Elizabeth George Reading Order

7 books (1983–2012)

Elizabeth George edited seven crime and mystery anthologies between 1983 and 2012, with the series now complete. These collections should be read in publication order, beginning with Murder in the Dark and concluding with the Suspense Magazine September 2012 issue. The series brings together short crime stories and thrillers from various authors, showcasing the diversity of voices within the mystery and suspense genres.

Start with Murder in the Dark, the first of 7 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Murder in the Dark 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Sisters in Crime 2 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	A Moment on the Edge: 100 Years of Crime Stories by Women 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Crime from the Mind of a Woman 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Two of the Deadliest 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Hotel Angeline 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Suspense Magazine September 2012 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2014–2014)

22 books (1988–2025)

Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley series comprises 22 mystery novels published from 1988 to 2025, with the series still ongoing. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with A Great Deliverance and continuing through the most recent installment. This long-running detective series follows cases investigated by its titular inspector across multiple decades of crime fiction.

Start with A Great Deliverance, the first of 22 books in the Inspector Lynley series.

#	Title
1	A Great Deliverance 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Payment in Blood 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Well-Schooled in Murder 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	A Suitable Vengeance 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	For the Sake of Elena 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Missing Joseph 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Playing for the Ashes 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	In the Presence of the Enemy 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Deception on His Mind 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	A Traitor to Memory 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	A Place of Hiding 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	With No One as Witness 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	What Came Before He Shot Her 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Careless in Red 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	This Body of Death 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Believing the Lie 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Just One Evil Act 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	A Banquet of Consequences 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	The Punishment She Deserves 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Something to Hide 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	A Slowly Dying Cause 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2004–2020)

Elizabeth George's two-book non-fiction series explores the craft of fiction writing, published between 2004 and 2020. Beginning with Write Away, which delves into George's personal approach to novel writing and the author's life, the series continues with Mastering the Process. Both books should be read in publication order to follow the author's development of her instructional material on the writing craft.

Start with Write Away: One Novelist's Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life and read in order.

#	Title
1	Write Away: One Novelist's Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Mastering the Process 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (2011–2016)

The Saratoga Woods series comprises four mystery novels by Elizabeth George, published between 2011 and 2016 in completed form. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Edge of Nowhere and continuing through The Edge of the Shadows, The Edge of the Water, and concluding with The Edge of the Light. This series follows interconnected stories set in the Pacific Northwest, blending mystery and suspense across its four installments.

Start with The Edge of Nowhere, the first of 4 books in the Saratoga Woods series.

#	Title
1	The Edge of Nowhere 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Edge of the Shadows 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Edge of the Water 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Edge of the Light 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1999–2001)

Elizabeth George's two-book short story collection series comprises The Evidence Exposed (1999) and I, Richard (2001), both now out of print. These mystery collections should be read in publication order, beginning with The Evidence Exposed. The series is complete and offers standalone stories that showcase George's expertise in the mystery and thriller genre.

Start with The Evidence Exposed and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Evidence Exposed 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	I, Richard 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (2024–2024)

Elizabeth George's The Abandonment of Hannah Armstrong is an ongoing mystery series comprising five books published in 2024. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with Deception Pass and continuing through Fisherman's Alibi, Maxwelton Beach, Possession Point, and Saratoga Woods. This series blends mystery and thriller elements with investigative depth characteristic of George's work.

Start with Deception Pass, the first of 5 books in the The Abandonment of Hannah Armstrong series.