Susanna Centlivre published 1 novella, 1 play and 26 other books, beginning with The Perjur'd Husband (1700). The best-known is The Busy Body (1709).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Susanna Centlivre
Start here
The Busy Body
Susanna Centlivre's most-read book.
Novellas in order
A Bold Stroke for a Wife (1717)
Plays in order
The Wonder (1770)
Other books in order
The Perjur'd Husband (1700)
The Beau's Duel (1702)
Love's Contrivance, Or, Le Medecin Malgre Lui (1703)
The Stolen Heiress (1703)
The Basset-table (1705)
The Gamester (1705)
Love at a Venture (1706)
The Double Gallant (1707)
The Platonick Lady (1707)
The Gamester: A Comedy (1708)
The Busie Body (1709)
The Busy Body (1709)
The Man's Bewitch'd (1709)
A Bickerstaff's Burying (1710)
Mar-plot, Or, the Second Part of the Busie-body (1711)
The Perplex'd Lovers (1712)
The Wonder, a Woman Keeps a Secret (1714)
The Wonder: A Woman Keeps a Secret. a Comedy (1714)
A Wife Well Manag'd (1715)
The Gotham Election (1715)
An Epistle to the King of Sweden from a Lady of Great-Britain (1717)
The Cruel Gift (1717)
The Artifice (1723)
The Busie Body, a Comedy (1754)
The Works of the Celebrated Mrs. Centlivre (1760)
The Ghost (1767)
About Susanna Centlivre
Susanna Centlivre, also known professionally as Susanna Carroll, was an English poet, actress, and "the most successful female playwright of the eighteenth century". Centlivre's "pieces continued to be acted after the theatre managers had forgotten most of her contemporaries." During a long career at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, she became known as the second woman of the English stage, after Aphra Behn.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Susanna Centlivre FAQ
- How many books has Susanna Centlivre written?
- Susanna Centlivre published 1 novella, 1 play and 26 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Susanna Centlivre's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Busy Body.
- What is Susanna Centlivre's last book?
- A Bold Stroke for a Wife (1717).
- What is Susanna Centlivre's most famous book?
- The Busy Body (1709) is Susanna Centlivre's most widely read book.
- Can I read Susanna Centlivre's books for free?
- Yes. 3 books by Susanna Centlivre are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like Susanna Centlivre
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.