Hamptons Home & Garden Mystery Books In Order

Publication Order of Hamptons Home & Garden Mysteries Books

Hamptons Home & Garden Mystery is a collection of mystery novels written by American and the USA Today bestselling novelist Kathleen Bridge. Born in El Paso, Texas in the United States, Kathleen Bridge is a mystery, suspense, and romance writer. She has named Nancy Drew, Louise Penny, Victoria Holt and Agatha Christie as her influences. So far, Kathleen has been named the national bestseller for Better Homes and Corpses. Kathleen began her writing career while working at the Michigan State University News in East Lansing. Apart from her famous novels, she is also the photographer and author of an established antique reference guide, Games, books and Lithographed Paper Toys.

Kathleen is also a member Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime and since creative writing is her passion, she has also taught it at Bryant Library in Roslyn New York. She has been a contributor to the Country Living magazine. Another feather in her cap is being a vintage and antique dealer in long Island, New York and also

Kathleen’s marvelous works have caught of many people, and she has received many glowing reviews which have encouraged her to do better. Some of the reviews include “A satisfying sneak peek into life in the Hamptons, with complex plotting and a likable, down-to-earth lead character. An amazing kick-off to a promising series Suspense Magazines and also “Hearse and Gardens book is filled with amazing characters a, great mystery plot development, and stellar setting…Author Kathleen Bridge has once more written an amazingly cozy, full of flair, panache and very well designed.” —Open Book Society and

“The descriptions of antiques, furniture as well as juicy delicacy on the Hamptons, make this series an entertaining text for those who love both antiquityand lifestyles of the rich and famous.”—Booklist, among others.

The author began the publication of Hamptons Home & Garden Mystery series in 2015 when the first book in the series Better Homes and Corpses was published. The second novel in the series Hearse and Gardens was released in 2016.

Better Homes and Corpses (2015)

No one likes a cheating spouse, and when he or she discover that his or her spouse is having an affair with another person, it can be quite devastating and come with very severe consequences. Our heroine for the Better Homes and Corpses, Meg Barret, finds herself in such a situation. However, instead of plotting revenge or feeling sorry for herself, she decides to change her life altogether. This meant leaving a glamorous job at a home and garden magazine and high tailing it to Montauk.

As she looks for estate sales so that she can start her interior design business by the sea, she accepts an invitation from a college friend and roommate Jillian Spenser to visit the classy Hampton. However, what she does not know that she stay there will not only show her how the other half lives but how they die as well, because when she is still there Jillian’s mother whom people know as the Queen Mother is murdered. As she helps her friends take an inventory of the vast Spenser estate, Meg gets right in the middle of the action. Things take a different twist when she is cataloging art and valuable antiquityand discovers that the Spenser family is hiding dark secrets that may have given the perpetrator of the crime a motive.

As she gets closer to finding the truth, the killer discovers she is on their trail and tries to eliminate her from the picture. Since Jillian witnessed the murder, she has been suffering from amnesia and PTSD, meaning that she is not much help to Meg. However, other characters like her friend Elle, Doc who is the friend of Jillian’s father and her brother Cole helped her out. Although she is very determined and vigorous, the heroine is very likable as well. The fact that she was able to get out of a bad situation and do something about it instead of having a giant pity party, also speaks well of her character. Kathleen has done a good job with her first book in the series because the book has all that it takes to keep a reader glued. The characters, plot, setting, and gothic overtones –eccentric family, mysterious mansion make it more enjoyable.

Hearse and Gardens (2016)

The second book of the Hamptons Home & Garden Mystery series still revolves around Meg Barret the heroine from Better Homes and Corpses. This time, Meg is faced with a legal suit over an ocean front property that she has been trying to buy. She is lucky when her friend asks her to help her take inventory and dispose of furniture belonging to Harrison Falks who is a rich art broker living in Montauk Estate.

As she innocently goes about her task, Meg encounters a skeleton hidden in a secret room in one of the bungalows in the estate. The skeleton belongs to Harrison’s son, who declared missing about twenty years ago along with a painting owned by his father. As she digs deeper into the pop art of the Hamptons, she gets into murkier waters that involve family drama in the estate. Ever determined, Meg will not be distracted from solving the crime and this, therefore makes her the target of the killer.

Meg as the heroine is very admirable in this book as well because despite having a hearing problem, she is still able to solve the mystery around her, probably with the help of her hearing aids and ability to read lips. Meg is always willing to help as seen in both books where she helps her friend Elle in her job. She is obviously good at what she does since the description of her work lends her book an interesting aspect. Kathleen has outdone herself with an interesting plot that entails complicated family relationships, secret staircases, old skeletons and astonishing motives. The author has also included interesting characters that are diverse and well-layered. There is also an enjoyable mixture of humor, mystery, and action that also help to compliment the heroine and her character. Kathleen also gives her readers some of the best decorating tips as well as some yummy recipes.