Elizabeth Harris Books in Order

How to Read Elizabeth Harris and Alys Clare

British author Elizabeth Harris has built an impressive bibliography under both her own name and her popular pen name, Alys Clare. While her standalone novels and the contemporary Wilderness series are published under her real name, her highly acclaimed historical mystery series are released under the Alys Clare moniker. Because her series follow distinct time periods and recurring characters, the recommended reading path is to choose the series that matches your preferred historical era and read it in publication order.

The Best Starting Points

Depending on what subgenre of historical fiction or mystery you enjoy most, here are the best places to begin:

• For Medieval Mystery Lovers: Start with Fortune Like the Moon (1999), the book that launches her signature 17-novel Hawkenlye Mysteries series set in late 12th-century England.
• For Pagan and Post-Conquest Intrigues: Start with Out of the Dawn Light (2009), the first book in the Aelf Fen Mysteries, set in the atmospheric fenlands of 11th-century East Anglia.
• For 17th-Century Physician Sleuths: Start with A Rustle of Silk (2016), introducing former ship's surgeon Gabriel Taverner in Jacobean Devon.
• For Victorian Gothic Mysteries: Start with The Woman Who Spoke to Spirits (2019), initiating the World's End Bureau series in late 19th-century London.
• For Multi-Generational Drama: Start with the standalone novel The Egyptian Years (1992), which beautifully bridges dual timelines.

1. The Hawkenlye Mysteries (Writing as Alys Clare)

Set during the turbulent reigns of King Richard the Lionheart and King John, the Hawkenlye Mysteries are Alys Clare's most famous creations. The series takes place near the Hawkenlye Abbey in Kent, centering on the unlikely investigative partnership between Abbess Helewise, a sharp-witted nun, and Sir Josse d'Acquin, a veteran knight. This series is best read in publication order to appreciate the gradual development of the characters' lives and the changing political landscape of medieval England.

1. Fortune Like the Moon (1999)
2. Ashes of the Elements (2000)
3. The Tavern in the Morning (2000)
4. The Chatter of the Maidens (2001)
5. The Faithful Dead (2002)
6. A Dark Night Hidden (2003)
7. Whiter Than the Lily (2004)
8. Girl in a Red Tunic (2005)
9. Heart of Ice (2006)
10. The Enchanter's Forest (2007)
11. The Paths of the Air (2008)
12. The Joys of My Life (2008)
13. The Rose of the World (2011)
14. The Song of the Nightingale (2012)
15. The Winter King (2014)
16. A Shadowed Evil (2015)
17. The Devil's Cup (2017)

2. The Aelf Fen Mysteries (Writing as Alys Clare)

Moving back in time to the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest, the Aelf Fen Mysteries follow Lassair, a young apprentice healer with a unique, sometimes supernatural connection to the spirits of the fenlands. This series blends traditional mystery with elements of folklore, ancient Earth magic, and historical tensions between the conquered Saxons and the ruling Normans.

1. Out of the Dawn Light (2009)
2. Mist Over the Water (2010)
3. Music of the Distant Stars (2010)
4. The Way Between the Worlds (2011)
5. Land of the Silver Dragon (2013)
6. Blood of the South (2015)
7. The Night Wanderer (2016)
8. The Rufus Spy (2018)
9. City of Pearl (2019)
10. The Lammas Wild (2021)

3. The Gabriel Taverner Mysteries (Writing as Alys Clare)

This series moves the reader into the early 17th century (Jacobean era) in Devon. The protagonist, Gabriel Taverner, is a former ship's surgeon who has returned home to practice medicine on land. His anatomical knowledge and experience on the high seas make him uniquely suited to investigating suspicious deaths alongside the local coroner.

1. A Rustle of Silk (2016)
2. The Angel in the Glass (2018)
3. The Indigo Ghosts (2020)
4. Magic in the Weave (2022)
5. The Cargo From Neira (2023)
6. The Chrysanthemum Tiger (2024)

4. World’s End Bureau Victorian Mysteries (Writing as Alys Clare)

Set in Victorian London, this series stars Lily Raynor, a determined woman who runs the World's End Bureau, a private enquiry agency. Alongside her assistant, Felix Wilbraham, Lily navigates the dark underbelly of late 19th-century society, tackling cases involving spiritualism, missing girls, and asylum secrets.

1. The Woman Who Spoke to Spirits (2019)
2. The Outcast Girls (2020)
3. The Man in the Shadows (2022)
4. The Stranger in the Asylum (2024)

5. The Wilderness Series (Writing as Elizabeth Harris)

Under her real name, Elizabeth Harris wrote the Wilderness trilogy, which focuses on contemporary themes of grief, emotional healing, and personal evolution. The story follows Hal Dillon and Ben MacAllister as they navigate life following the sudden death of their college friend, Laurie, taking the characters from England to Mexico and back.

1. A Good Man's Love (1996)
2. Singing in the Wilderness (1998)
3. A Slight Folly (2021)

6. Standalone Novels (Writing as Elizabeth Harris)

Before launching her massive mystery series, Harris wrote a series of historical and contemporary standalone novels. These books often utilize dual timelines, archaeology, and rich landscapes, such as medieval monasteries or British-ruled Egypt, to weave emotional tales of mystery and romance.

• The Herb Gatherers (1991)
• The Egyptian Years (1992)
• The Sun Worshippers (1993)
• Time of the Wolf (1994)
• Shadows in the Sand (1994)
• The Quiet Earth (1995)
• The Sacrifice Stone (1996)
• The Twilight Child (1998)
• My Turn Now (2018)
• The Simple Life (2018)