🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Ellis Peters
Edith Mary Pargeter, better-known by her pen name, Ellis Peters, was born in 1913, just before the onset of WWI, in Horsehay, a village on the western outskirts of Dawley, Shropshire, England. She was the last-born in a family of three children. Her brother/eldest sibling was named Ellis, the name she later adopted as her pseudonym. Her elder sister was named Margaret. They lived in a small community situated a short distance from Dawley. The family loved music and the children were encouraged to read from a tender age. The atmosphere at Peters’s home was sympathetic, encouraging and vibrant. Her mother influenced her life and her siblings’ lives greatly, as she was once quoted saying. Ellis attended elementary school in Dawley and then Coalbrookdale High School for Girls.
All Book Series by Ellis Peters
Brother Cadfael's Penance
Latest in the series · book 23 of 23 · published 1994
Murder in Midsummer: Classic Mysteries for the Holidays
Book 5 of 6 · published 2019
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ellis Peters?
Edith Mary Pargeter, better-known by her pen name, Ellis Peters, was born in 1913, just before the onset of WWI, in Horsehay, a village on the western outskirts of Dawley, Shropshire, England. She was the last-born in a family of three children. Her brother/eldest sibling was named Ellis, the name she later adopted as her pseudonym.
Which Ellis Peters series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Inspector Felse series, the earliest of Ellis Peters's multi-book series: it opens with Fallen Into the Pit (1951) and runs to 13 books across 1951–1978, ending with Rainbow's End (1978). Ellis Peters's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Ellis Peters written?
Ellis Peters has 61 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1951 and 2024. 43 of them belong to 3 named series — the largest being the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series with 23 books — and 18 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Ellis Peters's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Ellis Peters's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Inspector Felse (1951–1978, 13 books) and Chronicles of Brother Cadfael (1977–1994, 23 books).
How are Ellis Peters's books organised into series?
This guide splits Ellis Peters's 61 books into 3 named series and 18 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Chronicles of Brother Cadfael (23 books, 1977–1994); Inspector Felse (13 books, 1951–1978); Murderous Christmas Stories (7 books, 2016–2022).