Esme Addison is an Amazon and BN.com bestselling author and Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel. Cozy readers know her for the Enchanted Bay mystery series. It has a seaside town in North Carolina, a family apothecary and a line of healers descended from a mermaid. Looking for the reading order, her newest book or a first taste of her witchy world? This page has it all.
Who Is Esme Addison?
Like many a mystery author, Addison started with Nancy Drew. She read the classic girl-detective books as a child and never lost her love of a good puzzle. Later she became a military spouse, moved with her family, and turned that love into her own fiction. Today she resides in Raleigh, North Carolina with her family. The coastal towns of the state gave her the setting of her first series.
The author is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America and Crime Writers of Color. She also founded Due South Magazine, an online magazine about small-town, cozy living. Its lifestyle brand, Cozyville, sells greeting cards and candles. She loves bed-and-breakfasts, breweries and historical sites, and all three show up in her books. Her website, esmeaddison.com, has news, bonus content and links to her Instagram and Facebook pages.
The Enchanted Bay Mystery Series in Order
The Enchanted Bay series is a paranormal cozy with a real myth at its heart. The Sobieski family, Alex’s relatives, carry the gift of the Mermaid of Warsaw from Polish legend. Their magic is water magic: they heal, they sense, and they brew. The books follow Alex Daniels, a former risk management consultant from New York, as she finds her family and her own powers.
1. A Spell for Trouble (2020)
Alex visits her estranged aunt in Bellamy Bay, a small-town beach resort in North Carolina. Then her aunt is arrested for murder. To clear her name, Alex has to dig into family secrets she never knew about. This is her first book and the novel that made her an Agatha Award nominee for best first novel.
2. A Hex for Danger (2021)
The annual Mermaid Festival brings crowds to town, and a death brings trouble to the family again. Alex is now part of the apothecary, but her magic is still new and hard to control.
3. A Brew for Chaos (2025)
Fall in Bellamy Bay means pumpkins and craft beer. A woman is attacked on the beach, and a local newspaper editor is found dead. Soon an old cold case surfaces: a serial killer called the Fisherman. Its publication date was September 2, 2025, with Severn House.
The Secret Society Mystery Series
In 2024, Addison started a second series. An Intrigue of Witches follows Sidney Taylor, a historian in Washington DC who learns about her own hidden witch powers. The plot mixes American history, secret societies and an ancient relic. It is more of a thriller than her cozy mysteries, and readers compare it to National Treasure with magic. Fans of historical fantasy and romantic suspense will enjoy it most.
Witches, Mermaids and a Warm Cast: What Makes Her Books Special
Many witch cozies use the same broomsticks and black cats. In Addison’s books, the magic comes from a specific culture instead. Her husband is a first-generation Polish immigrant, and her website even has a guide to the Polish words in the books. The apothecary setting is full of teas, oils and salves, and the town feels like a place you could visit. The cast is warm: Aunt Lidia, cousins Minka and Kamila, and Athena, Alex’s German Shepherd. Add a little romance, and you have a genre blend that works for both mystery and fantasy readers.
Books by Esme Addison Reviewed on This Site
We reviewed the first book of the series. Our A Spell for Trouble review covers the plot, the characters and whether the book is worth your time.
Frequently Asked Questions About Esme Addison
What books has Esme Addison written?
She has published four novels. A Spell for Trouble, A Hex for Danger and A Brew for Chaos belong to the Enchanted Bay series. An Intrigue of Witches opens the Secret Society series. You can find them on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble and on Goodreads.
Do I need to read the Enchanted Bay books in order?
Each mystery is solved by the end of its book. Alex’s magic and her family story grow from book to book, so start with A Spell for Trouble.
Is Esme Addison the same person as Esmé Weijun Wang or Sarah Addison Allen?
No. Esmé Weijun Wang writes literary fiction and essays, including The Collected Schizophrenias. Sarah Addison Allen writes magical realism; her most famous book is Garden Spells. Esme Miami Beach is a hotel, not an author.
Which authors are similar to Esme Addison?
If you like her books, try Ellery Adams, Heather Blake or Bree Baker. Our pick from Ellery Adams is the Secret, Book & Scone Society series.