Order of Book Series
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Patricia Wentworth Books in Order

72 books are credited to Patricia Wentworth, published between 1910 and 2009; 1 of them appeared after Patricia Wentworth's death in 1961. The first book is A Marriage Under the Terror (1910) and the newest is The Devil's Wind (2009). Publication order is the reading order below.

Patricia Wentworth is the pen name of Dora Amy Elles.

Books
72
Published
1910–2009
Confirmed
4 of 72 titles
Pages on record
9,324 in 37 of 72 books
Reading time
155–233 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 9,324 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 37 of 72 titles with a page count on record.

See all 72 books in order Printable Patricia Wentworth checklist

Patricia Wentworth was the pen name of Dora Amy Turnbull (formerly Dillon, born Elles), a British crime writer who lived from 15 October 1877 to 28 January 1961. Miss Maud Silver, a woman private investigator in England, is the recurring character of the Miss Silver series. The Wentworth list begins with A Marriage Under the Terror (1910), and the 1930s are the busiest decade. Benbow Smith, Ernest Lamb and Frank Garrett are the other series characters.

Miss Maud Silver is a retired governess who becomes a private investigator. She uses a quiet demeanor to get people to reveal more than they intend during her investigations.

How many Patricia Wentworth books are there?

Patricia Wentworth has 72 books, released between 1910 and 2009. 1 of them were published after Patricia Wentworth's death in 1961. They include 4 series and 31 titles listed outside any series.

Patricia Wentworth Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 72 Patricia Wentworth books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. Cover of The Fire Within by Patricia Wentworth (1913)
  2. Cover of The Annam Jewel by Patricia Wentworth (1924)
  3. Cover of Anne Belinda by Patricia Wentworth (1927)
  4. Cover of Grey Mask by Patricia Wentworth, book 1 of the Miss Silver series (1928)
  5. Cover of Will o' the Wisp by Patricia Wentworth (1928)
  6. Cover of The Coldstone by Patricia Wentworth (1930)
  7. Cover of Red Shadow / Red Danger by Patricia Wentworth (1932)
  8. Cover of Outrageous Fortune / Seven Green Stones by Patricia Wentworth (1933)
  9. Cover of Touch and Go / Devil in the Dark by Patricia Wentworth (1934)
  10. Cover of The Case is Closed by Patricia Wentworth, book 2 of the Miss Silver series (1937)
  11. Cover of The Blind Side by Patricia Wentworth, book 1 of the Ernest Lamb series (1939)
  12. Cover of Lonesome Road by Patricia Wentworth, book 3 of the Miss Silver series (1939)
  13. Cover of Danger Point / In the Balance by Patricia Wentworth, book 4 of the Miss Silver series (1941)
  14. Cover of The Chinese Shawl by Patricia Wentworth, book 5 of the Miss Silver series (1943)
  15. Cover of Miss Silver Deals with Death / Miss Silver Intervenes by Patricia Wentworth, book 6 of the Miss Silver series (1943)
  16. Cover of The Clock Strikes Twelve by Patricia Wentworth, book 7 of the Miss Silver series (1944)
  17. Cover of The Key by Patricia Wentworth, book 8 of the Miss Silver series (1944)
  18. Cover of Wicked Uncle / Spotlight by Patricia Wentworth, book 12 of the Miss Silver series (1947)
  19. Cover of The Case of William Smith by Patricia Wentworth, book 13 of the Miss Silver series (1948)
  20. Cover of Eternity Ring by Patricia Wentworth, book 14 of the Miss Silver series (1948)
  21. Cover of The Catherine Wheel by Patricia Wentworth, book 15 of the Miss Silver series (1949)
  22. Cover of Miss Silver Comes to Stay by Patricia Wentworth, book 16 of the Miss Silver series (1949)
  23. Cover of The Bradling Collection / Mr Bradling's Collection by Patricia Wentworth, book 17 of the Miss Silver series (1950)
  24. Cover of The Ivory Dagger by Patricia Wentworth, book 18 of the Miss Silver series (1950)
  1. 1
    A Marriage Under the Terror1910 · confirmed 2/4
    1910–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    The Fire Within1913 · 104 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1913104
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Queen Anne is Dead1915 · confirmed 2/4
    1915–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    The Astonishing Adventure of Jane Smith1923 · confirmed 2/4
    1923–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    The Annam Jewel1924 · 216 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1924216
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    The Red Lacquer Case1924 · confirmed 2/4
    1924–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    The Black Cabinet1925 · confirmed 2/4
    1925–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    The Dower House Mystery1925 · confirmed 2/4
    1925–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    The Amazing Chance1926 · confirmed 2/4
    1926–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Hue and Cry1927 · confirmed 2/4
    1927–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    Anne Belinda1927 · 228 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1927228
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    Grey MaskMiss Silver #11928 · confirmed 2/4
    1928–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Will o' the Wisp1928 · 214 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1928214
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    Fool ErrantBenbow Smith #11929 · 320 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1929320
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    Kingdom Lost1930 · 296 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1930296
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    The Coldstone1930 · 244 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1930244
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    Beggar's Choice1930 · confirmed 2/4
    1930–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    Danger CallingBenbow Smith #21931 · confirmed 2/4
    1931–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    Red Shadow / Red Danger1932 · 228 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1932228
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    Nothing Venture1932 · 256 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1932256
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    Walk with CareBenbow Smith #31933 · confirmed 2/4
    1933–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    Outrageous Fortune / Seven Green Stones1933 · 240 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1933240
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    Touch and Go / Devil in the Dark1934 · 218 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1934218
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    Fear by Night1934 · 218 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1934218
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    Red Stefan1935 · confirmed 2/4
    1935–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    Blindfold1935 · confirmed 2/4
    1935–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    Dead or AliveFrank Garrett #11936 · confirmed 2/4
    1936–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    Hole and Corner1936 · confirmed 2/4
    1936–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 29
    The Case is ClosedMiss Silver #21937 · confirmed 2/4
    1937–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    Down UnderBenbow Smith #41937 · confirmed 2/4
    1937–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Patricia Wentworth series and characters in order

Each link below opens a reading-order page with every book in publication order.

Patricia Wentworth books grouped by series

Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. None of these groups has a reading-order page of its own on this site.

Benbow Smith in order

4 books
  1. 1. Fool Errant
  2. 2. Danger Calling
  3. 3. Walk with Care
  4. 4. Down Under

Ernest Lamb in order

3 books
  1. 1. The Blind Side
  2. 2. Who Pays the Piper?
  3. 3. Pursuit of a Parcel

Frank Garrett in order

2 books
  1. 1. Dead or Alive
  2. 2. Rolling Stone

Standalone books

31 books

31 Patricia Wentworth titles here are not listed as part of any series.

Do you have to read Patricia Wentworth books in order?

You only need to read Patricia Wentworth books in order within each series: the books listed here span 4 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.

Where to start with Patricia Wentworth

Start with the first book of the Patricia Wentworth series you want to read: Miss Silver starts with Grey Mask (1928) and Miss Maud Silver starts with Grey Mask (1928). The earliest catalogued title overall is A Marriage Under the Terror (1910).

What is the newest Patricia Wentworth book?

The Devil's Wind (2009) is the newest Patricia Wentworth book released so far.

Is there a new Patricia Wentworth book coming?

No next Patricia Wentworth book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Patricia Wentworth at a glance

Died
Patricia Wentworth died in 1961, according to Wikidata.
After death
Books credited to Patricia Wentworth are still being published after Patricia Wentworth's death in 1961; the newest appeared in 2009.
Release pace
Patricia Wentworth books have appeared about one a year on average.
Length
9,324 pages across the 37 of 72 books with a recorded length, a median of 240 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Patricia Wentworth books, 20 of 72, were published in the 1930s.

What the Patricia Wentworth books are about

55 of the 72 Patricia Wentworth books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: england is tagged on 31 of 55. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.

Other Mystery authors

Each link below opens a reading-order page with every book in publication order.