Benedict Brown Books in Order
Browse all Benedict Brown books in order, with series reading order, short summaries, background on his cozy mystery worlds, and guidance on where to start.
Last updated: December 22, 2025
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Publication Order
37 books
The Holly Village Murders
by Benedict Brown
2025
Planning a quiet London Christmas, Marius and Bella instead rush to the model community of Holly Village after Bella’s aunt dies suddenly. A missing painting, cryptic note and another body at the village party reveal a killer preying on genteel pensioners, and the sleuths must expose long-buried scandals before the holiday ends in disaster.
The Alpine Christmas Mystery
by Benedict Brown
2025
At a grand hotel in the Swiss Alps, Lord Edgington and Christopher hope for peaceful walks and Christmas cheer. Instead they find ex-criminals, rumours of a stolen tiara and a guest murdered on the mountainside, forcing them to hunt a killer as snow and bodies begin to pile up.
Murder in an Italian Castle
by Benedict Brown
2025
As Lord Edgington and his grandson begin a European tour, a wealthy landowner plunges from the belltower of his Tuscan castle. Surrounded by feuding heirs, wary locals, a dubious priest and an over-stretched police chief, they must uncover who turned a picturesque estate into a crime scene.
Death on the Night Train to Verona
by Benedict Brown
2025
On a luxurious night train from Rome, international screen idol Geraldine de la Forge is murdered in her locked compartment. With the killer trapped aboard, Lord Edgington works through jealous lovers, nervous patrons and obsessive fans before the train pulls into Verona and the culprit can vanish.
Arsenic and Old Lies
by Benedict Brown
2025
Still reeling from a friend’s death, Marius becomes obsessed with the case of Felicity Mortimer, imprisoned years earlier for poisoning her husband. Convinced she is innocent, he and Bella travel to her former home in the New Forest, where new murders prove the real killer never went away.
The Puzzle of Parham House
by Benedict Brown
2024
Summoned to Parham House to look into a small theft, Lord Edgington and Christopher are soon dealing with a series of baffling murders. Among antiques, ancient legends and quarrelling academics, they must decide whether the key lies in myth, money or a killer’s elaborate plan.
The Hurtwood Village Murders
by Benedict Brown
2024
Returning to their childhood village, Marius and Bella discover that three Heaton cousins have received identical death threats—and one is already lying dead with a knife in his chest. As old business feuds and wartime scars surface, they must save the remaining cousins before the writer of the letters keeps their promise.
The Christmas Candle Murders
by Benedict Brown
2024
In the Surrey village of Kilston Down, the death of an unpopular miser barely raises an eyebrow—until other residents start dying quietly in their beds. Spending Christmas there, Lord Edgington and Christopher peel back layers of village cheer to expose a murderer hiding behind tinsel and tradition.
The Castleton Affair
by Benedict Brown
2024
Hired to find missing government aide Ernest Castleton, Marius and Bella follow a trail from London offices to a foreign secretary’s coastal mansion. There they stumble into the murder of a French diplomat and a tangle of spies, jealous aristocrats and diplomatic secrets with deadly consequences.
Death at Silent Pool
by Benedict Brown
2024
Investigating the disappearance of a politician’s wife at a beauty spot known as Silent Pool, Lord Edgington runs straight into a wall of family hostility. When the chief suspect is murdered and five combative siblings turn on one another, he races to stop the killer before the estate is emptied by death.
A Novel Way to Kill
by Benedict Brown
2024
Visiting a family of famous authors at their country house, Lord Edgington and his grandson are confronted with an elderly man thrown from a window and three fiercely competitive sisters. This novella sees them pick apart rivalries, rewrites and a death that seems ripped from a manuscript.
A Corpse from the Past
by Benedict Brown
2024
In this finale to Izzy’s adventures, someone begins murdering suspects from her previous cases and leaving clues that point straight at her. Lured to a remote Welsh mansion with a roster of faces from old investigations, she has one chance to catch the avenger before she becomes the final corpse.
A Body at the Grand Hotel
by Benedict Brown
2024
Invited to speak at a mystery convention on the English Riviera, Marius thinks he’s in for an easy seaside weekend. When his sharp-tongued hostess is found dead in the hotel pool and every clue contradicts the last, he and Bella must dig past polite smiles to find a killer hiding in plain sight.
What the Vicar Saw
by Benedict Brown
2023
After the vicar of Condicote is found dead in the vestry before a baron’s funeral, the local police quickly settle on a suspect. Lord Edgington, sensing a rush to judgment, sifts through village feuds, family secrets and church politics to save an innocent man from the gallows.
The Christmas Bell Mystery
by Benedict Brown
2023
Escaping unwanted relatives, Lord Edgington heads to a snowbound coastal manor to investigate an attack on a miserly viscount. When one of the bickering heirs is killed instead, he and Christopher must decide which member of the grasping family is willing to murder for a fortune.
Murder at Everham Hall
by Benedict Brown
2023
Struggling mystery author Marius Quin accepts an invitation to a New Year’s Eve party at Everham Hall, hoping for a distraction from writer’s block and unpaid bills. When their vain actor host is shot in his own home and the estate is snowed in, Marius and Lady Bella Montague are pushed into their first real investigation.
Blood on the Banisters
by Benedict Brown
2023
On the morning of his granddaughter’s society wedding, the Duchess of Hinwick is found murdered and the groom—Lord Edgington’s grandson—seems to be caught red-handed. To clear him, Edgington must probe a poisonous family where almost everyone is delighted the duchess is dead.
A Killer in the Wings
by Benedict Brown
2023
When an actor dies onstage during the premiere of a new mystery play, the theatre company insists it wasn’t an accident. Investigating behind the curtains of London’s West End, Lord Edgington and Christopher uncover rivalries, affairs and an old secret simmering beneath the greasepaint.
A Corpse at A School Reunion
by Benedict Brown
2023
Talked into attending her old school reunion, Izzy finds herself trapped in a locked-down building with the bullies and teachers who made her life miserable. After a series of “accidents” culminates in a teacher’s death, she races to uncover which classmate is killing for revenge.
The Tangled Treasure Trail
by Benedict Brown
2022
During a high-speed treasure hunt through 1926 London, Lord Edgington and his grandson Christopher investigate an industrialist’s death that soon links jazz-fuelled parties, a notorious nightclub and a second, very different victim.
The Snows of Weston Moor
by Benedict Brown
2022
Stranded by a blizzard, Lord Edgington and his grandson take refuge in a remote manor where a troupe of actors is snowed in for Christmas. Old scandals, a missing fortune and a growing body count turn the cosy party into a dangerous, locked-in investigation.
The Curious Case of the Templeton
by Benedict Brown
2022
A reclusive millionaire fears he is being poisoned, so Lord Edgington, Christopher and their staff descend on Riverside Keep, where an uneasy young bride, resentful heirs and secretive servants turn a simple protection job into a multi-body country-house puzzle.
The Crimes of Clearwell Castle
by Benedict Brown
2022
A weekend visit to friends in the Forest of Dean plunges Lord Edgington and Christopher into rumours of a centuries-old curse at Clearwell Castle. When villagers start dying and ghost stories resurface, they must look past legends to uncover a very human motive.
A Corpse at a Wedding
by Benedict Brown
2022
As best woman at her friend Ramesh’s lavish wedding, Izzy expects chaos but not a corpse. When a drama-loving bridesmaid in a rival wedding dress is found dead and multiple guests confess, she must untangle years of resentment before the ceremony is ruined for good.
The Mystery of Mistletoe Hall
by Benedict Brown
2021
Invited to spend Christmas at a colleague’s country house, Lord Edgington and his family arrive to find Mistletoe Hall deserted and the snow closing in. As strangers trickle in and bodies begin to fall, he races to link seven very different guests to one ruthless killer.
Murder at the Spring Ball
by Benedict Brown
2021
At his seventy-fifth birthday ball in 1925, retired detective Lord Edgington discovers someone is murdering his own guests. With only his shy teenage grandson and a loyal golden retriever to help, he must unpick a nest of family secrets before the music stops.
Death on a Summer’s Day
by Benedict Brown
2021
Lord Edgington’s grand summer road trip across England ends at a crumbling Lake District estate where an old tragedy still hangs in the air. When one of the holiday party is murdered, he must solve a mystery that has festered for fifty years.
Death from High Places
by Benedict Brown
2021
On a sunny outing to a scenic viewpoint, what looks like a tragic fall quickly feels wrong to Lord Edgington. This novella follows him and Christopher as they test alibis and bravado, searching for a killer who hides behind an apparent accident.
A Corpse in a Quaint English Village
by Benedict Brown
2021
Planning a romantic weekend in a picture-postcard village, Izzy instead finds a battered body in the middle of the summer fête. As more deaths follow, she battles nosy locals, hungry journalists and her overly enthusiastic mother to unmask the killer.
A Corpse in a Locked Room
by Benedict Brown
2021
Private detective Izzy Palmer attends a strained family reunion at a grand house, only for one relative to be found murdered in a room locked from the outside. To catch the killer, she has to sift decades of grudges and protect her own mother.
A Body at a Boarding School
by Benedict Brown
2021
Called to Oakton Academy for Distinguished Young Gentlemen, Lord Edgington investigates a teacher found bludgeoned with a monkey statue on the last day of term. Staff scandals, vicious prefects and rebellious pupils make the school’s corridors as dangerous as any city street.
A Corpse on the Beach
by Benedict Brown
2020
A free holiday at an exclusive Atlantic-coast hotel turns sour when a young woman’s body washes up on the private beach. Surrounded by secretive guests, old scandals and a shadowy organisation, Izzy must separate sun-lounger gossip from lethal lies.
A Corpse in the Country
by Benedict Brown
2020
Given forty-eight hours and a tempting fee to solve a millionaire’s death at Vomeris Hall, Izzy dives into a classic country-house mystery. Each of the victim’s children has a motive, and even the staff are hiding more than one dangerous secret.
A Corpse in London
by Benedict Brown
2020
When beloved film star Samuel Akerele collapses in Piccadilly Circus, his famous family hires Izzy to investigate. Between pushy agents, jealous relatives, obsessed fans and a city distracted by a royal wedding, she has to find which admirer wanted him dead.
A Corpse in a Caravan
by Benedict Brown
2020
Hoping for a quiet break on the south coast, Izzy rents a caravan and is instantly swept into her neighbours’ petty feuds. When one resident is found dead after a storm, she decides the floodwater hides a carefully planned murder.
A Corpse for Christmas
by Benedict Brown
2020
Disguised as a nanny in a snowed-in Scottish Highlands resort, Izzy is hired to protect an anonymous client receiving threatening letters. After a fake Father Christmas turns up dead among the pines, she juggles feuding aristocrats, childcare and a very real killer.
A Corpse Called Bob
by Benedict Brown
2019
Office worker and crime-novel addict Izzy Palmer discovers her loathed boss stabbed in his London office and decides the police need her help. Juggling suspicious colleagues, a prickly best friend and an inconvenient crush, she hunts a murderer who might be closer than she thinks.
Where should I start?
If you enjoy classic 1920s country house mysteries: Murder at the Spring Ball → A Body at a Boarding School → Death on a Summer’s Day
If you want a festive Lord Edgington sampler: The Mystery of Mistletoe Hall → The Snows of Weston Moor → The Christmas Bell Mystery → The Christmas Candle Murders
If you prefer a modern, funny amateur sleuth: A Corpse Called Bob → A Corpse in the Country → A Corpse on the Beach → A Corpse in London
If you like new historical sleuths and writer heroes: Murder at Everham Hall → The Hurtwood Village Murders → The Castleton Affair → A Body at the Grand Hotel
If you want Lord Edgington solving cases abroad: Murder in an Italian Castle → Death on the Night Train to Verona → The Alpine Christmas Mystery
Author bio
Benedict Brown grew up in South London in a household that treated crime novels almost like family heirlooms. He now lives in the medieval city of Burgos in northern Spain with his French-Spanish wife and their two children.
As a kid, his favourite half-hour of the week was the creative writing slot at primary school. By his teens he was wrestling with his first, truly terrible novel, which didn’t go anywhere except to prove that telling stories was what he wanted to do. Studying literature at university and completing an MA in Creative Writing felt like the natural next steps.
For years he poured that energy into children’s and young adult fiction. He tried everything from fairy tales to environmental dystopias to serious, issue‑driven teen books. One of those projects, The Princess and The Peach, was long‑listed for a prize run by a national newspaper and even attracted interest from a film producer, but the mainstream children’s market never quite opened its doors.
After enough near misses, he turned back toward the stories he had always loved reading at home: classic mysteries. Growing up in a crime‑fiction‑mad family meant he knew the rhythms of a whodunit by heart, and once he started sketching out murders and red herrings instead of dragons and robots, everything clicked.
His first full‑length novel for adults, A Corpse Called Bob, introduces Izzy Palmer, a South London office worker and crime‑fiction obsessive who finds her horrible boss dead at his desk and decides to investigate. That book launched a contemporary series of funny, twisty mysteries that follow Izzy through country houses, caravan parks, Spanish beach hotels, Scottish snowstorms and one very stressful school reunion.
Not long after Izzy arrived, he turned to the 1920s and created Lord Edgington of Cranley Hall, a retired detective who teams up with his teenage grandson Christopher. The Lord Edgington Investigates novels mix country‑house balls, snowbound manors, road trips, ghosts, gossip and an endlessly hungry golden retriever. Readers who enjoy the feel of golden‑age crime have embraced the series, and its books have regularly found their way onto mystery bestseller charts.
More recently, he has added another historical sleuth to the mix: Marius Quin, a mystery novelist with writer’s block who keeps stumbling into real murders in late‑1920s England. Alongside Lady Bella Montague and basset hound Percy, Marius tackles village feuds, diplomatic scandals and old miscarriages of justice while constantly comparing his life to the stories he used to plot on paper.
Across all three series, his trademarks are fair‑play puzzles, warm humour and a fondness for slightly oddball supporting casts. He has built his career largely outside traditional publishing, reaching readers directly and, in the process, seeing his books appear on international bestseller lists and attracting the attention of a new wave of digital‑first publishers.
Most days you’ll find him at a desk overlooking the Castilian countryside, trying not to be distracted by the vultures, hawks and red kites that drift past the window. When he’s not inventing new corpses, he loves chatting with readers, sending out free mystery novellas to his mailing list and plotting the next impossible crime for his detectives to solve.
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
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