The Charles Finch books in order mostly center on the Charles Lenox Mysteries, his Victorian mystery series about a gentleman detective in London. If you’re starting the series for the first time, I’d read Charles Lenox in publication order before trying the chronological order.
Along with Lenox, Finch has also written a standalone novel and a nonfiction book, so I’ve included those after the series list. The Lenox section includes the prequel novels and short stories too, because they’re part of the same world.
Jump to:
- Charles Lenox Mysteries
- Charles Finch Standalone Book
- Charles Finch Nonfiction Book
- Who is Charles Finch?
Charles Lenox Mysteries
Charles Lenox Books in Publication Order
Publication order is the order I’d recommend for most first-time readers. You’ll start with Finch’s debut and then follow Lenox’s personal life, friendships, and career as they develop across the series.
Each Charles Lenox book has its own case, but the character arcs build. Later books can spoil parts of Lenox’s relationships and career, so I wouldn’t hop around on a first read.
- A Beautiful Blue Death (2007)
- The September Society (2008)
- The Fleet Street Murders (2009)
- A Stranger in Mayfair (2010)
- A Burial at Sea (2011)
- An East End Murder (2011) (Short Story)
- A Death in the Small Hours (2012)
- An Old Betrayal (2013)
- The Laws of Murder (2014)
- Home by Nightfall (2015)
- The Inheritance (2016)
- Gone Before Christmas (2017) (Short Story)
- The Woman in the Water (2018) (Prequel #1)
- The Vanishing Man (2019) (Prequel #2)
- The Last Passenger (2020) (Prequel #3)
- An Extravagant Death (2021)
- The Hidden City (2025)
- Midnight in the House of Commons (2026)
Charles Lenox Books in Chronological Order
Chronological order starts with the prequel novels before jumping back to Finch’s debut. Finch has often pointed readers toward The Woman in the Water as a strong starting point, and I can see why. It introduces Lenox earlier in his career, after Finch had already spent years writing the character.
That said, publication order still works better for a first read. The shift from the polished prequels back to A Beautiful Blue Death can feel noticeable. Chronological order is fun once you already know Lenox and want to see his life unfold in sequence.
- The Woman in the Water
- The Vanishing Man
- The Last Passenger
- A Beautiful Blue Death
- The September Society
- The Fleet Street Murders
- A Stranger in Mayfair
- An East End Murder (Short Story)
- A Burial at Sea
- A Death in the Small Hours
- An Old Betrayal
- The Laws of Murder
- Home by Nightfall
- The Inheritance
- Gone Before Christmas (Short Story)
- An Extravagant Death
- The Hidden City
- Midnight in the House of Commons
Charles Finch Standalone Book
Charles Finch’s only standalone novel is also his only novel outside the Charles Lenox world. It follows William Baker after his graduation from Yale. After the presidential campaign he worked on ends in disappointment, he leaves New York for Oxford, where a passionate affair changes his life.
- The Last Enchantments (2014)
Charles Finch Nonfiction Book
Charles Finch’s nonfiction book began as a diary project for the Los Angeles Times during the first year of COVID-19. The result is a personal look at a strange year, the books and culture that distracted him, and the way daily life changed during that time.
Who is Charles Finch?
In addition to being an author, Charles Finch is a book critic and essayist. His criticism has appeared in The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, and he received the Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing from the National Book Critics Circle.
Most readers know him for the Charles Lenox Mysteries, which follow a Victorian gentleman and amateur sleuth through cases in and around London. Finch brings Victorian England to life with atmosphere, humor, and a strong sense of character.
Writing mystery novels took Finch some practice before he felt fully comfortable with the form. He has said that when he wrote his first Lenox novel, he drafted a large chunk of the book before knowing who the murderer was. That’s not the way he recommends writing mysteries now.
Before he begins a novel, Finch now writes a private short story for himself. It lays out the crime, the weapon, the motive, the red herrings, and the details Lenox will need to solve the case. Once Finch knows what really happened, he can decide what to reveal and what to hold back.
Finch was born in New York City and has lived elsewhere in the U.S., England, and France.
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.