Books On Board
series Reading Order

Charlie Peace Books in Order

11 Books
1989 – 2012 Published
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Reading order

The Recommended Reading Path

For the best experience, we recommend reading the Charlie Peace series in publication order. This allows you to witness Charlie’s career progression as he moves from a young constable in London to a seasoned inspector in Yorkshire. If you want to follow his complete character arc from the very beginning, you can start with his minor debut in a crossover novel before diving into his standalone series.

1. The Prelude (Optional Crossover)

  • Bodies (1987): While this is technically the fourth novel in Robert Barnard's Perry Trethowan series, it features the very first appearance of a young Charlie Peace as a London police constable.

2. The Charlie Peace Series in Publication Order

  1. Death and the Chaste Apprentice (1989)
  2. A Fatal Attachment (1992)
  3. A Hovering of Vultures (1993)
  4. The Bad Samaritan (1995)
  5. No Place of Safety (1997)
  6. The Corpse at the Haworth Tandoori (1998)
  7. Unholy Dying (2001) - Published in the UK as Turbulent Priest.
  8. The Bones in the Attic (2002)
  9. A Fall from Grace (2007)
  10. The Killings on Jubilee Terrace (2009)
  11. A Charitable Body (2012)

The Mike Oddie Connection

Throughout the series, Charlie Peace frequently works alongside the older, widowed Leeds Police Superintendent, Mike Oddie. Their sharp banter and contrast in style make their joint cases a fan-favorite element of the series. Mike Oddie is introduced in his own standalone novel, which serves as a great companion read.

  • A City of Strangers (1990): This standalone novel introduces Superintendent Mike Oddie. We highly recommend reading this book after Death and the Chaste Apprentice and before A Fatal Attachment to fully appreciate Oddie's character before he joins forces with Charlie.
  • Joint Investigations: Oddie appears as Charlie's partner or supervisor in A Fatal Attachment, A Hovering of Vultures, The Bad Samaritan, No Place of Safety, and A Fall from Grace.

    • Chronological vs. Publication Order

    Because Robert Barnard wrote these mysteries in a consistent timeline, publication order matches the chronological order of Charlie Peace's life. Reading out of order will not ruin the individual mysteries, but it will cause you to bounce back and forth between his early days at Scotland Yard and his later life in Leeds, as well as scramble the timeline of his partnership with Superintendent Oddie.

Frequently Asked

QWhere should I start reading the Charlie Peace series?

You should start with the first official book in the series, Death and the Chaste Apprentice (1989). However, completionists can read the Perry Trethowan novel Bodies (1987) first to catch Charlie's very first appearance as a minor character.

QDo I need to read the Perry Trethowan books to understand Charlie Peace?

No. While Charlie Peace makes his debut in the Perry Trethowan mystery Bodies, the two series are completely independent. You can read the Charlie Peace books on their own without missing any context.

QWho is Superintendent Mike Oddie and how does he fit in?

Superintendent Mike Oddie is a senior Leeds detective who partners with Charlie in several novels. He is introduced in the standalone novel A City of Strangers (1990). Reading it before A Fatal Attachment (1992) will give you his complete backstory.

QWhat is the UK title of the novel Unholy Dying?

The seventh book in the series, Unholy Dying (2001), was published in the United Kingdom under the title Turbulent Priest.

QAre the Charlie Peace books standalones?

Yes. Each novel features a self-contained mystery. However, reading them in order is recommended to follow Charlie's personal growth, his promotion through the police ranks, and his relocation from London to Yorkshire.

QHow many books are in the Charlie Peace series?

There are 11 novels in the main Charlie Peace series, starting in 1989 with Death and the Chaste Apprentice and concluding in 2012 with A Charitable Body.