipes, hiking and biking, relaxing at her local coffee house while brewing the next saucy mystery among other hobbies. Karen lives with her husband and two lovely children in Austin. The Gray Whale Inn Mysteries is kicked of by ‘Murder on the Rocks’, the first books which amazingly got a nomination for the highly coveted Agatha award for Best First Novel.

Published in 2006, this first book uncovers the story of Natalie Barnes, who is in the midst of chasing her greatest dreams. Natalie is comprehensively presented as a lively and likeable inquisitive character. She has just moved from the very exciting Texas life to the much more isolated Cranberry Island based just off the coast of Maine giving up all the adventure and splendor of Texas for a calmer more homely existence. In an effort to start on her dreams, Natalie purchases the Gray Whale Inn which is essentially a Maine based bed and breakfast. She plans to make her living from this. For Natalie, nothing in the world beats making savory butter filled muffins and myriads of other scrumptious breakfast goodies for her guests. It is a lifelong passion that sates her and keeps her feeling useful and fulfilled.

Soon however, there is trouble in paradise as a man named Bernad Katz checks in her inn. Katz is an assertive outspoken land developer with ambitious plans to construct a resort next door. Natalie publicly refutes Katz’s proposition as it goes against all that she has thought up for her new place. Her opposition stems mainly from the fact that the proposed development endangers a colony of black chinned terns and will also lead to not only the inevitable loss of her livelihood but also adverse change in her newly found community. A resort means the attraction of tourists; crowding the town and attracting more developers who will in the long run ruin the aura of natural ambiance that the town currently presents.

Natalie holds her stand even as the townspeople support Katz. As if the public display of her unshakable resolve and the tension it wrought is not enough, Natalie finds Katz dead and there is definitely no shortage of witnesses to testify their estranged relationship especially after their fight. The police and the townspeople naturally think she did it. It falls upon none other than Natalie to find out the true killer in an effort to clear her severely tarnished name and try to savage her reputation in order to keep her dream alive.

Will the relentless Natalie be able to clear her name and prove her innocence against the impossible odds or is the threat of jail the only possibility? Can she identify who killed Katz before she or someone else becomes the next victim or will she just be the scapegoat? Was her dream of running her new business in Maine just a futile attempt;a bad joke of fate or will she finally be able to recover from this traumatic escapades?The twists and turns in this mystery keep getting juicier with every page turned as the tempo of the story escalates to mind blowing proportions for that ultimate mystery feel. Journey on through the pages of this timeless book and discover surprising twists like never before.

The next book followed in 2007 in the name of ‘Dead and Berried’. It seems as though all the developers have set their eyes on the cozy Cranberry Island as the book begins with them returning. This time, the beauty under threat is a lovely naturally existing cranberry bog. The plan is for them to set up a luxury sub division that will allow them tap millions in profits. The only cost is that the Cranberry island’s namesake berries will be wiped out and it is a cost that our character Natalie Barnes is not quite ready to incur. The problem is that Natalie has a myriad of problems on her plate; none of which can be ranked as minor.

To begin with, her relationship with Charlene, her best friend is approaching depressing lows. As if that were not enough, her ex-fiance has appeared out of the blues with a mind boggling yet alluring proposal. Gray Whale Inn, her source of livelihood is not unscathed by all the havoc going around as there have been reports of scary bumps during the nights and rumors that the inn might be haunted. To top it all off, there is murderous killer on the loose threatening the very essence of the peace that reigns in their little island.

There does not seem to be light at the end of this particular tunnel as her best friend’s lover; a very handsome chaplain with a hefty stake in the new developments is brutally stabbed to death. Natalie’s problems seem to escalate at every turn as she finds herself with a grief stricken friend in her hands; one who is also the top suspect in the murder of her lover. Natalie seems to be a magnet for being at the center of calamity and in this second book, there seems to be no way out. With a million and one problems, will this resilient girl fold or push on in an attempt to right all that is wrong?

Will Natalie be able to save her best friend and prevent her impending imprisonment? Will she save the island without putting herself in harm’s way?Find out as you turn the pages of this fantastic cozy mystery and make keep yourself entertained. Karen is definitely a writer worth reading as she puts in the right mix of reality,twists, drama and mystery that makes her cozy fiction some of the best yet. Grab one and follow through with the rest of the captivating Gray Whale Inn Series! One thing you can be sure of is that the intensity of the plot keeps escalating with each book while maintaining the same high quality a cozy should possess.