Laurie R. King Reading Order

14 books (1999–2021)

Laurie R. King edited thirteen anthologies between 1999 and 2021, ranging from mystery and thriller collections to literary fiction and instructional works. These books should be read in publication order, beginning with Irreconcilable Differences and concluding with How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America. The series likely spans its complete run, with several volumes focusing on Sherlock Holmes-themed stories alongside broader mystery and crime fiction collections.

Start with Irreconcilable Differences, the first of 13 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Irreconcilable Differences 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Criminal Kabbalah: An Intriguing Anthology of Jewish Mystery and Detective Fiction 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Naked Came the Phoenix 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Murder at the Foul Line 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Wild Crimes 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Unusual Suspects 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	A Study in Sherlock 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	In the Company of Sherlock Holmes 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Writes of Passage 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Echoes of Sherlock Holmes 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Bound by Mystery 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	For the Sake of the Game 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	In League with Sherlock Holmes 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2001–2001)

#	Title
1	Folly 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2007–2013)

This complete two-book mystery series by Laurie R. King was published between 2007 and 2013 and should be read in publication order, beginning with Touchstone followed by The Bones of Paris. The series blends historical fiction with literary mystery elements, following the investigations of Harris Stuyvesant across early twentieth-century settings.

Start with Touchstone and read in order.

#	Title
1	Touchstone 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Bones of Paris 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (1993–2019)

The Kate Martinelli series consists of six mystery novels published between 1993 and 2019, following detective Kate Martinelli as she navigates cases in San Francisco. These books should be read in publication order, beginning with A Grave Talent and concluding with Beginnings. The series is now complete, offering readers a full arc across multiple decades of the character's career.

Start with A Grave Talent, the first of 6 books in the Kate Martinelli series.

#	Title
1	A Grave Talent 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	To Play the Fool 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	With Child 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Night Work 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Art of Detection 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Beginnings 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2014–2014)

24 books (1994–2025)

Laurie R. King's Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series comprises 24 books published between 1994 and 2025, with the series still ongoing. These mystery and historical fiction novels should be read in publication order, beginning with The Beekeeper's Apprentice. The series blends Sherlock Holmes lore with original storytelling across detective mysteries, wartime adventures, and cases spanning multiple continents and decades.

Start with The Beekeeper's Apprentice, the first of 24 books in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series.

#	Title
1	The Beekeeper's Apprentice 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	A Monstrous Regiment of Women 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	A Letter of Mary 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Moor 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	O Jerusalem 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Justice Hall 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Game 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Locked Rooms 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Marriage of Billie Birdsong 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Language of Bees 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	The God of the Hive 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Pirate King 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Garment of Shadows 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Dreaming Spies 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Mary Russell's War 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Mary Russell's War 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Mary's Christmas 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	The Marriage of Mary Russell 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	The Murder of Mary Russell 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Island of the Mad 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Riviera Gold 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Castle Shade 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	The Lantern's Dance 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Knave of Diamonds 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2011–2016)

Laurie R. King's Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes collection comprises three interconnected short stories and novellas published between 2011 and 2016, now complete. These tales should be read in publication order, beginning with Beekeeping for Beginners, followed by Mrs Hudson's Case, and concluding with Stately Holmes. The series blends mystery, historical fiction, and literary elements within King's established Mary Russell universe.

Start with Beekeeping for Beginners and read in order.

3 books (2012–2013)

This three-book nonfiction series by Laurie R. King was published between 2012 and 2013 and is now complete. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Arvon Book of Crime and Thriller Writing, followed by Crime and Thriller Writing (cowritten with Michelle Spring), and concluding with Laurie R. King's Sherlock Holmes. These instructional works draw on King's expertise in mystery, thriller, and literary fiction to guide writers through the craft of crime and thriller storytelling.

Start with The Arvon Book of Crime and Thriller Writing and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Arvon Book of Crime and Thriller Writing 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Crime and Thriller Writing(With: Michelle Spring) 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Laurie R. King's Sherlock Holmes 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2026–2026)

4 books (1999–2025)

Laurie R. King's Short Stories/Novellas series comprises four works published between 1999 and 2025, with the collection still ongoing. These standalone pieces should be read in publication order, beginning with Paleta Man. The series spans King's signature genres of mystery, historical fiction, and literary storytelling, featuring the novellas Paleta Man, Hellbender, Mila's Tale, and Two Kids on a Grift.

Start with Paleta Man, the first of 4 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.

#	Title
1	Paleta Man 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Hellbender 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Mila's Tale 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Two Kids on a Grift 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2027–2027)

6 books (1998–2022)

Laurie R. King's collection of six standalone novels spans from 1998 to 2022 and should be read in publication order beginning with A Darker Place. Each book functions as an independent work rather than a connected series, allowing readers to approach them individually or in sequence. The novels draw from King's versatility across mystery, historical fiction, and literary fiction, with the author bringing her distinctive voice to varied narratives over her two-decade career. The series appears to be complete as of 2022.

Start with A Darker Place, the first of 6 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	A Darker Place 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Keeping Watch 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Califia's Daughters 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	My Thesis Being... 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Lockdown 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Back to the Garden 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible