In the Garden Trilogy
The In the Garden Trilogy series by Nora Roberts has 3 known books (3 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with Blue Dahlia (2004). Red Lily is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date.
- Books
- 3 known books (3 novels)
- Published
- 3
- First published
- 2004
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Romance
Reading order
- Book 1:
Blue Dahlia
Blue Dahlia opens the trilogy in April 2004 at 367 pages, introducing widowed single mother Stella Rothchild and her romance with landscape architect Logan Kitridge as she begins piecing together clues about the ghostly Harper Bride. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blue Dahlia - Book 2:
Black Rose
Black Rose followed in February 2005, the longest of the three at 412 pages, turning to Rosalind Harper's wary attraction to genealogist Mitchell Carnegie. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Black Rose - Book 3:
Red Lily
Red Lily closes the trilogy just seven months later, in August 2005, resolving the century-old mystery of the Harper Bride's identity through Hayley Phillips's romance with Roz's son Harper. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Red Lily
Key facts about the In the Garden Trilogy series
Our list has 3 books in the In the Garden Trilogy series. Since all 3 are out now, you can read the whole list today.
Start with Blue Dahlia, since it opens the publication order in 2004. Black Rose is book 2, from 2005. Red Lily is book 3, from 2005.
The list keeps the books in date order, while each title links to its own page. Each book page shows its dates and editions.
Red Lily is the latest book with a full release date, out on 30 August 2005. Since the catalogue marks the series as complete, we list no next book.
The books came out between 2004 and 2005, while their length runs from 367 to 412 pages. That is a run of 1 year.
Nora Roberts has 139 books on our list. Additionally, they write Irish Hearts, MacGregors and Cordina's Royal Family, plus 23 more series. We shelve the books under contemporary romance.
About the In the Garden Trilogy series
The In the Garden Trilogy centers on In the Garden, a landscaping and garden-design business outside Memphis, Tennessee, run out of the historic Harper family estate — and on the ghostly "Harper Bride," a grieving spirit who has haunted the house for a century and whose identity none of the family has ever solved. Blue Dahlia opens with widowed single mother Stella Rothchild taking a job at In the Garden and falling for Logan Kitridge, the business's gruff landscape architect, while she and the Harper family start piecing together clues about the Bride's tragic past. Black Rose turns to Rosalind Harper, the business's steely, twice-widowed owner, and her wary attraction to Logan's business partner Mitchell Carnegie, a genealogist hired to finally research the Bride's history. Red Lily closes the trilogy with Hayley Phillips, Roz's pregnant, newly arrived cousin, and her romance with Roz's adult son Harper, even as the ghost's presence in the house grows more dangerous the closer the family gets to the truth.
The mystery of who the Harper Bride was in life, and why she died, runs beneath all three courtships, tying the trilogy's romance plots to a decades-old tragedy that only fully comes to light — and is finally laid to rest — in the last book.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the In the Garden Trilogy?
Three: Blue Dahlia, Black Rose, and Red Lily.
What order should I read the In the Garden Trilogy in?
Publication order: Blue Dahlia, Black Rose, Red Lily. The mystery of the ghostly Harper Bride builds across all three and resolves in the final book.
Do I need to read the In the Garden books in order?
Yes. The trilogy's central mystery, the identity of the Harper Bride, is uncovered gradually across all three novels.
Who are the three heroines of the In the Garden Trilogy?
Stella Rothchild, Rosalind Harper, and Hayley Phillips — three women connected to the Harper family's In the Garden landscaping business, each the focus of one book.
Is the In the Garden Trilogy connected to any other Nora Roberts series?
No, it's a standalone trilogy set at the fictional Harper family estate outside Memphis, Tennessee.