The Recommended Reading Order for Henrietta and Inspector Howard
The Henrietta and Inspector Howard series follows a strict chronological progression. Because the central relationship between working-class heroine Henrietta Von Harmon and wealthy Inspector Clive Howard develops significantly from book to book, and because major subplots involving Henrietta's siblings carry over across titles, it is highly recommended that you read this series in publication order.
Below is the complete list of books in the series, including the holiday novella, in their recommended reading sequence:
- A Girl Like You (2016)
- A Ring of Truth (2017)
- A Promise Given (2018)
- A Veil Removed (2019)
- A Child Lost (2020)
- A Spying Eye (2022)
- A Haunting at Linley (2023)
- A Christmas at Highbury (2024)
Detailed Guide to the Books
1. A Girl Like You (2016)
Set in 1930s Chicago during the depths of the Great Depression, the series opener introduces Henrietta Von Harmon. Scraping by as a taxi dancer to support her mother and three younger siblings, Henrietta's life changes when she is recruited by the handsome, wealthy Inspector Clive Howard. Going undercover at a seedy burlesque theater to help solve a gruesome murder, Henrietta must navigate a gritty Chicago underworld and her growing attraction to the inspector.
2. A Ring of Truth (2017)
With her undercover stint behind her, Henrietta finds work as a companion to the eccentric and wealthy Antonia Howard, unaware at first of Antonia's relationship to Clive. As Henrietta gets a firsthand look at the stark class differences separating her world from Clive's, she becomes embroiled in high-society drama involving a stolen ring and family secrets. Meanwhile, Clive struggles with the confines of his own wealth and his deepening feelings for Henrietta.
3. A Promise Given (2018)
Despite objections from Clive's aristocratic family and interference from Henrietta's estranged grandfather, the couple finally gets married. They set off for their honeymoon at Castle Linley, Clive's ancestral home in the English countryside. However, the holiday is disrupted when a local villager is murdered during a house party, and Clive's cousin Wallace falls under suspicion. Back in Chicago, Henrietta's sister Elsie faces her own romantic complications.
4. A Veil Removed (2019)
Clive and Henrietta's honeymoon is cut short by the shocking death of Clive's father, Alcott Howard, who falls in front of a commuter train. While the police rule it an accident, Clive is convinced it was murder. Henrietta joins him in a formal investigation, marking their first official case as partners-in-detection. Concurrently, Elsie begins attending college classes and meets a mysterious German custodian named Gunther.
5. A Child Lost (2020)
Set in 1935, the fifth book sees Henrietta and Clive investigating a spiritualist suspected of swindling wealthy clients. At the same time, Elsie enlists their help to track down a missing woman, leading the family to the Dunning Asylum. When a young girl is mistakenly committed to the institution, Henrietta and Clive must orchestrate a desperate rescue that carries dark consequences.
6. A Spying Eye (2022)
Determined to have a successful honeymoon, Clive and Henrietta travel to Strasbourg, France, near Henrietta's ancestral family home. Their plans are derailed when they agree to help locate a missing panel of the famous Ghent Altarpiece before it falls into the hands of rising Nazi officials. Back in Chicago, Elsie's domestic peace is threatened when a man claiming to be young Anna's biological father arrives.
7. A Haunting at Linley (2023)
Returning to Castle Linley in England, Clive and Henrietta find the estate in financial ruins. When Clive's cousin brings in an estate agent to evaluate the property, the agent is poisoned. The investigation is hampered by a local police inspector's incompetence and strange, ghostly occurrences that suggest the castle might be haunted by a maid's spirit.
8. A Christmas at Highbury (2024)
This holiday novella finds Clive and Henrietta celebrating the Christmas season at Highbury with their new baby, Teddy. When the charity gifts collected for the poor and a valuable necklace go missing, the couple must solve the festive mystery before Christmas Day while managing Clive's mother's social ambitions.
What to Know Before You Start
Michelle Cox was inspired to write the series by stories she heard while working in a Chicago nursing home, combined with her love for the music and culture of the 1930s. The books are known for their combination of authentic Great Depression-era Chicago settings and high-society drawing-room mysteries reminiscent of Downton Abbey or Jane Austen.
While the mystery plots in each book are resolved by the final page, the emotional lives of the characters, the progression of Clive and Henrietta's relationship, and the subplots involving the Von Harmon siblings build directly on previous volumes. Reading the books out of order will result in major spoilers regarding their marriage, family developments, and secondary characters.
Spin-Offs and Companion Novels
While the Henrietta and Inspector Howard books form a self-contained story arc, Michelle Cox has written other historical works. Her 2024 novel, The Fallen Woman's Daughter, is a standalone historical drama set in the 1930s that explores the Park Ridge School for Girls, sharing a similar era and location but featuring a different cast. Additionally, Cox writes the Merriweather Novels, a series of modern updates to Jane Austen classics starting with Matched in Merriweather.