Mellingham Books In Order

Publication Order of Mellingham Books

Author Susan Oleksiw pens the “Mellingham” series of cozy mystery novels. The series began publication in the year 1993, when “Murder in Mellingham” was released.

The series stars Joe Silva, the police chief, and is set in Mellingham, a tiny town in New England near the coast. Silva once worked in the big city, and now just enjoys the quiet life in the village of Mellingham as well as the mostly routine and boring cases he works.

“Murder in Mellingham” is the first novel in the “Mellingham” series, which was released in the year 1993. The wonderful coastal village of Mellingham is on edge after Beth O’Donnell unexpectedly arrives. She is dependent on her generous brother, but is uneasy with life outside of New York City, and she cannot help but cast a jaundiced eye on anybody and everybody. Her first night at a cocktail party, she throws barbs at each of the other guests, while she singles out the most vulnerable. She eyes anybody with interest those that dare to stand up to her.

She is found dead the very next day, and Joe Silva finds that he is investigating a well-loved family that lives in a town where nothing sketchy ever happens. Silva was an outsider until he joined the police force a year back. He finds out a lot about his place in the idyllic town, and many painful secrets among the townsfolk.

“Double Take” is the second novel in the “Mellingham” series, which was released in the year 1994. Preston Mattson has taught his entire career at an out of the way school, without ever having to confront his failures. That ends when an adult student, named Hank Vinnio bulls his way onto the campus, disrupting classes as well as everything else with his cynical and sly style.

Mattson and many others are relieved when somebody finds Vinnio dead. But then, Joe Silva starts investigating. Quickly, the college does not feel all that safe, and the students and teachers alike start to worry about the things Silva is finding out.

“Family Album” is the third novel in the “Mellingham” series, which was released in the year 1994. Gwen McDuffy has come back to Mellingham with her two kids, but there is something haunting her. Distracting her is her own worries, she hardly notices the tension with the Arbella Society, where George Frome is doing his best to offend everybody he comes across. Frome is trying to bring the questionable practices to the board of directors’ attention.

Catherine Rocklynd, who is a wealthy patron, is currently on edge and is refusing to confide in Edwin Bennett, her nephew. Kelly Kuhn, who is an art collector and dealer, is falling into debt as she tries to woo customers such as Annalee Windolow.

Even a picture-perfect and quiet place like Mellingham is unable to erase the sorrows and secrets of a lifetime. This is why its residents try their best to hide all of them behind family and philanthropy. A secretary finds a corpse in Arbella House’s attic, the volunteers and staff of this historical society are threatened doubly.

Joe Silva is well aware that he will uncover some painful secrets as he starts the murder investigation, but he will need to prepare himself for disappointment. This is because the investigation moves much closer to Gwen McDuffy.

“Friends and Enemies” is the fourth novel in the “Mellingham” series, which was released in the year 2001. Preparations have begun for the twenty-fifth year reunion for the graduates of Mellingham High School, with trouble topping the guest list. Becka Chase, who is the head of the reunion committee, has got her hands full between fending off advances of her neighbor and ex-lover (whose odd behavior is threatening to blow open a scandal that shadows her whole life), and preparations.

The other members of the ’69 Class have got more than reminiscing on their minds. Eliot Keogh has come back to figure out who framed his dad and sent him to prison. Mindy, Becka’s surreally gorgeous neighbor, has vanished without leaving a trace behind. Vic, her husband, has been found in a coma.

Once more, Joe Silva’s sharp instincts hone in on the type of mystery that is only possible in a tiny picture-perfect town. A place where secrets are able to wield sinister and silent power. Not to mention the fact that foes and friends could be one and the very same.

“A Murderous Innocence” is the fifth novel in the “Mellingham” series, which was released in the year 2006. Ron Faroli is laid to rest in Mellingham, and Joe Silva knows that more trouble will soon follow. Shortly after the funeral, a friend of Ron’s is found dead after falling from a third-floor window. Joe finds zero evidence of foul play, yet he is hesitant to write off Mile Stine’s death as just a tragic accident.

The small Community Center is overrun with stories about the two dead guys, the small group of struggling addicts they called friends, and their lives on and off of drugs. Two of their number dying threatens what little stability some of them have managed to find, and unexpected friendships emerge after the test of fear.

Joe knows the dead guy’s parents, and finds that he is deeply sympathetic while he investigates the second death. George Faroli has been a poker buddy of Joe’s for many years, and Edna Stine, the second victim’s mom, has been a town fixture her entire life, all while she struggled to make a better life for her kids.

His investigation is complicated by his feelings for Gwen McDuffy and her two kids. Now that Gwen and he live together, Joe finds it tougher to stay objective while drugs are threatening to invade the tiny family he currently calls his own. Philip, who is Gwen’s younger kid, is hanging out with a group of hyped-up and bored teens that is desperately attempting to fit in. Fearing the absolute worst for her kid, Gwen turns to Joe for help.