Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Faded Coat of Blue | 1999 | Owen Parry / Ralph Peters | Buy |
| 2 | Shadows of Glory | 2000 | Owen Parry / Ralph Peters | Buy |
| 3 | Call Each River Jordan | 2001 | Owen Parry / Ralph Peters | Buy |
| 4 | Honor’s Kingdom | 2002 | Owen Parry / Ralph Peters | Buy |
| 5 | Bold Sons of Erin | 2003 | Owen Parry / Ralph Peters | Buy |
| 6 | Rebels of Babylon | 2005 | Owen Parry / Ralph Peters | Buy |
The Abel Jones series is written by Ralph Peters under the pen name Owen Parry. The six novels follow Abel Jones, a Welsh immigrant and Union Army officer, as he investigates crimes and conspiracies during the American Civil War. Jones is a former enlisted man who served in India before immigrating to America, and his outsider’s perspective on the war gives the books a distinctive voice. Peters, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel, brings a soldier’s understanding of military life to the period detail.
The series begins with Faded Coat of Blue (1999), set in Washington, D.C. during the early days of the war. Subsequent books take Jones to upstate New York (Shadows of Glory), Mississippi (Call Each River Jordan), London and the English countryside (Honor’s Kingdom), Pennsylvania’s coal country (Bold Sons of Erin), and New Orleans (Rebels of Babylon). Honor’s Kingdom won the Hammett Prize in 2002. The mysteries are well-researched and grounded in real historical events, and Jones himself is an appealing character whose moral seriousness is balanced by dry Welsh humor. Readers who enjoy historical mysteries set during the Civil War will find this series particularly rewarding.