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Diane Janes Books in Order

14 Books
4 Series & collections
2007 – 2022 Published
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Where to Start with Diane Janes

For readers new to Diane Janes, the best entry point depends entirely on your preferred style of mystery. If you love classic, Golden Age-style whodunits in the vein of Agatha Christie, you should start immediately with the Black & Dod series, beginning with The Magic Chair Murder. The series features delightful period details, clever puzzles, and a charming detective partnership set in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

If you prefer suspenseful standalone fiction with psychological depth, her debut novel The Pull of the Moon is an excellent choice. It introduces her signature atmospheric tension and exploration of long-held secrets. Finally, true crime enthusiasts should start with Death at Wolf's Nick, which showcases Janes's exceptional skill in unearthing historical cold cases using original police archives.

The Black & Dod Cozy Mystery Series

This historical cozy mystery series is set in England and follows the investigative exploits of amateur sleuths Frances "Fran" Black and Tom Dod. The duo solves puzzling crimes with a mix of sharp observation and period-appropriate social maneuvering.

  • The Magic Chair Murder (2018): The series opener introduces Fran and Tom as they investigate the mysterious disappearance and death of a woman scheduled to speak to the Robert Barnaby Society about a famous author's legendary chair.
  • The Poisoned Chalice Murder (2018 / 2022): The second case takes the sleuths to the village of Durley Dean, where a series of suspicious deaths seem connected to controversial changes at the local parish church. Note: While some databases list this as a 2022 release, its initial publication occurred in 2018.
  • The Missing Diamond Murder (2019): Fran travels to Devon to help a family unravel the suspicious death of an elderly relative and search for a missing, highly valuable heirloom diamond.

Standalone Psychological & Historical Thrillers

Outside of her cozy series, Janes has written a variety of standalone suspense novels that explore darker themes, abduction, and historical events.

  • The Pull of the Moon (2010): Her Debut Dagger-nominated first novel, focusing on a woman forced to confront a decades-old crime in 1972 after receiving a mysterious letter.
  • Why Don't You Come For Me? (2011): A chilling psychological thriller about a mother convinced that the person who abducted her baby daughter years ago is still watching her.
  • Swimming in the Shadows (2014): A suspense novel about a woman living in the Yorkshire Dales whose hidden past is threatened by a missing persons television broadcast.
  • Stick or Twist (2016): A romantic thriller featuring Jude Thackeray, a wealthy heiress recovering from a past kidnapping who begins to doubt the true intentions of her new partner.
  • A Stroke of Bad Luck (2019): A unique historical fiction book that reconstructs the real-life 1934 murder of Frederick Morton, blending facts with a narrative solution to the crime.
  • The Skeleton Tree (2021): A suspenseful thriller detailing the unsettling and creepy experiences of a woman moving into her dream home.

Investigative True Crime Non-Fiction

Janes is highly respected for her non-fiction work. She avoids sensationalism, choosing instead to conduct objective investigations by examining original case files and police notebooks to shed new light on historical mysteries.

  • Edwardian Murder: Ightham & the Morpeth Train Robbery (2007): Examines two historical crimes (the Caroline Luard shooting and the John Nisbet murder) to see if they share a common thread.
  • Poisonous Lies: The Croydon Arsenic Mystery (2010): Investigates the suspicious arsenic deaths of three members of the same family in Croydon between 1928 and 1929.
  • The Case of the Poisoned Partridge: The Strange Death of Lieutenant Chevis (2013): A deep dive into the mysterious 1931 poisoning of Lieutenant Hugh Chevis.
  • Death at Wolf's Nick: The Killing of Evelyn Foster (2017): An investigative look into the tragic 1931 murder of taxi driver Evelyn Foster on the moors of Northumberland.

What to Know Before You Start

Diane Janes's background heavily informs her writing style. She is a long-standing member of the Crime Writers' Association (CWA) and was awarded their prestigious Red Herring Award for her contributions. Her books are marked by an incredible attention to historical accuracy, a result of her extensive work with police records. Readers should note that her cozy mysteries maintain a lighter, classic tone, while her standalone novels are much more focused on psychological suspense and the emotional aftermath of crime.

Frequently Asked

QWho is Diane Janes?

Diane Janes is a critically acclaimed British crime writer known for historical cozy mysteries, psychological standalone thrillers, and investigative true crime non-fiction. She is a recipient of the CWA Red Herring Award.

QWhat is the correct order of the Black & Dod series?

The narrative order of the series starts with The Magic Chair Murder, followed by The Poisoned Chalice Murder, and ends with The Missing Diamond Murder.

QAre Diane Janes's true crime books novelized?

No, works like Poisonous Lies and Death at Wolf's Nick are works of narrative non-fiction based strictly on original police files, archives, and official inquest documents.

QWhat is unique about the novel A Stroke of Bad Luck?

While it is written as a fiction novel, A Stroke of Bad Luck is based on the real-life 1934 Frederick Morton murder case, offering a fictionalized solution to the historical crime.

QWhat was Diane Janes's debut novel?

Her debut novel was The Pull of the Moon, published in 2010 and nominated for the CWA John Creasey Debut Dagger.