Rita Mae Brown Reading Order

18 books (2000–2027)

This ongoing mystery series by Rita Mae Brown spans 17 books published from 2000 to 2025, featuring amateur sleuth Sister Jane as she navigates mysteries intertwined with fox hunting in Virginia. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with Outfoxed and continuing through Lost & Hound and beyond. The series combines Brown's signature mystery and thriller elements with her deep knowledge of equestrian culture and rural life.

Start with Outfoxed, the first of 17 books in the "Sister" Jane series.

#	Title
1	Outfoxed 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Hotspur 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Full Cry 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Hunt Ball 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Hounds and the Fury 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Tell-tale Horse 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Hounded to Death 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Fox Tracks 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Let Sleeping Dogs Lie 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Crazy Like a Fox 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Homeward Hound 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Scarlet Fever 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Out of Hounds 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Thrill of the Hunt 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Lost & Hound 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Time Will Tell 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Fox and Furious 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Pawsible Suspects 2027Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

8 books (1970–2011)

This six-book anthology series edited by Rita Mae Brown spans from 1970 to 2004 and should be read in publication order. The complete collection includes Sisterhood is Powerful, Hand That Cradles the Rock, Lesbianism and the Women's Movement, The Courage of Conviction, Cries of the Spirit, Chloe Plus Olivia, I'd Kill For That, and I'm Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship. Each volume brings together diverse voices and perspectives across genres including mystery, thriller, and non-fiction.

Start with Sisterhood is Powerful, the first of 6 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Sisterhood is Powerful 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Hand That Cradles the Rock 1971Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Lesbianism and the Women's Movement 1975Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Courage of Conviction 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Cries of the Spirit 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Chloe Plus Olivia 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	I'd Kill For That 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	I'm Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1973–1987)

Rita Mae Brown's Collections series consists of two complete works published between 1973 and 1987. This poetry collection series should be read in publication order, beginning with Songs to a Handsome Woman, co-authored with Ginger Legato, followed by Poems.

Start with Songs to a Handsome Woman(With: Ginger Legato) and read in order.

#	Title
1	Songs to a Handsome Woman(With: Ginger Legato) 1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Poems 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2010–2011)

This completed mystery series by Rita Mae Brown spans two books published between 2010 and 2011. The Mags Rogers books should be read in publication order, beginning with A Nose for Justice followed by Murder Unleashed. Both novels are standalone-friendly but are best experienced sequentially for character development and continuity.

Start with A Nose for Justice and read in order.

#	Title
1	A Nose for Justice 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Murder Unleashed 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

34 books (1990–2026)

Rita Mae Brown's Mrs. Murphy series consists of 34 mystery novels published from 1990 to 2026, with the series still ongoing. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with Wish You Were Here and continuing through the most recent installment. This mystery series spans multiple decades and maintains a consistent cast of characters across its expanding catalog.

Start with Wish You Were Here, the first of 34 books in the Mrs. Murphy series.

#	Title
1	Wish You Were Here 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Rest in Pieces 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Murder at Monticello 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Pay Dirt 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Murder, She Meowed 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Murder on the Prowl 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Cat on the Scent 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Pawing Through the Past 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Claws and Effect 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Catch as Cat Can 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	The Tail of the Tip-Off 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Whisker of Evil 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Cat's Eyewitness 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Sour Puss 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Puss 'n Cahoots 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Santa Clawed 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	The Purrfect Murder 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Cat of the Century 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Hiss of Death 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Sneaky Pie for President 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	The Big Cat Nap 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	The Litter of the Law 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Nine Lives to Die 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Tail Gait 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Tall Tail 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	A Hiss Before Dying 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Probable Claws 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Whiskers in the Dark 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Furmidable Foes 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	Claws for Alarm 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Hiss & Tell 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	Feline Fatale 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	Sealed with a Hiss 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	Clawed and Dangerous 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (1976–2009)

Rita Mae Brown's non-fiction series consists of five books published between 1976 and 2009, presenting a complete collection that should be read in publication order. The series spans essays, writing guides, memoirs, cookbooks, and journals that offer insights into Brown's life, creative process, and experiences. These works reflect her multifaceted career as a writer and her unique perspective on literature, animals, and cultural commentary.

Start with A Plain Brown Rapper, the first of 5 books in the Non-Fiction series.

#	Title
1	A Plain Brown Rapper 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Starting from Scratch: A Different Kind of Writer's Manual 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Rita Will: Memoir of a Literary Rabble-Rouser 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Sneaky Pie's Cookbook for Mystery Lovers 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Chronicle of the Chase: Fox Hunt Journal 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Animal Magnetism: My Life with Creatures Great and Small 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (1978–2016)

Rita Mae Brown's Runnymede series comprises five mystery and thriller novels published between 1978 and 2016, beginning with Six of One and concluding with Cakewalk. The complete series should be read in publication order to fully appreciate the narrative arc. This finished series offers readers a full story from beginning to end across its five installments.

Start with Six of One, the first of 5 books in the Runnymede series.

#	Title
1	Six of One 1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Bingo 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Loose Lips 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Sand Castle 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Cakewalk 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

9 books (1973–2001)

Rita Mae Brown's collection of nine standalone novels spans from 1973 to 2001 and should be read in publication order. The series is now complete, with entries including Rubyfruit Jungle, In Her Day, Southern Discomfort, Sudden Death, High Hearts, Venus Envy, Dolley, Riding Shotgun, and Alma Mater. While each novel stands independently, reading them chronologically by release date provides the best sense of the author's evolving storytelling across nearly three decades.

Start with Rubyfruit Jungle, the first of 9 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Rubyfruit Jungle 1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	In Her Day 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Southern Discomfort 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Sudden Death 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	High Hearts 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Venus Envy 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Dolley 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Riding Shotgun 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Alma Mater 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible