Where to Start with C.S. Challinor
For the best reading experience, you should start at the very beginning with Christmas Is Murder (2008). This debut novel introduces Rex Graves, the ginger-bearded, pipe-smoking Scottish barrister who serves as the series' amateur sleuth. The book sets the tone for the entire series, delivering a classic locked-room mystery inside a snowbound English manor house during the holidays.
While each mystery features a self-contained, complete puzzle that can technically be read as a standalone, reading the books in publication order is highly recommended. Rex's personal life, relationships, and minor recurring characters develop gradually over the course of the series. Following the publication order ensures you won't spoil major milestones, such as his eventual wedding planning and changing personal circumstances.
Rex Graves Mystery Series in Publication Order
The Rex Graves series spans ten full-length novels and three shorter mini-mysteries or novellas. Here is the complete list of C.S. Challinor's Rex Graves books in their recommended reading order:
- Christmas Is Murder (2008) – Rex's debut case. He finds himself trapped by a snowstorm in a grand English manor house, where he must find a killer among a small circle of holiday guests.
- Murder in the Raw (2009) – Also published under the title Murder on St. Martin. Rex takes a vacation to a tropical nudist resort in the French West Indies, only for a fellow guest to turn up dead.
- Phi Beta Murder (2010) – Rex travels to a prestigious New England college campus to investigate the suspicious death of a well-liked professor.
- Murder on the Moor (2011) – Set in the misty, atmospheric landscapes of the Scottish Highlands, Rex must untangle a web of secrets surrounding an old estate.
- Murder of the Bride (2012) – Rex travels to Derbyshire, England, for what should be a happy wedding celebration, only to investigate the murder of the bride.
- Murder at the Dolphin Inn (2012) – Set in Sussex, England, where the death of a local historian at a historic inn forces Rex to look into ancient secrets and modern grudges.
- Say Murder With Flowers (2013) – A cozy mini-mystery that finds Rex solving a quick case involving local florists and deadly arrangements.
- Say Goodbye to Archie (2013) – A unique mini-mystery where Rex is hired to investigate the suspicious death of a famous writer's beloved pet cat, Archie.
- Murder at Midnight (2014) – Set in London, Rex investigates a chilling murder that occurs in a grand townhome during a violent midnight storm.
- Murder Comes Calling (2015) – Rex travels to Southwest Florida, exchanging the cold Scottish moors for sunny beaches, where he is pulled into a local murder mystery.
- Prelude To Murder (2015) – A novella-length story where Rex is tasked with investigating the double murder of a young couple, all while trying to finalize his own impending wedding.
- Judgment of Murder (2016) – Rex finds himself caught up in courtrooms and judicial secrets as he investigates a crime closer to his day job as a barrister.
- Upstaged by Murder (2018) – Rex goes behind the scenes of a local theater production, where off-stage drama turns fatal.
Chronological Order and the Rex Graves Mini-Mysteries
For readers who want to be precise about chronological continuity, the three shorter stories (the mini-mysteries and novellas) fit neatly between the main novels. Specifically, Say Murder With Flowers and Say Goodbye to Archie take place between the events of Murder at the Dolphin Inn (Book 6) and Murder at Midnight (Book 7). Meanwhile, the novella Prelude to Murder serves as a direct bridge between Murder Comes Calling (Book 8) and Judgment of Murder (Book 9), establishing the backdrop of Rex's wedding preparation.
If you prefer to stick to the main full-length investigations, you can skip the shorter entries without losing track of the primary plots, though they add delightful flavor and extra character development for dedicated fans.
What to Know Before You Start: The Rex Graves Style
C.S. Challinor writes traditional cozies that pay direct homage to Golden Age detective fiction, particularly the works of Agatha Christie. You can expect closed-circle suspect groups, logical deduction, and a complete absence of graphic violence, gore, or profanity. Rex Graves himself is a distinct protagonist: a 6'4" Scottish barrister with a ginger beard, tweed jackets, and a penchant for reading Latin, solving Sudoku puzzles, and smoking a pipe.
Because Challinor is an avid traveler who was raised in Scotland and England and now resides in Southwest Florida, the settings are highly detailed and authentic. The locations serve as characters in their own right, moving from traditional English manors and misty moors to Caribbean beaches and Florida shores.
Going Standalone: Breathtaking
Aside from the Rex Graves series, C.S. Challinor has written one standalone novel, Breathtaking (2012). This book is a romantic mystery set in Florida, focusing on Angelica Lane, a real estate agent who gets caught up in a dangerous game after taking on a wealthy British client. When a beachfront property she is listing becomes a crime scene, Angelica becomes the prime suspect. She must team up with an unlikely private investigator to clear her name, finding romance along the way. While it shares Challinor's signature clean style and Florida setting, it is completely separate from the Rex Graves universe and can be read at any time.