Charlaine Harris is the best-selling American author behind countless supernatural mystery novels.
She’s most famous for her Southern Vampire Mysteries, which inspired the smash hit HBO series, True Blood. But Harris has a whole host of other fascinating work to explore.
Over the last three decades, she’s published multiple series and standalone novels, many of which have become international bestsellers. Her books are famous around the globe and have been translated into more than twenty-five different languages. And even today, this prolific mystery writer is still going strong.
Recently, she’s published a brand new novel, The Serpent in Heaven, and with any luck, she’ll have plenty more to offer us in 2023 and beyond.
The Complete List of Charlaine Harris Books
Charlaine Harris has a huge amount of work to explore, but knowing where to begin can be a challenge.
So, in this post, I’ll list every book the author has published in her career so far to help you decide where to begin your reading journey.
| Sr. No. | Title | Publication Date | Print Length | Publisher | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Aurora Teagarden Books | October 5, 2010 | 304 pages | Berkley | Amazon |
| 2 | The Lily Bard Books | January 1, 1996 | 218 pages | St Martins Pr | Amazon |
| 3 | The Southern Vampire Mysteries | January 2, 2008 | 320 pages | Ace | Amazon |
| 4 | The Southern Vampire Mysteries: Short Stories | November 11,2014 | 332 pages | AAAARGH! Press | Amazon |
| 5 | The Harper Connelly Books | January 1, 2012 | 310 pages | Gollancz | Amazon |
| 6 | The Harper Connelly Graphic Novels | October 29, 2014 | 22 pages | Dynamite Entertainment | Amazon |
| 7 | The Cemetery Girl Books | January 7, 2014 | 128 pages | InkLit | Amazon |
| 8 | The Midnight, Texas Books | May 6, 2014 | 320 pages | Ace | Amazon |
| 9 | The Gunnie Rose Books | October 2, 2018 | 320 pages | Gallery / Saga Press | Amazon |
| 10 | Charlaine Harris’s Standalone Novels | January 1, 2011 | 272 pages | Severn House Publishers | Amazon |
The Aurora Teagarden Books
This long-running series follows the story of a young woman from Georgia, Aurora “Roe” Teagarden, who works as a librarian at the Lawrenceton Public Library.
Roe is part of a group of twelve true crime enthusiasts who call themselves the Real Murders Club. Each month, the club gathers to study some of Georgia’s most famous criminal cases, many of which are unsolved.
The series has been popular with readers since the first book was published in 1990. And in 2014, the novels inspired an original Hallmark Movies & Mysteries film series, The Aurora Teagarden Mysteries, starring Candace Cameron Bure.
The Aurora Teagarden Books in Reading and Publication Order
The Aurora Teagarden novels can be read as standalone titles, but the characters’ lives evolve and intertwine throughout the series.
So, to get the most out of these books, it’s best to read them in the order they were published, listed below.
- Real Murders (1990)
- A Bone to Pick (1992)
- Three Bedrooms, One Corpse (1994)
- The Julius House (1995)
- Dead Over Heels (1996)
- A Fool and His Honey (1999)
- Last Scene Alive (2002)
- Poppy Done to Death (2003)
- All the Little Liars (2016)
- Sleep Like a Baby (2017)
The Lily Bard Books
This popular series follows Lily Bard, a young woman living in the small Arkansas town of Shakespeare.
In book one, Lily has escaped a violent past and moved to Shakespeare to start a fresh chapter in her life. She keeps herself to herself and starts a cleaning job to pay the bills. But trouble finds her once again when she bears witness to a murder.
Suddenly, she’s suspect number one, and the town’s eyes are all on her. And so, she must solve the mystery herself in order to clear her name.
The Lily Bard Books in Reading and Publication Order
The Lily Bard novels can be read as standalone titles, but the characters’ lives evolve and intertwine throughout the series.
So, to get the most out of these books, it’s best to read them in the order they were published, listed below.
- Shakespeare’s Landlord (1996)
- Shakespeare’s Champion (1997)
- Shakespeare’s Christmas (1998)
- Shakespeare’s Trollop (2000)
- Shakespeare’s Counselor (2001)
The Southern Vampire Mysteries
The Southern Vampire Mysteries, also known as the Sookie Stackhouse books, are the inspiration for HBO’s world-renowned television series, True Blood.
This gripping supernatural mystery saga stars narrator and protagonist Sookie Stackhouse, who lives in the fictional Louisiana town of Bon Temps.
At the start of the series, Sookie is waiting tables at a bar. She has a complicated past, and now, she’s trying to keep her head down and live a normal life.
But normality doesn’t come easy to someone like Sookie. She was born with the extraordinary talent of telepathy and can effortlessly read other people’s thoughts.
The Southern Vampire Mysteries in Reading and Publication Order
Each book in the Southern Vampire Mysteries series is interconnected. So, it’s best to read them in the order they were published, listed below.
- Dead Until Dark (2001)
- Living Dead in Dallas (2002)
- Club Dead (2003)
- Dead to the World (2004)
- Dead as a Doornail (2005)
- Definitely Dead (2006)
- All Together Dead (2007)
- From Dead to Worse (2008)
- Dead and Gone (2009)
- Dead in the Family (2010)
- True Blood Collection (2010)
- Dead Reckoning (2011)
- The First Sookie Collection (2011)
- Deadlocked (2012)
- Dancers in the Dark (2012)
- Dead Ever After (2013)
- After Dead (2013)
The Southern Vampire Mysteries: Short Stories
Author Charlaine Harris has penned multiple short stories to complement the main Southern Vampire Mysteries series, and now, they’re available to read in one complete volume.
Stories include:
- Fairy Dust
- One Word Answer
- Dracula Night
- Lucky
- Gift Wrap
- Two Blondes
- If I Had a Hammer
- Small-Town Wedding
- Playing Possum
- In the Blue Hereafter
The Harper Connelly Books
This four-part series follows Harper Connelly, a young woman with a special power.
When she was fifteen years old, Harper was struck by a lightning bolt, and ever since, she’s been able to locate the bodies of the deceased. When a corpse is nearby, she senses a buzzing, which grows stronger and stronger the closer she gets. But that’s not all; Harper can also determine how the person died and when.
And so, she works alongside her stepbrother, Tolliver, using her skills to connect the dead with the living and answer their burning questions about what happened to their loved ones.
The Harper Connelly Books in Reading and Publication Order
The Harper Connelly novels can be read as standalone titles, but the characters’ lives evolve and intertwine throughout the series.
So, to get the most out of these books, it’s best to read them in the order they were published, listed below.
The Harper Connelly Graphic Novels
In 2011, the Harper Connelly books were adapted into a three-part graphic novel series.
Here they are in reading and publication order.
The Cemetery Girl Books (with Christopher Golden)
In 2014, Charlaine Harris teamed up with fellow author Christopher Golden to create this series of three graphic novels for young adults.
The stories follow a young girl who momentarily dies, only to be brought back to life again. But when she wakes up in Dunhill Cemetery, all of her memories of her former life have been erased, and she has no idea where or who she is.
And so, she invents a new name, Calexa Rose Dunhill. Celexa is determined to make the best of her situation, so she begins solving the mysterious deaths of people buried in her cemetery to bring their killers to justice.
The Cemetery Girl Books in Reading and Publication Order
Each book in The Cemetery Girl series is interconnected. So, it’s best to read them in the order they were published, listed below.
- Book One: The Pretenders (2014)
- Book Two: Inheritance (2015)
- Book Three: Haunted (2018)
The Midnight, Texas Books
This chilling trilogy is set in the dusty, forgotten ghost town of Midnight, Texas. At one time, Midnight was a bustling place with a thriving population, but now, there’s nothing but boarded-up windows and a few unwelcoming inhabitants.
In book one, we meet the series protagonist, Manfred Bernardo, who has recently arrived in Midnight looking for solitude and privacy to carry out his mysterious work in secret.
Readers may remember Manfred as a supporting character from the Harper Connelly series, but in these books, he takes center stage.
The Midnight, Texas Books in Reading and Publication Order
Each book in the Midnight, Texas series is interconnected. So, it’s best to read them in the order they were published, listed below.
The Gunnie Rose Books
This popular series is based on Charlaine Harris’s short story, The Gunnie, published in 2016. Two years later, Harris released the first of three full-length novels based on her original tale, and the Gunnie Rose trilogy was born.
In book one, An Easy Death, we meet Lizbeth Rose, a fearsome young mercenary fighting for survival in an unrecognizable, fractured America.
Lizbeth finds herself working for a pair of Russian Wizards, scouring the small Mexican border town on the hunt for one of Grigori Rasputin’s direct descendants, who is rumored to be a practitioner of magic.
She’s no stranger to danger, and she’s never failed a mission so far. But this job will challenge her unlike any before.
The Gunnie Rose Books in Reading and Publication Order
The Gunnie Rose novels can be read as standalone titles, but the characters’ lives evolve and intertwine throughout the series.
So, to get the most out of these books, it’s best to read them in the order they were published, listed below.
Charlaine Harris’s Standalone Novels
Alongside her series above, Charlaine Harris has also penned four popular standalone titles.
Here they are in the order they were published.
- Sweet and Deadly (1981)
- A Secret Rage (1984)
- Inherit the Dead (2013)
- Indigo (2017)
Charlaine Harris’s Short Stories and Novellas
Charlaine Harris has several short stories and novellas to explore. Here they are in the order they were originally published.
- Dancers in the Dark (2013)
- The Layla Collection: Dancers in the Dark & Layla Steps Up (2017)
- Don’t Go Alone (2017)
- Layla Steps Up (2018)
Charlaine Harris Anthologies
For more short stories, take a look at one of the author’s popular anthologies, listed below in publication order.
- Many Blood Returns (2007)
- Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (2008)
- Death’s Excellent Vacation (2010)
- Home Improvement (2011)
- An Apple for the Creature (2012)
- Games Creatures Play (2014)
- Charlaine Harris Presents Malice Domestic 12 (2017)
Conclusion
Charlaine Harris is one of the most beloved paranormal mystery writers in America, and her bestselling books have made her famous around the globe.
Are you already a fan of Charlaine Harris’s work? If so, I’d love to hear your reviews and recommendations. Drop me a comment in the box below!