Erika Chase
Erika Chase has published 5 books. The recommended reading order starts with A Killer Read (2012).
Erika Chase is an American mystery writer who brought her years as a bookstore owner directly into the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries, a series she writes for Penguin/Berkley Prime Crime. The first book, A Killer Read, earned an Agatha Award nomination for Best First Novel from the Malice Domestic conference in 2013, a strong start that launched the series.
Chase is also a short story writer and a member of The Ladies' Killing Circle, a writers group. Her short fiction has been shortlisted for an Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story from Crime Writers of Canada. In a second series written under the name Linda Wiken, she turned her attention to another social gathering: Toasting Up Trouble, the first in the Dinner Club series, appeared in July 2016. The two names mark two parallel writing lives, both rooted in the same territory of cozy mysteries built around food, books, and the communities that form around them.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery Books
- TagscrimemysteryDescriptionAshton Corners is the kind of small Southern town where book clubs are serious business, where the careful selection of a novel can spark debate that lasts well beyond the final page. The members of this particular literary circle gather with the usual expectations—thoughtful discussion, perhaps a glass of wine, the comfortable rhythm of shared reading—until something far darker interrupts their carefully curated world. When murder arrives in Ashton Corners, it doesn't announce itself with the tidy logic of a mystery novel. The investigation pulls the book club members from their familiar roles as readers into something more dangerous, where the skills they've honed analyzing fictional crimes must now be applied to a very real threat in their midst. The atmosphere shifts from cozy to unsettling, the town's genteel surface cracking to reveal secrets that have been carefully buried beneath years of polite conversation and social ritual. Erika Chase constructs a world where literary passion and criminal investigation intertwine, where the same minds that dissect narrative structure and character motivation find themselves parsing alibis and hidden motives. The book club becomes an unlikely detective agency, their love of stories both a tool and a liability as they navigate a case that hits uncomfortably close to home. It's a mystery that understands the particular intimacy of small-town life, where everyone knows everyone else's business—except, perhaps, the one secret that matters most.Publication dateApril 3, 2012Amazon rating3.8/5Print length304LanguageEnglishPublisherBerkley
- TagsmysterycrimeDescriptionWhat happens when the quiet rituals of a book club collide with the darker mysteries lurking just beneath a small town's surface? In Ashton Corners, where literary discussions and friendships intertwine, the members of a beloved book club find themselves drawn into something far more dangerous than debating plot twists and character motivations. Erika Chase invites readers into a world where the love of reading becomes the backdrop for genuine intrigue, where cozy gatherings give way to unsettling discoveries that demand answers. The Ashton Corners Book Club isn't just about turning pages—it's about the bonds formed over shared stories, and what happens when those bonds are tested by secrets that refuse to stay buried. As the club members navigate their way through a mystery that hits close to home, they'll need to rely on their collective wit, their loyalty to one another, and perhaps a few investigative skills gleaned from their favorite mystery novels. This is the kind of mystery that wraps around you like a favorite reading chair—comfortable yet compelling, familiar yet full of surprises. Chase understands that the best cozies aren't just about solving crimes; they're about community, about the ways we show up for each other when things get complicated, and about finding courage in unexpected places. For anyone who's ever lost themselves in a good book club discussion, this series feels like coming home.Publication dateDecember 4, 2012Amazon rating4.3/5Print length304LanguageEnglishPublisherBerkley
- TagsmysterysuspensecrimethrillerDescriptionSmall-town celebrations have a way of turning sinister, and Ashton Corners is no exception. What begins as a joyful homecoming for Teensy Coldicutt—an elderly widow with a newly published sexy novel—quickly spirals into violence when her friend Molly is attacked and 150 copies of Teensy's book vanish into thin air. The question isn't just who would steal them, but why anyone would be that desperate. The stakes escalate when Teensy's publisher is found dead and beloved former police chief Bob Miller finds himself in custody. Lizzie Turner and her book club aren't content to let the authorities fumble through this one. They're convinced those missing books are more than just stolen property—they're the key to murder. What starts as a hunt for paperbacks becomes something far more dangerous when the trail leads straight into the shadowy world of counterfeiting. Suddenly, this cozy literary circle is navigating criminal enterprise, and the pages are turning fast. Erika Chase weaves a mystery where book launches and crime rings collide, where the most unassuming characters harbor the darkest secrets. The Ashton Corners Book Club must decode this twisted plot before the killer decides to pen a fatal final chapter. In a town where everyone reads between the lines, some stories are written in blood.Publication dateAugust 6, 2013Amazon rating4.3/5Print length304LanguageEnglishPublisherBerkley
- TagsmysterycrimeDescriptionWhat happens when a community's love of literature collides with the darker impulses that lurk beneath small-town civility? In "Book Fair and Foul," Erika Chase returns to Ashton Corners, where the local book club finds itself entangled in a mystery that threatens to unravel far more than the carefully planned annual book fair. When preparations for the beloved community event take a sinister turn, the members of the Ashton Corners Book Club must set aside their reading lists and step into the role of amateur sleuths. What begins as enthusiasm for celebrating books and bringing the town together becomes a race to uncover secrets that someone would prefer remain buried between the pages of the past. The stakes rise as the fair approaches, and the club members realize that their penchant for analyzing plot twists and character motivations might be exactly what's needed to solve a real-life puzzle. Chase weaves together the cozy charm of a tight-knit literary community with the tension of a well-crafted mystery, creating a story where book lovers become detectives and every clue matters. For readers who relish their mysteries served with a side of bibliophile camaraderie, this installment in the Ashton Corners series delivers both the comfort of familiar characters and the thrill of danger lurking in unexpected places.Publication dateAugust 5, 2014Amazon rating4.5/5Print length304LanguageEnglishPublisherBerkley
- TagscrimemysteryDescriptionIn Ashton Corners, Alabama, the book club does more than discuss literature. They solve murders. Lizzie Turner and her fellow bibliophiles have turned their love of reading into something far more dangerous—amateur sleuthing in a small Southern town where secrets simmer beneath sweet tea and hospitality. When a local author's book launch turns deadly, the club finds itself entangled in a mystery that hits uncomfortably close to home. The victim's manuscript holds clues, but so do the living, and everyone in their tight-knit community suddenly seems to have something to hide. Chase captures that particular Southern Gothic tension where everyone knows everyone, which means trust is both currency and weapon. The Ashton Corners crew must navigate friendships, rivalries, and long-buried grudges while piecing together a puzzle that threatens to unravel their entire world. Lizzie's determination to find the truth puts her squarely in harm's way, but backing down isn't in her nature—or her book club's. This cozy mystery delivers the comfort of familiar characters and the thrill of genuine danger, wrapped in the warmth of a community bound by their love of stories. For readers who believe that books can be both escape and investigation, Law and Author proves that sometimes the most compelling mysteries are written in real time.Publication dateSeptember 1, 2015Amazon rating4.4/5Print length304LanguageEnglishPublisherBerkley
Frequently Asked Questions about Erika Chase
Erika Chase writes the An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series. The books should be read in the order they were published to follow the overarching storylines and character development. The first book is A Killer Read, published in 2012. It is followed by Read and Buried, also in 2012. Next is Cover Story in 2013, then Book Fair and Foul in 2014. The series continues with Law and Author in 2015. Reading them sequentially will provide the intended narrative experience.
A good starting point for Erika Chase's books is with the An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series. The first book in this series, A Killer Read, was published in 2012. This entry introduces the setting and main characters, establishing the foundation for the subsequent novels. Reading this book first allows readers to become familiar with the world and the mysteries that unfold within Ashton Corners. Subsequent books in the series build upon the established narrative.
Yes, it is recommended to read Erika Chase's An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery books in order. The series follows a continuous narrative arc with developing characters and plotlines that carry over from one book to the next. Reading them out of sequence may lead to confusion regarding character relationships, past events, and ongoing mysteries. The first book, A Killer Read, establishes the core elements that are expanded upon in the following titles.
Erika Chase writes series. Specifically, she is known for the An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series. Each book in this series focuses on the same group of characters and the town of Ashton Corners, with plot elements and character arcs that progress throughout the series. There is no indication that Erika Chase writes standalone novels at this time; her published works are part of this connected mystery series.
Erika Chase has written five books in the An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series. These include A Killer Read (2012), Read and Buried (2012), Cover Story (2013), Book Fair and Foul (2014), and Law and Author (2015). All of these were published between 2012 and 2015. As of the latest available information, these five titles constitute her published works.
The first book Erika Chase wrote is A Killer Read. This novel was published in 2012 and marks the beginning of the An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series. It introduces readers to the characters and the setting of Ashton Corners, setting the stage for the mysteries that the book club members will investigate. Following A Killer Read, subsequent books in the series continue the narrative.
The most recent book written by Erika Chase is Law and Author, published in 2015. This is the fifth and final book in the An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series. It concludes the storylines established in the earlier books of the series. As of the latest information, no further books have been published by Erika Chase.
Erika Chase writes mystery novels. More specifically, her work falls into the cozy mystery subgenre, often featuring amateur sleuths, a small-town setting, and a focus on puzzles and community. The An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series is characterized by its blend of suspense and lighthearted elements, centered around a group of friends who solve crimes.
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We verified the reading order for Erika Chase's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: May 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “Erika Chase Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/erika-chase