Tessa Harris Books in Order
Explore Tessa Harris books in order, with concise summaries, series background, and easy guidance on where to begin with her historical fiction.
Last updated: July 14, 2026
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Tessa Harris books in publication order
14 books
The Anatomist's Apprentice
by Tessa Harris
2011
When Lord Edward Crick's death puts Lady Lydia Farrell's husband under suspicion, she turns to American anatomist Thomas Silkstone. His examination of the corpse uncovers a dangerous trail of secrets, poison, and powerful people determined to bury the truth.
The Dead Shall Not Rest
by Tessa Harris
2012
In 1780s London, Thomas Silkstone investigates a murdered castrato while grave robbers and surgeons circle the dying Charles Byrne, the Irish Giant. Protecting Byrne's body becomes as urgent as exposing the ruthless ambitions behind the murder.
The Devil's Breath
by Tessa Harris
2013
A choking fog blankets England as Joseph Makepeace's children are found murdered, and villagers blame possession and evil. Dr. Thomas Silkstone follows medical evidence through panic, family secrets, and a disaster that turns the countryside deadly.
The Lazarus Curse
by Tessa Harris
2014
Thomas Silkstone investigates a missing botanist and a headless body linked to a Jamaican expedition. A rumored potion that can mimic death has vanished with the expedition's journal, drawing him into murder, exploitation, and dangerous ambition.
Shadow of the Raven
by Tessa Harris
2015
With Lady Lydia confined in Bedlam, Thomas Silkstone fights to free her and protect her estate. A murdered surveyor, desperate villagers, and a battle over common land force him to untangle murder from a carefully planned grab for power.
Secrets in the Stones
by Tessa Harris
2016
Lady Lydia finds Sir Montagu Malthus murdered and becomes the leading suspect. Despite his own injury, Thomas Silkstone traces a ceremonial Indian dagger, a missing diamond, and old secrets that could clear Lydia or destroy her future.
The Sixth Victim
by Tessa Harris
2017
In 1888 Whitechapel, flower seller Constance Piper fears her missing mentor may become another victim of the Ripper panic. Troubled by strange visions, she searches London's dangerous streets for answers no one else is willing to pursue.
The Angel Makers
by Tessa Harris
2018
Flower seller Constance Piper investigates a string of infant deaths tied to Victorian London's shadowy baby-farming trade. Guided by the spirit of her late mentor, she works with Detective Hawkins to uncover who is exploiting desperate mothers.
A Deadly Deception
by Tessa Harris
2019
Months after the Ripper's last known murder, a Whitechapel killing sparks fresh terror. Constance Piper and Detective Thaddeus Hawkins uncover links to old victims, Irish politics, and a conspiracy that may be far larger than one murderer.
Beneath a Starless Sky
by Tessa Harris
2020
Jewish ballerina Lilli Sternberg dreams of a life onstage as Nazi power rises in Munich. Her love for army officer Marco Zeiller becomes increasingly dangerous, forcing them to choose between personal happiness, safety, and freedom.
The Light We Left Behind
by Tessa Harris
2021
In 1944, psychologist Maddie Gresham is sent to Trent Park to draw secrets from captured Nazi generals. Reunited with a Jewish refugee she once loved, she must hide her feelings while searching for a traitor inside the operation.
The Paris Notebook
by Tessa Harris
2023
In 1939 Hamburg, Katja Heinz types a psychiatrist's notes on a former patient, Adolf Hitler. She and the doctor flee to Paris hoping to publish the explosive notebook, while Nazi agents close in to silence them.
The Tuscan Daughter
by Tessa Harris
2024
English tutor Lizzie Thornton loves her life in wartime Lucca, despite working for a prominent Fascist. When a new tutor reveals his resistance work, Lizzie must decide how much she will risk for Italy, truth, and freedom.
The Florence Sisters
by Tessa Harris
2025
As war closes in on Florence, art historian Angelina Leone makes a perilous deal to protect her aunt and her circle of English women. Declaring a stolen masterpiece fake puts Lina in the path of Fascists, Nazis, and betrayal.
Where to start with Tessa Harris
For eighteenth-century forensic mysteries: The Anatomist's Apprentice → The Dead Shall Not Rest → The Devil's Breath → The Lazarus Curse
For Victorian London mysteries: The Sixth Victim → The Angel Makers → A Deadly Deception
For World War II suspense: Beneath a Starless Sky → The Light We Left Behind → The Paris Notebook → The Tuscan Daughter
Tessa Harris sub-series and character series
Constance Piper Mystery books in order
Explore this seriesDr. Thomas Silkstone books in order
Explore this series
The Anatomist's Apprentice
by Tessa Harris
2011Dr. Thomas Silkstone, Book 1
The Dead Shall Not Rest
by Tessa Harris
2012Dr. Thomas Silkstone, Book 2
The Devil's Breath
by Tessa Harris
2013Dr. Thomas Silkstone, Book 3
The Lazarus Curse
by Tessa Harris
2014Dr. Thomas Silkstone, Book 4
Shadow of the Raven
by Tessa Harris
2015Dr. Thomas Silkstone, Book 5
Secrets in the Stones
by Tessa Harris
2016Dr. Thomas Silkstone, Book 6
Dr. Thomas Silkstone books in chronological order

The Anatomist's Apprentice
by Tessa Harris
2011Dr. Thomas Silkstone, Book 1
The Dead Shall Not Rest
by Tessa Harris
2012Dr. Thomas Silkstone, Book 2
The Devil's Breath
by Tessa Harris
2013Dr. Thomas Silkstone, Book 3
The Lazarus Curse
by Tessa Harris
2014Dr. Thomas Silkstone, Book 4
Shadow of the Raven
by Tessa Harris
2015Dr. Thomas Silkstone, Book 5
Secrets in the Stones
by Tessa Harris
2016Dr. Thomas Silkstone, Book 6
Standalone Tessa Harris books
Author bio
Tessa Harris was born and grew up in Louth, Lincolnshire, and her route to fiction began with a love of history and a long career in journalism. She studied History at Oxford University, then returned to her hometown to work on a local newspaper.
That first reporting job led to London, where Harris became a women's editor on a newspaper. She later wrote features for Best magazine, edited an arts and listings publication, and served as deputy editor of Heritage magazine.
Journalism taught her to research, listen, and turn a lot of information into a story readers can follow.
After becoming a mother, she worked freelance for national newspapers and magazines, while also taking on jobs in literary publicity and documentary production. In 2005, she became editor of Berkshire Life. Her years in magazines and newspapers gave her a practical feel for detail, deadline pressure, and the small facts that make a period setting feel lived in.
A screenplay competition opened another door. In 2000, Harris won a Europe-wide contest run by the London Screenwriters' Workshop, and her script was optioned for film. It was set in eighteenth-century London, so she began digging into the people, medicine, and social tensions of the era. That research led her to Dr. Thomas Silkstone, the American anatomist at the center of The Anatomist's Apprentice.
Published in 2011, The Anatomist's Apprentice launched a six-book historical mystery series. Silkstone works in England during the 1780s, using close observation and early medical knowledge to investigate deaths that other people would rather explain away. Harris followed it with The Dead Shall Not Rest, The Devil's Breath, The Lazarus Curse, Shadow of the Raven, and Secrets in the Stones. The debut won the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice award for Best First Mystery in 2012.
She later moved to Victorian Whitechapel for the Constance Piper mysteries, beginning with The Sixth Victim. Constance is a young flower seller living in the shadow of the Jack the Ripper murders, and the series mixes crime, class pressures, and a touch of the supernatural. The books give Harris room to write about women trying to make choices in places where money, safety, and social status are never evenly shared.
Her later standalone novels turn to the twentieth century. Beneath a Starless Sky, The Light We Left Behind, The Paris Notebook, The Tuscan Daughter, and The Florence Sisters pair wartime danger with personal stories of love, loyalty, art, and survival. They move from Munich and London to Paris, Tuscany, and Florence, while keeping the focus on people pushed into difficult decisions.
History is the thread running through all of it.
Harris has also taught creative writing. She lives in the Cotswolds with her husband and has two children.
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