Detective Lavender Mystery Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Order for Detective Lavender

For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to read the Detective Lavender series in publication order. While each book features a standalone mystery that is resolved by the final page, the personal lives of Bow Street Runner Stephen Lavender and Constable Ned Woods progress sequentially. Reading them in order allows you to appreciate the developing camaraderie, trust, and character development of the crime-fighting duo, along with the evolving domestic lives of their families.

Publication Order of the Detective Lavender Novels

The core of the series consists of full-length historical mystery novels. Here is the order in which they were published:

1. The Heiress of Linn Hagh (2012) – Also published under the title The Missing Heiress. Lavender and Woods travel to rural Northumberland to investigate the bizarre disappearance of a young heiress from a locked bedchamber.
2. The Sans Pareil Mystery (2015) – The duo investigates the sudden and mysterious death of a wealthy patron during a theatrical performance in London, uncovering political conspiracy and treason linked to the Napoleonic Wars.
3. The Sculthorpe Murder (2016) – A brutal robbery and murder at a country estate in Northamptonshire draws Lavender and Woods into a web of local greed, dark secrets, and family conflict.
4. Plague Pits & River Bones (2018) – When bones are dug up near a construction site in London, Lavender is pulled into a dark investigation involving body snatchers, medical experiments, and historic secrets.
5. Murder in Park Lane (2019) – A high-society murder in London's most fashionable district forces the Bow Street Runners to navigate the complex social hierarchies of the aristocracy.
6. The Willow Marsh Murder (2020) – Set in the desolate fens, Lavender and Woods must solve a double murder at an isolated farmhouse before local tensions boil over into violence.
7. The Resurrection Mystery (2024) – A complex mystery that finds Lavender and Woods dealing with grave-robbing, ancient feuds, and a fresh wave of Regency intrigue.
8. The Poisoned Quill (2025) – In this installment, Lavender investigates a series of venomous anonymous letters targeting the local gentry in Ealing, while a vicar's wife is poisoned.

The Prequel Novel: Catching the Eagle

Before Stephen Lavender became a series protagonist, he made his debut in Karen Charlton's standalone historical novel, Catching the Eagle (2011). The book is a fictionalized account of a real-life crime from the author's family history: the notorious 1809 robbery of Kirkley Hall in Northumberland. Karen Charlton's research into her husband's ancestor, the accused Jamie Charlton, introduced her to the real-life Bow Street Runner Stephen Lavender, who was hired to capture him. The success of this book and the popularity of the clever detective inspired Charlton to launch the dedicated spin-off series.

For readers who want the absolute beginning of Lavender's story, Catching the Eagle is the perfect prologue, though you can easily jump straight into The Heiress of Linn Hagh without losing any context.

The Chronological Timeline (Including Short Stories)

In addition to the main novels, Karen Charlton has published several short stories and novellas that flesh out the cases of Lavender and Woods. If you want to follow their timeline chronologically, follow this order:

1. The Death of Irish Nell (Short Story, 2019) – Set in 1803, this prequel story takes place years before the main series and depicts a young Lavender investigating the murder of a barmaid in Hampstead.
2. The Mystery of the Skelton Diamonds (Short Story, 2014) – Set in London in 1808, Detective Lavender is hired to locate a missing set of precious diamonds.
3. Catching the Eagle (Prequel Novel, 2011) – Set in early 1809, introducing Lavender and detailing the Kirkley Hall robbery. The short story prequel February 1809 (2012) serves as a brief day-in-the-life prologue to this book.
4. The Heiress of Linn Hagh (Novel #1, 2012) – Set in late 1809.
5. The Piccadilly Pickpocket (Short Story, 2015) – Set in late 1809/early 1810. Ned Woods is wrongly accused of a theft, and Lavender must clear his partner's name.
6. The Sans Pareil Mystery (Novel #2, 2015) – Set in 1810.
7. The Sculthorpe Murder (Novel #3, 2016) – Set in late 1810.
8. Plague Pits & River Bones (Novel #4, 2018) – Set in 1812.
9. Murder in Park Lane (Novel #5, 2019) – Set in 1812.
10. The Willow Marsh Murder (Novel #6, 2020) – Set in 1813.
11. Death at the Frost Fair (Short Story, 2020) – Set during the severe winter of 1814. Lavender and Woods investigate a body frozen in the Thames during London's famous Frost Fair.
12. The Resurrection Mystery (Novel #7, 2024) – Set in 1814.
13. The Poisoned Quill (Novel #8, 2025) – Set in August 1814.

What to Know Before You Start

The Detective Lavender Mysteries are celebrated for their meticulous historical accuracy. Because Bow Street Runners relied heavily on pure deduction, legwork, and interviews rather than modern forensics, the mysteries are highly intellectual and detail-oriented. The dynamic between the refined, highly observant Stephen Lavender and the warm, street-smart Constable Ned Woods is the core of the books' appeal. The presence of actual historical documents, real court cases, and local geography from early 19th-century England makes the setting feel incredibly authentic and immersive for fans of Regency fiction.