Inspector Carlyle books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Inspector Carlyle series?"

"There are 22 books in the Inspector Carlyle series, published between 2011 and 2025."

Q: "What is the first book in the Inspector Carlyle series?"

"The first book in the Inspector Carlyle series is The Enemy Within, published in 2012."

Q: "Who is Inspector Carlyle?"

"John Carlyle is an inspector at Charing Cross police station in London's West End. He is pragmatic, sometimes abrasive, and operates in a part of the city where crimes range from street-level violence to high-level political corruption. Over twenty-two books, he has dealt with religious extremism, organized crime, government cover-ups, and the everyday grind of metropolitan policing, all while navigating the internal politics of the Met."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	The Enemy Within	2012	James Craig	Buy
2	What Dies Inside	2013	James Craig	N/A
3	The Hand of God	2013	James Craig	N/A
4	London Calling	2011	James Craig	Buy
5	Never Apologise, Never Explain / Time of Death	2012	James Craig	Buy
6	Buckingham Palace Blues	2012	James Craig	Buy
7	The Circus	2013	James Craig	N/A
8	The Circus / The Criminals We Deserve	2013	James Craig	Buy
9	Then We Die	2013	James Craig	Buy
10	A Man of Sorrows	2014	James Craig	Buy
11	Shoot to Kill	2014	James Craig	Buy
12	Sins of the Fathers	2015	James Craig	Buy
13	Nobody’s Hero	2015	James Craig	Buy
14	Acts of Violence	2017	James Craig	Buy
15	All Kinds of Dead	2017	James Craig	Buy
16	This is Where I Say Goodbye	2018	James Craig	Buy
17	Dying Days	2019	James Craig	Buy
18	Into the Valley	2020	James Craig	Buy
19	Circus Games	2021	James Craig	Buy
20	The Taste of Blood	2022	James Craig	Buy
21	The Lesson	2024	James Craig	Buy
22	Declared Dead	2025	James Craig	Buy

The Inspector Carlyle series runs twenty-two books from London Calling in 2011 through Declared Dead in 2025. James Craig sets his detective in Charing Cross — the geographic center of London — and uses that location to pull in cases from every corner of city life. Politicians, criminals, tourists, homeless people, and spies all cross Carlyle’s path, often in the same investigation.

The series builds steadily over its run, with Carlyle aging and the city changing around him. Craig keeps the plots grounded in believable London crime rather than reaching for sensational premises. The procedural detail feels lived-in, and the supporting cast at Charing Cross station develops enough that the books reward long-term readers while still working as individual mysteries.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Inspector Carlyle series?

There are 22 books in the Inspector Carlyle series, published between 2011 and 2025.

What is the first book in the Inspector Carlyle series?

The first book in the Inspector Carlyle series is The Enemy Within, published in 2012.

Who is Inspector Carlyle?

John Carlyle is an inspector at Charing Cross police station in London’s West End. He is pragmatic, sometimes abrasive, and operates in a part of the city where crimes range from street-level violence to high-level political corruption. Over twenty-two books, he has dealt with religious extremism, organized crime, government cover-ups, and the everyday grind of metropolitan policing, all while navigating the internal politics of the Met.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order