Reading Order List โ€” Book Series Reading Order Guide

Shirley Rousseau Murphy Reading Order

7 series ยท 51 books ยท Born 1928

Shirley Rousseau Murphy was a prolific American author known for her captivating mystery novels and childrenโ€™s literature. Over her prolific career from 1967 to 2018, she penned 51 books across seven series, including the popular Joe Grey mysteries and the Dragonbards fantasy series. Her writing earned her multiple accolades, highlighting her significant contributions to the literary world.

Anthologies Series

Complete

3 books (1988โ€“2005)

Start with The Unicorn Treasury and read in order.

#Title
1
The Unicorn Treasury
2
Cover of Motherhood Is Murder
Motherhood Is Murder
3
Christmas Cats

Children of Ynell Series

Complete

5 books (1977โ€“1981)

Start with The Ring of Fire, the first of 5 books in the Children of Ynell series.

#Title
1
The Ring of Fire
2
The Wolf Bell
3
Cover of Caves of Fire and Ice
Caves of Fire and Ice
4
Cover of The Castle of Hape
The Castle of Hape
5
Cover of The Joining of the Stone
The Joining of the Stone

Dragonbards Series

Complete

3 books (1985โ€“1988)

Start with Nightpool and read in order.

#Title
1
2
Cover of The Ivory Lyre
The Ivory Lyre
3
Cover of The Dragonbards
The Dragonbards

Joe Grey Series

Complete

22 books (1996โ€“2018)

Start with Cat Under Fire, the first of 22 books in the Joe Grey series.

#Title
1
Cover of Cat Under Fire
Cat Under Fire
2
Cover of Cat on the Edge
Cat on the Edge
3
Cover of Cat Raise the Dead
Cat Raise the Dead
4
Cover of Cat in the Dark
Cat in the Dark
5
Cover of Cat To The Dogs
Cat To The Dogs
6
Cover of Cat Spitting Mad
Cat Spitting Mad
7
Cover of Cat Laughing Last
Cat Laughing Last
8
Cat Seeing Double
9
Cover of Cat Fear No Evil
Cat Fear No Evil
10
Cover of Cat Breaking Free
Cat Breaking Free
11
Cover of Cat Cross Their Graves
Cat Cross Their Graves
12
Cat Deck the Halls
13
Cover of Cat Pay the Devil
Cat Pay the Devil
14
Cover of Cat Playing Cupid
Cat Playing Cupid
15
Cover of Cat Striking Back
Cat Striking Back
16
Cover of Cat Coming Home
Cat Coming Home
17
Cat on the Money
18
Cover of Cat Telling Tales
Cat Telling Tales
19
Cover of Cat Bearing Gifts
Cat Bearing Gifts
20
Cover of Cat Shout for Joy
Cat Shout for Joy
21
Cover of Cat Chase the Moon
Cat Chase the Moon
22
Cover of Cat Shining Bright
Cat Shining Bright

Lee Fontana Series

Complete

2 books (2014โ€“2015)

Start with The Cat, The Devil, and Lee Fontana and read in order.

#Title
1
Cover of The Cat, The Devil, and Lee Fontana
The Cat, The Devil, and Lee Fontana
2
Cover of The Cat, the Devil, the Last Escape
The Cat, the Devil, the Last Escape

Picture Series

Complete

2 books (1978โ€“1983)

Start with The Pig Who Could Conjure The Wind and read in order.

#Title
1
Cover of The Pig Who Could Conjure The Wind
The Pig Who Could Conjure The Wind
2
Cover of Tattie's River Journey
Tattie's River Journey

Standalone Novels Series

Complete

14 books (1967โ€“2011)

Start with The Sand Ponies, the first of 14 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#Title
1
The Sand Ponies
2
Cover of White Ghost Summer
White Ghost Summer
3
4
Cover of Poor Jenny, Bright As A Penny
Poor Jenny, Bright As A Penny
5
Cover of The Grass Tower
The Grass Tower
6
Cover of Silver Woven in My Hair
Silver Woven in My Hair
7
Cover of Soonie and the Dragon
Soonie and the Dragon
8
Cover of Elmo Doolan and the Search for the Golden Mouse
Elmo Doolan and the Search for the Golden Mouse
9
Cover of The Flight of the Fox
The Flight of the Fox
10
Cover of Valentine for a Dragon
Valentine for a Dragon
11
Cover of Medallion of the Black Hound
Medallion of the Black Hound
12
Cover of The Song of the Christmas Mouse
The Song of the Christmas Mouse
13
Cover of The Catswold Portal
The Catswold Portal
14

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Shirley Rousseau Murphy written?
Shirley Rousseau Murphy has written 51 books across 7 series. Their published works span from 1967 to 2018.
What is the first book in each Shirley Rousseau Murphy series?
Here are the first books in Shirley Rousseau Murphy's series: Anthologies: The Unicorn Treasury; Children of Ynell: The Ring of Fire; Dragonbards: Nightpool; Joe Grey: Cat Under Fire; Lee Fontana: The Cat, The Devil, and Lee Fontana.
What order should I read Shirley Rousseau Murphy's books?
We recommend reading Shirley Rousseau Murphy's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Are Shirley Rousseau Murphy's series complete?
Shirley Rousseau Murphy has 7 completed series.

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