Nancy Fairbanks Books In Order

Publication Order of Carolyn Blue Culinary Mysteries Books

Nancy Fairbanks is the pen name of Nancy Herndon who is popularly known as the author of the “Elena Jarvis” mystery fiction works.

Writing as Elizabeth Chadwick, she has also penned several popular historical romances that have gone on to become bestsellers.

The author was born in St. Louis Missouri in 1934 to industrial engineer Robert Stanley and homemaker Ruth Edna Fairbanks.

The author lived much of her earlier years in St Louis. After graduating from high school, Nacy Fairbanks was admitted to the Columbia-based Univesity of Missouri where she undertook studies in Journalism and English.
In college, she was astonished and excited to be elected to the Greek letter organization Phi Beta Kappa. She had the same excitement when she would later learn that her first manuscript had been accepted for publication.
After obtaining her first degree, she went to Rice University for two master’s degrees. She would then proceed to New York University from where she graduated with a doctorate in English.
At some point, she got married to a professor of Chemistry named William Cecil Herndon from which she took her famous last name.

Writing as Nancy Fairbanks, she published “Crime Brulee” the first of the “Culinary Mystery with Recipes” in 2001. She now has more than 20 romance and mystery fiction works.

To get more information and inspiration for her novels, she went to the Citizens Police Academy and sometimes makes use of what she learned there in the writing of her novels.

As Elizabeth Chadwick, she is the author of novels such as “Widow’s Fire,” “Wanton Angel,” and “Elusive Lovers.” Writing as Nancy Herndon, she is the author of the “Elena Jarvis” series which she launched with the publishing of “Acid Bath.”
Before she became an author, she worked all manner of odd jobs. She has at various times worked as a lecturer in English at the University of Texas, Florida Atlantic University, and New York University.
She has also been a freelance writer, advertising proofreader and writer, and advertising copywriter. She has also worked at several department stores in Hoston Texas and in Bridgeport Connecticut.

Fairbanks has lived in EL Paso Texas for most of her adult life. During this time, she has joined several writer organizations including the Southwest Writers and Sisters in Crime chapters.

After her retirement from her advertising and lecturing pursuits, she went to live in Wisconsin. She has interests in classical music, travel, history, and food.

Nancy Fairbanks’s novel “Crime Brulee” is one of the best cozy mystery slash cookbook novels. The lead in the novel is Carolyn Blue, a forty-something-year-old homemaker who is tired and bored of cleaning and cooking.
She has finally thrown in the towel and has told her husband Jason that she will be pursuing a career as a food writer. Her plate is now full of delectable foods, exotic locales, and a dash of crime for flavor.
She thinks she may just start to get used to all this and cannot believe she never thought of trying it out sooner. When her husband says, he is going to New Orleans for an academic conference, she asks to join in.
She thinks it would provide an opportunity to pen a story about Cajun cuisine. But just as she was getting a taster of her Creole, she is called upon to investigate a crime.
Julienne one of her best friends from college goes missing. She had been at odds with her husband but her disappearance makes Carolyn even more worried.

Her taste testing tossed to the side, she follows a trail that leads her to dangerous places where it is a matter of eating or being eaten.

“Truffled Feathers” is an interesting addition to the “Carolyn Blue Culinary Mysteries” series of novels. Nancy Fairbanks has come up with a delightful work that is full of all manner of turns and twists.
The lead in the novel is a woman named Carolyn Blue who gets bored living as a homemaker and decides to become a food writer. But then one of the colleagues of Jason her husband is killed.

The man had collapsed and then keeled over while at the dinner table and she cannot help but get involved in the investigation. Jason her husband also joins the investigation and the story is then told in alternating viewpoints.
Jason and Carolyn both have their own theory for what may have happened and how they go about trying to resolve the murder mystery.

Jason learns that there could have been some shady happenings at Jason’s place of work which Max was investigating and thinks that could be what got him killed.

On her part, Carolyn has ingratiated herself with several women from Jason’s place of work, and according to the grapevine, he may have been taken out by his children and neurotic ex-wife. Who is right?

Nancy Fairbanks’ novel “Death A L’Orange” is another interesting cozy mystery that continues to follow the life and times of Carolyn Blue.

Together with Jason her Chemistry professor, they are heading to France alongside a tour group from the college where he teaches.

As soon As they land, bizarre things begin happening as Carolyn becomes entangled with Professor Childeric of Mid-evil history. There is someone in their group that wants to do him harm and has also been hurting Carolyn as well.
The tour had also planned many dinners beforehand which the group attends.

Ironically, Carolyn is a food critic who is forced to painfully wince her way through several terribly made meals while making up delicious recipes she will later send to her editor.
It makes for an enjoyable story as the tour group romps through the Loire from hell and the Tour of Normandy as they experience all manner of misadventures.

The author fleshes out their story and provides some Fun tidbits of French history. Carolyn the lead brings her lovable character to this work, even as the story keeps you guessing as she consistently narrows down the list of suspects.