Rev. Clare Fergusson & Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries Reading Order
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| In the Bleak Midwinter | 2002 | Buy |
| A Fountain Filled with Blood | 2003 | Buy |
| Out of the Deep I Cry | 2004 | Buy |
| Out of the Deep I Cry (Rev. Clare Fergusson & Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries, #3) | 2004 | N/A |
| To Darkness and to Death | 2005 | Buy |
| All Mortal Flesh | 2006 | Buy |
| I Shall Not Want | 2008 | Buy |
| Letters to a Soldier | 2009 | Buy |
| One Was a Soldier | 2011 | Buy |
| Through the Evil Days | 2013 | Buy |
| Hid from Our Eyes | 2020 | Buy |
| At Midnight Comes the Cry | 2025 | Buy |
Julia Spencer-Fleming is a mystery author whose twelve-book series follows Rev. Clare Fergusson, an Episcopal priest and former Army helicopter pilot, and Russ Van Alstyne, the police chief of the fictional town of Millers Kill in upstate New York. Her debut, In the Bleak Midwinter (2002), won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel.
The series pairs traditional mystery plotting with the slow-burning relationship between Clare and Russ, whose mutual attraction is complicated by his marriage and her calling as a priest. The books draw their titles from hymns and liturgical texts, reflecting the religious themes woven through the stories. The series spans over two decades of publication, from In the Bleak Midwinter (2002) to At Midnight Comes the Cry (2025), and addresses subjects including immigration, veterans’ issues, and small-town politics alongside the murder investigations.