John Pickett Mysteries Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Order

While the mysteries in each installment of Sheri Cobb South's historical mystery series are self-contained, the central relationship between the working-class protagonist John Pickett and the aristocratic Lady Julia Fieldhurst serves as a continuous narrative arc. To fully appreciate their personal growth, the shifting social dynamics, and their slow-burn romance, it is highly recommended to read the series in chronological order rather than publication order.

This chronological sequence places the prequel novella first, allowing you to witness John's origins before his first official case at Bow Street:

1. Pickpocket's Apprentice (Prequel Novella, 2015): Set nine years before the first novel, this story introduces a fifteen-year-old John Pickett when he is arrested for stealing a pocket watch. Instead of sending him to prison, Bow Street Runner Patrick Colquhoun takes a chance on the young thief, setting him on the path to reform.
2. In Milady's Chamber (Book 1, 2006): The official start of the series. John Pickett, now twenty-four and a novice Bow Street Runner, is sent to investigate the murder of Lord Fieldhurst. His primary suspect is the beautiful and poised Julia, Lady Fieldhurst. As Pickett works to clear her name, an unlikely emotional connection begins to form.
3. A Dead Bore (Book 2, 2008): Pickett goes undercover as a footman in Yorkshire to investigate the suspicious death of a local vicar. In doing so, he must navigate rural class divides and quiet provincial secrets.
4. Family Plot (Book 3, 2014): The setting shifts to Scotland, where Julia travels to claim an inheritance. Pickett is sent along to protect her, but they soon find themselves unraveling a deadly conspiracy involving a woman who resembles a long-lost heiress.
5. Dinner Most Deadly (Book 4, 2015): Back in London, a disastrous society dinner party ends in a murder. Pickett must solve the crime while facing massive shifts in his personal life, culminating in his marriage to Julia.
6. Waiting Game (Novella 4.5, 2016): A bridge novella that focuses on the immediate aftermath of John and Julia's marriage, exploring the domestic reality of their cross-class partnership. It also features a crossover with the author's other works.
7. Too Hot to Handel (Book 5, 2016): Pickett is hired to investigate a blackmail scheme targeting members of London's opera scene, throwing him into the dramatic world of performers and theatrical patrons.
8. For Deader or Worse (Book 6, 2017): When a body is discovered under mysterious circumstances, Pickett's investigation leads him into the gritty underworld of Regency-era smuggling operations.
9. Mystery Loves Company (Book 7, 2018): Pickett handles a case involving high-society blackmail and long-hidden scandals at a country estate, where the wealthy will do anything to protect their reputations.
10. Peril by Post (Book 8, 2018): Pickett is tasked with tracking down the sender of vicious poison-pen letters that have disrupted a peaceful village, only for the threats to escalate into actual murder.
11. Into Thin Eire (Book 9, 2019): Pickett travels across the Irish Sea to locate a missing heir, dealing with local hostility, unfamiliar terrain, and a complex family lineage.
12. Brother, Can You Spare a Crime? (Book 10, 2020): Pickett's own family history comes into play as he investigates a crime with deeply personal stakes, forcing him to confront his roots in the rookeries of London.
13. Nowhere Man (Novella 10.5, 2020): Having resigned from Bow Street, Pickett is struggling to establish himself as a private inquiry agent. After a concussive accident in Covent Garden, he wakes up in an alternate reality where no one remembers him and another man has taken his place.
14. Death Can Be Habit-Forming (Book 11, 2021): Pickett investigates a mysterious death inside a convent, forcing him to navigate religious seclusion, closely guarded secrets, and ecclesiastical politics.
15. In the Family Way (Book 12, 2022): The twelfth and final full-length novel in the series. John and Julia face their final case together, providing a heartwarming conclusion to their romantic and investigative journey.

Publication Order vs. Chronological Order

Sheri Cobb South published the first novel, In Milady's Chamber, in 2006, and did not write the prequel novella, Pickpocket's Apprentice, until 2015. While the prequel adds wonderful context to Pickett's character, readers who prefer to watch the author's writing style evolve may choose to read in publication order. If you follow publication order, you will read the prequel after Family Plot and before Dinner Most Deadly, and you will read the later novellas (Waiting Game and Nowhere Man) in their respective publication slots.

What to Know Before You Start

The John Pickett Mysteries are best categorized as cozy historical mysteries with a heavy dose of Regency romance. Unlike grittier police procedurals, these stories focus on clever deduction, witty banter, and period-accurate details of high society and low-class London. The Bow Street Runners were the historical precursors to modern detective forces, and South meticulously highlights the class prejudices of the era—particularly how they impact a lower-class investigator attempting to build a life with a noblewoman.

For readers who enjoy audiobooks, the series has received widespread acclaim for the narration of Joel Froomkin. His performance brings the wide cast of characters to life, capturing the distinct class accents that define Regency society.

Crossovers, Spin-offs, and Future Work

While the John Pickett series officially concluded with In the Family Way in late 2022, Sheri Cobb South has connected her literary universe in subtle ways. In the novella Waiting Game, readers are treated to a crossover appearance by Ethan Brundy, the protagonist of South's standalone Regency romance novel, The Weaver.

Following the conclusion of Pickett's cases, South turned her attention to a new Regency series, The Bartholomew Fayre Trilogy. This series includes Fairest of the Fayre (2024), All’s Fayre in Love and War (2025), and the forthcoming The Faint Heart and the Fayre Lady. While these are separate stories, they share the same charm, humor, and meticulous historical detail that fans of John Pickett have come to love.