A.G. Barnett Books in Order

Where to Start Reading A.G. Barnett's Books

A.G. Barnett is a master of the traditional British cozy mystery. His books are heavily inspired by Golden Age writers like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, featuring intricate fair-play puzzles, eccentric characters, and a healthy dose of dry humor. Because he writes across both modern and historical settings, readers generally have two primary pathways to choose from when starting out:

• For Modern Cozy Police Procedurals: Start with An Occupied Grave, the first book in the Brock & Poole series. This is Barnett's debut novel and his longest-running series, making it the perfect introduction to his style.
• For 1920s Historical Mysteries: Start with A Rather Inconvenient Corpse (the Bingham & Gladstone series) or The Staircase (the Fane & Blackwood series), both of which show off his flair for historical settings and classic Holmes-and-Watson or Jeeves-and-Wooster dynamics.

Brock & Poole Mystery Books in Publication Order

Set in the fictional, deceptively peaceful English town of Bexford, the Brock & Poole mysteries follow Detective Inspector Sam Brock and Detective Sergeant Guy Poole. Sam Brock is a weary, methodical investigator navigating a messy personal life, while Guy Poole is his younger, more tech-savvy partner. The series strikes a perfect balance between classic whodunit puzzles and modern police procedural elements, all seasoned with small-town gossip and banter. It is highly recommended to read these in publication order, as the personal lives and working relationship of the two detectives develop significantly from book to book.

1. An Occupied Grave (2018) – DI Brock and DS Poole investigate when a fresh body is discovered in a grave that was supposed to have been sealed decades prior.
2. A Staged Death (2018) – The duo goes behind the scenes of a local amateur dramatic production when an actor is murdered on stage during a performance.
3. When The Party Died (2018) – A museum gala ends in tragedy, forcing the detectives to untangle historical secrets and community rivalries.
4. Murder in a Watched Room (2019) – A classic locked-room mystery where a local businessman is found dead inside a secure office.
5. The Final Game (2021) – The detectives face a complex puzzle when a body is discovered at a local sports club, testing their investigative partnership to the limit.

Mary Blake Mystery Books in Publication Order

If you love characters who are forced to reinvent themselves, the Mary Blake series is a delight. Mary Blake is a sixty-something former television actress famous for playing a fictional TV detective. When she retires to a quiet English village, she discovers that the locals expect her to solve real-world crimes. Armed with her sharp wit, theatrical observation skills, and stubborn refusal to act her age, Mary begrudgingly takes on the role of a real sleuth. You should read these in order to appreciate Mary's growth and her evolving place in the village community.

1. An Invitation to Murder (2019) – Mary Blake attends a dinner party at a secluded manor where the host is murdered, leaving Mary as one of the chief suspects in a real-life locked-room mystery.
2. A Death at Dinner (2019) – Mary is drawn into a new investigation when a local charity event goes horribly wrong and a prominent resident is poisoned.
3. Lightning Strikes Twice (2020) – A tragic death in the village appears to echo a decades-old cold case, prompting Mary to dig up long-buried secrets.

Bingham & Gladstone Mystery Books in Publication Order

For readers who appreciate classic British humor alongside their mysteries, this series transport us to the 1920s. The books follow Lord Hugo Bingham—a well-meaning but delightfully naive young aristocrat—and his incredibly clever, patient valet, Gladstone. The dynamic is a direct, loving homage to P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster, but with a murderous twist. Reading these in order allows you to watch the duo's chemistry grow as they navigate high society and low-down crimes.

1. A Rather Inconvenient Corpse (2024) – Lord Hugo and Gladstone find themselves at the center of a murder investigation during a country house party, requiring Gladstone to quietly save his master from the gallows.
2. A Bally Awkward Body (2025) – A trip to London turns deadly when a body turns up in the most inconvenient of locations, forcing the duo to investigate the city's theatrical scene.
3. In the Soup (2025) – Lord Hugo gets himself into another fine mess, and Gladstone must once again use his superior intellect to find the real culprit of a high-society crime.

Fane & Blackwood Mystery Books in Order

Also set in the 1920s, this historical mystery series features Roderick Fane, a brilliant, reclusive former police detective living in North Oxford who has isolated himself from society, and Nell Blackwood, a bright, observant young woman who refuses to let him waste his mind. When local tragedies strike, Nell coaxes Roderick back into the world to help her find the truth.

Chronological vs. Publication Order

Unlike Barnett's other series, the Fane & Blackwood mysteries feature a prequel novella, A Death at High Table, which covers the landmark case that first established Roderick Fane's formidable reputation. You have two options for reading this series:

• The Chronological Route: Start with the prequel, A Death at High Table, to see Fane at the peak of his early career before his self-imposed isolation, then proceed to The Staircase.
• The Publication Route (Recommended): Start with the first full-length novel, The Staircase, to experience Roderick and Nell's initial meeting and introduction, then read the prequel as a companion story later to flesh out Roderick's backstory.

The Reading List

1. A Death at High Table (2026) – Prequel Novella. Details a historical murder at an Oxford college high table that originally made Fane's career.
2. The Staircase (2026) – Book 1. When a professor's death is dismissed as an accident, Nell Blackwood seeks out the reclusive Fane to prove it was murder.
3. The Ice House (2026) – Book 2. A gruesome discovery in a country estate's ice house drags Fane and Nell into a web of family secrets.
4. The Priest Hole (2026) – Book 3. The sleuthing duo investigates a murder linked to a historic manor house and its hidden passageways.

Hammond & Circle Mystery Books in Publication Order

This historical cozy series is set in the 1920s and highlights a female sleuthing partnership. Jessie Circle and Flo Hammond are two determined women who use their sharp wits, social access, and shared determination to solve crimes that the authorities overlook.

1. The Will of the Standing Stones (2023) – Flo and Jessie travel to a remote village to investigate a mysterious death linked to local folklore and ancient standing stones.
2. The Tiger and the Coronet (2025) – The duo investigates a theft and murder within an aristocratic circle, navigating high-society secrets.

What to Know Before You Start

A.G. Barnett's books are clean, cozy mysteries. This means they focus on intellectual puzzles, character dynamics, and lighthearted humor rather than graphic violence, explicit language, or dark grit. While the books within each individual series are largely self-contained whodunnits, the personal growth of the recurring characters makes reading them in order highly rewarding. None of the series currently cross over, meaning you can read the Brock & Poole series, the Mary Blake series, or the historical series in any order you choose without spoiling the others.