Anne Perry Books in Order

Where to Start with Anne Perry

For readers looking to dive into Anne Perry's extensive bibliography of over 100 novels, the sheer volume of work can feel overwhelming. Perry is best known for her two massive, long-running Victorian mystery series: the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series and the William Monk series. While they are set in the same general era, they feature distinct protagonists, subgenres, and social themes.

If you prefer a classic detective partnership with a touch of high-society drama and class conflict, start with the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series, beginning with The Cater Street Hangman (1979). If you enjoy grittier, darker stories centering on identity, memory, and legal trials, start with the William Monk series, starting with The Face of a Stranger (1990).

The Thomas and Charlotte Pitt Series

Spanning 32 novels, this series follows the lives and investigations of Inspector (later Superintendent and Head of Special Branch) Thomas Pitt and his upper-class wife, Charlotte. Set in the late-Victorian era (primarily the 1880s and 1890s), the series blends police procedural elements with a detailed look at the rigid class structure of the period.

It is highly recommended to read this series in strict publication order. The books follow a continuous timeline where characters age, get married, have children, and navigate professional promotions and political conspiracies. The reading order for the main series is:

1. The Cater Street Hangman (1979)
2. Callander Square (1980)
3. Paragon Walk (1981)
4. Resurrection Row (1981)
5. Rutland Place (1983)
6. Bluegate Fields (1984)
7. Death in The Devil's Acre (1985)
8. Cardington Crescent (1987)
9. Silence in Hanover Close (1988)
10. Bethlehem Road (1990)
11. Highgate Rise (1991)
12. Belgrave Square (1992)
13. Farriers' Lane (1993)
14. The Hyde Park Headsman (1994)
15. Traitors Gate (1995)
16. Pentecost Alley (1996)
17. Ashworth Hall (1997)
18. Brunswick Gardens (1998)
19. Bedford Square (1998)
20. Half Moon Street (1998)
21. The Whitechapel Conspiracy (2000)
22. Southampton Row (2002)
23. Seven Dials (2003)
24. Long Spoon Lane (2005)
25. Buckingham Palace Gardens (2008)
26. Betrayal at Lisson Grove (also published as Treason at Lisson Grove) (2010)
27. Dorchester Terrace (2011)
28. Midnight at Marble Arch (2012)
29. Death on Blackheath (2014)
30. The Angel Court Affair (2015)
31. Treachery at Lancaster Gate (2016)
32. Murder on the Serpentine (2017)

The William Monk Series

Starting with The Face of a Stranger (1990), this series features William Monk, a detective who wakes up in a London hospital with absolute amnesia. He must rebuild his identity while working cases. Alongside Hester Latterly, a strong-willed Crimean War nurse, Monk explores the dark underbelly of Victorian London and the limitations of the justice system.

As with the Pitt series, reading in publication order is critical because Monk's slow recovery of his memories and his changing relationship with Hester form a continuous narrative arc across the series:

1. The Face of a Stranger (1990)
2. A Dangerous Mourning (1991)
3. Defend and Betray (1992)
4. A Sudden, Fearful Death (1993)
5. Sins of the Wolf (1994)
6. Cain His Brother (1995)
7. Weighed in the Balance (1996)
8. The Silent Cry (1997)
9. A Breach of Promise (also published as The Whited Sepulchres) (1997)
10. The Twisted Root (1998)
11. Slaves of Obsession (2000)
12. Funeral in Blue (2001)
13. Death of a Stranger (2002)
14. The Shifting Tide (2004)
15. Dark Assassin (2005)
16. Execution Dock (2009)
17. Acceptable Loss (2011)
18. A Sunless Sea (2012)
19. Blind Justice (2013)
20. Blood on the Water (2014)
21. Corridors of the Night (2015)
22. Revenge in a Cold River (2016)
23. An Echo of Murder (2017)
24. Dark Tide Rising (2018)

Spin-Offs and Companion Series

After wrapping up the main arcs of her two signature detectives, Perry expanded her fictional universe with new series that act as logical next steps for readers:

The Daniel Pitt Series

This series stars Daniel Pitt, the son of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, who works as a young lawyer in London during the early Edwardian era (starting in 1910). Reading this series after the main Thomas Pitt novels provides a satisfying look at the next generation of the family. The books are:

• Twenty-One Days (2018)
• Triple Jeopardy (2018)
• One Fatal Flaw (2020)
• Death with a Double Edge (2020)
• Three Debts Paid (2022)
• The Fourth Enemy (2022)

The World War I Series

A complete five-book historical saga following the Reavley family, beginning on the eve of the Great War in 1914. This is a highly focused, chronological series that should be read in order:

1. No Graves As Yet (2003)
2. Shoulder the Sky (2004)
3. Angels in the Gloom (2005)
4. At Some Disputed Barricade (2006)
5. We Shall Not Sleep (2007)

The Elena Standish Series

Setting her sights on the 1930s, Perry created Elena Standish, a young British photographer who becomes drawn into international espionage on the eve of World War II. The series progresses chronologically:

• Death in Focus (2019)
• A Question of Betrayal (2020)
• A Darker Reality (2021)
• A Truth to Lie for (2022)
• A Traitor Among Us (2023)

Holiday Novellas and Standalones

Perry's Christmas stories represent a unique holiday tradition. Rather than introducing new main characters, these novellas pull supporting cast members from her larger series (such as Monk's legal ally Henry Rathbone or Charlotte's aristocratic grandmother-in-law Lady Vespasia) and place them in standalone winter mysteries. While they can be read at any time, they are best enjoyed after you have established familiarity with the main series characters.