Edith Pargeter published 64 novels, 1 short story collection, 2 non-fiction books, 1 children's book and 1 other book, beginning with A Morbid Taste for Bones (1977). The series is The Cadfael Chronicles (22 books, starting with A Morbid Taste for Bones). 13 feature George Felse and 3 feature Harry Talvace.
Updated September 2026
The Cadfael Chronicles books in order (22)Series page
Reading order: 1 A Morbid Taste for Bones (1977) · 2 One Corpse Too Many (1979) · 3 Monk's Hood (1980) · 4 Saint Peter's Fair (1981) · 5 The Leper of Saint Giles (1981) · 6 The Virgin in the Ice (1982) · 7 The Devil's Novice (1983) · 8 The Sanctuary Sparrow (1983) · 9 Dead Man's Ransom (1984) · 10 The Pilgrim of Hate (1984) · … all 22 below
- 1.
A Morbid Taste for Bones (1977)
- 2.
One Corpse Too Many (1979)
- 3.
Monk's Hood (1980)
- 4.
Saint Peter's Fair (May 1981)
- 5.
The Leper of Saint Giles (May 1981)
- 6.
The Virgin in the Ice (1982)
- 7.
The Devil's Novice (1983)
- 8.
The Sanctuary Sparrow (1983)
- 9.
Dead Man's Ransom (1984)
- 10.
The Pilgrim of Hate (1984)
- 11.
An Excellent Mystery (1985)
- 12.
The Raven in the Foregate (1986)
- 13.
The Rose Rent (1986)
- 14.
The Hermit of Eyton Forest (1987)
- 15.
A Rare Benedictine (1988)
- 16.
The Confession of Brother Haluin (1988)
- 17.
The Heretic's Apprentice (Feb 1989)
- 18.
The Potter's Field (Sep 1989)
- 19.
The Summer of the Danes (1991)
- 20.
The Holy Thief (1992)
- 21.
Brother Cadfael's Penance (May 1994)
- 22.
Brother Cadfael's Book of Days (2000)
Books featuring George Felse (13)
Death and the Joyful Woman (1961)
Who Lies Here? (1965)
The Piper on the Mountain (1966)
The Grass Widow's Tale (1968)
Mourning Raga (1969)
Death to the Landlords! (1972)
City of Gold and Shadows (1973)
Rainbow’s End (1978)
A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs (1988)
Black Is the Colour of My True Love’s Heart (1988)
Flight of a Witch (1988)
The House of Green Turf (1988)
Fallen into the Pit (1990)
Where to start with Edith Pargeter
Start here
A Morbid Taste for Bones
Edith Pargeter's most-read book and the first of the 22 The Cadfael Chronicles books.
Shortest way in
One Corpse Too Many
One of the most-read, at about 207 pages.
Standalone novels in order
Ordinary People (1941)
Warfare Accomplished (1947)
This Rough Magic (1953)
The Funeral of Figaro (1962)
The City Lies Four-square (1968)
A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury (1972)
Sunrise in the West (Brothers of Gwynedd, Book 1) (1974)
The Hounds of Sunset (1976)
Afterglow and Nightfall (Brothers of Gwynedd, No. 4) (1977)
The Marriage of Meggotta (1979)
Death Mask (1989)
Never Pick Up Hitch-hikers! (1989)
She Goes to War (1989)
The Eighth Champion of Christendom (1990)
The Assize of the Dying (1991)
The Horn of Roland (1991)
The Will and the Deed (1991)
Holiday with Violence (1992)
The Benediction of Brother Cadfael (1992)
Aunt Helen (1993)
Lost Children (1993)
A Means of Grace (1994)
By Firelight (1994)
The Lily Hand and Other Stories (1994)
Feline Felonies (1995)
The Soldier at the Door (1995)
Short story collections in order
The Trinity Cat (2006)
Non-fiction in order
Shropshire (1992)
Strongholds and Sanctuaries (1993)
Children's books in order
The Knocker on Death's Door (1970)
Other books in order
Cadfael Mixed a S/Wx18 (1991)
About Edith Pargeter
Edith Mary Pargeter, also known by her pen name Ellis Peters, was an English author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics. She is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern, and especially for her medieval detective series The Cadfael Chronicles.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Edith Pargeter FAQ
- How many books has Edith Pargeter written?
- Edith Pargeter published 64 novels, 1 short story collection, 2 non-fiction books, 1 children's book and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Edith Pargeter's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start The Cadfael Chronicles with A Morbid Taste for Bones. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Edith Pargeter's last book?
- The Soldier at the Door (1995).
- What is Edith Pargeter's most famous book?
- A Morbid Taste for Bones (1977) is Edith Pargeter's most widely read book.
- Are Edith Pargeter's books connected?
- 22 books belong to 1 series (The Cadfael Chronicles); the other 47 books stand alone.
- Does Edith Pargeter write under a pen name?
- Yes: Edith Pargeter has also published as Ellis Peters.
Authors like Edith Pargeter
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.