Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Golden Crucifix | 2018 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 2 | Blood Libel | 2018 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 3 | The White Rose | 2018 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 4 | Dark Justice | 2018 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 5 | Corpus Christi Day | 2018 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 6 | The King’s Ditch | 2018 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 7 | Child’s Play | 2019 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 8 | A Relic of Saint Cedd | 2019 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 9 | Three Score and Ten | 2019 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 10 | Deep Water | 2020 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 11 | A Matter of Justice | 2020 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 12 | The Eyes of the Dying | 2021 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 13 | Sufficient Unto the Day | 2021 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 14 | Sweet Death | 2022 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 15 | Two Tales | 2022 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 16 | The Healers | 2023 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 17 | Possession | 2024 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 18 | Whitsun Market | 2025 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
| 19 | Sisters | 2025 | Joyce Lionarons | Buy |
The Matthew Cordwainer Medieval Mystery series is Joyce Lionarons’ longer-running series, with 19 books published since 2018. Set in Bury St Edmunds, a market town dominated by its great abbey, the series follows a cordwainer (shoemaker) who finds himself investigating deaths and crimes in his community. Matthew’s trade puts him in contact with people from every social class, giving him a natural reason to ask questions and notice things that others overlook.
The series covers a range of medieval concerns. The Golden Crucifix and A Relic of Saint Cedd involve religious artifacts and church politics. Blood Libel deals with anti-Jewish violence. Corpus Christi Day ties a murder to a religious festival. Lionarons published the first six books in rapid succession in 2018, establishing the setting and character quickly, and has continued at a steady pace since. For readers who enjoy the Brother Cadfael tradition of medieval mysteries, this series offers a similar combination of period detail and satisfying detective fiction.