Libby Sarjeant Books in Order
Part ofLesley Cookman Books in OrderFind every Libby Sarjeant book by Lesley Cookman in order, with quick summaries, character background, and easy reading-order guidance.
Last updated: July 1, 2026
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Libby Sarjeant books in publication order
30 books
Murder in Steeple Martin
by Lesley Cookman
2006
Former actress Libby Sarjeant is directing a play for her village's new theatre when one of the cast is murdered. The show draws on wartime family history, and the real-life secrets behind it prove just as dangerous.
Murder at the Laurels
by Lesley Cookman
2007
Fran is troubled by the death of her aunt at a care home, especially once the will goes missing and long-lost relatives start obstructing questions. Libby joins her to untangle greed, family tension and murder.
Murder by the Sea
by Lesley Cookman
2008
A body on a rocky island in Nethergate Bay brings Libby and Fran into an investigation the police cannot easily solve. Their search leads from the Kent coast to smuggling routes, wartime secrets and the exploitation of illegal immigrants.
Murder in Midwinter
by Lesley Cookman
2008
When Bella Morleigh inherits a derelict theatre, Libby and Fran think they are helping a friend, not walking into a crime scene. An unknown body, then another death, tie the new case to secrets from the past.
Murder in Bloom
by Lesley Cookman
2010
Libby's son uncovers a body while gardening at Creekmarsh Place for television personality Lewis Osbourne-Walker. The police see no obvious link to the present, but Libby is not ready to let the matter rest.
Murder In The Green
by Lesley Cookman
2010
A Morris dancer is found dead on May Day, and Libby's curiosity about folklore helps pull her into the case. The investigation stretches from Kent to Cornwall, where old customs and darker beliefs blur together.
Murder at the Manor
by Lesley Cookman
2011
A writers' weekend at Ben's family home turns grim when a body is found in the grounds. The trail leads Libby and Fran into old rivalries, bruised egos and the darker side of literary friendship.
Murder Imperfect
by Lesley Cookman
2011
Threatening letters aimed at a gay friend seem nasty but manageable, until the hate turns deadly. With pantomime chaos at home and danger growing outside it, Libby and Fran step into one of their darker cases.
Murder to Music
by Lesley Cookman
2011
Libby is invited to poke around a house said to be haunted, and at first it seems more fun than crime. Then it becomes clear that someone in the present would rather old secrets stayed quiet, no matter the cost.
Murder by Magic
by Lesley Cookman
2012
A sudden death in a village church community looks impossible to explain, and locals are quick to blame the new lady vicar. Libby and Fran take a closer look at the rumor, the fear and the puzzle behind it.
Murder in the Monastery
by Lesley Cookman
2012
A rare Anglo-Saxon reliquary, a play about Saint Eldreda and a freshly discovered body collide in this eerie case. Libby and Fran have to sort out faith, history and murder before the dead start piling higher.
Murder in the Dark
by Lesley Cookman
2013
When an unidentified woman's body is found in a remote Kent garden, Libby's first fear is for her son Adam, who has been working there. To clear his name, she and Fran go after a killer with very few obvious suspects.
Murder in a Different Place
by Lesley Cookman
2014
Libby travels to the Isle of Wight for an old friend's funeral and expects grief, not detection. But an unexplained death in the family and her friend Harry's involvement make it impossible to leave the questions alone.
Murder Out of Tune
by Lesley Cookman
2014
A member of a local ukulele group is found dead in Steeple Martin's churchyard as Christmas plans gather pace. Libby tries to stay out of it, but family ties and a suspicious romance pull her back in.
Murder at Mallowan Manor
by Lesley Cookman
2015
Just before Christmas, Libby and Fran are asked to investigate rumors that are stopping the sale of grand old Mallowan Manor. The house is full of eccentric suspects, and the whole stay begins to feel like a very dangerous country-house mystery.
Murder in the Blood
by Lesley Cookman
2015
A holiday on the Turkish coast is meant to give Libby and friends a break from murder. Instead they find a body on a boat trip, and the discovery points straight back to a group of English suspects.
Murder Dancing
by Lesley Cookman
2016
An all-male dance company brings a new ballet about the Pendle Witch Trials to Steeple Martin, but strange incidents dog the production from the start. Libby and Fran soon find themselves looking into fear, superstition and murder behind the scenes.
Murder on the Run
by Lesley Cookman
2016
When Libby's son and Fran's stepdaughter join the local running club, neither sleuth expects to take much interest. Then a runner disappears during a 5K and a body is found, pulling them into another fast-moving case.
Murder Most Fowl
by Lesley Cookman
2017
Christmas pantomime rehearsals are underway when someone starts sabotaging local butcher Bob, once again cast as the dame. Libby and Fran must save the show and work out who wants it to fail.
Murder and The Pantomime Cat
by Lesley Cookman
2018
Pantomime season comes to the Alexandria theatre, where an old acquaintance of Libby and Fran is making a stage comeback. When one thoroughly disliked cast member ends up dead, the pair are drawn into a very theatrical murder.
Murder and the Glovemaker's Son
by Lesley Cookman
2019
A touring production of Twelfth Night arrives at the Oast Theatre, then a key document and its owner both vanish. When a body appears, Libby and Fran must untangle theatre gossip, old grudges and a very public scandal.
Murder by the Barrel
by Lesley Cookman
2019
Steeple Martin's first beer festival should be an easy village celebration, until an unexpected death ruins the mood. Libby soon starts asking whether it was a tragic accident or something much darker.
Murder Repeated
by Lesley Cookman
2019
Ten years after a young singer vanished without trace, a body found in a derelict Steeple Martin hotel reopens old questions. Libby suspects the new discovery is tied to the case everyone thought would stay unsolved.
Murder on the Edge
by Lesley Cookman
2020
When property owner Nick Nash fails to turn up for a house sale, Libby tries to treat it as an odd accident, until his body is found. The case pulls her and Fran into local legend, church history and a past better left buried.
Murder After Midnight
by Lesley Cookman
2021
After a New Year's party, a woman's body is found on the local golf course. Everybody has gossip about Jackie Stapleton, but almost nobody really knew her, which leaves Libby and Fran digging through rumor, dodgy deals and old grudges.
Murder Most Merry
by Lesley Cookman
2021
This festive collection brings together three Christmas Libby Sarjeant cases, from strange goings-on at Mallowan Manor to backstage trouble during pantomime season. It is a good pick if you want short, wintry mysteries in one volume.
Murder by Mistake
by Lesley Cookman
2022
Libby Sarjeant and Fran Wolfe look into the disappearance of a homeless man in Nethergate and stumble into a bitter fight over a proposed holiday park. When a body turns up, a local row becomes a murder case.
Murder by Christmas
by Lesley Cookman
2023
Two weeks before Christmas, a body in a doorway interrupts Libby's annual pantomime rehearsals. The trail leads her and Fran into local brewing politics, pub sales and a community with plenty to hide.
Murder in Autumn
by Lesley Cookman
2023
Libby is busy staging an original version of Much Ado About Nothing when an old acquaintance begins stirring up anger around the production. Then a body is found on a grand estate, and the village starts to feel far less safe.
Murder at the Crooked Horse
by Lesley Cookman
2024
A suspicious fire nearly destroys an old pub, and Libby is persuaded to take an interest. When a local antiques dealer then disappears after taking out his boat, the two mysteries begin to look very closely linked.
Libby Sarjeant books in chronological order

Murder in Steeple Martin
by Lesley Cookman
2006Libby Sarjeant, Book 1
Murder at the Laurels
by Lesley Cookman
2007Libby Sarjeant, Book 2
Murder in Midwinter
by Lesley Cookman
2008Libby Sarjeant, Book 3
Murder by the Sea
by Lesley Cookman
2008Libby Sarjeant, Book 4
Murder in Bloom
by Lesley Cookman
2010Libby Sarjeant, Book 5
Murder In The Green
by Lesley Cookman
2010Libby Sarjeant, Book 6
Murder Imperfect
by Lesley Cookman
2011Libby Sarjeant, Book 7
Murder to Music
by Lesley Cookman
2011Libby Sarjeant, Book 8
Murder at the Manor
by Lesley Cookman
2011Libby Sarjeant, Book 9
Murder by Magic
by Lesley Cookman
2012Libby Sarjeant, Book 10
Murder in the Monastery
by Lesley Cookman
2012Libby Sarjeant, Book 11
Murder in the Dark
by Lesley Cookman
2013Libby Sarjeant, Book 12
Murder in a Different Place
by Lesley Cookman
2014Libby Sarjeant, Book 13
Murder Out of Tune
by Lesley Cookman
2014Libby Sarjeant, Book 14
Murder at Mallowan Manor
by Lesley Cookman
2015Libby Sarjeant, Book 15
Murder in the Blood
by Lesley Cookman
2015Libby Sarjeant, Book 16
Murder Dancing
by Lesley Cookman
2016Libby Sarjeant, Book 17
Murder on the Run
by Lesley Cookman
2016Libby Sarjeant, Book 18
Murder Most Fowl
by Lesley Cookman
2017Libby Sarjeant, Book 19
Murder and The Pantomime Cat
by Lesley Cookman
2018Libby Sarjeant, Book 20
Murder by the Barrel
by Lesley Cookman
2019Libby Sarjeant, Book 21
Murder and the Glovemaker's Son
by Lesley Cookman
2019Libby Sarjeant, Book 22
Murder Repeated
by Lesley Cookman
2019Libby Sarjeant, Book 23
Murder on the Edge
by Lesley Cookman
2020Libby Sarjeant, Book 24
Murder After Midnight
by Lesley Cookman
2021Libby Sarjeant, Book 25
Murder Most Merry
by Lesley Cookman
2021Libby Sarjeant, Book 26
Murder by Mistake
by Lesley Cookman
2022Libby Sarjeant, Book 27
Murder in Autumn
by Lesley Cookman
2023Libby Sarjeant, Book 28
Murder by Christmas
by Lesley Cookman
2023Libby Sarjeant, Book 29
Murder at the Crooked Horse
by Lesley Cookman
2024Libby Sarjeant, Book 30
Series background & context
At heart, the Libby Sarjeant series is about what happens when a woman who knows people, notices everything, and loves the theatre refuses to mind her own business. Libby is a former actress and artist living in Steeple Martin, a Kent village that seems peaceful until you start looking closely. In the opening novel, Murder in Steeple Martin, a murder at a theatre production pulls her into an investigation and introduces Fran Castle, later Fran Wolfe, her closest friend and sleuthing partner.
The friends matter as much as the corpse.
Cookman builds these books around recurring lives, not just recurring crimes. Libby has family, neighbours, theatre commitments and a wide circle of eccentric, loyal acquaintances. Fran brings steadiness, intuition and the occasional psychic nudge. Around them is a whole local world of actors, vicars, publicans, gardeners, runners, writers and old friends, the kind of people who can supply a clue, a meal or a complication at very short notice.
The mysteries themselves tend to start from small, everyday problems rather than grand set pieces. A suspicious death in a care home becomes Murder at the Laurels. A possibly haunted house drives Murder to Music. An unidentified body in a private garden turns personal in Murder in the Dark. Even when the books stray to the Isle of Wight or the Turkish coast, the cases stay rooted in character, gossip, memory and the awkward things people hide from those closest to them.
The theatre thread runs through almost everything. Libby directs plays, works through pantomime chaos, knows performers, and keeps finding that backstage life is a perfect place for secrets. That gives the series a warm, lively texture. You get rehearsals, opening nights, village fêtes, Christmas plans and the sort of local wrangles that feel funny until somebody ends up dead. Kent itself matters too, especially the mix of village lanes, seaside weather, marshes and old smuggling country.
There is comfort here, but there is also more bite than the covers might suggest. Cookman uses a traditional mystery structure, yet she is not afraid of social tension, older wounds, or the way a whole community can look away from something ugly. Libby and Fran are good company because they do the opposite. They keep looking.
If you want a long-running British mystery series with recurring characters, strong atmosphere and plenty of theatre flavour, Libby Sarjeant is easy to settle into. Start at the beginning if you can. Watching Libby, Fran and Steeple Martin grow into themselves is part of the pleasure.
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.












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