Looking for Martha Grimes books in order? Grimes is best known for the Richard Jury mysteries, which pair a Scotland Yard detective with English village settings, eccentric suspects, and a recurring cast led by Melrose Plant.
Her bibliography also includes the Emma Graham mysteries, the darker Andi Oliver books, the publishing-world Foul Matter novels, standalones, novellas, and a memoir. Each series has its own tone, so there are several good places to begin.
Jump to:
- Where to Start?
- Richard Jury Books
- Other Martha Grimes Series
- Martha Grimes Standalone Books
- Martha Grimes Non-Fiction Book
- Martha Grimes Adaptations
- About Martha Grimes
Where to Start?
For most readers, I recommend starting with The Man with a Load of Mischief. It introduces Richard Jury, Melrose Plant, and the recurring characters who give the series much of its charm.
If you’d rather begin with an American setting, try Hotel Paradise. For something darker, Biting the Moon is the better fit. Readers who enjoy sharp publishing satire may prefer Foul Matter.
Richard Jury Books
The Richard Jury series follows a Scotland Yard detective as he investigates murders across England. Each book has its own central case, but the friendships, romances, and personal storylines continue from one novel to the next.
I recommend reading the series in publication order. It’s the simplest way to follow Jury, Melrose Plant, Sergeant Wiggins, and the rest of the recurring cast without running into spoilers.
One quick note: Some series lists place The Deer Leap before Help the Poor Struggler. The order below follows their first U.S. publication dates, which place Help the Poor Struggler first.
- 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)
- Help the Poor Struggler (1985)
- The Deer Leap (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 of 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 Series
Emma Graham Books
The Emma Graham mysteries follow a sharp, curious girl in a small American town shaped by old secrets and an aging resort hotel. The setting draws on Grimes’s childhood summers at her mother’s hotel in western Maryland.
These books build on Emma’s relationships and earlier discoveries, so I recommend reading them in publication order.
- Hotel Paradise (1996)
- Cold Flat Junction (2000)
- Belle Ruin (2005)
- Fadeaway Girl (2011)
- The Sweet Cheat (2026)
Andi Oliver Books
The Andi Oliver books are darker than the Richard Jury mysteries and take place in the American West. The series is commonly listed as Andi Oliver, although Martha Grimes’s official site spells the character’s surname Olivier.
Read these two books in order, beginning with Biting the Moon.
- Biting the Moon (1999)
- Dakota (2008)
Foul Matter Books
The Foul Matter novels mix mystery with a dry, pointed look at the publishing industry. The second book continues with several characters from the first, so it’s best to read them in order.
- Foul Matter (2003)
- The Way of All Fish (2014)
Novella Collection
The Train Now Departing collects two novellas: “The Train Now Departing” and “When the Mousetrap Closes.”
- The Train Now Departing (2000)
Martha Grimes Standalone Books
Martha Grimes’s standalone books are very different from each other. Send Bygraves is a book-length poem, while The End of the Pier is an American mystery featuring Maud Chadwick, who also appears in the Emma Graham books.
- Send Bygraves (1989)
- The End of the Pier (1992)
Martha Grimes Non-Fiction Book
Double Double is a dual memoir written by Martha Grimes and her son, Ken Grimes. They tell their stories in alternating sections and write candidly about alcoholism, recovery, relapse, family, work, and the ways addiction affected both of their lives.
Martha Grimes Adaptations
The main Martha Grimes screen adaptations are German-language television films based on the Richard Jury mysteries. Fritz Karl plays Jury, with Götz Schubert as Melrose Plant.
The adapted novels include The Man with a Load of Mischief, Help the Poor Struggler, The Deer Leap, and The Old Fox Deceiv’d.
About Martha Grimes
Martha Grimes was born in Pittsburgh and spent her childhood summers at her mother’s hotel in western Maryland. That hotel background later helped shape the setting and atmosphere of the Emma Graham books.
She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Maryland and studied writing at the University of Iowa. Her first Richard Jury mystery, The Man with a Load of Mischief, was published in 1981.
In 2012, the Mystery Writers of America named Grimes a Grand Master, placing her among previous honorees such as Agatha Christie and John le Carré.
The Richard Jury titles are famously drawn from pub and bar names. That tradition began with The Man with a Load of Mischief and became one of the series’ signatures.
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.