Samantha Sweet Books In Order

Publication Order of Samantha Sweet Books

Writing mystery and thriller novels for quite a while now, the American author Connie Shelton is a popular author with a whole range of titles under her belt, whilst also having appealed to a mass mainstream audience with her ever popular stories that have reached bestseller status on multiple occasion. Showing a keen eye for romance as well, she has been able to craft a highly popular and idiosyncratic niche within the genre, creating a style that is entirely unique all to her. This has seen her produce a number of franchises under her name too, along with a collection of different leading protagonists as well, many of whom have also resonated with many of her readers too. One such series is that of her ongoing Samantha Sweet collection of novels, a franchise that has been running for quite some time now to hugely popular acclaim. Set in a pastry shop in New Mexico in America, it takes many of the more traditional codes and conventions typically associated with the genre and subverts them turning them on their head. This has ensured that she’s kept and maintained a series that is different to others on the market, has the character of Samantha Sweet has proven to be an enduring one.

With over eleven books in the series so far and counting, there is a huge amount of room to continue expanding on this series for an indefinite amount of time. The world it’s set within is also a highly detailed one, with many of the recurring characters breeding a warm sense of familiarity that many of her readers have now come to appreciate. It has also been able to establish the character and leading protagonist of Samantha Sweet; an individual who breaks into houses legally for a living on behalf of the USDA where she as a caretaker.

Sweet Masterpiece

Originally published in 2010 on the 27th of August, this was initially brought out through the Secret Staircase Books publishing label, which is an imprint of Columbine. Setting up the overall premise and the character, this is where readers were introduced for the first time to the character of Samantha Sweet, although there is a prequel titled ‘The Woodcarver’s Secret’ which Shelton brought out later. This was where she also really established the style and the tone of the franchise overall for the first time, as it fully allowed the readers to get a clear idea of what it was that they were going to be investing themselves in.

Setting up a whole range of different ideas for her novels here, there a number of themes on display that Shelton aims to get to the heart of through her narratives. She creates a style of storytelling that is in-depth and highly familiar, whilst at the same time being honest to who the characters are and what intentions they hold. The subject matter is fairly light-hearted, but it is rooted in reality at the same time too, as it’s not afraid to shy away from some of the more difficult aspects of her cases, something which gives it a great sense of realism. Set in the world of the USDA it looks at Samantha Sweet as she deals with homes that are currently in foreclosure, as she is the caretaker for them, having to break-in to many of them along the way. What she really wants to do, though, is to set-up her own business running a pastry shop, a lifelong ambition of hers and the ultimate driving narrative force for all the novels. This gives the franchise an overall arc and a goal for Samantha Sweet, as she goes about achieving her ambition, something which her audience can really get behind.

Dealing with her job at the USDA and her ultimate dream of becoming a pastry shop owner, Samantha Sweet is sent into a home whereby she retrieves the box of an old lady that used to live there. Unbeknownst to her, though, is that the old lady was also a bruja who practiced in witchcraft and soon the effects of the box start to effect Samantha herself. She then also finds an unmarked grave in another property and this soon leads her on a mystery to find the body in the grave, and learn who they are. Will she able to find out the truth? Can she and the handsome deputy ever become an item? What is the ultimate Sweet masterpiece?

Sweet’s Sweets

Initially brought out by Connie Shelton herself through the Smashwords label, this was set to be the direct follow-up to the first title in the series, as it provided the sequel. Originally released in 2011 on the 8th of January, it followed in much the same vein as before, providing a lot of what the audience have now come to respect and appreciate about the series overall. It also provided some twists and turns of its own along the way too. as it kept the reader guessing right until the very last page as to what was behind the mystery.

Still working for the USDA to help make her way, Samantha Sweet is now on course to owning her own pastry shop ‘Sweet’s Sweets’, as it will soon be open to the public. Meanwhile she still has the powerful box from the previous novel in her possession and, not only that, she must deal with a bloodied garment that was found on one of her cleaning jobs. Taking it to the Sheriff’s office, she finds herself working alongside the Deputy Beau Cardwell to get more evidence and get to the bottom of the mystery. Will she find out what really happened? Who owned the garment? Can she ever get to open Sweet’s Sweets?

The Samantha Sweet Series

Running for a number of books so far, this particular series has come a long way in a relatively short amount of time, with a variety of different stories being published. It is one of her most popular franchises to date, as it works at creating a character that resonates in the mind of the reader, setting up a premise that is engaging and interesting. As Shelton’s audience come to know what to expect with the series, it works well at creating a world that is much loved and appreciated by many, something that will continue for some time to come yet.