Craig Stephen Copland Books in Order

Where to Start with Craig Stephen Copland

If you are a Sherlock Holmes enthusiast looking for fresh cases that respect the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle while adding a modern touch, Craig Stephen Copland is an author you cannot ignore. Copland is famous for his ambitious goal of writing a new pastiche for every single one of the sixty original stories in the Sherlock Holmes canon. With over sixty novels now under his belt, finding the right starting point can seem daunting, but the path is actually very straightforward.

For the best experience, you should start with the book that launched his career: Studying Scarlet (2014). This book acts as a playful reimagining of A Study in Scarlet, introducing readers to Copland's signature blend of traditional deduction, detailed historical settings, and wittier dialogue. Alternatively, if you want a change of scenery, you can jump straight to his American-set adventures or explore his spin-off series, which transport the deductive formula to the Wild West or interwar New York.

The New Sherlock Holmes Mysteries in Publication Order

The core of Copland's bibliography is the New Sherlock Holmes Mysteries. Although almost every book is a standalone mystery that can be enjoyed out of order, reading them in publication order allows you to appreciate how the author's writing style evolves. It also tracks the recurring minor characters and Sherlockian references that Copland weaves throughout the series.

Here is the complete publication order for his main Holmes pastiche series:

1. Studying Scarlet (2014)
2. The Hudson Valley Mystery (2014)
3. A Scandal in Fordlandia (2014)
4. The Bald-Headed Trust (2014)
5. The Sign of the Third (2014)
6. A Case of Identity Theft (2014)
7. The Mystery of the Five Oranges (2014)
8. A Sandal from East Anglia (2015)
9. The Man Who Was Twisted But Hip (2015)
10. The Adventure of the Blue Belt Buckle (2015)
11. The Adventure of the Spectred Bat (2015)
12. The Adventure of the Engineer's Mom (2015)
13. The Adventure of the Notable Bachelorette (2015)
14. The Adventure of the Beryl Anarchists (2015)
15. The Adventure of the Coiffured Bitches (2015)
16. The Silver Horse Braised (2015)
17. The Box of Cards (2016)
18. The Yellow Farce (2016)
19. The Three Rhodes Not Taken (2016)
20. A Most Grave Ritual (2016)
21. The Most Grave Ritual (2016)
22. The Stock Market Murders (2016)
23. The Glorious Yacht (2016)
24. The Spy Gate Liars (2017)
25. The Cuckold Man (2017)
26. The Impatient Dissidents (2017)
27. The Grecian, Earned (2017)
28. The Naval Knaves (2017)
29. The Binomial Asteroid Problem (2017)
30. The Mystery of 222 Baker Street (2017)
31. The Sign of the Tooth (2017)
32. The Adventure of Charlotte Europa Golderton (2018)
33. The Adventure of the Norwood Rembrandt (2018)
34. The Horror of the Bastard's Villa (2018)
35. The Dancer from the Dance (2018)
36. The Solitary Bicycle Thief (2018)
37. The Adventure of the Prioress's Tale (2018)
38. The Adventure of Mrs. J. L. Heber (2018)
39. The Return of Napoleon (2019)
40. The Adventure of the Pinched Palimpsest (2019)
41. The Adventure of the Missing Better Half (2019)
42. The Inequality of Mercy (2019)
43. The Adventure of the Second Entente (2020)
44. The Adventure of the Morning Glory Murders (2020)
45. The Adventure of the Treacherous Trust (2020)
46. The Adventure of the Devilish Footnote (2020)
47. The Adventure of the Philandering Philanthropists (2021)
48. The Adventure of the Assassino Pazzo (2021)
49. The Kidnapping of Baby Carfax (2021)
50. The Adventure of the Dying Debutante (2021)
51. The Village of Revenge (2021)
52. The Adventure of Mata Hari's Harem (2021)
53. The Adventure of Hope Abandoned (2021)
54. The Problem of Whispered Death (2022)
55. The Adventure of Homo Creepius Maximus (2022)
56. The Adventure of the Sanguisurge of Surrey (2022)
57. The Adventure of the Four Caryatids (2022)
58. The Adventure of the Industrious Intransigent (2022)
59. The Adventure of the Six Gullibles (2022)
60. The Adventure of the Bewildered Student (2023)
61. The Adventure of the Lying Man (2023)
62. The Adventure of the Pain in the Artiste (2023)
63. The Adventure of the Veil of Vengeance (2023)

Understanding the Canon Connections

Half the fun of reading Copland's Holmes stories is identifying which original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story inspired each book. Copland uses humorous, pun-filled, or highly literal title changes to reference the classics. For example, The Bald-Headed Trust is a direct play on The Red-Headed League, while A Scandal in Fordlandia transposes the stakes of A Scandal in Bohemia to Henry Ford's infamous rubber plantation experiment in the Amazon rainforest. If you have read the original Canon, you will find these modern twists and historical connections incredibly entertaining.

Reverend Ezekiel Black: The Western Mysteries

In 2016, Copland took a brief detour from Victorian London to the dusty plains of the American West. The Reverend Ezekiel Black Western Mystery series features a protagonist who is a preacher and a part-time Deputy U.S. Marshal. Ezekiel Black uses Sherlockian deduction, observation, and logic to solve brutal crimes on the frontier. It is a fantastic option if you like historical westerns mixed with clever detective work.

The two books in this series should be read in order:

1. A Scarlet Trail of Murder (2016)
2. The Brand of the Flying Four (2016)

Dr. Tabitha: A New Era of Detective Work

Copland expanded his mystery portfolio in 2024 with the introduction of Dr. Tabitha Stancovic. Set in New York City during the interwar years (the period between WWI and WWII), this series follows a brilliant female medical professional who uses her scientific mind to crack cases. It showcases Copland's ability to construct intricate puzzles outside the traditional Holmesian setting, featuring a strong female lead and rich historical detail of 20th-century New York.

We recommend reading the Dr. Tabitha books in their publication order:

1. Them That Trust in Riches (2024)
2. In the Big Inning (2024)
3. As Straw Before the Wind (2024)
4. And the Books Were Opened (2024)

What to Know Before You Start

Before diving into Copland's works, it is helpful to understand his unique approach to historical mystery writing. Unlike many pastiche writers who attempt to write carbon copies of Conan Doyle's original prose, Copland modernizes the interactions. You will find that female characters have significantly more agency and prominence in his stories. Furthermore, Copland is a member of the Sherlock Holmes Society of Canada (the Toronto Bootmakers), which guarantees a high level of respect for the lore, even when he takes Holmes and Watson to unexpected places like New York, Brazil, or the Canadian frontier. His books are briskly paced, packed with humor, and perfect for light, engaging mystery reading.