Sheila Malory Books in Order

How to Read the Sheila Malory Mysteries

If you are looking for a classic, comforting English cozy mystery series, Hazel Holt's Sheila Malory books (frequently published as the Mrs. Malory mysteries) are a perfect choice. Set in the fictional Somerset seaside town of Taviscombe, the series follows a widow, retired academic, and literary researcher who frequently finds herself untangling local crimes. Because the series relies heavily on character development, aging, and evolving relationships, the absolute best way to experience these books is in publication order.

Reading the books chronologically as they were published allows you to appreciate the subtle, realistic changes in Sheila's life. Over the course of the 21 novels, readers watch her son Michael grow up, attend university, and build his own life; they watch her best friend Rosemary provide steady companionship; and they follow the lives of her beloved animal companions, including her cats Tris and Foss. Experiencing these personal milestones in order provides a rich narrative backbone that makes the cozy mysteries feel grounded and deeply human.

What to Know Before You Start

Before diving into the list, there are two crucial details every reader should keep in mind:

• UK vs. US Title Confusions: Because the books were published on both sides of the Atlantic, many entries in the series have completely different titles depending on the edition. For instance, the debut novel is known as Gone Away in the UK but was released as Mrs. Malory Investigates in the US. Our list below captures both versions so you do not accidentally purchase the same story twice.
• The Barbara Pym Connection: Hazel Holt was the close friend, biographer, and literary executor of the famous novelist Barbara Pym. Holt's prose carries a very similar gentle, observant, and quietly humorous tone that focuses on ordinary lives, tea-drinking, and village dynamics, elevating these stories beyond standard paint-by-numbers cozy mysteries.

Sheila Malory Books in Publication Order

Here is the complete checklist of all 21 Sheila Malory novels, compiled with their alternating UK and US titles to help you keep track of your library:

1. Gone Away / Mrs. Malory Investigates (1989): The debut novel introduces us to Sheila Malory as she looks into the sudden disappearance of her old friend's rather difficult fiancee, Lee Montgomery.
2. The Cruellest Month (1991): Sheila travels to Oxford to do research at the Bodleian Library, only to find herself investigating a suspicious death among the academic staff.
3. The Shortest Journey / Mrs. Malory's Shortest Journey (1992): When Sheila agrees to accompany an eccentric elderly woman on a short trip, she is pulled into a web of family secrets and murder.
4. Mrs. Malory and the Festival Murder / An Uncertain Death (1993): The Taviscombe literary festival turns sour when a widely disliked, arrogant poet is murdered, and Sheila must sort through a town full of suspects.
5. Murder on Campus / Mrs. Malory: Detective in Residence (1994): Sheila takes a temporary teaching job at a local college and must uncover who killed a divisive academic member of the staff.
6. Superfluous Death / Mrs. Malory Wonders Why (1995): The quiet poisoning of a seemingly harmless elderly woman prompts Sheila to investigate the subtle resentments hidden within the village.
7. Death of a Dean / Mrs. Malory: Death of a Dean (1996): When an old friend, who happens to be a church dean, dies under mysterious circumstances, Sheila steps in to investigate the local parish politics.
8. Mrs. Malory and the Only Good Lawyer / The Only Good Lawyer (1997): A local lawyer is murdered, and despite his unpopularity, Sheila is determined to track down the culprit among his many disgruntled clients.
9. Dead and Buried / Mrs. Malory: Death Among Friends (1998): The death of a local doctor reveals a tangled web of friendships, betrayals, and buried secrets in Taviscombe.
10. A Fatal Legacy / Mrs. Malory & the Fatal Legacy (1999): A dispute over a family inheritance turns deadly, forcing Sheila to dig into old family histories to find the killer.
11. Lilies That Fester / Mrs. Malory and the Lilies That Fester (2000): The arrival of a film crew in Taviscombe brings drama, jealousy, and ultimately a murder that Sheila must solve.
12. Delay of Execution / Mrs. Malory and the Delay of Execution (2001): A retired schoolmistress is found dead, and Sheila suspects someone wanted to prevent her from revealing a long-held secret.
13. Leonora / Mrs. Malory and Death by Water (2002): When an old school friend of Sheila's dies in a tragic drowning, Sheila suspects that it was not an accident.
14. Death in Practice / Mrs. Malory and Death in Practice (2003): A local veterinary practice becomes the center of a murder investigation, testing Sheila's knowledge of the community's key players.
15. The Silent Killer / Mrs. Malory and the Silent Killer (2004): Sheila investigates a series of seemingly unrelated incidents that culminate in a quiet, calculated murder.
16. No Cure for Death / Mrs. Malory and No Cure for Death (2005): When a local gossip is silenced permanently, Sheila must sift through a massive list of villagers who had reasons to want her quiet.
17. Death in the Family / Mrs. Malory and a Death in the Family (2006): A family reunion in Taviscombe takes a dark turn when one of the relatives is found murdered.
18. A Time to Die / Mrs. Malory and a Time to Die (2008): As Sheila reflects on aging and time, she is forced to solve a crime involving the older residents of the community.
19. Mrs. Malory and Any Man's Death (2009): The death of a local writer leads Sheila to investigate the highly competitive world of local publishers and amateur authors.
20. Mrs. Malory and a Necessary End (2012): A nursing home becomes the backdrop for a quiet murder mystery that tests Sheila's empathy and detective skills.
21. Death is a Word / Mrs. Malory and Death is a Word (2014): The final book in the series, published shortly before Hazel Holt's death, sees Sheila solving one last classic puzzle in Taviscombe.

Side Projects and Standalones by Hazel Holt

While the Sheila Malory books represent the bulk of Hazel Holt's fictional output, she did write a few other notable works that fans of the series might enjoy:

• A Lot to Ask: A Life of Barbara Pym (1990): This biography is a must-read for fans of both Pym and Holt, offering a warm look at the life of one of England's most cherished mid-century novelists.
• My Dear Charlotte (2010): A standalone historical mystery set during the Regency era. Holt famously constructed this novel using actual phrasing and sentences extracted from Jane Austen's letters, making it a stylistic treat for classic literature lovers.