Sometimes when series start to get long and a plot in a middle book intrigues me, I wonder how much I’ll miss if I read them out of order. Sometimes it really doesn’t matter. My romances, for instance, are sequential, but hey, they’re romances, and it’s not really a spoiler that each couple gets together by the end of a book. It’s how they get together. So you can read them in any order with no issues.
My Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries can be read on their own. The main mystery is solved in every book. Someone once called a teaser I had in the very last line of the first book a “cliffhanger,” but it really isn’t. The main mystery is resolved. The last line is a teaser, and it takes a couple more books to solve that particular mystery.
All that said, as followers of the series point out, you’ll get more out of the ongoing stories of the characters by starting at the beginning. Why Oh Rye? in particular is almost a direct sequel to Beguiled by Bourbon, though there are seeds (eggs, actually) in Shocked by Champagne that lead to Pepper’s return to New Orleans. Still, each book catches you up, so you can dive in where you wish.
I’ve been thinking about series “entry points” and thought this list might help in case you want to start in the middle. I originally had this information in another post, but I thought it should stand on its own so I can update it regularly.
Risky Whiskey, Book 1 (free right now) – Introduces Pepper and her friends and her New Orleans roots. This book, Beguiled by Bourbon and Why Oh Rye? would all be good to read in order.
Baffled by Bitters (short story, free to subscribers) – Set in the bartenders’ town of Bohemia, Florida, this story occurs right after Risky Whiskey but contains no spoilers.
Wrecked by Rum, Book 2 – Stands alone but drops nuggets you’ll hear mentioned in Vexed by Vodka, Book 3.
Vexed by Vodka, Book 3 – It’s fine to start here, but you might enjoy the bit of backstory in Wrecked by Rum, Book 2.
Jiggered by Gin, Book 4 – You can jump right in with this one, though if you want to track Pepper’s romantic interests – well, those start at the beginning of the series.
Beguiled by Bourbon, Book 5 – We meet characters that are critical to Why Oh Rye? and, indeed, are mentioned in Shocked by Champagne. In fact, there’s a twist here that future books will talk about. (And this is why I don’t recommend reading most reviews of the subsequent books until reading this one, if you want to be surprised.)
Shocked by Champagne, Book 6 – You can jump right in here, but as I just mentioned, you’ll discover the twist revealed in Book 5.
Why Oh Rye?, Book 7 – Of course, you can read it by itself, but you’ll get more out of it if you read Book 5 (Beguiled by Bourbon) first, and even more if you’ve read the first book in the series.
Smoked by Scotch, Book 8 – You can start here. There are several characters by now, and you won’t know every little thing about them, but the mystery stands on its own and doesn’t lean on anything that’s happened in the past.
As an avid reader, I’ve jumped into series in the middle. It’s tempting to do so when series start to get longer and you’re eyeing the wait list at the library. You can certainly start wherever you like with these books. But it’s satisfying to get to know the characters as they develop. I love watching the friendships and relationships between the characters grow, and there are quite a few characters at this point. However you choose to read the books, I hope you’ll enjoy hanging out with the Bohemia Bartenders as much as I do.
