Anthony Horowitz Books in Order: Complete Book & Series List

By Anna Marie CarrollMystery

Anthony Horowitz books in order span teenage spy adventures, adult murder mysteries, horror stories, fantasy, graphic novels, and official continuations of Sherlock Holmes and James Bond. This guide brings those works together by series, then covers his standalones, plays, collections, and anthologies.

I’ve listed retitled editions and useful omnibus collections without treating them as separate original stories. Publication years use U.S. dates when a U.S. edition is available and the original English-language year when it isn’t.

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Where to Start with Anthony Horowitz

For Horowitz’s adult mysteries, I’d start with The Word Is Murder if you want a clever detective series with the author appearing as a fictional character. Start with Magpie Murders if you prefer a traditional mystery tucked inside a modern murder investigation.

For younger readers, Stormbreaker is the natural starting point for Alex Rider. Raven’s Gate is the place to begin with his supernatural fantasy, while Groosham Grange is a fun choice for younger readers who like spooky school stories.

Alex Rider Series

Alex Rider discovers that his uncle’s death wasn’t an accident. His uncle was an MI6 agent, and Alex is pulled into the same dangerous world before he has much chance to refuse. The main novels work best in publication order. Russian Roulette is a prequel about Yassen Gregorovich, but I’d still read it where it was published.

For a more detailed look at the series, check out our dedicated Alex Rider books in order article.

  1. Stormbreaker (2001)
  2. Point Blanc / Point Blank (2002)
  3. Skeleton Key (2003)
  4. Eagle Strike (2004)
  5. Scorpia (2005)
  6. Ark Angel (2006)
  7. Snakehead (2007)
  8. Crocodile Tears (2009)
  9. Scorpia Rising (2011)
  10. Russian Roulette (2013) (Prequel)
  11. Never Say Die (2017)
  12. Nightshade (2020)
  13. Nightshade Revenge (2024)

Alex Rider: The Graphic Novels

The graphic novels adapt the main Alex Rider missions in the same order as the original books. Antony Johnston adapted the later volumes, with several artists bringing the stories to the page.

  1. Stormbreaker: The Graphic Novel (2006)
  2. Point Blanc: The Graphic Novel (2007)
  3. Skeleton Key: The Graphic Novel (2009)
  4. Eagle Strike: The Graphic Novel (2012)
  5. Scorpia: The Graphic Novel (2016)
  6. Ark Angel: The Graphic Novel (2020)
  7. Snakehead: The Graphic Novel (2025)

Alex Rider Companion Books

These companion books collect information about Alex’s equipment, missions, and secret files. They aren’t novels, so they can be read at any point after the books they cover.

  1. Alex Rider: The Gadgets (2005)
  2. Alex Rider: Mission Files (2008)

Alex Rider Short Stories

Several Alex Rider stories first appeared on their own or in special editions before being collected. Some of the material overlaps, so the notes below make that clear.

  1. Quite a Ride (2010) (Short story, later collected in Secret Weapon)
  2. Secret Weapon (2019) (Short story collection)
  3. Alex Rider Undercover (2020) (Short story collection)
  4. Nine Ways to Die (2025) (Short story included in the Stormbreaker Silver Edition)

Anthony Horowitz Standalone Novels

Horowitz’s first published novel was The Sinister Secret of Frederick K. Bower, later reissued as Enter Frederick K. Bower. His standalone fiction includes children’s adventures, television novelizations, adult thrillers, and a novella. Several early titles are out of print, but used copies are still available.

  1. The Sinister Secret of Frederick K. Bower / Enter Frederick K. Bower (1979) (Out of print)
  2. Misha, the Magician and the Mysterious Amulet (1981) (Out of print)
  3. Robin of Sherwood: The Hooded Man (1986) (With Richard Carpenter; out of print)
  4. Adventurer (1987) (Out of print)
  5. The New Adventures of William Tell (1989)
  6. Granny (1994)
  7. The Switch (1996)
  8. The Devil and His Boy (1998)
  9. The Killing Joke (2004) (Out of print)
  10. Vermeer to Eternity (2015) (Novella)

Horowitz also wrote Poisoned Pen, an adult mystery that has never been published in English. Spanish and Dutch editions were released under different titles.

Other Anthony Horowitz Series

Pentagram Chronicles Series

The Pentagram books follow Martin Hopkins as he discovers that the strange events surrounding his new home are connected to an ancient threat. Horowitz later reworked ideas from these books for The Power of Five.

  1. The Devil’s Door-Bell (1983) (Out of print)
  2. The Night of the Scorpion (1985) (Out of print)
  3. The Silver Citadel (1986) (Out of print)
  4. Day of the Dragon (1989) (Out of print)

Diamond Brothers Series

Tim Diamond may be the worst private detective in London, but his younger brother Nick is sharp enough to keep their cases moving. The books mix mysteries with puns, movie references, and a lot of trouble for both brothers.

  1. The Falcon’s Malteser / Just Ask for Diamond (1986)
  2. Public Enemy Number Two (1987)
  3. South by South East / South by Southeast (1991)
  4. The Blurred Man (2003)
  5. The French Confection (2003)
  6. I Know What You Did Last Wednesday (2003)
  7. The Greek Who Stole Christmas (2007)
  8. The Double Eagle Has Landed (2011) (Short story)
  9. Where Seagulls Dare (2022)

Diamond Brothers Collections

These editions collect stories from the list above. They don’t add new cases, but they’re useful if you want several of the shorter books together.

  1. Three of Diamonds (2004)
  2. Four of Diamonds (2008)
  3. Two of Diamonds (2013)

Groosham Grange Series

David Eliot is sent to Groosham Grange after being expelled from school. He soon realizes that the teachers and students are hiding something, and leaving the island may be harder than getting there.

  1. Groosham Grange (1988)
  2. The Unholy Grail / Return to Groosham Grange (1999)

Groosham Grange Graphic Novels

  1. Groosham Grange Graphic Novel (2024)
  2. Return to Groosham Grange Graphic Novel (2025)

The two original novels are also available together as Groosham Grange: Two Books in One! (2005).

Horowitz Horror Short Books

The Horowitz Horror collections turn ordinary situations into quick, nasty surprises. Bloody Horowitz is the U.S. title for More Bloody Horowitz, so it isn’t a separate collection.

  1. Horowitz Horror (1999)
  2. More Horowitz Horror (2001)
  3. More Bloody Horowitz / Bloody Horowitz (2010)

Edge: Horowitz Graphic Horror

These graphic adaptations turn four Horowitz Horror stories into short illustrated books.

  1. The Phone Goes Dead (2010)
  2. Scared (2010)
  3. Killer Camera (2010)
  4. The Hitchhiker (2010)
  5. Horowitz Horror Graphic Novel Collection (2026) (Collection of all four adaptations)

Horowitz Horror Shorts Series

These small editions package individual Horowitz Horror tales for quick reading. They overlap with the larger collections above.

  1. Killer Camera (2002)
  2. The Phone Goes Dead (2002)
  3. Burnt (2002)
  4. Scared (2002)
  5. The Night Bus (2002)
  6. Twist Cottage (2002)

The Power of Five Series

Also published as The Gatekeepers, this fantasy series begins when Matt Freeman is sent to live in a Yorkshire village after getting into trouble with the police. The village, his guardian, and the people watching him are all tied to something much older and more dangerous.

  1. Raven’s Gate (2005)
  2. Evil Star (2006)
  3. Nightrise (2007)
  4. Necropolis (2008)
  5. Oblivion (2012)

The Power of Five Graphic Novels

  1. Raven’s Gate: The Graphic Novel (2010)
  2. Evil Star: The Graphic Novel (2014)
  3. Nightrise: The Graphic Novel (2014)

Legends Series

The Legends books retell myths and heroic tales for younger readers. Each collection focuses on a different kind of story, from monsters and quests to gods and the underworld.

  1. Beasts and Monsters (2010)
  2. Battles and Quests (2010)
  3. Heroes and Villains (2011)
  4. Death and the Underworld (2011)
  5. The Wrath of the Gods (2012)
  6. Tricks and Transformations (2012)

Sherlock Holmes Contributions

Horowitz’s Sherlock Holmes stories return Holmes and Watson to Victorian London. The novels stand on their own, so you don’t need to read every original Conan Doyle story first.

  1. The House of Silk (2011)
  2. The Three Monarchs (2014) (Short story)
  3. Moriarty (2014)
  4. The Adventure of the Seven Christmas Cards (2020) (Short story)

James Bond Contributions

The Ian Fleming estate commissioned Horowitz to write three Bond novels set around Fleming’s original books. Read in Horowitz’s publication order, they move backward and forward through Bond’s career. Forever and a Day takes place before Casino Royale, Trigger Mortis follows Goldfinger, and With a Mind to Kill follows The Man with the Golden Gun.

It is best to read Ian Fleming’s original James Bond books in order before you read Horowitz’s contributions.

  1. Trigger Mortis (2015)
  2. Forever and a Day (2018)
  3. With a Mind to Kill (2022)

Susan Ryeland / Magpie Murders Series

Editor Susan Ryeland keeps finding real murders tangled up with the fictional mysteries she edits. Each book contains an Atticus Pünd mystery inside Susan’s larger investigation, so read the series in order.

  1. Magpie Murders (2017)
  2. Moonflower Murders (2020)
  3. Marble Hall Murders (2025)

Hawthorne and Horowitz Series

A fictional version of Anthony Horowitz follows private investigator Daniel Hawthorne and writes about the cases they solve together. Their difficult partnership changes from book to book, so this series should be read in order.

  1. The Word Is Murder (2018)
  2. The Sentence Is Death (2019)
  3. A Line to Kill (2021)
  4. The Twist of a Knife (2022)
  5. Close to Death (2024)
  6. A Deadly Episode (2026)

Becoming Sherlock Audio Collaborations

Horowitz co-created the first two Becoming Sherlock audio dramas with Sarah J. Naughton. They imagine a modern young Sherlock Holmes before he becomes the detective readers know.

  1. The Red Circle (2025) (With Sarah J. Naughton)
  2. The Irregulars (2025) (With Sarah J. Naughton)

Anthony Horowitz Plays and Scripts

Horowitz has written for the stage as well as television. Some of these works are available as published scripts, while others are best known through their productions.

  1. Starting Out (1990) (Published script)
  2. Mindgame (2000) (Play)
  3. A Handbag (2011) (Play)
  4. Dinner with Saddam (2015) (Play)

Anthony Horowitz Short Story Collections

These collections sit outside the series sections above. Some retell myths, while others bring together horror stories that were also issued in smaller editions.

  1. Myths and Legends (1985) (Out of print)
  2. The Kingfisher Book of Myths and Legends (2003)
  3. The Complete Horowitz Horror (2008) (Omnibus)
  4. Scared to Death (2018)

Anthony Horowitz Anthologies

Horowitz has edited anthologies, contributed stories to multi-author collections, and served as a guest editor. Death Walks Tonight is a U.S. reissue of The Puffin Book of Horror Stories, so both titles appear on one line.

  1. The Puffin Book of Horror Stories / Death Walks Tonight (1994; U.S. reissue 1996) (Editor)
  2. Midnight Feast (2011) (Contributor)
  3. RED: The Waterstones Anthology (2012) (Contributor)
  4. California Schemin’: The 2020 Bouchercon Anthology (2020) (Contributor)
  5. The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year: 2024 (2024) (Guest editor)

Who is Anthony Horowitz?

Anthony Horowitz knew from childhood that he wanted to write. He published The Sinister Secret of Frederick K. Bower early in his career, then spent years writing children’s fiction and television before Stormbreaker introduced Alex Rider to a much wider audience.

His work now ranges from young adult adventures and supernatural fantasy to adult crime fiction, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, television, films, and plays. He received an OBE for services to literature in 2014 and a CBE in 2022.

Horowitz grew up in North London. Writers he has named among his favorites include Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie, Sarah Waters, Stephen King, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Ian Fleming.

He moves between genres because different ideas call for different kinds of stories. Mystery remains a major part of his work, especially when he can build a puzzle that keeps the reader guessing.

Looking for similar books in order?

If you want more mystery authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Mystery Books in Order index.

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