Where to Start the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt Series
The absolute best place to start is with the first book, The Cater Street Hangman (1979). Unlike procedural mysteries where the detective remains static, the characters in this series age, marry, suffer personal losses, and change social standing. Reading the books out of order will spoil major developments in Charlotte and Thomas's relationship, as well as the lives of their extended family and recurring associates.
Publication Order vs. Chronological Order
For this series, publication order and chronological order are identical. Anne Perry wrote the novels in the chronological sequence of the characters' lives, moving from the late 1880s into the early 1900s. To experience the natural evolution of the mystery plots and the overarching character arcs, you should read them in the order they were published.
Charlotte & Thomas Pitt Main Series
- The Cater Street Hangman (1979)
- Callander Square (1980)
- Paragon Walk (1981)
- Resurrection Row (1981)
- Rutland Place (1983)
- Bluegate Fields (1984)
- Death in The Devil's Acre (1985)
- Cardington Crescent (1987)
- Silence in Hanover Close (1988)
- Bethlehem Road (1990)
- Highgate Rise (1991)
- Belgrave Square (1992)
- Farriers' Lane (1993)
- The Hyde Park Headsman (1994)
- Traitors Gate (1995)
- Pentecost Alley (1996)
- Ashworth Hall (1997)
- Brunswick Gardens (1998)
- Bedford Square (1998)
- Half Moon Street (1998)
- The Whitechapel Conspiracy (2000)
- Southampton Row (2002)
- Seven Dials (2003)
- Long Spoon Lane (2005)
- Buckingham Palace Gardens (2008)
- Betrayal at Lisson Grove / Treason at Lisson Grove (2010)
- Dorchester Terrace (2011)
- Midnight at Marble Arch (2012)
- Death on Blackheath (2014)
- The Angel Court Affair (2015)
- Treachery at Lancaster Gate (2016)
- Murder on the Serpentine (2017)
Holiday Companion Novellas
Anne Perry wrote an annual series of Christmas novellas set in the same Victorian universe. While these are standalone holiday mysteries, they function as crossovers that put secondary characters from the Pitt series in the spotlight. For example, the formidable Lady Vespasia Cumming-Gould takes the lead in A Christmas Journey (2003), and the Pitts' former maid, Gracie Tellman, stars in A Christmas Legacy (2021).
The Daniel Pitt Spin-Off Series
If you finish all 32 books and want more, you can transition into the Daniel Pitt series. This official spin-off follows Charlotte and Thomas's son, Daniel, who works as a barrister in Edwardian London. The spin-off series begins with Twenty-One Days (2018) and continues the family legacy about a decade after the events of the original series.