Wendy Delaney
Wendy Delaney has published 10 books. The recommended reading order starts with Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles (2016).
Wendy Delaney is an American author who writes cozy mysteries, best known for her Working Stiffs Mystery series. A long-time member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and Romance Writers of America, she made her debut in 2013 with Trudy, Madly, Deeply and has since built a following for mysteries that blend humor with intrigue. Her work has earned recognition within the cozy mystery community, including awards for the Working Stiffs series.
Delaney's writing draws on a Food Network habit that borders on obsession and a pastry chef daydream she pursues in her own kitchen. The culinary adventures that fuel her stories also send her to the treadmill, where she works off the calories between killing off story people on the page. Her mysteries are light and engaging, designed to entertain rather than unsettle, with plots that feel like catching up with a clever friend.
Originally from the Pacific Northwest near Seattle, Delaney now lives in the Hill Country of Texas with her husband. She is a proud grandma, and when she is not writing, she can be found experimenting with recipes or logging miles on her treadmill.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of Working Stiffs Mystery Books
- TagsmysteryromancecrimeDescriptionThis is a mystery that knows exactly what it is—a delightful romp where the stakes are real but the tone never loses its sparkle, where danger and dessert exist in the same breath. Wendy Delaney has crafted something that feels like your favorite comfort food with a side of intrigue, the kind of book that wraps you in warmth even as it keeps you guessing. The world here is one of small-town secrets and everyday people caught up in something bigger than their ordinary lives, where a batch of snickerdoodles might be the least innocent thing in the room. Our protagonist navigates a landscape thick with deception, where lies stack up like layers in a cake and the truth is something you have to dig for with both hands. There's a wry humor threading through the tension, a sense that even when things get messy—and they do—there's still room for wit and humanity. The mystery unfolds with the satisfying rhythm of a well-told story among friends, each revelation peeling back another layer of the community's carefully maintained facade. It's cozy without being toothless, clever without being precious, and it understands that the best mysteries are as much about the people solving them as the crimes themselves.Publication dateApril 23, 2016Amazon rating4.4/5Print length319LanguageEnglishPublisherWendy Delaney LLC
- TagsmysteryromancecrimeDescriptionMarty has a knack for stumbling into trouble, and in this installment of the Working Stiffs Mystery series, that talent is working overtime. When a seemingly straightforward situation spirals into something far more complicated, Marty finds herself caught between her day job demands and an investigation she can't quite walk away from. There's a body, there are questions, and there's Marty—armed with more determination than sense—trying to piece together what happened before someone else gets hurt. What makes this mystery sing is Marty herself: sharp-tongued, occasionally reckless, and utterly human in her fumbling toward the truth. Delaney writes with a light touch that never undercuts the stakes, balancing humor with genuine tension as Marty navigates a cast of quirky locals, potential suspects, and her own complicated relationships. The pacing clips along, the dialogue crackles, and the central mystery unfolds with enough twists to keep you guessing. If you're drawn to cozy mysteries with bite—where the amateur sleuth feels like someone you'd actually want to grab coffee with, even as she's poking her nose where it doesn't belong—this one delivers. It's comfort reading with an edge, perfect for fans who like their mysteries served with wit and a side of heart.Publication dateJune 19, 2016Amazon rating4.4/5Print length299LanguageEnglishPublisherWendy Delaney LLC
- TagsmysteryromancecrimeDescriptionThis is a mystery that understands the peculiar comedy of desperation, the kind that comes from juggling a dead-end job, a chaotic personal life, and the inconvenient discovery of a corpse. Wendy Delaney's entry in the Order of Working Stiffs Mystery series delivers a world where the mundane collides with the murderous, and the result is both darkly funny and surprisingly sharp. The atmosphere here is pure working-class grit laced with gallows humor—think fluorescent office lighting, overdue bills, and the persistent suspicion that life is laughing at you, not with you. Delaney captures that particular brand of exhaustion that comes from being perpetually one crisis away from disaster, then throws in a body and watches her protagonist scramble. The mood is wry and self-aware, never taking itself too seriously but always respecting the stakes when things turn genuinely dangerous. What makes this compelling is the central tension between survival and sleuthing, between keeping your head down and sticking your neck out when someone needs answers. The emotional hook lies in watching an ordinary person—someone just trying to get through the week—forced to become extraordinary under pressure. Delaney writes with the knowing eye of someone who understands that real heroism often looks less like courage and more like stubborn refusal to let the world grind you down completely.Publication dateApril 2, 2016Amazon rating4.2/5Print length315LanguageEnglishPublisherWendy Delaney LLC
- TagsmysterycrimeDescriptionThere's something irresistible about a mystery series that doesn't take itself too seriously, and with a title like "You Can't Go Gnome Again," Wendy Delaney clearly knows how to have fun with the genre. This installment in the Order of Working Stiffs Mystery series promises the kind of cozy mystery that balances clever wordplay with genuine intrigue, where garden gnomes might just be more sinister than they appear and everyday working folks find themselves tangled up in murder most unexpected. Delaney has carved out a niche for readers who want their mysteries served with a side of humor and heart, where the amateur sleuths are relatable people juggling day jobs and detective work with equal parts determination and chaos. The "Working Stiffs" moniker tells you everything you need to know about the tone—these aren't wealthy dilettantes solving crimes for sport, but real people stumbling into danger while trying to make ends meet. If you're drawn to mysteries that feel like spending time with friends who happen to keep tripping over bodies, where the puns are plentiful and the stakes are real enough to keep you turning pages late into the night, this series delivers exactly that kind of comfort-food entertainment with just enough bite to keep things interesting.Publication dateDecember 19, 2016Amazon rating4.5/5Print length295LanguageEnglishPublisherWendy Delaney LLC
- TagsmysterycrimeDescriptionSmall-town secrets have teeth. And claws. This is the kind of place where everyone knows your business, and your dog knows theirs. Wendy Delaney delivers a mystery that's equal parts bite and bark. The Working Stiffs series lands you in a world where the mundane collides with murder. Our protagonist isn't a detective with a badge. She's someone trying to make ends meet. Someone who stumbles into crime because life doesn't offer clean exits. The title promises exactly what you get: canine companions, deception at every turn, and suspects with stories that don't quite add up. Dogs aren't just props here. They're witnesses. They're accomplices. They're the thread that ties lies together and unravels alibis. Delaney understands that in a tight-knit community, trust is currency, and everyone's account is overdrawn. Expect sharp dialogue and sharper turns. This isn't a cozy that coddles. It's got grit beneath the charm, danger beneath the domesticity. The pacing moves like a dog on a scent trail—relentless, focused, occasionally distracted by something worth investigating. If you want mysteries that feel lived-in, where the stakes are personal and the humor is dry, this is your next read. Just don't trust anyone who claims they were home all night. Especially if their dog says otherwise.Publication dateJanuary 18, 2018Amazon rating4.6/5Print length295LanguageEnglishPublisherWendy Delaney LLC
- TagsmysteryromancecrimeDescriptionThe title promises chaos, and Wendy Delaney's "Crazy, Stupid, Dead" delivers precisely that blend of mayhem and mortality that defines the Working Stiffs Mystery series. This is a world where the dead don't stay quietly buried, where the mundane collides with murder, and where solving crimes means navigating both corpses and the complicated messiness of everyday life. Delaney constructs her mystery with the practiced hand of someone who understands that the best crime fiction lives in the details—the small betrayals, the overlooked clues, the way ordinary people stumble into extraordinary danger. Her protagonist moves through a landscape where death is both shocking and somehow inevitable, where the line between the foolish and the fatal proves dangerously thin. The "crazy" and "stupid" of the title aren't just adjectives; they're the texture of the investigation itself, the mistakes that lead to murder and the missteps that might solve it. What makes this installment in the Working Stiffs series compelling is its refusal to take itself too seriously while still honoring the gravity of its central crime. Delaney writes with a sharp eye for the absurdities that accompany tragedy, crafting a mystery that entertains even as it unsettles. For readers who appreciate their murders served with wit and their detectives flawed enough to feel human, this is mystery fiction that works.Publication dateSeptember 5, 2019Amazon rating4.5/5Print length289LanguageEnglishPublisherSugarbaker Press
- TagsmysteryromancecrimeDescriptionA wedding is about to go sideways. Wendy Delaney's "No Wedding for Old Men" drops readers into the world of the Working Stiffs—a mystery series where ordinary people stumble into extraordinary trouble. The title alone promises chaos, and the setup delivers. This is cozy mystery territory with an edge. The premise hinges on a wedding that won't go as planned, likely because someone ends up dead. The "old men" in question suggest generational conflict, family secrets, or a groom who won't make it to the altar. Delaney writes with the rhythm of someone who knows how to balance humor and homicide, keeping the stakes real while the tone stays light enough to enjoy. What makes this work is the series framework. The Working Stiffs aren't professional detectives—they're regular people caught in irregular circumstances. That tension between the mundane and the murderous is where cozy mysteries live or die. Delaney understands the genre's appeal: the comfort of familiar characters, the puzzle of whodunit, and the satisfaction of justice served without the grit of procedural realism. If you're looking for a mystery that doesn't take itself too seriously but respects your intelligence, this delivers.Publication dateJanuary 19, 2019Amazon rating4.6/5Print length277LanguageEnglishPublisherWendy Delaney LLC
- TagsmysteryromancecrimeDescriptionSmall-town life has a way of serving up trouble when you least expect it. Especially when you're trying to keep your head down and your nose clean. In "A Kiwi Before Dying," Wendy Delaney delivers a mystery that's equal parts cozy charm and genuine intrigue. This installment in the Working Stiffs Mystery series brings back the kind of amateur sleuth who feels like someone you'd actually know—flawed, funny, and in way over her head. When a death disrupts the everyday rhythm of her world, she's pulled into an investigation that's more complicated than it first appears. Delaney has a knack for balancing humor with real stakes. The mystery unfolds with enough twists to keep you guessing, but never loses sight of the human element at its core. The characters feel lived-in. The setting has texture. And the pacing keeps you turning pages without feeling rushed. If you're looking for a mystery that doesn't take itself too seriously but still delivers a satisfying puzzle, this one hits the mark. It's the kind of book that reminds you why cozy mysteries work—they offer escape without sacrificing substance. Pour yourself something warm, settle in, and let Delaney guide you through a case that's as much about community as it is about crime.Publication dateJune 11, 2021Amazon rating4.4/5Print length303LanguageEnglishPublisherSugarbaker Press
- TagsmysteryromancecrimeDescriptionWhat happens when a working stiff stumbles into a murder investigation that hits a little too close to home? Wendy Delaney's *Farewell, Mr. Lovely* drops you into the world of everyday people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. This is cozy mystery with grit—no trust funds or quaint tea shops, just real people with real jobs trying to solve a crime that threatens to upend their lives. The stakes feel personal. The danger feels close. When someone you know becomes a victim, the investigation isn't just about justice—it's about survival, loyalty, and figuring out who you can trust when everything familiar turns sinister. Delaney writes with sharp wit and genuine warmth, crafting characters who feel like your coworkers, your neighbors, the people you'd grab a drink with after a long shift. The mystery unfolds with satisfying twists that keep you guessing without feeling manipulated. There's humor here, but it's earned—the kind that comes from people coping with darkness by finding light wherever they can. If you're tired of amateur sleuths who seem to have endless free time and zero financial worries, this series delivers mysteries grounded in the messy, complicated reality of working life. It's smart, engaging, and refreshingly real.Publication dateNovember 8, 2023Amazon rating4.5/5Print length287LanguageEnglishPublisherSugarbaker Press
- TagsmysteryromancecrimeDescriptionThe title alone announces its intentions with a wink—this is a mystery that refuses to take itself too seriously, even when bodies start appearing. Wendy Delaney's installment in the Working Stiffs Mystery series arrives with the kind of irreverent energy that turns amateur sleuthing into something closer to survival comedy, where matrimonial plans collide with mortal consequences and the line between "I do" and "I'm doomed" grows dangerously thin. At the heart of this caper lies a protagonist navigating the twin perils of wedding preparations and criminal investigation, a combination that proves as volatile as it sounds. The atmosphere crackles with the particular chaos of someone trying to maintain normalcy while stumbling over clues, suspects, and the kind of small-town secrets that refuse to stay buried. Delaney constructs her world with an eye for the absurd details that make cozy mysteries hum—the nosy neighbors, the inconvenient corpses, the romantic entanglements that complicate everything. The Working Stiffs series has always trafficked in the humor of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances, and this entry delivers that premise with the added pressure of a ticking clock and a ceremony that may or may not happen, depending on whether anyone survives long enough to say their vows.Publication dateSeptember 26, 2024Amazon rating4.9/5Print length309LanguageEnglishPublisherSugarbaker Press
Frequently Asked Questions about Wendy Delaney
The books in the Order of Working Stiffs Mystery series should be read in the order they were published to fully appreciate the character development and overarching plotlines. The series began in 2016 with Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles, followed by There's Something about Marty, Trudy, Madly, Deeply, and You Can't Go Gnome Again, all released in the same year. The next installment, Dogs, Lies, and Alibis, came out in 2018, with several more books continuing the sequence. Reading them chronologically allows for the best understanding of the ongoing narrative and the progression of the mysteries.
A good starting point for Wendy Delaney's books is the first novel in her Order of Working Stiffs Mystery series, Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles, published in 2016. This book introduces the series' unique blend of humor and mystery, establishing the characters and the world they inhabit. Following this initial entry will provide the most coherent reading experience, as the series features interconnected plots and character arcs. Beginning with the first book ensures readers grasp the full context and nuances of the stories as they unfold sequentially.
Yes, it is recommended to read Wendy Delaney's Order of Working Stiffs Mystery books in the order they were published. While some individual mysteries might offer a satisfying self-contained plot, the series is designed with an ongoing narrative and developing character relationships. Starting with Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles (2016) and proceeding through the subsequent titles will provide a clearer understanding of the characters' journeys and the evolution of their circumstances. Deviating from the publication order could lead to confusion regarding plot points and character motivations.
Wendy Delaney primarily writes series. Her known works are part of the Order of Working Stiffs Mystery series. The books within this series, such as Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles (2016), There's Something about Marty (2016), and Dogs, Lies, and Alibis (2018), follow a connected storyline and recurring characters. While each book presents a distinct mystery, they are intended to be read in sequence to best appreciate the full narrative arc and character development that spans across the collection of novels.
Wendy Delaney has written more than 15 books. Her published works are part of the Order of Working Stiffs Mystery series. The initial four books in this series were released in 2016, including Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles, There's Something about Marty, Trudy, Madly, Deeply, and You Can't Go Gnome Again. The series continued with Dogs, Lies, and Alibis in 2018, and at least five additional titles have been published since then, bringing the total number of books in the series to over ten, with a total count exceeding fifteen across her bibliography.
The first book Wendy Delaney wrote in the Order of Working Stiffs Mystery series is Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles, published in 2016. This novel marked the beginning of the series, introducing readers to its unique blend of humor and mystery. Following this debut, four more books in the series were released in the same year: There's Something about Marty, Trudy, Madly, Deeply, and You Can't Go Gnome Again. This initial set of publications laid the groundwork for the ongoing narrative and character development within the Working Stiffs universe.
The most recent book by Wendy Delaney, according to available information, is part of the Order of Working Stiffs Mystery series. While specific release dates for all titles are not always readily apparent, the series continued with Dogs, Lies, and Alibis in 2018. Subsequent books have been published since then, expanding the series further. To identify the absolute latest entry, one would need to consult a continuously updated bibliography, but the series remains active with new installments.
Wendy Delaney writes mystery novels with a strong comedic element. Her books are part of the Order of Working Stiffs Mystery series, which suggests a focus on solving crimes or uncovering secrets within a particular group or setting. The titles themselves, such as Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles and Dogs, Lies, and Alibis, imply a blend of intrigue and humor. The genre can be broadly classified as cozy mystery or humorous mystery, characterized by lighthearted tones and engaging plotlines rather than graphic or dark subject matter.
Dorothy St. James
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Ginger Bolton
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We verified the reading order for Wendy Delaney's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: April 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “Wendy Delaney Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/wendy-delaney