Books On Board
series Reading Order

Canterbury Tales Books in Order

7 Books
1994 – 2012 Published
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Reading order

Recommended Reading Path

For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to read the Canterbury Tales series in publication order. While each mystery is a self-contained story told by a different pilgrim, reading them in order lets you follow the pilgrims' physical journey from London to Canterbury, as well as the developing interactions and framing narrative shared by the travelers.

  1. An Ancient Evil (1994) – The Knight's Tale of a terrifying, vampire-like cult.
  2. A Tapestry of Murders (1994) – The Man of Law's Tale of political conspiracies and royal secrets.
  3. A Tournament of Murders (1996) – The Franklin's Tale detailing a bloody feud and a quest for family truth.
  4. Ghostly Murders (1997) – The Poor Priest's Tale of murder, madness, and dark secrets at a castle.
  5. The Hangman's Hymn (1999) – The Carpenter's Tale concerning a series of mysterious hanging deaths and witchcraft.
  6. A Haunt of Murder (2002) – The Clerk's Tale involving an ancient haunting and a phantom knight.
  7. The Midnight Man (2012) – The Physician's Tale tracking a mysterious killer stalking a dark manor house.

Publication Order vs. Chronological Order

Because the overarching narrative follows the pilgrims as they travel along the road to Canterbury, the publication order matches the chronological progress of their journey. There is no separate chronological timeline to navigate. Each novel functions as an individual storytelling session during a specific leg of their trip, making the publication sequence the most natural and logical path for readers.

The Framing Story and Themes

Unlike Geoffrey Chaucer's original classic which includes lighthearted comedy and romance, Paul Doherty's tales lean heavily into the macabre. The series features a recurring atmosphere of dread, combining meticulous historical research of 14th-century England with elements of the supernatural, occult conspiracies, and gritty crime solving.

Connecting to Other Paul Doherty Series

If you enjoy the rich medieval detail of the Canterbury Tales, you may also want to explore Doherty's other historical mystery series set in the same era:

  • Hugh Corbett Mysteries: Follows a medieval clerk and spy solving crimes for King Edward I.
  • Brother Athelstan Mysteries: Focuses on a Dominican monk and a parish priest solving murders in 14th-century London.

Frequently Asked

QCan the Canterbury Tales books be read as standalones?

Yes. Each book features a distinct mystery told by a different pilgrim that is resolved by the end of the novel. However, reading them in publication order is recommended to follow the pilgrims' journey from London to Canterbury.

QWhich pilgrims tell the stories in the series?

Over the course of the seven novels, the storytellers include the Knight, the Man of Law, the Franklin, the Poor Priest, the Carpenter, the Clerk, and the Physician.

QHow many books are in the Canterbury Tales mystery series?

There are seven books in the series, published between 1994 and 2012 by author Paul Doherty.

QAre the mysteries purely historical, or do they have supernatural elements?

Doherty blends realistic medieval history with gothic and supernatural elements, such as curses, ghosts, witchcraft, and rumors of vampires, though the crimes ultimately have human culprits and solutions.

QWhat is the first book in the Canterbury Tales series?

The series begins with An Ancient Evil, first published in 1994, which features the Knight's story.