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Wesley Peterson Books in Order

27 Books
1998 – 2016 Published
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Reading order

How to Read the Wesley Peterson Series

For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to follow the Wesley Peterson series in publication order. Because Kate Ellis writes the series with a continuous timeline, the characters’ personal lives, careers, and relationships develop significantly from book to book. Wesley begins the series as a Detective Sergeant and earns a promotion to Detective Inspector in the fifth installment, The Bone Garden. Reading chronological order also allows you to see the growth of Wesley's family life with his wife Pam and his collaborations with his archaeologist friend, Dr. Neil Watson.

Wesley Peterson Books in Order

Below is the complete list of Wesley Peterson novels in their correct publication and chronological order, including recent releases that complete the bibliography:

  1. The Merchant's House (1998)
  2. The Armada Boy (1999)
  3. An Unhallowed Grave (1999)
  4. The Funeral Boat (2000)
  5. The Bone Garden (2001) (Wesley is promoted to DI)
  6. A Painted Doom (2002)
  7. The Skeleton Room (2003)
  8. The Plague Maiden (2004)
  9. A Cursed Inheritance (2005)
  10. The Marriage Hearse (2006)
  11. The Shining Skull (2007)
  12. The Blood Pit (2008)
  13. A Perfect Death (2009)
  14. The Flesh Tailor (2010)
  15. The Jackal Man (2011)
  16. The Cadaver Game (2012)
  17. The Shadow Collector (2013)
  18. The Shroud Maker (2014)
  19. The Death Season (2015)
  20. The House of Eyes (2016)
  21. The Mermaid's Scream (2017)
  22. The Mechanical Devil (2018)
  23. Dead Man's Lane (2019)
  24. The Burial Circle (2020)
  25. The Stone Chamber (2021)
  26. Serpent's Point (2022)
  27. The Killing Place (2023)
  28. Coffin Island (2024)
  29. Deadly Remains (2025)
  30. The Chapel of Bones (2026)

What to Know Before You Start

The series is set in Tradmouth, a fictionalized version of Dartmouth in South Devon. Wesley Peterson is a unique protagonist in rural crime fiction: a Black London-born detective with a degree in archaeology. His academic background comes in handy because every book features two parallel mysteries: a modern police investigation led by Wesley and his boss, Gerry Heffernan, and an ancient or historical excavation investigated by Wesley's university friend, Neil Watson. The two timelines always mirror and inform each other, touching on historical events ranging from Tudor-era secrets to shipwrecked Spanish Armada soldiers and World War II plane crashes.

Spin-Offs and Author Crossovers

Kate Ellis has written other popular crime series, including the DI Joe Plantagenet mysteries (set in a fictionalized York) and the historical DI Albert Lincoln trilogy (set in post-WWI Derbyshire). However, these universes remain completely separate. There are no crossovers, guest appearances, or shared cases between Wesley Peterson and Ellis's other detectives. Additionally, while the author has written several short stories for anthologies, there is no dedicated Wesley Peterson short story collection; the series consists entirely of full-length novels.

Practical Reading Advice

Can you read these books as standalones? Yes. Each modern-day murder case and historical mystery is fully resolved within its respective book. If you happen to pick up a later book like Coffin Island or Deadly Remains first, you will not be spoiled on the outcomes of previous investigations. However, to fully appreciate the rich, slow-burn dynamics between Wesley, Pam, Gerry, and Neil, starting at the beginning with The Merchant's House remains the most rewarding path.

Frequently Asked

QWhere is the best place to start reading the Wesley Peterson series?

The best place to start is the very first book, The Merchant's House (1998). This introduces Wesley's move to South Devon, his background in archaeology, and his friendship with Dr. Neil Watson.

QDo you have to read the Wesley Peterson books in order?

No, each book's mystery is standalone and self-contained. However, reading them in order is recommended to properly follow the character progression, including Wesley's promotion to DI in The Bone Garden and his changing family dynamics.

QAre there any crossover books with Kate Ellis's other series?

No. Although Kate Ellis writes the DI Joe Plantagenet series and the Albert Lincoln trilogy, they are set in separate universes with no crossovers.

QWhat makes Wesley Peterson unique as a detective?

Wesley Peterson is an archaeology graduate who works as a police detective in rural South Devon. His archaeological expertise allows him to find parallels between modern crimes and historical discoveries unearthed in the area.

QIs there a missing book between Serpent's Point and Coffin Island?

Yes. The 27th book is The Killing Place (2023), followed by Coffin Island (2024) as the 28th book, Deadly Remains (2025) as the 29th, and The Chapel of Bones (2026) as the 30th.

QAre there any Wesley Peterson short stories?

Kate Ellis has contributed individual short stories to various crime anthologies over the years, but there is no standalone collection dedicated exclusively to Wesley Peterson cases.