Peter May books

Peter May is a Scottish crime fiction author known for the Lewis Trilogy and The China Thrillers, with 89 books spanning fiction, non-fiction, and humor across a career starting in 1975.

Lewis Tetralogy Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Blackhouse 2009 Buy
The Lewis Man 2011 Buy
The Chessmen 2012 Buy
The Black Loch 2024 Buy

Lewis Trilogy Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Blackhouse 2009 Buy
The Lewis Man 2011 Buy
The Chessmen 2012 Buy

Non-Fiction

Title Published Buy on Amazon
‘What’s Happening to Me?’: A Guide to Puberty 1975 Buy
‘Will I Go To Heaven?’ 1976 Buy
‘Where Did I Come From?’ 1977 Buy
‘Will I Like It?’ 1977 Buy
How To Be a Pregnant Father 1978 Buy
Baby Taming 1979 Buy
Divorce Can Happen to Nice People 1980 Buy
Great Moments in Baby History 1980 Buy
We’re Not Pregnant 1981 Buy
Congratulations, You’re Not Pregnant 1981 Buy
Grown-Ups and Other Problems: Help for Small People in a Big World 1982 Buy
Thirsty Work 1983 Buy
From Here to Maternity 1983 Buy
The Honeymoon Book 1984 Buy
Anything But Rover 1986 Buy
Sweet Dreams and Monsters 1986 Buy
Why Are We Getting a Divorce? 1988 Buy
Scruffs The Alternative Dog Show 1989 Buy
Dangerous Candy 1990 Buy
Acquired Tastes 1991 Buy
Expensive Habits 1991 Buy
Provence A-Z 1993 Buy
Provence 1993 Buy
Provence from the Air 1994 Buy
A Dog’s Life 1995 Buy
French Lessons / Bon Appetit 2001 Buy
Confessions of a French Baker 2005 Buy
Up the Agency 2009 Buy
Provence in Ten Easy Lessons 2014 Buy

Non-Fiction

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Hebrides 2013 Buy

Picture Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Amazing Adventures of Chilly Billy 1980 Buy
As Dead as a Dodo 1981 Buy
Footprints in the Butter 1988 Buy

Provence Non-Fiction Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
A Year in Provence 1989 Buy
Toujours Provence 1991 Buy
Encore Provence: New Adventures in the South of France 1999 Buy
My Twenty-Five Years in Provence 2018 Buy

Sam Levitt Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Vintage Caper 2009 Buy
The Marseille Caper 2012 Buy
The Corsican Caper 2014 N/A
The Corsican Caper / Murder in the Med 2014 Buy
The Diamond Caper 2015 Buy

Standalone Novels

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Hotel Pastis 1993 Buy
Anything Considered 1996 Buy
Chasing Cezanne 1997 Buy
A Good Year 2004 Buy
Hotel Pastis of Provence 2013 Buy

Standalone Novels

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Reporter 1978 Buy
Fallen Hero 1979 Buy
The Man with No Face / Hidden Faces 1981 Buy
The Noble Path 1992 Buy
Virtually Dead 2010 Buy
Entry Island 2013 Buy
Runaway 2015 Buy
Coffin Road 2016 Buy
I’ll Keep You Safe 2018 Buy
A Silent Death 2020 Buy
Lockdown 2020 Buy
A Winter Grave 2023 Buy

The China Thrillers Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Firemaker 1999 Buy
The Fourth Sacrifice 2000 Buy
The Killing Room 2000 Buy
Snakehead 2002 Buy
The Runner 2003 Buy
Chinese Whispers 2004 Buy
The Ghost Marriage 2010 Buy

The Enzo Files Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Extraordinary People / Dry Bones 2006 Buy
The Critic / A Vintage Corpse 2007 Buy
Blacklight Blue 2008 Buy
Freeze Frame 2010 Buy
Blowback 2010 Buy
Cast Iron 2017 Buy
The Night Gate 2021 Buy

Wicked Willie Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Man’s Best Friend 1984 Buy
Twinkle Winkle: Man’s Best Friend and Your Star Signs 1985 Buy
Wicked Willie’s Guide to Women: A Worm’s Eye View of the Fair Sex 1986 Buy
Wicked Willie’s Low-Down on Men 1987 Buy
The World According to Wicked Willie 1988 Buy
Willie’s Away! 1988 Buy
Dear Willie 1989 Buy
Wicked Willie Stand Up Comic 1990 Buy
Willie’s Leg-Over Handbook 1991 Buy

Peter May has published 89 books since 1975, spanning crime fiction, non-fiction, humor, and children’s books. His earliest works were non-fiction titles on parenting and relationships, while his crime fiction career began with The Reporter in 1978. The China Thrillers, starting with The Firemaker in 1999, established him as a crime writer with an international scope.

The Lewis Trilogy, beginning with The Blackhouse in 2009, is set on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides and became his most recognized work. A fourth book, The Black Loch, was added in 2024 to form the Lewis Tetralogy. The Enzo Files, set in France, run to seven books from Extraordinary People (2006) through The Night Gate (2021). His standalone novels include Entry Island (2013), Coffin Road (2016), and A Winter Grave (2023).

May’s catalog also includes the Sam Levitt series set in Provence, the Wicked Willie humor books from the 1980s, and a large body of non-fiction on topics ranging from Provence to parenting guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Peter May written?

Peter May has written 89 books across twelve series.

What was Peter May's first book?

Peter May’s first book is ‘What’s Happening to Me?’: A Guide to Puberty, published in 1975.

What are Peter May's most popular series?

Peter May’s most popular crime fiction series include the Lewis Trilogy (The Blackhouse, The Lewis Man, The Chessmen), The China Thrillers (seven books set in Beijing), and The Enzo Files (seven books set in France).

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