The Jaine Austen Series in Order

About the Jaine Austen series

Series Premise

Jaine Austen is a freelance writer scraping by in Los Angeles, taking on odd jobs like ghostwriting love letters, resumes, press releases, or TV scripts while supplementing her income with occasional temp work. When these gigs inevitably lead her into murder investigations—often because the victim is someone she knows, works for, or encounters through her assignments—she can't resist poking around, using her observational skills, quick wit, and sheer persistence to uncover the killer before the police pin it on the wrong person (or sometimes on her). The stories revolve around a mix of Hollywood-adjacent eccentrics, dysfunctional families, beauty industry types, reality TV hopefuls, and everyday Angelenos whose secrets turn deadly, all while Jaine juggles her career frustrations, romantic misadventures, and constant battles with her waistline.

The series can be read in any order, as each book features a self-contained mystery with its own cast of suspects, victim, and resolution. While there is mild continuity in Jaine's personal life—recurring friends, family mentions, her ongoing single status, and her cat's antics—nothing critical depends on prior books, and Levine provides gentle recaps when needed. Order doesn't matter significantly; readers can jump in anywhere without confusion or missing major plot threads, though starting from the beginning offers a gentle progression in getting to know Jaine's world and recurring quirks.

Main Characters

Jaine Austen — The witty, first-person narrator and amateur sleuth, a freelance writer in her forties who ekes out a living with odd writing jobs while dreaming of stability. Smart, sarcastic, and self-aware, she's perpetually dieting (with frequent detours into junk food), unlucky in love, and deeply loyal to her friends, often stumbling into mysteries through sheer bad luck or curiosity.

- Prozac — Jaine's pampered, demanding cat, a gray striped tabby with a larger-than-life personality. Lazy, food-obsessed, and hilariously imperious, Prozac provides comic relief through her antics, judgmental stares, and constant demands for treats, becoming a beloved recurring "character" fans adore.

- Kandi Tobolowsky — Jaine's best friend, a struggling TV sitcom writer whose neurotic energy and dating disasters mirror Jaine's own. Supportive, gossipy, and quick with a quip, Kandi often serves as confidante, sounding board, and occasional sidekick in sleuthing.

- Lance Venable — A flamboyant, charming neighbor and sometimes-ally, a gay man with impeccable taste and dramatic flair who adds humor and insight to investigations when he appears.

- Jaine's parents — Retired Florida snowbirds who call frequently with well-meaning but meddlesome advice, providing comic interludes and occasional plot involvement through phone calls or visits.

- Detectives and suspects (various) — Police officers range from competent but skeptical to bumbling, while suspects include a colorful array of LA types: vain actors, scheming relatives, jealous rivals, eccentric clients, and everyday folks with hidden motives.

Setting

The series is firmly rooted in contemporary Los Angeles, capturing the city's sprawling, sun-soaked glamour alongside its more mundane, quirky underbelly. Jaine lives in a modest apartment in a not-quite-trendy neighborhood, frequents chain coffee shops, discount stores, and fast-food joints, and navigates the freeways between gigs. Investigations take her into diverse LA slices: opulent Beverly Hills mansions for celebrity clients, seedy temp offices, TV studio backlots, high-end spas and salons, community theaters, retirement communities, and suburban homes hiding dark secrets. The Hollywood-adjacent world provides endless fodder for satire—pretentious screenwriters, image-obsessed stylists, reality-show contestants—while everyday locations like gyms, malls, and diners ground the stories in relatable reality. The eternal California sunshine contrasts with the shadowy motives beneath the surface, and seasonal touches (holidays, awards season) add variety without shifting the core urban feel.

Tone & Themes

The tone is breezy, irreverent, and delightfully funny, leaning heavily into cozy mystery's humorous side with a sitcom-like flair. Levine's background in comedy shines through in snappy one-liners, self-deprecating narration, exaggerated character foibles, and absurd situations that arise from Jaine's misadventures. The murders are treated seriously enough to drive the plot, but never graphically or depressingly—the focus stays on clever deduction, witty banter, and light social commentary rather than gore or psychological darkness. There's a warm, empowering undercurrent: Jaine is flawed (diet-obsessed, occasionally klutzy, perpetually single), yet resourceful, kind-hearted, and ultimately triumphant. The humor often targets LA stereotypes—vain celebrities, pushy agents, fad diets—while celebrating resilience, friendship, and the small joys of life, creating an upbeat, escapist vibe that's perfect for relaxing reads.

Laura Levine's Jaine Austen Mystery series offers pure cozy escapism wrapped in clever humor, sharp observations, and a lovable protagonist who feels like a friend. Through Jaine's misadventures in the glitzy yet ridiculous world of Los Angeles, it celebrates resilience, the absurdity of modern life, and the simple pleasure of solving a puzzle while enjoying a forbidden donut. The books deliver satisfying whodunits with laugh-out-loud moments, endearing relationships (especially with Prozac), and just enough heart to leave readers smiling. For anyone seeking light, witty mysteries that prioritize fun over frights, this series remains a reliable, delightful treat—proof that even in a city of dreams, the best stories often come from ordinary people with extraordinary curiosity.