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Don of the Dead

  • Description:
    The Pepper Martin series is best read in order, starting with Don of the Dead, as character relationships and storylines develop across the series. Pepper Martin, a cemetery tour guide who can see and communicate with ghosts, helps restless spirits solve their unfinished business while navigating her own chaotic life and budding romance with a detective.
  • # of Titles:
    10
  • First Book:
    Don of the Dead (June 2006)
  • Latest Book:
    Graveyard Shift (Book 10) (January 2017)
  • Genres:
    Urban Fantasy
  • Series Rating:
  • Reading Order:

    🔄 Best Read in Order · Start with Book 1: Don of the Dead

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The Pepper Martin Books in Order (10 Books)

Order Book Date Rating
1 4
2 4.5
3 4.5
4 3.5
5 4
6 4.5
7 4
8 4
9 5


10 4.5

Series Premise

The Pepper Martin series follows a former socialite turned cemetery tour guide who suddenly gains the ability to see and speak with ghosts. Each book centers on Pepper helping a new ghost resolve their murder or unfinished business while dealing with family drama, cemetery politics, and her complicated personal life.

The Pepper Martin Series Reading Order

🔄 Best Read in Order · Start with Book 1: Don of the Dead

Standalone stories, but characters and relationships develop across the series.

Publication order gives the best experience for the Pepper Martin series. Each book has a complete central plot with its own ghostly mystery and resolution, but character relationships, Pepper’s personal growth, and her ongoing romance carry across the volumes. Readers who begin later in the series will understand the main events yet miss the deepening connections, family developments, and context for recurring elements that add emotional layers.

Explanation of reading order types



The Pepper Martin Series Characters

Pepper Martin serves as the sarcastic and reluctant central protagonist who acts as a bridge between the living and the dead. She is supported by her on-again/off-again love interest, Detective Quinn Harrison, and a colorful cast of family members and cemetery coworkers who appear throughout the series.

Setting of the The Pepper Martin Series

The series is primarily set in Cleveland, Ohio, with a strong focus on the historic Evergreen Cemetery where Pepper works. Stories blend everyday locations with the ghostly realm that only Pepper can access.

Tone & Themes of the The Pepper Martin Series

The tone mixes light paranormal mystery with humor and romantic tension. Central themes include second chances, accepting the unexpected, the importance of closure, and finding purpose after life-changing events.

Is the The Pepper Martin Series Worth Reading?

This series appeals to readers who enjoy cozy paranormal mysteries, humorous ghost stories, and relatable heroines with complicated love lives. It suits fans of light-hearted urban fantasy and mystery blends with strong character voices.

Content Warnings and Heat Level

Mild ghostly themes and descriptions of past murders; romantic content with some sensual tension; occasional strong language; suitable for adult readers.

The Pepper Martin series offers entertaining ghostly mysteries grounded in one woman’s evolving life and abilities. Its structure rewards sequential reading while delivering satisfying individual cases. The blend of humor, romance, and supernatural sleuthing creates a distinctive and engaging cozy mystery series.



Books in this series fall into the following genres

Click on any of the links above to see more series and books in these genres.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

There are 10 books in the Pepper Martin series.

The Pepper Martin series does not have a new book coming out soon. The latest book, Graveyard Shift (Book 10), was published in January 2017.

The first book in the Pepper Martin series, Don of the Dead, was published in June 2006.

The Pepper Martin series primarily falls into the Urban Fantasy genre.

Top Series in Urban Fantasy

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