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Lillian Stewart Carl Books in Order

This page gathers collaborations between Lois McMaster Bujold and Lillian Stewart Carl, with book order, story notes, and background on their long writing friendship.

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Lillian Stewart Carl books in publication order

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21 books

Sabazel

by Lillian Stewart Carl

1985

Warrior-queen Danica forms an alliance with conquering king Bellasteros in a world shaped by Mediterranean mythology. Their relationship draws her into his wars, while carrying his child turns even his allies against her and challenges their loyalties.

The Winter King

by Lillian Stewart Carl

1986

Andrion, the son of an Amazon queen and a conquering warrior, loses his father’s empire to betrayal and barbarian invasion. Fleeing to his mother’s small kingdom, he faces the dangerous demands of divine favor.

Shadow Dancers

by Lillian Stewart Carl

1987

Emperor Andrion believes his realm is secure, but his childless marriage and mysterious attacks on his allies undermine that confidence. To confront a supernatural adversary, he must set aside his crown and contend with his precocious nephew Gard.

Wings of Power

by Lillian Stewart Carl

1989

Descended from both gods and demons, Gard is sent into exile after pushing his luck too far. Discovering magical abilities at a desert monastery, he travels to the Mohan valley and accidentally sets a war in motion.

Ashes to Ashes

by Lillian Stewart Carl

1990

Rebecca arrives at an Ohio replica of a Scottish castle to catalog historical artifacts. Her assignment brings conflict with a Scottish colleague and unwelcome attention from ghosts, turning a professional opportunity into an encounter with the past.

Dust to Dust

by Lillian Stewart Carl

1991

Rebecca Reid reunites with Michael Campbell at a Scottish priory excavation linked to Robert the Bruce and a ghostly prioress. An archaeologist’s dubious reputation, volunteers’ secrets, and a fresh body in an old grave complicate their work.

Along the Rim of Time

by Lillian Stewart Carl

2000

Eleven stories follow warriors, androids, scientists, and other ordinary people across the uncertain boundaries of reality. Settings from ancient Britain to Jupiter’s moons frame encounters with unfamiliar worlds, where mythology and human choices reshape what seems possible.

Garden of Thorns

by Lillian Stewart Carl

2000

In Fort Worth, Mark works at an archaeological excavation while Hilary is employed at an art museum. Their strained relationship becomes entangled with the secrets of a woman murdered decades earlier and someone willing to kill again.

Memory and Desire

by Lillian Stewart Carl

2000

A young actress disappears during a play about witchcraft staged in an English village theater. When a friend begins investigating what happened, the search for the missing performer places her in danger of becoming another victim.

Shadows in Scarlet

by Lillian Stewart Carl

2001

After a skeleton is discovered at an eighteenth-century house, Amanda Witham meets the ghost of Highland soldier James Grant. Promising to investigate his death, she follows contradictory historical evidence from Colonial Williamsburg to his family’s Scottish castle.

Time Enough to Die

by Lillian Stewart Carl

2002

Antiquities expert Matilda Gray reluctantly joins Scotland Yard detective Gareth March to investigate a woman’s murder. Stolen Roman and Celtic treasures link the case to an excavation, forcing the pair to cooperate before another killing occurs.

Lucifer's Crown

by Lillian Stewart Carl

2003

Rose discovers a body in the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey, beginning a mystery that draws in her teacher and a young Scottish seeker. Their investigation becomes a supernatural struggle involving a tarnished saint and the Holy Grail.

The Secret Portrait

by Lillian Stewart Carl

2005

Reporter Jean Fairbairn possesses a coin from Bonnie Prince Charlie’s lost treasure, but her story turns into a murder investigation. As a prime suspect, she must navigate Highland history and Chief Inspector Alasdair Cameron’s scrutiny.

The Murder Hole

by Lillian Stewart Carl

2006

Jean Fairbairn investigates a Loch Ness figure linked to early monster sightings and a vanished wife. When his daughter is accused over an expedition member’s death, Alasdair Cameron arrives, forcing their personal and professional partnership back into action.

The Burning Glass

by Lillian Stewart Carl

2007

Jean and Alasdair move into a castle cottage near Rosslyn Chapel, hoping to develop their relationship. Missing people, stolen artifacts, and suspicious deaths disrupt their plans, while a proposed spa brings Alasdair’s ex-wife into the mystery.

Thirteen stories mix historical mystery and fantasy in settings ranging from medieval England to colonial America and India. Soldiers, servants, and sleuths confront greed, love, and power, while encounters with the uncanny blur the boundary between past and present.

Blackness Tower

by Lillian Stewart Carl

2008

Lauren Reay discovers that the Scottish tower haunting her dreams is real, and a portrait inside bears her face. An archaeologist and a psychic researcher may help explain the mysterious forces surrounding the building and nearby ruined chapel.

The Charm Stone

by Lillian Stewart Carl

2009

Reporter Jean Fairbairn and former police officer Alasdair Cameron travel to Williamsburg, Virginia. The theft of a replica sixteenth-century Witch Box and the murder of its maker draw them into another investigation connecting historical objects with present-day violence.

The Blue Hackle

by Lillian Stewart Carl

2010

Jean and Alasdair plan to marry at a struggling estate on the Isle of Skye during a traditional New Year celebration. A guest’s murder interrupts the festivities, exposing hidden agendas among visitors gathered to help save the property.

The Mortsafe

by Lillian Stewart Carl

2011

Newly married Jean Fairbairn and Alasdair Cameron investigate two decayed bodies found beside an iron grave-protection cage in Edinburgh’s underground vaults. The cold case raises questions about old deaths and those who profit from the city’s haunted history.

The Avalon Chanter

by Lillian Stewart Carl

2014

An archaeologist opens a medieval tomb on Farnaby Island while trying to prove its connection to Arthurian Avalon. Jean’s planned historical report becomes entangled with a contemporary investigation that divides her and Alasdair amid conflicting island loyalties.

A Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron Mystery books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "The Secret Portrait"

    The Secret Portrait

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    2005A Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron Mystery, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Murder Hole"

    The Murder Hole

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    2006A Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron Mystery, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Burning Glass"

    The Burning Glass

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    2007A Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron Mystery, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "The Charm Stone"

    The Charm Stone

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    2009A Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron Mystery, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "The Blue Hackle"

    The Blue Hackle

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    2010A Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron Mystery, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "The Mortsafe"

    The Mortsafe

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    2011A Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron Mystery, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "The Avalon Chanter"

    The Avalon Chanter

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    2014A Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron Mystery, Book 7

Ashes to Ashes books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Ashes to Ashes"

    Ashes to Ashes

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    1990Ashes to Ashes, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Dust to Dust"

    Dust to Dust

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    1991Ashes to Ashes, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Garden of Thorns"

    Garden of Thorns

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    2000

Sabazel books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Sabazel"

    Sabazel

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    1985Sabazel, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Winter King"

    The Winter King

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    1986Sabazel, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Shadow Dancers"

    Shadow Dancers

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    1987Sabazel, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Wings of Power"

    Wings of Power

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    1989Sabazel, Book 4

Standalone Lillian Stewart Carl books

  1. Book cover for "Along the Rim of Time"

    Along the Rim of Time

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    2000
  2. Book cover for "Memory and Desire"

    Memory and Desire

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    2000
  3. Book cover for "Shadows in Scarlet"

    Shadows in Scarlet

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    2001
  4. Book cover for "Time Enough to Die"

    Time Enough to Die

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    2002
  5. Book cover for "Lucifer's Crown"

    Lucifer's Crown

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    2003
  6. Book cover for "The Muse and Other Stories of History, Mystery and Myth"
  7. Book cover for "Blackness Tower"

    Blackness Tower

    by Lillian Stewart Carl

    2008

Edited by

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Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

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