Inspector Wexford books in order A series by Ruth Rendell
The Inspector Wexford series by Ruth Rendell has 28 books, from From Doon with Death (1964) to Three Cases for Chief Inspector Wexford (2002). Read it in order, starting with From Doon with Death.
Reading order: 1 From Doon with Death (1964) · 2 A New Lease of Death (1967) · 3 Wolf to the Slaughter (1967) · 4 The Best Man to Die (1969) · 5 A Guilty Thing Surprised (1970) · 6 No More Dying Then (1971) · 7 Murder Being Once Done (1972) · 8 Some Lie and Some Die (1973) · 9 Shake Hands Forever (1975) · 10 A Sleeping Life (1978) · … all 28 below
Updated September 2026
All 28 Inspector Wexford books in order
- 1.
From Doon with Death (1964)
- 2.
A New Lease of Death (1967)
- 3.
Wolf to the Slaughter (1967)
- 4.
The Best Man to Die (Jun 1969)
- 5.
A Guilty Thing Surprised (1970)
- 6.
No More Dying Then (Oct 1971)
- 7.
Murder Being Once Done (1972)
- 8.
Some Lie and Some Die (Apr 1973)
- 9.
Shake Hands Forever (Apr 1975)
- 10.
A Sleeping Life (May 1978)
- 11.
Put on By Cunning (Apr 1981)
- 12.
The Speaker of Mandarin (Feb 1983)
- 13.
An Unkindness of Ravens (Apr 1985)
- 14.
The Veiled One (1988)
- 15.
Kissing the Gunner's Daughter (1992)
- 16.
Simisola (Sep 1994)
- 17.
Road Rage (Sep 1997)
- 18.
Harm Done (Sep 1999)
- 19.
The Babes in the Wood (2002)
- 20.
End in Tears (Oct 2005)
- 21.
Not in the Flesh (2007)
- 22.
The Monster in the Box (2009)
- 23.
The Vault (2011)
- 24.
No Mans Nightingale (2013)
Murder (Jul 1972)
The Copper Peacock, and Other Stories (1991)
Inspector Wexford (1993)
Three Cases for Chief Inspector Wexford (2002)
Inspector Wexford FAQ
- How many Inspector Wexford books are there?
- There are 28 Inspector Wexford books, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read the Inspector Wexford books in?
- In publication order, starting with From Doon with Death (1964): 1 From Doon with Death (1964) · 2 A New Lease of Death (1967) · 3 Wolf to the Slaughter (1967) · 4 The Best Man to Die (1969) · 5 A Guilty Thing Surprised (1970) · 6 No More Dying Then (1971) · … all 28 below.
- What is the first Inspector Wexford book?
- From Doon with Death (1964).
- What is the latest Inspector Wexford book?
- Three Cases for Chief Inspector Wexford (2002).
- Is the Inspector Wexford series finished?
- There have been no new Inspector Wexford books since 2002; Ruth Rendell died in 2015.
Sources: series order and dates from Wikidata and Open Library. Last updated September 2026.