Roderick Alleyn books in order

The Roderick Alleyn series is a classic British detective series originally by Ngaio Marsh, spanning 45 entries from 1934 to 2018, with the final novel completed by Stella Duffy.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 A Man Lay Dead 1934 Stella Duffy Buy
2 Enter a Murder 1935 Stella Duffy N/A
3 Enter a Murderer 1935 Stella Duffy Buy
4 The Nursing Home Murder 1935 Stella Duffy Buy
5 Death in Ecstasy 1936 Stella Duffy Buy
6 Mort en extase 1936 Stella Duffy N/A
7 Vintage Murder 1937 Stella Duffy Buy
8 Artists in Crime 1938 Stella Duffy Buy
9 Death in a White Tie 1938 Stella Duffy Buy
10 Overture to Death 1939 Stella Duffy Buy
11 Death at the Bar 1940 Stella Duffy Buy
12 Death of a Peer / Surfeit of Lampreys 1940 Stella Duffy Buy
13 Death of a peer 1940 Stella Duffy N/A
14 Death and the Dancing Footman 1941 Stella Duffy Buy
15 Colour Scheme 1943 Stella Duffy Buy
16 Died in the Wool 1945 Stella Duffy Buy
17 Final Curtain 1947 Stella Duffy Buy
18 A Wreath for Rivera / Swing, Brother, Swing 1949 Stella Duffy Buy
19 Swing, Brother, Swing 1949 Stella Duffy N/A
20 Night at the Vulcan / Opening Night 1951 Stella Duffy Buy
21 Opening Night 1951 Stella Duffy N/A
22 Spinsters In Jeopardy / The Bride of Death 1953 Stella Duffy Buy
23 Spinsters in Jeopardy 1953 Stella Duffy N/A
24 Scales of Justice 1955 Stella Duffy Buy
25 Death Of A Fool 1956 Stella Duffy N/A
26 Death of a Fool / Off With His Head 1956 Stella Duffy Buy
27 Singing in the Shrouds 1958 Stella Duffy Buy
28 False Scent 1959 Stella Duffy Buy
29 Hand in Glove 1962 Stella Duffy Buy
30 Dead Water 1963 Stella Duffy Buy
31 Killer Dolphin 1966 Stella Duffy N/A
32 Killer Dolphin / Death at the Dolphin 1966 Stella Duffy Buy
33 Clutch of Constables 1968 Stella Duffy Buy
34 Murharisteily 1968 Stella Duffy N/A
35 When in Rome 1970 Stella Duffy Buy
36 Tied Up in Tinsel 1971 Stella Duffy Buy
37 Chiricahua 1972 Stella Duffy N/A
38 Black As He’s Painted 1973 Stella Duffy Buy
39 Last Ditch 1976 Stella Duffy Buy
40 A Grave Mistake 1978 Stella Duffy Buy
41 Photo Finish 1980 Stella Duffy Buy
42 Light Thickens 1982 Stella Duffy Buy
43 Alleyn and Others / The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh 1989 Stella Duffy Buy
44 Still Unsolved 1990 Stella Duffy Buy
45 Money in the Morgue 2018 Stella Duffy Buy

The Roderick Alleyn series is a classic British detective series created by Ngaio Marsh, beginning with A Man Lay Dead in 1934. Inspector Alleyn of Scotland Yard is the lead character across 32 original novels published through Light Thickens (1982). The series includes well-known titles like Death in Ecstasy (1936), Artists in Crime (1938), Death in a White Tie (1938), and Final Curtain (1947).

Money in the Morgue (2018), completed by Stella Duffy from Marsh’s unfinished manuscript, added one final entry nearly four decades after the previous novel. The series is considered one of the great classic detective series alongside works by Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. The 45 entries in this collection include novels, short fiction collections like Alleyn and Others (1989), and international editions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Roderick Alleyn series?

There are 45 books in the Roderick Alleyn series, published between 1934 and 2018.

What is the first book in the Roderick Alleyn series?

The first book in the Roderick Alleyn series is A Man Lay Dead, published in 1934.

Who is Roderick Alleyn?

Roderick Alleyn is a fictional Scotland Yard detective created by Ngaio Marsh in 1934. The series spans 32 original novels plus short fiction and a final novel completed by Stella Duffy in 2018.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We may receive commissions for purchases made through links on this site.

Privacy Policy