Jana DeLeon Books in Order: Series & Standalones

Most of the Jana DeLeon books in order mix mystery, romance, comedy, and Louisiana settings. Since DeLeon grew up in the state, her bayou books usually feel specific in a way that’s hard to fake.

I recommend reading her series in publication order, especially if you’re starting with Miss Fortune. The mysteries often work on their own, but the character relationships, running jokes, and long-term storylines land better when you follow the books from the beginning.

Jump to:

Jana DeLeon Standalone Books
Jana DeLeon Series in Order
- Ghost-in-Law Series
- Miss Fortune Series
Jana DeLeon Anthologies
Jana DeLeon Short Stories
About Jana DeLeon

Jana DeLeon Standalone Books

DeLeon began with standalone romantic suspense and mystery books before some of her bigger series took off. Bayou Bodyguard shares the Louisiana suspense feel of some of her connected books, but it stands on its own.

Rumble on the Bayou (2006)
Unlucky (2007)
Bayou Bodyguard (2011)
The Lost Girls of Johnson’s Bayou (2012)

Jana DeLeon Series in Order

Ghost-in-Law Books

Ghost-in-Law is DeLeon’s paranormal cozy mystery series set in Mudbug, Louisiana. The first book introduces Maryse Robicheaux, a scientist whose dead mother-in-law refuses to stay out of her life, along with Luc LeJeune, a DEA agent who gets pulled into the mess.

The books follow different main characters, but the town, ghosts, and relationships connect them. The Helena Diaries is a companion novella tied to Trouble in Mudbug, while Rose and Helena Save Christmas is a crossover novella with Denise Grover Swank.

Trouble in Mudbug (2009)
Mischief in Mudbug (2009)
Showdown in Mudbug (2010)
The Helena Diaries (2013) (Companion Novella)
Resurrection in Mudbug (2013)
Missing in Mudbug (2013)
Chaos in Mudbug (2014)
Rose and Helena Save Christmas (2014) (Crossover Novella)

Shivers Book

Shivers is a multi-author romantic suspense line. The wider series includes books by other authors, but DeLeon’s contribution is The Secret of Cypriere Bayou.

The Secret of Cypriere Bayou follows Olivia Markham and John Landry as they try to figure out what’s happening inside the mansion where Olivia is staying. The rest of the Shivers books are optional for DeLeon readers.

The Secret of Cypriere Bayou (2011)

Miss Fortune Mystery Books

Miss Fortune is DeLeon’s cozy mystery series set in Sinful, Louisiana. It follows Fortune Redding, a CIA assassin hiding under a cover identity, as she gets pulled into local murders with Ida Belle and Gertie.

Read the Miss Fortune books in publication order, starting with Louisiana Longshot. For timeline notes, character context, and a deeper series breakdown, see my full Miss Fortune books in order guide.

Mystere Parish Books

Mystere Parish is romantic suspense with danger, Cajun culture, and a Louisiana atmosphere that fits neatly beside DeLeon’s other bayou-set books. Each book follows a different couple, but publication order is still the best choice.

Mystere Parish: Family Inheritance Books

Mystere Parish: Family Inheritance builds on the world of the earlier Mystere Parish books. The story moves to Calais, where the LeBreau siblings return home because of their mother’s will and find out their family home may be hiding more than memories.

Start with the original Mystere Parish books, then continue with Family Inheritance in publication order.

The Accused (2013)
The Betrayed (2013)
The Reunion: The Secret of Cypriere Bayou (2013)

Shaye Archer Books

The Shaye Archer books are darker than DeLeon’s cozy mysteries. These are mystery thrillers with horror edges, and they follow Shaye Archer, a private investigator whose own past is as disturbing as the cases she takes.

Start with Malevolent and continue straight through the Shaye Archer series in publication order.

Malevolent (2015)
Sinister (2016)
Diabolical (2016)
Wicked (2017)
Unseen (2017)
Dreadful (2018)
Damned (2019)

Happily Everlasting Book

Happily Everlasting is another shared world with several authors. DeLeon’s book, Dead Man Talking, introduces Everlasting, Maine, a town where ghosts, witches, shifters, and other paranormal trouble are part of daily life.

The wider world continues with books by other authors. For DeLeon readers, Dead Man Talking is the key book.

Dead Man Talking (2017)

Marina at Midlife Book

Wrong Side of Forty is a paranormal women’s fiction story with cozy mystery and romance elements. It begins with Marina Trahan catching her husband with another woman, then finding out her life is far stranger than she thought.

Wrong Side of Forty (2020)

Tempest Island Books

The Tempest Island books are romantic suspense stories set around the same island. Each book follows different leads, but the shared setting and character overlap make publication order the better choice.

Backrush (2021)
Adrift (2022)
Undertow (2023)

Jana DeLeon Anthologies

DeLeon also appears in a nonfiction anthology about independent publishing. This isn’t part of any fiction series, so it’s optional for readers focused only on her novels and short stories.

The Naked Truth About Self-Publishing (2013)

Jana DeLeon Short Stories

12 Days of Christmas Story

The 12 Days of Christmas stories came from multiple authors, with each story tied to the classic Christmas carol. DeLeon’s entry is a Louisiana mystery with romance and her usual Southern charm.

Eight Maids a’ Missing (2013)

Lizzy Gardner Files Short Story

Unsavory was DeLeon’s contribution to the Lizzy Gardner Files world by T.R. Ragan. It came from Kindle Worlds, which was Amazon’s old author-approved fanfiction program, and it is no longer available through normal retailers.

Unsavory (2014)

About Jana DeLeon

Before she became an author, Jana DeLeon worked as a chief financial officer. She later left that career behind to write full time and became known for mysteries, romantic suspense, and funny Southern crime stories.

DeLeon has said she returned to writing after her grandmother’s funeral, around the same time she had been reading Janet Evanovich. She also names Agatha Christie as one of the writers she respects most for making intricate mysteries feel simple.

Her Louisiana background shows up all over her books. Bayous, small towns, gators, seafood, family drama, and found family all come up again and again, which is a big part of why her series feel connected even when they follow different characters.

She has worked with traditional publishers and has also self-published her backlist. That mix of experience helps explain why her catalog crosses romantic suspense, cozy mystery, paranormal mystery, and thriller so easily.

Looking for similar books in order?

For more mystery authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Mystery Books in Order index.