Looking for Martha Grimes books in order? This complete guide is here to help you out. While it is not the only series that Martha Grimes has written, the Richard Jury series has become her most recognizable. But she has also written a few other small series, two standalones, a collection, and a non-fiction book.
By far, however, the quaint English atmosphere in the Richard Jury books has become synonymous with her name. Grimes was part of redefining wave of the mystery genre in the 1980s when her debut was published. For Grimes, that momentum was lead by Richard Jury.
Jump to:
- Where to Start?
- Richard Jury Books in Order
- Other Martha Grimes Books
- Martha Grimes Adaptations
- About Martha Grimes
Where to Start?
While it is entirely up to the reader and whichever series interests you the most, the most common place is to begin reading with her Richard Jury series. These books make up the most of her bibliography and are the ones that brought her the most acclaim.
The other books by Martha Grimes bear similarities to this series, but there are subtle differences as well as more prominent ones. For example, the Richard Jury books are the only ones she has written that take place in England. So, if you are looking for the cozy murder mystery atmosphere with quaint English villages, you should absolutely begin with the Jury series.
However, if you’re interested in beginning with a book that is slightly darker in tone, keep reading to find out which series best fits the bill.
Richard Jury Books in Order
Our list of the Martha Grimes books in order begins with her Richard Jury series. This starts with her debut novel and subsequent releases, which all follow her beloved detective of Richard Jury.
Richard Jury begins the series as a chief inspector for the Scotland Yard and must investigate numerous murders throughout England. While each book follows a new murder and investigation, it is recommended to read the books in order of publication.
That’s because there are many recurring characters and the chronological order matches the publication order. So, if you intend to read all the books and do not want to read spoilers, the publication order will offer the best reading experience.
- The Man with a Load of Mischief (1981)
- The Old Fox Deceiv’d (1982)
- The Anodyne Necklace (1983)
- The Dirty Duck (1984)
- Jerusalem Inn (1984)
- The Deer Leap (1985)
- Help the Poor Struggler (1985)
- I Am the Only Running Footman (1986)
- The Five Bells and Bladebone (1987)
- The Old Silent (1989)
- The Old Contemptibles (1991)
- The Horse You Came in On (1993)
- Rainbow’s End (1995)
- The Case Has Altered (1997)
- The Stargazey (1998)
- The Lamorna Wink (1999)
- The Blue Last (2001)
- The Grave Maurice (2002)
- The Winds Change (2004)
- The Old Wine Shades (2006)
- Dust (2007)
- The Black Cat (2010)
- Vertigo 42 (2014)
- The Knowledge (2018)
- The Old Success (2019)
- The Red Queen (2025)
Other Martha Grimes Books
Standalone Books
Martha Grimes has also published two standalone titles. The first is a long-form poem, while the second book is more akin to the traditional mysteries that became most well-known for.
However, unlike the Richard Jury books, The End of the Pier takes place in a small, rural American town. As well, a character from her Emma Graham series does feature in the standalone book.
- Send Bygraves (1989)
- The End of the Pier (1992)
Emma Graham Books
While Richard Jury is her longest and by far her most popular series, Grimes has also written a few other series, including the Emma Graham books. This series depicts the pettiness and cruelty of small town America as it focuses on the difficult decisions a young girl must make as she becomes an adult.
Similar to Grimes’ own upbringing, the setting of this series takes place against the backdrop of a decaying resort hotel. Grimes has said that it mirrors her own upbringing, except for the addition of the sheriff and the murders.
- Hotel Paradise (1995)
- Cold Flat Junction (2000)
- Belle Ruin (2005)
- Fadeaway Girl (2011)
- The Sweet Cheat (2026)
Andi Oliver Books
Next in our list of the Martha Grimes books in order is a series which takes place in the U.S. as well. The first book takes place in New Mexico and features two characters from her previous books, while the sequel takes place in North Dakota. This series is much darker than her cozier Richard Jury mysteries.
- Biting the Moon (1999)
- Dakota (2008)
Foul Matter Books
This duology stands apart from the rest of the books in Martha Grimes’s bibliography because it is also a tongue-in-cheek critique of the publishing industry. The books still contain the murder mystery readers have come to expect from Grimes, but against the backdrop of the cutthroat publishing industry.
- Foul Matter (2003)
- The Way of All Fish (2014)
Novella Collection
The only novella collection in our list of the Martha Grimes books in order is The Train Now Departing. It contains two novellas.
- The Train Now Departing (2000)
Non-Fiction Book
Finally, Grimes has written one nonfiction book in collaboration with her son, Ken Grimes. Each contributes equally about their experience with alcoholism from stories about drinking, recovery, relapse, friendship, travel, work, success, and failure.
Martha Grimes Adaptations
Martha Grimes does have screen adaptations, but they’re not a big sprawling Hollywood franchise. The main adaptations are tied to the Richard Jury mysteries, which were turned into a German TV movie cycle, and Global Screen describes the project as a four-film series (4 x 90 minutes) based on Grimes’ novels.
The four Richard Jury books adapted in that cycle are The Man with a Load of Mischief, Help the Poor Struggler, The Deer Leap, and The Old Fox Deceiv’d. So if readers are wondering whether Martha Grimes books made it to the screen, Richard Jury is really the place to look.
That’s also why this section works best as a short Richard Jury note on a reading order page. Martha Grimes’ official site has a Movies page and film production updates that focus on Inspector Jury projects, including posts about The Man With a Load of Mischief and Help the Poor Struggler.
About Martha Grimes
Martha Grimes was born in Pittsburgh during the Great Depression. Her mother’s family owned a hotel resort in western Maryland, where they spent summers until her father died when she was six years old.
After that her mother moved Grimes and her brother to Maryland to run the hotel before it went out of business. Grimes went on to get a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Maryland as well as taking writing courses through the University of Iowa with a focus on poetry.
Many years later when Grimes was trying to get her debut novel published, she was a single mother with a drinking problem and working a job she hated teaching English at Montgomery College.
She was 50 when The Man with a Load of Mischief came out in 1981. It would be several more years until her name first appeared on a bestseller list, but now she has sold more than 10 million copies of her books in the U.S. alone.
In 2012 she was made Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, which is the organization’s highest award, and Grimes joined the ranks with the likes of Agatha Christie and John le Carre.
The inspiration for her debut novel came in 1977 when she was flipping through a book of English pubs and saw one named The Man with a Load of Mischief. She immediately thought it would be a striking title, and the story and characters followed in the subsequent years.
The title of every Richard Jury book shares its name with a pub or bar in England.
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.