Catherine Cookson Reading Order

2 books (1950–2000)

Catherine Cookson's Kate Hannigan series contains two historical fiction novels published between 1950 and 2000. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with Kate Hannigan followed by Kate Hannigan's Girl. These standalone yet connected entries offer readers a finished narrative arc across the twentieth century.

Start with Kate Hannigan and read in order.

#	Title
1	Kate Hannigan 1950Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Kate Hannigan's Girl 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

9 books (1954–2011)

Catherine Cookson's Mary Ann Shaughnessy series consists of nine complete books published between 1954 and 2011, following the life of its titular character across decades. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with A Grand Man and continuing through the remaining eight novels that chronicle Mary Ann's journey from youth through adulthood and into her later years. This historical fiction series captures the character's personal growth, relationships, and experiences across multiple generations of storytelling.

Start with A Grand Man, the first of 9 books in the Mary Ann Shaughnessy series.

#	Title
1	A Grand Man 1954Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Lord and Mary Ann 1956Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Devil and Mary Ann 1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Love and Mary Ann 1961Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Life and Mary Ann 1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Marriage and Mary Ann 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Mary Ann's Angels 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Mary Ann and Bill 1967Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Bill and the Mary Ann Shaughnessy 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

8 books (1969–2017)

Catherine Cookson's non-fiction series comprises seven books published between 1969 and 2017, offering memoir and biographical insights into the acclaimed author's life and heritage. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with Our Kate and concluding with Before I Go. This complete collection blends Cookson's personal reflections with historical context about her life and the regions that inspired her celebrated historical fiction novels.

Start with Our Kate, the first of 7 books in the Non-Fiction series.

#	Title
1	Our Kate 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Catherine Cookson Country 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Let Me Make Myself Plain 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Plainer Still 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	My Land of the North 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Kate's Daughter(With: Piers Dudgeon) 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Kate's Daughter: The Real Catherine Cookson(With: Piers Dudgeon) 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Before I Go 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (1990–1990)

#	Title
1	Nancy Nutall and The Mongrel 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2001–2002)

Catherine Cookson's two-book short story collection spans 2001 to 2002 and presents complete stories that blend historical and contemporary elements. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with The Simple Soul and Other Stories followed by Just a Saying. This finished collection offers readers a curated selection of Cookson's shorter works across the early 2000s.

Start with The Simple Soul and Other Stories and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Simple Soul and Other Stories 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Just a Saying 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

93 books (1952–2017)

Catherine Cookson's standalone novels span nearly seven decades, with 79 books published between 1952 and 2017. These historical fiction works should be read in publication order, beginning with The Fifteen Streets. The series is now complete, with some titles originally released under her pen name Catherine Marchant before being reissued under her own name.

Start with The Fifteen Streets, the first of 79 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	The Fifteen Streets 1952Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Colour Blind 1953Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Maggie Rowan 1954Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Rooney 1957Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Menagerie 1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Fanny McBride 1959Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Fenwick Houses 1960Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Heritage of Folly(As: Catherine Marchant) 1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Garment 1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	House of Men(As: Catherine Marchant) 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	The Blind Miller 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Blind Miller / A Wife’s Devotion 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	The House on the Fens / Fen Tiger(As: Catherine Marchant) 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Hannah Massey 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	The Wingless Bird 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	The Wingless Bird / A Marriage of Scandal 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Evil at Roger's Cross / The Iron Facade 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Matty Doolin 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	The Long Corridor 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	The Unbaited Trap 1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Katie Mulholland's Journey 1967Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Katie Mulholland's Journey / Katie Mulholland 1967Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Slinky Jane 1967Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Joe & the Gladiator 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	The Round Tower 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	The Glass Virgin / The Glassmaker's Daughter 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	The Nice Bloke 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	The Nice Bloke / A Scandal at Christmas 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Invitation 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	The Nipper 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Feathers in the Fire 1971Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	The Dwelling Place 1971Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	Pure as the Lily 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	Blue Baccy 1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35	Our John Willie 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36	Miss Martha Mary Crawford(As:Catherine Marchant) 1975Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
37	The Gambling Man 1975Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
38	The Invisible Cord 1975Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
39	Mrs Flannagan's Trumpet 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
40	The Slow Awakening(As:Catherine Marchant) 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
41	The Tide of Life 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
42	Go Tell It to Mrs Golightly 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
43	The Girl 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
44	The Cinder Path 1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
45	The Man Who Cried 1979Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
46	Lanky Jones 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
47	The Whip 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
48	The Black Velvet Gown 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
49	The Bannaman Legacy / Dinner of Herbs 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
50	The Moth / The Thorman Inheritance 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
51	Parson's Daughter 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
52	Rory's Fortune 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
53	The Cultured Handmaiden 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
54	The Harrogate Secret 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
55	The Harrogate Secret / The Smuggler's Secret 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
56	The Black Candle 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
57	The Spaniard's Gift 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
58	The Gillyvors / Daughter of Scandal 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
59	The Gillyvors / Daughter of Scandal / The Love Child 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
60	Love Child 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
61	My Beloved Son 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
62	The Rag Nymph 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
63	The Rag Nymph / The Rag Maid 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
64	The House of Women 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
65	The Maltese Angel 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
66	The Maltese Angel / The Voice of an Angel 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
67	The Golden Straw 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
68	The Golden Straw / The Hatmaker’s Gift 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
69	The Year of the Virgins 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
70	Justice Is A Woman 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
71	Justice Is A Woman / A Sister’s Betrayal 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
72	The Tinker's Girl 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
73	A Ruthless Need 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
74	The Obsession 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
75	The Obsession / A Sister's Obsession 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
76	The Bonny Dawn 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
77	The Branded Man 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
78	The Branded Man / The Wayward Daughter 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
79	The Upstart 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
80	The Upstart / The Cobbler's Daughter 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
81	An Unsuitable Match 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
82	The Desert Crop 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
83	The Desert Crop / An Unsuitable Match 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
84	The Lady on My Left / The Mists of Memory 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
85	Riley 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
86	The Blind Years 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
87	The Solace of Sin 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
88	A House Divided 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
89	The Thursday Friend 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
90	Rosie Of The River 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
91	The Silent Lady 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
92	Saint Christopher and the Gravedigger 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
93	The Rag Maid 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (1986–1998)

Catherine Cookson's Bailey Chronicles spans four historical fiction novels published between 1986 and 1998, following the interconnected stories of the Bailey family across generations. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Bill Bailey and concluding with The Bondage of Love. This collection captures the lives and struggles of the Bailey family against the backdrop of England's changing social landscape.

Start with Bill Bailey, the first of 4 books in the The Bailey Chronicles series.

#	Title
1	Bill Bailey 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Bill Bailey's Lot 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Bill Baileys Daughter 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Bondage of Love 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1983–1985)

Catherine Cookson's Hamilton Trilogy is a complete historical fiction series spanning three books published between 1983 and 1985. The novels should be read in publication order, beginning with Hamilton, followed by Goodbye Hamilton, and concluding with Harold. This trilogy represents a finished work that explores its narrative across the full three-book arc.

Start with Hamilton and read in order.

#	Title
1	Hamilton 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Goodbye Hamilton 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Harold 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1973–1974)

Catherine Cookson's Mallen Trilogy is a complete historical fiction series consisting of three books published between 1973 and 1974. The novels should be read in publication order, beginning with The Mallen Girl, followed by The Mallen Streak, and concluding with The Mallen Litter (also published as The Mallen Lot). This trilogy follows the interconnected stories of the Mallen family across generations in nineteenth-century England.

Start with The Mallen Girl and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Mallen Girl 1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Mallen Streak 1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Mallen Litter / The Mallen Lot 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1980–1982)

Catherine Cookson's Tilly Trotter trilogy consists of three historical fiction novels published between 1980 and 1982, following the complete arc of its protagonist's life. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with Tilly Trotter, followed by Tilly Trotter Wed, and concluding with Tilly Trotter Widowed. This finished trilogy offers a continuous narrative that traces one woman's journey through different chapters of her existence.

Start with Tilly Trotter / Tilly and read in order.

#	Title
1	Tilly Trotter / Tilly 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Tilly Trotter Wed / Tilly Wed 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Tilly Trotter Widowed / Tilly Alone 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible