David Field Books in Order

How to Read David Field’s Books: The Recommended Path

David Field is a master of historical fiction and crime mysteries, blending his background in criminal law with meticulous historical detail. Because he writes across several distinct eras, the best way to read his work is by following the publication order within each specific series. Each series operates in its own self-contained chronological timeline, meaning you can choose the era that interests you most and read that series from start to finish.

If you are new to David Field, here is where we recommend you begin:

• For Victorian crime fiction: Start with the Esther & Jack Enright Mysteries. This is his flagship detective series, beginning in 1888 London and tracking the progression of Victorian and Edwardian policing.
• For Elizabethan political intrigue: Start with the Bailiff Mountsorrel Tudor Mysteries, which uses historical quirks of Nottingham's legal system to weave clever local mysteries.
• For grand scale history: Dive into the Medieval Saga or the Tudor Saga for a broader view of British history.

The Esther & Jack Enright Mysteries

Set initially in 1888 during the terror of Jack the Ripper, this series follows the lives and investigations of Esther Enright, a seamstress-turned-sleuth, and Jack Enright, a young police officer who eventually climbs the ranks to Detective Chief Inspector. As the series progresses, the characters age, their family expands, and the stories transition from the late Victorian period through the Edwardian era, culminating in the suffragette movement of 1909.

To follow the character development and overarching family subplots, you should read these books in order:

1. The Gaslight Stalker (2018)
2. The Night Caller (2018)
3. The Prodigal Sister (2018)
4. The Slum Reaper (2018)
5. The Posing Playwright (2018)
6. The Mercy Killings (2018)
7. The Jubilee Plot (2018)
8. The Lost Boys (2019)
9. The Retirement Murder (2025)
10. The Long Delayed Revenge (2025)
11. The Belvedere Scandal (2025)
12. The Footlights Murder (2025)
13. Matrons of Dishonour (2026)

Bailiff Mountsorrel Tudor Mysteries

This series moves the clock back to Elizabethan England, centering on Edward Mountsorrel, a county bailiff for Nottinghamshire, and Francis Barton, a town bailiff for Nottingham. Field draws heavily on Nottingham's real historical structure of having dual bailiffs representing different jurisdictions, creating fascinating legal conflicts and mysteries. Read them in publication order:

1. The Castle Abductions (2023)
2. The Assassination Players (2024)
3. The Slaughtered Widow (2024)
4. The Clamorous Dead (2024)
5. To Kill A King (2024)
6. Death By Gunpowder (2025)

Medieval Saga Books

For readers who prefer epic historical sweeps over standard detective stories, the Medieval Saga covers the chaotic centuries of English history from the Norman Conquest of 1066 through to the signing of the Magna Carta. The recommended order is:

1. Conquest (2022)
2. Traitor's Arrow (2022)
3. An Uncivil War (2022)
4. The Lion of Anjou (2022)
5. The Absentee King (2022)
6. The Road to Runnymede (2023)
7. The Conscience of a King (2023)

The Tudor Saga Books

Charting the rise of the Tudor dynasty, this saga runs parallel to the early years of the English Reformation, focusing on both royalty and commoners swept up in political tides:

1. Tudor Dawn (2019)
2. The King's Commoner (2019)
3. Justice For The Cardinal (2019)
4. An Uneasy Crown (2019)
5. The Queen In Waiting (2019)
6. The Heart of a King (2019)

Other Historical & Detective Series

If you have finished his main series, Field has written several other trilogies and shorter series that are well worth exploring:

Carlyle & West Victorian Mysteries

Another excellent Victorian-era crime series, following investigators Carlyle and West as they navigate spiritualism, early psychology, and traditional detective work in London:

1. Interviewing The Dead (2020)
2. Death Comes But Twice (2020)
3. Confronting the Invisible (2020)
4. Death Among the Nightingales (2021)

Australian Historical Saga

Reflecting the author's own move to Australia, this saga details the early colonial history of the continent, following families through convict settlements and the gold rushes:

1. A Far Distant Land (2021)
2. Eye For An Eye (2021)
3. A Colony Divided (2021)
4. All That Glitters (2021)

Constable Thomas Lincraft Mysteries

Set during the early reigns of the Tudor monarchs, this trilogy tracks a local law officer trying to maintain order during a time of religious and civil upheaval:

1. Without Fear or Favour (2019)
2. She Died Unshriven (2019)
3. The Queen's Constables (2019)

Oliver Wade Spy Thrillers

A fast-paced historical spy series set against the backdrop of late 16th-century international intrigue:

1. The Game's Afoot (2019)
2. Uneasy Lies the Head (2019)
3. A Plague on Both Your Houses (2020)

The New World Nautical Saga

Focusing on maritime adventure, colonization, and the struggle for freedom across the high seas in the age of sail:

1. Pirates and Patriots (2023)
2. Beyond The Setting Sun (2023)
3. Westward To Freedom (2023)

DCI Mike Saxby Books

Field's rare foray into the contemporary police procedural genre, set in modern England:

1. Justice Delayed (2019)
2. 17 Cavendish Square (2019)

Standalone & Co-Authored Works

David Field has written several standalone historical novels, some in collaboration with fellow historical novelist Alan Dance. These are perfect for readers looking for quick, self-contained stories:

• Canary Child (2014) - Co-authored with Alan Dance, focusing on the lives of children in coal mines.
• The Scarlet Peacock (2017) - Set during the English Civil War.
• The Flowering of the Tudor Rose (2018) - A standalone novel focusing on the rise of Henry Tudor.
• Bendigo: The Right Fist of God (2020) - Co-authored with Alan Dance, telling the story of Victorian-era prize fighter William 'Bendigo' Thompson.

What to Know Before You Start

Field's background as a criminal lawyer and academic shines through in his attention to legal processes, forensic science of the time, and the social issues of the era. The Enright series is particularly notable for showing how the characters adapt as technology and society evolve. While the early books deal with the gritty, desperate realities of Whitechapel in 1888, the latter books like Matrons of Dishonour tackle the complex political debates surrounding the women’s suffrage movement in the early 20th century. Reading them in order allows you to experience this historical evolution alongside the characters.