Penny Wanawake Books in Order

Penny Wanawake is the confident center of Susan Moody's first crime series. A Black British photographer, philanthropist, and amateur detective, Penny is the daughter of an African diplomat and an English aristocrat. She moves comfortably through wealthy circles, but she is also alert to the ways money, class, race, and power shape the people around her.

The books are lively, stylish mysteries with an international feel. Penny travels between London, the United States, the English countryside, the Mediterranean, and California, usually because a friend has disappeared, a death does not make sense, or an apparently glamorous setting is hiding something nasty.

Penny Black is the best place to start. Penny arrives in California expecting to meet a friend, only to discover that the friend has been murdered. Her search brings her into contact with private investigator Aaron Kimbell and a dangerous circle connected to valuable orchids. The novel introduces Penny's energy, her sharp humor, and her willingness to pursue an answer when the official version feels wrong.

Penny's home life is unusual in ways that add color to the series. She shares a Chelsea house with Barnaby, a charming thief and longtime companion, and Miss Antonia Ivory, who runs a domestic agency. Their schemes to take money from the very rich and direct it to people in need sit in the background of several stories, giving the novels a slightly mischievous edge.

Each installment offers a different setting and puzzle. Penny Dreadful takes Penny to Canterbury after the death of a schoolmaster who wrote lurid fiction. In Penny Post, danger disrupts an English village. Penny Royal involves a missing archaeologist and vanished gold statuettes, while Penny Wise moves the action to a luxury conference on a private Greek island.

The final two books continue the mix of travel, social observation, and amateur detection. Penny Pinching heads to California wine country, and Penny Saving finds Penny running a domestic agency after a nanny disappears. Reading in order is worthwhile because Penny's relationships, especially with Barnaby and her wider circle, develop across the seven books. Start with Penny Black and enjoy the brisk mysteries one at a time.