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Good Hands — A Kiln Creek Prequel by Jo Brooks
Before Book One

Good Hands

A Kiln Creek prequel

Meet Frankie Mercer and Monty before A Kiln to Die For. A pottery studio, a small-town puzzle, and a place to begin.

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A Kiln Creek Mystery

Where Clay, Community
& Cats Solve Crimes

Meet Frankie Mercer — potter, reluctant sleuth, and keeper of one very opinionated black cat named Monty. Welcome to Kiln Creek, Kentucky, where the art scene is thriving, the coffee is strong, and someone always seems to end up dead.

Glazed and Confused — Kiln Creek Mysteries Book 2 by Jo Brooks A Kiln to Die For — Kiln Creek Mysteries Book 1 by Jo Brooks Fired Up — Kiln Creek Mysteries Book 3 by Jo Brooks

Nine-book series  ·  Kiln Creek Mysteries  ·  Set in the Kentucky foothills  ·  LGBTQIA2S+ paranormal cozy mystery

The Series

The Kiln Creek Mysteries

Nine books. One very determined potter. One cat who sees everything.

A Kiln to Die For book cover
Book 1
A Kiln to Die For
November 10, 2026
Glazed and Confused book cover
Book 2
Glazed and Confused
December 8, 2026
Fired Up book cover
Book 3
Fired Up
January 12, 2027
Slip Casting book cover
Book 4
Slip Casting
February 16, 2027
Bisque Ware book cover
Book 5
Bisque Ware
March 23, 2027
Kiln Fired book cover
Book 6
Kiln Fired
April 27, 2027
Crazing — Book 7 cover
Book 7
Crazing
June 1, 2027
Underglaze — Book 8 cover
Book 8
Underglaze
July 6, 2027
Reclaim — Book 9 cover
Book 9
Reclaim
August 10, 2027
Monty, a black cat with green eyes and a white chest patch
The Real Star of the Series

Meet Captain Montgomery Blacke

Black as midnight with green eyes that miss absolutely nothing — and a white bow-tie patch on his chest that suggests he dressed for the occasion. Monty arrived at Clay & Glaze on move-in day as a hostile takeover and never left. He sleeps in unfired bowls. He judges everyone equally. He is, unquestionably, the smartest creature in any room he enters.

"Don't look at me like that." — Frankie Mercer, approximately once per chapter.

Meet the Full Cast
About the Author

Jo Brooks

Jo Brooks grew up reading every mystery she could get her hands on and never really stopped. When she sat down to write her own, she knew two things: it had to be set somewhere that felt real, and it had to have a cat.

Kiln Creek, Kentucky grew from a place she's always loved — her family has roots there, and the particular quiet of the eastern foothills never left her. She lives in Indiana with her wife and two cats, who take their consulting roles very seriously.

More About Jo
Jo Brooks, author of the Kiln Creek Mysteries