Elizabeth Bailey Books in Order

Where to Start: Your Recommended Reading Path

If you are new to Elizabeth Bailey's historical worlds, your best starting point depends on what you enjoy most. For fans of classic, cozy historical murder mysteries with a strong romantic core, you should start with The Lady Fan Mystery series. Begin with the first novel, The Gilded Shroud, to watch amateur sleuth Lady Ottilia Fanshawe crack her first case. If you prefer high-spirited, emotional Regency romance with plucky, non-traditional heroines, start with the Brides by Chance series, beginning with In Honour Bound.

A Lady Fan Mystery Series

This is Bailey's signature historical mystery series. Set in the late Georgian and Regency eras, the series follows the clever, sharp-witted Ottilia Fanshawe (later Lady Fan) as she navigates high society and solves complex murder cases with her husband, Lord Francis Fanshawe. The series is celebrated for combining the drawing-room elegance of Georgette Heyer with the puzzle-style plots of traditional crime fiction.

While each mystery features a self-contained case, the overarching relationships, family dynamics, and character arcs progress significantly across the books. For this reason, it is highly recommended to read them in order of publication. Note the long real-world gap between the first book (originally written and published in 1992) and the second book, which marked Bailey's return to the characters twenty years later in 2012.

1. The Gilded Shroud (1992)
2. The Deathly Portent (2012)
3. The Opium Purge (2018)
4. The Candlelit Coffin (2019)
5. The Mortal Blow (2019)
6. The Fateful Marriage (2020)
7. The Dagger Dance (2021)
8. The Unwanted Corpse (2022)
9. The Vengeance Trail (2022/2024)
10. The Hanging Cheat (2023/2024)
11. The Killing Cave (2024)

Brides by Chance Series

This ten-book Regency adventure series focuses on "Cinderella-style" heroines—women who face severe societal disadvantages, financial hardships, or compromising situations, yet find love and adventure against the odds. The series captures the classic Regency tone with sparkling wit, class tensions, and satisfying romance. While these books are connected by their shared theme and tone, they feature separate couples and can easily be enjoyed as standalone novels. However, reading them in publication order lets you appreciate the evolution of Bailey's Regency writing style.

1. In Honour Bound (2016)
2. Knight For A Lady (2017)
3. A Chance Gone By (2019)
4. A Winter's Madcap Escapade (2019)
5. Marriage For Music (2020)
6. Damsel To The Rescue (2020)
7. Widow In Mistletoe (2020)
8. His Auction Prize (2021)
9. Disaster and the Duke (2021)
10. Taming The Vulture (2021)

Governesses Trilogy

This short historical romance trilogy centers on the lives and romantic fortunes of three different governesses navigating the strict social boundaries of the era. The books are tight-knit, character-driven romances originally published in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and later revised and re-released to a new generation of readers. They are best read in order:

1. Prudence (1992 / re-released 2005)
2. Nell (2002 / re-released 2005)
3. Kitty (2003 / re-released 2005)

The Steepwood Scandal: A Shared-World Collaboration

In 2001 and 2002, Elizabeth Bailey collaborated with seven other prominent Regency romance authors (including Anne Herries, Nicola Cornick, and Sylvia Andrew) to create The Steepwood Scandal. This unique 16-book series is linked by a continuous, overarching mystery: the mysterious disappearance of the young Marchioness of Sywell. The authors worked closely together to ensure seamless continuity, passing characters and plot threads back and forth.

Because of this tight narrative continuity, this series must be read in its chronological order rather than trying to read only one author's contributions. Elizabeth Bailey wrote two key installments in the series: Book 2 (An Innocent Miss) and Book 10 (The Captain's Return). The complete reading order is:

1. Lord Ravensden's Marriage by Anne Herries (2001)
2. An Innocent Miss by Elizabeth Bailey (2001)
3. The Reluctant Bride by Meg Alexander (2001)
4. A Companion of Quality by Nicola Cornick (2001)
5. A Most Improper Proposal by Gail Whitiker (2001)
6. A Noble Man by Anne Ashley (2001)
7. An Unconventional Duenna by Paula Marshall (2001)
8. An Unreasonable Match by Sylvia Andrew (2001)
9. Counterfeit Earl by Anne Herries (2002)
10. The Captain's Return by Elizabeth Bailey (2002)
11. The Guardian's Dilemma by Gail Whitiker (2002)
12. Lord Exmouth's Intentions by Anne Ashley (2002)
13. Mr. Rushford's Honor by Meg Alexander (2002)
14. An Unlikely Suitor by Nicola Cornick (2002)
15. An Inescapable Match by Sylvia Andrew (2002)
16. The Missing Marchioness by Paula Marshall (2002)

Standalones and Diverse Genres

Elizabeth Bailey's prolific career spans over 50 books, including several standalone historical romances and suspense novels. If you want to sample her writing outside of her main series, keep an eye out for these notable standalones:

• Fly the Wild Echoes (2004): A dual-timeline novel exploring past lives and reincarnation that represents some of her most complex literary fiction, earning consideration for the Booker Prize in 2005.
• Silence of a Stranger (2015): A gripping historical suspense novel demonstrating her skill with darker, more tense plots.
• For One More Tomorrow (2012) & A Lady in Name (2013): Excellent examples of her classic, emotional standalone Regency romances.