Village Mysteries Books in Order
Part ofMargaret Mayhew Books in OrderFollow Margaret Mayhew's Village Mysteries in order, with summaries, Frog End background, and clear advice on where to start with the Colonel.
Last updated: July 14, 2026
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Village Mysteries books in publication order
6 books
Old Soldiers Never Die
by Margaret Mayhew
1999
After early retirement and the death of his wife, a former army colonel moves to Frog End. A murder at the village fete draws him into local rivalries and begins his unexpected second career as a sleuth.
Three Silent Things
by Margaret Mayhew
2008
The Colonel finds celebrated actress Lois Delaney dead in her bath, in what appears to be suicide. Knowing she had been preparing for a London comeback, he starts asking why someone with plans for the future would choose to die.
Dry Bones
by Margaret Mayhew
2012
A plea from a friend of the Colonel's late wife takes him to King’s Mowbray, where bones are discovered beneath a barn floor. Identifying the long-dead victim exposes old village grudges and a daunting list of possible enemies.
The Seventh Link
by Margaret Mayhew
2014
The Colonel visits an old friend in Lincolnshire during an RAF reunion. When a former Lancaster crewman is found dead in a lake, he suspects the apparent accident is tied to secrets carried by the surviving men.
Bitter Poison
by Margaret Mayhew
2016
Frog End’s Christmas production of The Snow Queen ends in tragedy when an ex-model dies after eating a mince pie. Was it a terrible allergic reaction, or did someone turn a festive party into a carefully planned act of revenge?
The Lifeline
by Margaret Mayhew
2020
A gardening project at Frog End Manor offers troubled villagers a chance to begin again. When its most difficult participant is found murdered in the greenhouse, the Colonel must sort through resentment, grief, and hidden histories.
Village Mysteries books in chronological order
Old Soldiers Never Die
by Margaret Mayhew
1999Village Mysteries, Book 1
Three Silent Things
by Margaret Mayhew
2008Village Mysteries, Book 2
Dry Bones
by Margaret Mayhew
2012Village Mysteries, Book 3
The Seventh Link
by Margaret Mayhew
2014Village Mysteries, Book 4
Bitter Poison
by Margaret Mayhew
2016Village Mysteries, Book 5
The Lifeline
by Margaret Mayhew
2020Village Mysteries, Book 6
Series background & context
The Village Mysteries follow a retired British Army Colonel, usually known simply as the Colonel, as he tries to build a quieter life after early retirement and the death of his wife, Laura. He buys Pond Cottage in Frog End, a Dorset village he and Laura had once visited, and finds that the old place needs plenty of work. So does his new life.
Frog End looks peaceful from the outside. It has a village green, an old church, a manor house, a few stone cottages, and the Dog and Duck pub. But it is also a place where everybody notices everybody else’s business. That makes it a warm setting for a cozy mystery, and a risky place to keep a secret.
The Colonel is not a detective by trade. He is observant, patient, and old-fashioned about doing the decent thing, which means he tends to become involved when something feels wrong. A death at a village fete, an actress found dead at home, bones uncovered beneath a barn floor, and trouble at an RAF reunion all pull him beyond his garden gate.
He cannot avoid the village for long.
A big part of the series is the Colonel’s gradual connection to Frog End. His next-door neighbor, Naomi Grimshaw, is a forthright companion with a sharp eye for village life. Thursday, the Colonel’s ragged-eared cat, adds a touch of domestic chaos. Familiar residents, local committees, church events, amateur theatre, and pub conversations all help make the books feel like visits to a community rather than isolated crime puzzles.
The mysteries are gentle in pace but not empty of stakes. Mayhew is interested in the resentments, old injuries, family pressures, and private regrets that can sit beneath polite village life. The Colonel often gets closer to the truth by listening carefully, remembering small details, and taking people seriously when others dismiss them.
Across the six books, the series keeps its focus on a man learning how to live after loss. The crimes matter, but so do the repairs to Pond Cottage, the pull of friendship, and the unexpected usefulness of having a place where people know your name. Start with Old Soldiers Never Die to see the Colonel arrive in Frog End, then continue in order for the fullest sense of his home, his neighbors, and the village’s growing list of secrets.
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