Quinn & Gates Books in Order

The Quinn & Gates books move away from country house cozies and into Civil War Washington, where politics, violence, and rumor are never far apart. The series begins around Abraham Lincoln's arrival in the capital and follows Adam Speed Quinn, a trusted aide with a background as a tracker and soldier, along with Sophie Gates, an ambitious young journalist who wants more than safe, polite assignments. They solve murders, but they do it in a city that feels as if it could come apart at any moment.

Neither of them is built for the sidelines.

Adam brings steadiness, field experience, and direct access to Lincoln's world. Sophie brings nerve, curiosity, and the instincts of someone determined to see what powerful people would rather keep hidden. Around them is a strong supporting cast, especially Dr. George Hilton, whose medical skill and perspective make him a key part of the investigations. That mix gives the series its shape. Adam can move through military and political spaces. Sophie can chase leads, ask awkward questions, and turn gossip into useful information.

The history is not just wallpaper. In Murder at Lincoln's Gala, a killing near Lincoln's inauguration celebration raises immediate fears of conspiracy. In Murder in Lincoln's Library, the White House itself becomes a murder scene as Washington braces for attack. In Murder at the Capitol, a body hanging beneath the unfinished dome leads into wartime intrigue and espionage. The cases are personal, but they always sit beside larger national danger. That is what makes this series feel different from Colleen Cambridge's Paris and Phyllida books.

Washington matters here. So do the White House, the Smithsonian, the Capitol, and the muddy, anxious streets in between. The city is full of soldiers, politicians, spies, free Black professionals, Southern sympathizers, and people trying to figure out which way the country is going to break. That gives the books a wide cast and a constant sense that one murder may connect to something much bigger than it first appears.

The clock is almost always ticking.

If you want historical mysteries with a stronger suspense edge, this is the Colleen Cambridge series to pick up. The books still care about character and partnership, but they move with more urgency and more political pressure. Start with Murder at Lincoln's Gala, then read Murder in Lincoln's Library and Murder at the Capitol in order to watch Adam, Sophie, and their city change as the war closes in.