The Inspector de Silva Mysteries Books in Order
Part ofHarriet Steel Books in OrderThis page shows The Inspector de Silva Mysteries by Harriet Steel in order, with short summaries, series background, and a simple guide to where to start.
Last updated: July 8, 2026
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The Inspector de Silva Mysteries books in publication order
16 books
Trouble in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2016
Inspector Shanti de Silva and his English wife, Jane, move to sleepy Nuala expecting a quieter life. Instead, a suspicious death tied to a plantation owner and a crusading lawyer gives him a tricky first case in town.
Dark Clouds Over Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2017
The arrival of the heir to an English earldom brings fresh trouble to Nuala. Inspector de Silva must sort through a tangle of aristocrats, outsiders, and hidden motives before another polished social visit turns deadly.
Offstage in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2017
A visiting theatre company brings glamour to Nuala, until its actor-manager is murdered. Inspector de Silva and Jane must look past the performance and into some very ugly motives to find the killer.
Christmas in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2018
Christmas cheer fills Nuala until a brutal murder casts a shadow over the season. With Jane at his side, Inspector de Silva races to expose the killer and keep a threatened romance from becoming another casualty.
Fatal Finds in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2018
During monsoon season, a ghostly encounter on a lonely road draws Inspector de Silva into murder. The case reaches back into the past and forces him to confront both danger and his own darker thoughts.
Passage from Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2019
Shanti and Jane de Silva leave Nuala behind for a cruise to Egypt and a chance to relax. Then a writer is found murdered in his cabin, and their holiday turns into another tightly closed puzzle.
Rough Time in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2019
A peaceful evening ends when Inspector de Silva is called to the Royal Nuala Golf Club, where a wealthy member has been murdered. To solve it, he and Jane must look deep into privilege, grudges, and the guarded world of the British establishment.
High Wire in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2020
A Russian circus brings excitement to Nuala, until opening night ends in tragedy. Inspector de Silva suspects murder, and the case only grows stranger as jewel thefts, family tensions, and deadly snakes join the act.
Taken in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2020
When an American millionaire and his glamorous daughter arrive in Nuala, their visit is shattered by a vicious crime. Inspector de Silva, with Jane’s help, follows a twisting trail that includes ransom fears, high society nerves, and a mysterious fortune teller.
Cold Case in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2021
On the day of Nuala’s famous motor rally, human remains are uncovered on a tea plantation. Inspector de Silva must untangle an old crime involving a racing driver, a missing Bugatti, and a family scandal buried for years.
Break from Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2022
In autumn 1940, Shanti and Jane de Silva head to Galle for a longed-for holiday by the Indian Ocean. Death, strange illnesses, and a missing guest quickly turn the break into a dangerous investigation with consequences that reach well beyond Ceylon.
Stardust in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2022
A famous Indian film company sweeps into Nuala and throws the little town off balance. When a sudden death follows, Inspector de Silva and Jane are pulled into a bitter family conflict and a second mystery at the Residence.
Long Odds in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2023
Nuala’s premier race meeting ends in controversy and a tragic death. With thin evidence and a hostile British establishment closing ranks, Shanti and Jane face long odds as they try to uncover what really happened.
Retreat from Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2024
A peaceful stay at a mountain monastery becomes something far more dangerous when Shanti and Jane are drawn into the hunt for a stolen ancient manuscript. Hidden motives among guests and monks soon lead to deadly consequences.
Changing Times in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2025
As independence approaches, Inspector de Silva should be planning for crowds, processions, and celebration. Instead, a plantation owner falls gravely ill and his glamorous young wife disappears, forcing Shanti and Jane into a race against time.
A Curse in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2026
Now working under a new boss in independent Ceylon, Inspector de Silva faces a case involving a murdered exiled maharajah and a stolen sapphire said to be cursed. When more deaths follow, rumor and reason collide.
The Inspector de Silva Mysteries books in chronological order

Trouble in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2016The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 1
Dark Clouds Over Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2017The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 2
Offstage in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2017The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 3
Fatal Finds in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2018The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 4
Christmas in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2018The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 5
Passage from Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2019The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 6
Rough Time in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2019The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 7
Taken in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2020The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 8
High Wire in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2020The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 9
Cold Case in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2021The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 10
Break from Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2022The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 11
Stardust in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2022The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 12
Long Odds in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2023The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 13
Retreat from Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2024The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 14
Changing Times in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2025The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 15
A Curse in Nuala
by Harriet Steel
2026The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, Book 16
Series background & context
The Inspector de Silva Mysteries are set in the hill country of colonial Ceylon, in a world of tea plantations, government bungalows, social clubs, monsoon storms, and careful manners. The first book, Trouble in Nuala, introduces Inspector Shanti de Silva when he moves to the small town of Nuala with his English wife, Jane, expecting a calmer posting. Instead, murder follows him there.
At the heart of the series is Shanti himself. He is observant, decent, and patient, the kind of investigator who listens closely and does not need to shout to control a room. Jane is one of the real strengths of the books too. She is clever, curious, and emotionally steady, and her conversations with Shanti often help unlock the case. Their partnership gives the stories a calm center.
That center matters, because the world around them is full of tension. Nuala may look peaceful, but it sits inside a colonial system where race, class, money, and British authority shape daily life. Steel uses that background well. Cases grow out of family resentments, old scandals, private greed, public respectability, and the awkward rules of who may say what to whom. The mysteries feel traditional, but the setting keeps them from feeling generic.
Place is a huge part of the appeal.
Across the books, Shanti and Jane find themselves dealing with murders linked to theatre companies, rich planters, golf clubs, race meetings, film stars, monasteries, cruise ships, and holiday gatherings. That range keeps the series lively while still returning to the same familiar base. You get both variety and continuity, which is a good combination for a long-running mystery sequence.
The tone stays on the cozy side of classic crime. These are not violent thrillers built around shock. They are fair-minded whodunits with atmosphere, strong character work, and a quiet sense of humor. Steel pays attention to food, weather, gardens, ceremonies, and domestic life, which makes Nuala feel like a place you can picture clearly, not just a stage for a puzzle.
Time keeps moving in the background.
As the series goes on, the late 1930s give way to the 1940s, and bigger changes start to reach even this apparently sheltered corner of the island. War, shifting power, and the approach of independence add depth to the later books without crowding out the mystery plots. So while each novel tells its own story, there is also a longer thread running through them. If you want historical mysteries with a strong setting, a likable married couple at the center, and plenty of social detail, this series gives you a lot to settle into.
Edited by
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