Euphemia Martins Mystery Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Path

For the best reading experience, the Euphemia Martins Mystery series should be read strictly in publication order. Because the books follow Euphemia's life chronologically, her personal growth, shifting social standing, and evolving relationship with Bertram Stapleford build sequentially from one book to the next. The overarching narrative takes Euphemia from an eighteen-year-old forced into service in 1910 to a seasoned woman navigating the espionage-heavy backdrop of World War I.

Start your journey with the very first book, A Death in the Family, which introduces Euphemia's signature wit and explains how she ended up working as a maid at Stapleford Hall despite her respectable upbringing.

Euphemia Martins Mystery Books in Publication and Chronological Order

Each novel in the main series follows Euphemia as she encounters dark deeds and class struggles across early 20th-century Britain. Here is the complete order of the main series:

1. A Death in the Family (2009) – After her father's death leaves the family penniless, eighteen-year-old Euphemia takes a job as a maid at Stapleford Hall, only to discover a dead body on her first day.
2. A Death in the Highlands (2013) – Promoted to temporary housekeeper, Euphemia travels to a hunting lodge in Scotland, where she must handle a difficult guest list and a sudden murder.
3. A Death in the Asylum (2013) – Euphemia goes undercover at a private psychiatric institution to rescue a friend, exposing dark secrets behind closed doors.
4. A Death in the Wedding Party (2013) – Euphemia must manage the delicate social dynamics and unexpected dangers surrounding a high-society wedding.
5. The Mistletoe Mystery (2013, Novella #4.5) – A festive seasonal story where Euphemia helps Bertram organize a grand Christmas party at White Orchards, only to encounter the estate's dark history.
6. A Death in the Pavilion (2014) – Intrigue strikes during a cricket match at Stapleford Hall as Euphemia uncovers hidden rivalries.
7. A Death in the Loch (2014) – Euphemia returns to Scotland, finding herself entangled in local folklore and a puzzling drowning.
8. A Death for King and Country (2015) – The shadow of World War I begins to loom, drawing Euphemia into the sphere of national security and government agents.
9. A Death for a Cause (2015) – Euphemia encounters the passionate suffragette movement, navigating political conflicts and social upheaval.
10. A Death by Arson (2016) – A suspicious fire forces Euphemia to investigate arson and betrayal within the local community.
11. A Death Overseas (2016) – Traveling beyond British borders, Euphemia adapts her sleuthing skills to unfamiliar continental settings.
12. A Death at Crystal Palace (2018) – Set against the legacy of the Great Exhibition, Euphemia is caught up in espionage and historical secrets.
13. A Death at a Gentleman's Club (2019) – Euphemia infiltrates the male-dominated bastions of power in London to clear a friend's name.
14. A Death at the Church (2019) – Local clergy and parish secrets become the focus when a body is discovered in a house of worship.
15. A Death at the Races (2020) – Euphemia joins a high-stakes, cross-continental motor rally across Europe, dodging danger at every turn.
16. A Death in the Hospital (2020) – During the height of the Great War, Euphemia investigates suspicious patient deaths at a military hospital.
17. A Death on Stage (2021) – The world of theater and performance provides a dramatic backdrop for Euphemia's next investigation.
18. A Death of a Dead Man (2023) – Old mysteries resurface as Euphemia faces ghosts from her past and complex espionage webs.
19. A Death at Christmas (2025) – Spymaster Fitzroy hosts an extravagant, snowbound holiday party of spies at White Orchards, culminating in a mysterious disappearance and murder.

The Spin-Off: The Hope Stapleford Adventures

Once you finish Euphemia's main journey, you can dive into the spin-off series, The Hope Stapleford Adventures. This series shifts the timeline forward to the dark days of World War II and follows Euphemia's daughter, Hope Stapleford. Hope is an Oxford graduate who is reluctantly recruited into wartime intelligence by her godfather, the spymaster Fitzroy—a key character bridging both series. These books should be read in the following order:

• Hope for the Innocent (2020)
• Hope to Survive (2021)
• Hope for Tomorrow (2022)
• Hope Under Fire (2024)
• Hope Against Evil (Expected 2026)

What to Know Before You Start

Caroline Dunford's series is a delightful blend of historical fiction and cozy mystery. Rather than focusing on graphic violence, the books highlight the rigid class structures, gender expectations, and changing social roles of early 20th-century Britain. Euphemia's progression from a maid to a covert agent acts as a lens into how women navigated the limitations of the Edwardian era and World War I. While the individual murder mysteries are neatly resolved in each installment, the underlying relationship dynamics and espionage plots carry over, making sequential reading highly rewarding.