The Recommended Reading Order for Penny Green
For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to read the Penny Green series in order of publication. While each novel presents a standalone mystery that is fully resolved by the final page, the overarching personal lives of the characters—especially the slow-burn romantic tension and evolving professional relationship between Penny and Inspector James Blakely—develop sequentially. Reading the books out of order will spoil major developments in their personal arcs and the shifting social dynamics of 1880s Fleet Street.
To help you navigate the series, here is the complete publication sequence, including the prequels and companion novellas that flesh out Penny's investigative world.
1. The Belgrave Square Murder (Prequel Short Story)
Set in foggy November, this short story introduces readers to the atmospheric depiction of Victorian London. When a wealthy businessman is found dead in Belgrave Square, Penny Green jumps at the chance to investigate. This story is typically available as a free download for signing up to the author's newsletter and serves as an excellent introduction to Penny's character and the series' cozy, historical tone.
2. Limelight (Book 1)
Published in 2017, this is the official start of the novel series. Penny Green investigates the mysterious death of theater actress Lizzie Dixie, who allegedly died in a carriage accident years earlier. Penny's pursuit of the truth takes her from the glittering lights of Victorian music halls to the gritty underbelly of London's slums, establishing her complex dynamic with Inspector James Blakely.
3. The Teacher (Book 1.5 Novella)
Chronologically set in 1881, this companion novella finds Penny investigating the suspicious death of a schoolteacher. With the police showing little interest, Penny must rely on her journalistic instincts to uncover what really happened. It is best read immediately after Limelight to bridge the early stages of Penny's career.
4. The Rookery (Book 2)
Penny goes deep into the infamous slums of London to investigate a string of grisly murders. As she interviews residents of the rookery, she faces resistance from both criminal elements and local authorities, highlighting the sharp class divisions of the Victorian era.
5. The Maid’s Secret (Book 3)
To investigate a wealthy factory owner accused of exploitation and blackmail, Penny goes undercover as a housemaid. This novel highlights the vulnerability of working-class women in Victorian society and demonstrates Penny's willingness to put herself in danger to secure a story.
6. The Inventor (Book 4)
Set during the dawn of the electrical era, Penny reports on a pioneering electrical engineer. When a tragic death occurs at a public demonstration, she finds herself entangled in a web of industrial espionage and scientific rivalry.
7. Curse of the Poppy (Book 5)
Penny's investigations lead her to the dark opium dens of London's East End. When a young woman is found dead, Penny must navigate the complex social prejudices surrounding addiction and immigration in Victorian society.
8. The Bermondsey Poisoner (Book 6)
A notorious poisoning case brings Penny to Bermondsey, where a woman is accused of murdering her husband. As public outrage grows, Penny digs deeper to discover if the accused is truly a cold-blooded killer or a victim of a wider conspiracy.
9. An Unwelcome Guest (Book 7)
Penny investigates a mysterious death at a high-society boarding house. With secrets hiding behind every closed door, she must sift through the lies of respectable guests to find the killer.
10. Death at the Workhouse (Book 8)
This entry exposes the harsh realities of the Victorian workhouse system. When an inmate dies under mysterious circumstances, Penny goes behind the institutional walls to expose corruption, cruelty, and cover-ups.
11. The Gang of St Bride's (Book 9)
Penny finds herself dealing with a sophisticated gang of female thieves operating in the heart of London. The case challenges her perceptions of crime, survival, and justice for women in a society that offers them few choices.
12. Murder in Ratcliffe (Book 10)
A body washed up on the banks of the River Thames leads Penny to the docks of Ratcliffe. The investigation forces her to deal with maritime merchants, shady sailors, and international secrets.
13. The Egyptian Mystery (Book 11)
Tapping into the Victorian obsession with Egyptology, this novel follows Penny as she investigates the death of an antiquities collector amidst rumors of a mummy's curse.
14. The Camden Spiritualist (Book 12)
Penny dives into the popular Victorian spiritualism movement. When a prominent medium is murdered during a séance, she must separate supernatural parlor tricks from real-world motives.
The Sequel Series: Emma Langley Victorian Mysteries
If you finish the main 12 books and want more of Penny Green, you are in luck. In 2025, Emily Organ launched a direct spin-off and sequel series: the Emma Langley Victorian Mystery series. In this series, Penny Green returns as a co-star, teaming up with Emma Langley—a widow determined to track down her late husband's killer. These books continue the storylines, characters, and setting of the original series and should be read after completing the main Penny Green novels:
- The Whitechapel Widow (2025)
- The Poison Puzzle (2025)
- Murder in the Soho Graveyard (2025)
- A Death at Raven's Roost (2026)
- The Clockmaker's Murder (2026)
What to Know Before You Start
Emily Organ's mysteries fall firmly into the cozy historical subgenre. While they feature murders, poisoning, and investigations into dark Victorian slums, they avoid graphic gore and explicit content. Instead, the focus remains on Penny's deductive reasoning, historical detail, and the realistic constraints placed on independent women during the 1880s. Penny's role as a female reporter on Fleet Street is inspired by real-world pioneers of investigative journalism, offering an engaging look at early media history.