50+ Rhys Bowen Books In Order (with Printable List)
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Author Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 50 books as of now.
If you’ve recently asked the question “Is Rhys Bowen still writing”, I’m happy to report that she isn’t showing any signs of slowing down her writing anytime soon.
And because she has so many books, across multiple book series, I put together this list of all Rhys Bowen books in order so you can read them in chronological order.
Reading Rhys Bowen’s books in chronological order is definitely the best way to enjoy the different series that she writes.
And there are a lot of books. So don’t miss the Printable List I’ve got for you towards the bottom of this post.
Contents
What Genre Is Rhys Bowen?
Rhys Bowen writes historical fiction and historical fiction mysteries.
Rhys Bowen is actually a pseudonym for Janet Quin-Harken, a British author born in Bath, England who wrote children’s and young adult books until the mid-1990s when she decided to create the pseudonym of Rhys Bowen and write historical fiction and historical mysteries.
She writes both standalone novels along with several book series. I’m going to show you the best reading order of her books so that you can get the most enjoyment out of them.
Rhys Bowen Books in Order
Rhys Bowen writes several different series of books along with standalone novels. So it gets a bit confusing on which books belong in which series.
I’ve got them organized here for you in order by publication date and separated by series.
Rhys Bowen Books In Order – Constable Evans Series
The Constable Evans series was the first mystery series written by Rhys Bowen. The last book published in this series was in 2006, so I think she’s finished with this one!
These books are set in the mountains of North Wales in a cozy little village called Llanfair and the main character is Constable Evan Evans.
Constable Evans is the only constable in this village filled with unforgettable characters, so when the occasional mystery happens in Llanfair, it falls to Constable Evans to solve it.
You can’t help but be completely charmed by the characters in this series, and the titles themselves are charmingly unique as well.
Evans Above – 1997
Evan Help Us – 1998
Evanly Choirs – 1999
Evan and Elle – 2000
Evan Can Wait – 2001
Evans To Betsy – 2002
Evan Only Knows – 2003
Evan’s Gate – 2004
Evan Blessed – 2005
Evanly Bodies – 2006
Rhys Bowen Molly Murphy Books In Order
The second book series written by Rhys Bowen is the Molly Murphy mysteries, and she won Agatha and Anthony Awards for this one.
This is a cozy historical mystery series set in early 20th century New York, and as of now, this is an ongoing series that Rhys is still adding new books to.
As you might have guessed by the name of this series, the main character here is none other than Molly Murphy!
Molly Murphy is a spirited Irish redhead who always seems to find trouble. After finding the worst trouble of all, Molly is forced to leave Ireland and strike out on her own – across the big pond in New York (with the police following right behind her).
So far, this is a great historical mystery series, and Rhys Bowen seems to be collaborating with her daughter Clare Broyles on the latest books added to this series. Perhaps Clare Broyles will be following in her mother’s footsteps and starting some interesting series of her own!
Here’s the publication order of Molly Murphy mysteries, including three short stories that she wrote to accompany this series. The Amersham Rubies short story was written in 2011 but is actually a prequel to the series.
Murphy’s Law – 2001
Death Of Riley – 2002
For the Love Of Mike – 2003
In Like Flynn – 2004
Oh Danny Boy – 2006
In Dublin’s Fair City – 2007
Tell Me, Pretty Maiden – 2008
In A Gilded Cage – 2009
The Last Illusion – 2010
Bless the Bride – 2011
The Amersham Rubies – 2011 (Prequel Short Story)
Hush Now, Don’t You Cry – 2012
The Face In the Mirror – 2013 (Short Story)
The Family Way – 2013
Through the Window – 2014 (Short Story)
City Of Darkness and Light – 2014
The Edge Of Dreams – 2015
Away In A Manger – 2015
Time Of Fog and Fire – 2016
The Ghost Of Christmas Past – 2017
Wild Irish Rose – 2022
All That Is Hidden – 2023
In Sunshine Or In Shadow – 2024
Silent In The Grave – 2025
Rhys Bowen Books In Order – Royal Spyness Series
The Royal Spyness series, also sometimes referred to as the Lady Georgie series or the Her Royal Spyness series is the third historical mystery series written by Rhys Bowen.
This series is set in England during the 1930s, and the main character is Lady Georgiana Rannoch. More specifically, she is Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, 34th in line for the English throne, and believe it or not, Lady Georgiana (or Georgie to her friends) is flat broke.
Georgiana is a cousin to King George V and occasionally has to do some sleuthing for Her Majesty the Queen. Unfortunately, things don’t always go smoothly and things can become quite complicated very quickly.
The comical things that happen as poor, flatter broke than a pancake Lady Georgiana tries to maneuver life in general along with her royal sleuthing will have you laughing out loud.
My personal introduction to author Rhys Bowen was through the first Royal Spyness mystery, and I promptly finished the first book, acquired all the rest immediately, and read them one after the other.
Lady Georgie just stays in your heart. I love her! So far, this is my favorite cozy mystery series of all time.
Her Royal Spyness – 2007
A Royal Pain – 2008
Royal Flush – 2009
Royal Blood – 2010
Naughty In Nice – 2011
The Twelve Clues Of Christmas – 2012
Masked Ball At Broxley Manor – 2012 (Prequel Novella)
Heirs and Graces – 2013
Queen Of Hearts – 2014
Malice At the Palace – 2015
Crowned and Dangerous – 2016
On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service – 2017
Four Funerals and Maybe A Wedding – 2018
Love and Death Among the Cheetahs – 2019
The Last Mrs. Summers – 2020
God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen – 2021
Peril In Paris – 2022
The Proof Of the Pudding – November 7, 2023
We Three Queens – 2024
Rhys Bowen Standalone Books
In 2017 Rhys Bowen started writing some standalone historical fiction books in addition to her book series.
While it’s best to read the above book series in the order I’ve listed above, it doesn’t really matter what order you read the standalone books because they are not connected in any way.
In Farleigh Field – 2017
The Tuscan Child – 2018
What Child Is This – 2018 (Christmas Story)
The Victory Garden – 2019
Above the Bay Of Angels – 2020
The Venice Sketchbook – 2021
Where the Sky Begins – 2022
The Paris Assignment – 2023
The Rose Arbor – 2024
FAQs About Rhys Bowen Books In Order
Do Rhys Bowen books need to be read in order?
Rhys Bowen writes both standalone novels as well as several series. The two series that she is still writing books for are the Royal Spyness series and the Molly Murphy series. The standalone novels can be read in any order, but the series books should be read in the order of publication to get the most enjoyment out of them.
Do you have to read Her Royal Spyness in order?
Yes. The Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen should be read in order of publication.
Rhys Bowen Books In Order – Conclusion
If you like historical fiction, especially WWII-era historical fiction, you’ll definitely enjoy the Rhys Bowen standalone novels.
And if you love cozy mysteries and historical mysteries, I highly recommend the historical fiction mystery series that Rhys Bowen writes. All three of them are excellent, and Rhys is still adding new books to both the Molly Murphy and Royal Spyness series.
And if you like a little humor in your mystery, start with the Royal Spyness books! Lady Georgie is sassy, fun, and hilarious 🙂 This is (so far), my favorite cozy mystery series of all time. Be sure and start with Her Royal Spyness, the first book in the series!
For more stuff in this genre, feel free to head over here to explore more historical fiction.
Printable List of Rhys Bowen Books In Order
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