🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About P.C. James
P.C. James is a published author of cozy mysteries. The author has always had a love for mystery stories. His passion for mysteries was also fueled by discovering the iconic character of Miss Marple as written by author Agatha Christie. He says that one of the reasons he enjoyed the character so much is that Miss Marple was similar to the way his aunts were when P.C. was growing up. James says he would have liked to have known more about the details of the life that Miss Marple used to lead. When writing his own series of novels about an older sleuth cracking her own cases, he decided he would like to follow the career started by the amateur detective from the very beginning.
All Book Series by P.C. James
In The Beginning, There Was a Murder
Series opener · book 1 of 10 · published 2020
Miss Riddell and the Pet Thefts
Latest in the series · book 10 of 10 · published 2023
Hey Diddle Diddle, the Runaway Riddle
Series opener · book 1 of 8 · published 2023
Death on the Blackrock Steps
Latest in the series · book 8 of 8 · published 2026
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is P.C. James?
P.C. James is a published author of cozy mysteries. The author has always had a love for mystery stories. His passion for mysteries was also fueled by discovering the iconic character of Miss Marple as written by author Agatha Christie.
Which P.C. James series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Miss Riddell series, the earliest of P.C. James's multi-book series: it opens with In The Beginning, There Was a Murder (2020) and runs to 10 books across 2020–2023, ending with Miss Riddell and the Pet Thefts (2023). P.C. James's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has P.C. James written?
P.C. James has 32 books catalogued in this guide, published between 2020 and 2026. Every one of them sits in one of 4 named series — the largest being the Sassy Senior Sleuths series with 11 books.
In what order should P.C. James's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. P.C. James's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Miss Riddell (2020–2023, 10 books), The Duchess of Snodsbury Amateur Detective (2022–2024, 3 books) and Sassy Senior Sleuths (2023, 11 books), plus 1 more.
How are P.C. James's books organised into series?
This guide splits P.C. James's 32 books into 4 named series, with no standalone titles: Sassy Senior Sleuths (11 books, 2023); Miss Riddell (10 books, 2020–2023); One Man and His Dog Cozy Mysteries (8 books, 2023–2026); The Duchess of Snodsbury Amateur Detective (3 books, 2022–2024).