Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The White Room | 1996 | Karen Maitland | Buy |
| 2 | Company of Liars | 2008 | Karen Maitland | Buy |
| 3 | The Owl Killers | 2009 | Karen Maitland | Buy |
| 4 | The Gallows Curse | 2011 | Karen Maitland | Buy |
| 5 | The Falcons of Fire and Ice | 2012 | Karen Maitland | Buy |
| 6 | The Vanishing Witch | 2014 | Karen Maitland | Buy |
| 7 | The Raven’s Head | 2015 | Karen Maitland | Buy |
| 8 | The Plague Charmer | 2016 | Karen Maitland | Buy |
| 9 | A Gathering of Ghosts / The Blood Well | 2018 | Karen Maitland | Buy |
Karen Maitland’s standalone novels are dark, atmospheric historical fiction set primarily in medieval England. Company of Liars (2008) is her best-known work, following nine travelers fleeing the Black Death across England, each carrying a secret. The book drew comparisons to The Canterbury Tales and The Name of the Rose.
Her other novels explore similar territory: The Owl Killers is set in a medieval English village threatened by a pagan cult, The Gallows Curse follows a servant bound by dark magic, and The Plague Charmer returns to the theme of epidemic disease. The books are rich in period detail and have a gothic sensibility that sets them apart from lighter historical fiction.