Dorothy St. James

3 series 9 books in order

Dorothy St. James is a former Folly Beach beach bum. She now lives in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, with her family, slightly (OK, terribly) needy dogs, and the friendliest cat you’ll ever meet. Author of a dozen novels, Dorothy enjoys writing both cozy mysteries and romance.

Known for
A Beloved Bookroom Mystery, A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery, A White House Gardener Mystery

Series by Dorothy St. James

A Beloved Bookroom Mystery

3 books in order · 2021–2023

  1. Cover of The Broken Spine

    The Broken Spine

    2021 · Dorothy St. James

    When small-town assistant librarian Tru Beckett sets up a secret book room in her newly modernized library, she discovers that protecting the printed…

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  2. Cover of A Perfect Bind

    A Perfect Bind

    2022 · Dorothy St. James

    Librarian Tru Beckett, ardent defender of the printed word, is about to find out that keeping murder checked out of her beloved library is much…

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  3. Cover of A Book Club to Die For

    A Book Club to Die For

    2023 · Dorothy St. James

    When a member of an exclusive book club is checked out, spunky librarian Trudell Becket must sort fact from fiction to solve the murder. The Cypress…

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A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery

3 books in order · 2017–2018

  1. Cover of Asking for Truffle

    Asking for Truffle

    2017 · Dorothy St. James

    A sleuthing chocolatier is the only thing standing between an eccentric seaside town and the deadly plot to destroy it in this cozy culinary mystery…

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  2. Cover of Playing With Bonbon Fire

    Playing With Bonbon Fire

    2018 · Dorothy St. James

    Chocoholic Charity Penn must smoke out the killer to stop her newly inherited beachside chocolate shop from going up in flames in Dorothy St. James’…

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  3. Cover of In Cold Chocolate

    In Cold Chocolate

    2018 · Dorothy St. James

    In Dorothy St. James’s third delectable Southern Chocolate Shop mystery, a new batch of chocolate and troubles of the heart cause a string of…

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A White House Gardener Mystery

3 books in order · 2011–2014

  1. Cover of Flowerbed of State

    Flowerbed of State

    2011 · Dorothy St. James

    Cassandra Calhoun isn't your average gardener. "Casey" Calhoun's passion for gardening has carried her to President's Park where the White House…

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  2. Cover of The Scarlet Pepper

    The Scarlet Pepper

    2012 · Dorothy St. James

    As the White House's organic gardener, Casey Calhoun is up to her elbows in dirt. But when someone starts tampering with the Presidential vegetable…

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  3. Cover of Oak and Dagger

    Oak and Dagger

    2014 · Dorothy St. James

    When it comes to gardening, Cassandra “Casey” Calhoun isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. But when it comes to murder, she’s not the kind of gal to…

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Frequently asked questions

How many books has Dorothy St. James written?

We list 9 books by Dorothy St. James across 3 series, published between 2011–2023 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Dorothy St. James's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “The Broken Spine.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy Dorothy St. James's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.

Book descriptions, author biographies, award records and review quotes on this page are courtesy of Penguin Random House.