Merrily Watkins Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Order

Phil Rickman’s Merrily Watkins series is a masterclass in atmosphere, blending folk horror, local legends, and crime fiction. Because the characters—particularly Merrily and her rebellious daughter, Jane—evolve dramatically over the course of the novels, the series must be read in publication order. Reading out of sequence will spoil major character developments, shifts in relationships, and long-running subplots.

Below is the complete reading path for the series, including the final posthumous novel released in 2025.

1. The Wine of Angels (1998) – The novel that introduces Merrily Watkins, a single mother and newly appointed vicar, as she moves to the seemingly idyllic village of Ledwardine. Here she encounters hostile locals, pagan heritage, and the haunting legacy of a local poet.
2. Midwinter of the Spirit (1999) – Merrily undergoes training to become a deliverance consultant (the church’s term for an exorcist) for the Hereford diocese. She faces a deeply unsettling case of spiritual corruption in the shadow of Hereford Cathedral.
3. A Crown of Lights (2001) – A clash between fundamentalist Christians, modern pagans, and local landowners leads to a suspicious death in a ruined church, drawing Merrily into the crossfire.
4. The Cure of Souls (2001) – Set in the orchards of Herefordshire, Merrily investigates a brutal murder linked to an evangelical movement and historical secrets.
5. The Lamp of the Wicked (2003) – In a village known for its connection to a serial killer, Merrily deals with local panic, media frenzy, and anomalous phenomena that question what is truly evil.
6. The Prayer of the Night Shepherd (2004) – Merrily and Jane visit a historic hotel in the dark, rainy hills of the Welsh borders, where Arthur Conan Doyle once drew inspiration, only to find a new curse unfolding.
7. The Smile of a Ghost (2005) – Set in the haunted town of Ludlow, this entry explores the tragic deaths of local teenagers and the dark history clinging to the ancient castle.
8. The Remains of an Altar (2006) – The spirit of composer Edward Elgar looms large in this mystery, where the Wye Valley’s landscape and bizarre sound occurrences tie into a suspicious death.
9. The Fabric of Sin (2007) – Merrily is called to investigate a haunted Templar site that a local group is attempting to restore, exposing centuries of buried secrets.
10. To Dream of the Dead (2008) – Heavy flooding in Hereford exposes more than just rising waters when a murder investigation collides with the city’s ancient ley lines.
11. The Secrets of Pain (2011) – Elite SAS soldiers, pagan elite, and ancient Roman cults collide in a complex mystery that tests Merrily’s capabilities to the limit.
12. The Magus of Hay (2013) – Set in the famous book town of Hay-on-Wye, Merrily investigates the death of a local bookseller involved in the occult.
13. The House of Susan Lulham (2014) – Originally published as a novella for the Quick Reads program, this haunting tale follows a modern house with a lingering, malicious presence.
14. Friends of the Dusk (2015) – Merrily works to uncover a historic mystery involving archaeological excavations and dark folklore on the border.
15. All of a Winter's Night (2017) – An ancient churchyard, a midwinter ritual, and a hit-and-run driver bring Merrily and Jane into another chilling confrontation with Herefordshire's past.
16. The Fever of the World (2019) – Merrily investigates a death in the Wye Valley that is deeply connected to the romantic poet William Wordsworth and local superstitions. (Note: This book was initially promoted under the working title For the Hell of It).
17. The Echo of Crows (2025) – The seventeenth and final novel in the series, published posthumously following Phil Rickman's passing. It takes Merrily to the historic village of Longtown, concluding her long journey.

The Companion and Spin-Off Works

While the main sequence follows Merrily's cases, there are key companion works that fans should not miss to fully immerse themselves in the lore of the Welsh borderlands.

Merrily's Border (2009 / Updated 2018)

Rather than a narrative novel, Merrily's Border is an official non-fiction companion book written by Phil Rickman with atmospheric infrared photography by John Mason. The book serves as a travelogue guiding readers through the real-world locations that inspired the series. It covers the history of Ledwardine (modeled on real villages), Hereford Cathedral, the Knights Templar church at Garway, and the ancient folklore of the region. Later editions were updated to incorporate landmarks from the final novels.

The Shared Universe and Crossover Connections

Before launching the Merrily Watkins series, Phil Rickman wrote several standalone supernatural thrillers. Readers who enjoy Merrily will find that many of these standalone books share the same universe, featuring early appearances or cameos of recurring characters.

• Crybbe (1993) – Published as Curfew in the United States, this early horror novel is essential reading for fans. It introduces Gomer Parry, the plain-speaking Welsh drainage contractor who eventually becomes Merrily's close friend and regular helper.
• The Man in the Moss (1994) – A standalone folk horror story involving an ancient bog body. Characters and locations from this book have subtle ties to the wider Herefordshire setting of the Merrily series.
• December (1994) – Features the musical background that frequently plays a role in the Merrily Watkins books, particularly surrounding Lol Robinson.

What to Know Before You Start

Phil Rickman famously rejected the traditional 'horror' label for his books, preferring to call them 'spiritual procedurals.' Although they contain plenty of chilling, gothic atmosphere and unexplained occurrences, the primary focus remains on the characters' inner lives, local politics, and real church practices.

Merrily Watkins is a refreshingly grounded protagonist. She is a single mother raising a rebellious teenager, struggles with a smoking habit, and frequently faces sexism within the male-dominated hierarchy of the Church of England. The books pay deep respect to the real-world roles of Anglican deliverance ministers, grounding the supernatural elements in realistic theological and psychological detail.