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Elizabeth Spann Craig
23 ratings | 14 reviews | avg rating:4.26

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Elizabeth Spann Craig

Goodreads Author


Born
The United States
Website

Twitter
elizabethscraig

Genre
Mystery, Fiction

Influences
http://www.mcbeaton.com/us// ...more

Member Since
August 2007

URL


Author also writes under Elizabeth Craig

Elizabeth is the bestselling cozy mystery author of the Southern Quilting mysteries, the Myrtle Clover Cozy Mysteries, the Village Library Mysteries, and Memphis Barbeque mysteries for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently. Find out more about her books and sign up for her newsletter on her website: http://elizabethspanncraig.com . Find her books on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list... ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

What made you decide to use an army of gnomes as punishment for Red's misguided attempts to tame Myrtle? I think the army is my absolute favourite part of making Myrtle such a unique character. Particularly when Dusty has to cut around them :)
Elizabeth Spann Craig Hi Mella! Thanks for the question and for reading my books.

There were a couple of things that influenced that. I first started drafting a book in thi…moreHi Mella! Thanks for the question and for reading my books.

There were a couple of things that influenced that. I first started drafting a book in this series in 2003ish. A neighbor of mine at the time was *extremely* upset about some "yard art" that another neighbor had. It was actually a very frou-frou wishing well (with no function as a working well) and some small statues.

Soon after, Parade magazine in the Sunday paper featured an elderly couple with a collection of yard gnomes. Something clicked in my head at that point. :) Their collection wasn't as extensive as Myrtle's, but I figured she could put her collection into overdrive.

At the time, my grandmother (my original inspiration for Myrtle's character) was regularly exasperating my father over her antics. It all came together! (less)
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Where did the inspiration for Myrtle come from? I just love her!
Elizabeth Spann Craig Thanks for reading my books, Lacey! I based Myrtle on one of my beloved grandmothers—Mary Ligon Spann, a retired English teacher with a very sharp min…moreThanks for reading my books, Lacey! I based Myrtle on one of my beloved grandmothers—Mary Ligon Spann, a retired English teacher with a very sharp mind and a delicious sense of humor. :)(less)
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Combine Editions

Average rating: 4.07 · 25,852 ratings · 2,514 reviews · 97 distinct works • Similar authors
A Body in the Backyard (Myr...
3.76 avg rating — 2,241 ratings — published 2012 — 13 editions
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Checked Out (The Village Li...
4.13 avg rating — 1,667 ratings — published 2019 — 4 editions
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A Dyeing Shame (Myrtle Clov...
3.66 avg rating — 1,826 ratings — published 2006 — 16 editions
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Progressive Dinner Deadly (...
3.71 avg rating — 1,626 ratings — published 2011 — 18 editions
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Pretty is as Pretty Dies (M...
3.82 avg rating — 1,353 ratings — published 2009 — 11 editions
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Quilt or Innocence (A South...
3.70 avg rating — 1,062 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions
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Overdue (The Village Librar...
4.17 avg rating — 697 ratings — published 2019 — 6 editions
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A Body at Book Club (Myrtle...
4.05 avg rating — 654 ratings — published 2014 — 11 editions
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Borrowed Time (The Village ...
4.32 avg rating — 556 ratings — published 2020 — 6 editions
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Death at a Drop-In (Myrtle ...
4.08 avg rating — 572 ratings — published 2013 — 12 editions
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2639 posts
Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog

Your Weird Is Your Superpower

Cow making a strange face right in the camera

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com

It’s tempting to look at the books doing well in your genre and try to write something like them. But what makes readers remember your work usually isn’t how neatly you fit the mold, but the quirky details and angles that only you would have thought to stick in there.

The Things Only You Notice

Everyone sees the world through

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Published on July 26, 2026 21:01
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Series by Elizabeth Spann Craig

Pretty is as Pretty Dies Progressive Dinner Deadly A Dyeing Shame A Body in the Backyard Death at a Drop-In A Body at Book Club Death Pays a Visit
(29 books)
by
4.02 avg rating — 13,106 ratings

Checked Out Overdue Borrowed Time Hush-Hush Where There's a Will Frictional Characters Spine-Tingling
(15 books)
by
4.32 avg rating — 5,985 ratings

Quilt or Innocence Knot What It Seams Quilt Trip Shear Trouble Tying the Knot Patch of Trouble Fall to Pieces
(20 books)
by
4.07 avg rating — 5,298 ratings

The Type-A Guide to Solving... The Type-A Guide to Dinner ... The Type-A Guide to Natural... The Type-A Guide to Book Clubs
(4 books)
by
4.21 avg rating — 282 ratings

Elizabeth is Currently Reading

The Name of the Wind
Elizabeth Craig is currently reading
by Patrick Rothfuss (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
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Sep 19, 2025 04:29AM

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Elizabeth’s Recent Updates

Elizabeth Spann Craig wrote a new blog post

Your Weird Is Your Superpower







by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com

It’s tempting to look at the books doing well in your genre and try to write something like them. Read more of this blog post »
Jul 27, 2026 12:10AM  · 
Elizabeth Craig made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Please add my books to my series topic
" Hi there,

Could you please add this book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

to this series:

https://www.goodreads.com/series/2595... ?

It's #15 in ...more "
Jun 08, 2026 11:51AM
Elizabeth Craig made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Please add my books to my series topic
" Hi there! Thanks in advance for your help. I have a couple of books that need adding to a long-running series.

The first is: "Murder Sees All": https:/ ...more "
Mar 21, 2026 04:20AM
Elizabeth Craig made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Please add my book to my series topic
" Hi there and happy holidays. :)

Could someone help me connect a pre-order to my series page? Thanks so much in advance!

The book:
https://www.goodreads ...more "
Dec 30, 2025 06:47AM
Jul 12, 2024 03:23AM  ·   · view books
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Quotes by Elizabeth Spann Craig  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“Literature, sharing a wonderful story, is what brings the world together.”
― Elizabeth Spann Craig, Progressive Dinner Deadly
2 likes
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“Noo-Noo would turn into a tummy with feet if she ate as much as she'd like to eat. Knot What it Seams.”
― Elizabeth Craig
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“just remember that Dorothy Parker quote. ‘If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to,’” said”
― Elizabeth Spann Craig, Pretty is as Pretty Dies
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Topics Mentioning This Author

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The Seasonal Read...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Winter Challenge 2011: Completed Tasks -DO NOT DELETE ANY POSTS IN THIS TOPIC 2866 792 Feb 29, 2012 09:03PM  
Bookworm Bitches : This topic has been closed to new comments. What are you currently reading/just finished? (Not Club Selections) ~ April 2012 185 147 May 01, 2012 07:04PM  
Crazy Challenge C...: May 2012 MoM Challenge: Katie 72 69 May 30, 2012 07:41PM  
The Seasonal Read...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Spring Challenge 2012: Completed Tasks -DO NOT DELETE ANY POSTS IN THIS TOPIC 2297 785 May 31, 2012 09:02PM  
Crazy Challenge C...: May 2012 Scavenger Hunt 107 103 Jul 11, 2012 06:10AM  
Crazy Challenge C...: * Shelf Reporting - Battle of the Bookshelves, Battle 1 48 150 Jul 29, 2012 11:29PM  
Crazy Challenge C...: R1: Pageburners ~ Team #1 750 169 Aug 08, 2012 03:42AM  

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