Sandra Balzo Books In Order

Publication Order of Maggy Thorsen Mystery Books

Publication Order of Main Street Mystery Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Sandra Balzo is a bestselling and award-winning author who mainly specializes in the genre of crime fiction. Balzo has penned down two mystery series one being set in North Carolina, while the other one is set just outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A Native of Wisconsin, Sandra Balzo splits her time between North Carolina and Wisconsin. After working as a public relations officer in the corporate field for more than twenty years, Sandra Balzo eventually turned to mystery writing. A majority of her novels have been nominated for Macavity and Antony Awards. These novels have also been the recipient of five-star reviews from Booklist and Kirkus review as well. In addition to her novels about Maggy Thorsen, the coffee maven and AnnaLise Griggs, a displaced journalist, Balzo also pens down short stories, some of which have been published in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, while others have gone ahead and won the Robert L. Fish Awards and Derringer Awards as well.

Best Sandra Balzo Books

Uncommon Grounds

In her exceedingly delightful debut, award-winning author, Sandra Balzo puts a 21-century spin on old-fashioned cozy, replacing tea with coffee, as the comfort drink. In this book, Sandra Balzo introduces the readers to Thorsen, a divorcee, whom her husband opted for a youthful dental hygienist. Apart from Thorsen and her ex-husband, the author also introduces the readers to two other women, who are more than eager to set-up a coffee shop. Uncommon Grounds has been set in an exceedingly small town of Wisconsin, Brookhills. The inhabitants of this town include the recognizable types such as tennis moms and local gossips. In a world where KFC’s and other chains are ever-present, Thorson and her friends have their work already cut-out for them. However, the challenge eventually becomes greater, when Maggy Thorson eventually discovers Patricia Harper’s body, who used to be one of her partners’s on the floor of the coffee shop.

Thus, Thorson is more than determined to find out who had killed Patricia and what the main reason was. Maggy Thorson delves into this mystery with a sense of humor, which will undeniably make Miss Marple Smile. As she works to uncover the truth, she works with the unpredictable Jake Pavlik, the County Sherriff and uncovers at substantial personal risks, the secrets of some of the prominent citizens of the town.

Grounds for Murder

In Grounds for Murder, we meet once again with Maggy Thorsen, who from the look of things will not catch a break anytime soon. On any good day, Maggy Thorsen will be making coffee. However, this time around trouble is all around her. With no time to even clean up, Maggy Thorsen has no choice but to look into the killing of her co-owner at the coffee shop. As it is the case, with Maggy, she has a habit of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. This time around, she is even holding the murder weapon, meaning luck is not on her side. One of the main suspects in the killing apart from Maggy is one LaRoach, who normally has a habit of alienating each and everyone that he has ever met. As the book progresses, Maggy Thorson juggles the ins and the outs of the investigations, while at the same time trying to ensure that she plays her part at the upcoming Java Convention.

Because LaRoche was a self-centred man, who was power driven and also because he had an exceedingly controversial speech during the opening ceremony, the list of suspects who may want to clobber LaRoche is endless. The main reason why Maggy is considered to be a suspect was mainly that she had a loud argument with him, before his death. Thus, Maggy is given a reason to look into the killings. Once she finds new clues, she chooses not to share with her love interests Jake Pavlick, who is the local Sherriff. With that said, In Grounds for Murder is not only a quick read but also a funny read as well that is full of humor and several light moments.

From the Grounds Up

From the Grounds Up is the fifth installment in the Maggy Thorsen book series. In this installment, Maggie is moved to relocate from her coffee shop. She then decides to strike a deal with one Sarah Kingston, a real-estate agent extraordinaire. Ever since the first novel, Sarah has continued to be Maggie’s snooping sidekick. The two have continued to form an unbreakable friendship, However; will Sarah’s brisk manner destroy their friendship or Uncommon Grounds? Initially, Kornell Eisvoge, Sarah’s uncle by marriage passes away when a train hits his Buick. However, once the investigations were initiated, the local police officers discover that someone sabotaged his vehicle. Despite the fact that Kornell was an exceedingly obnoxious man, it beats logic that someone had wanted him dead. However, as time will tell, Uncles Kornell was just the first accident in a series of accidents at the newly proposed site for Uncommon Grounds.

The site is definitely going to prove a little bit luxurious when the commuter service from Milwaukee all the way to Brookhills is going to resume within a few months. Could someone be planning to sabotage the plan by these women? Or could be the threat be more personal that she thinks? However, Maggy is not convinced that this is a coincidence. With that said, the Maggy Thorsen is an excellent book series that is edgy with an easy reading style and relaxed atmosphere as well. Maggy is undeniably a breath of fresh air into the mystery series especially, when compared to a majority of the cookie cutter-thriller mystery series.

A Cup of Joe

A Cup of Joe is another excellent addition to the Maggy Thorsen mystery series. The book begins as the second café is being built since the first one was destroyed by a blizzard. Maggie has commissioned a huge inflatable cup of coffee, that will be suspended during the opening ceremony. However, it does not take long before the body of the event manager, one JoLynne Penn-Williams is discovered during the celebrations. As the series progresses, the books continue to be more and more entertaining. Maggie continues to face different challenges and difficulties especially with her relationship with the local Sheriff.