Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Kamo Horse | 2003 | Sugawara Akitada | Buy |
| 2 | Fox Magic | 2011 | Sugawara Akitada | Buy |
| 3 | The Water Sprite | 2011 | Sugawara Akitada | Buy |
| 4 | The Curio Dealer’s Wife | 2011 | Sugawara Akitada | Buy |
| 5 | Akitada’s First Case | 2011 | Sugawara Akitada | Buy |
| 6 | Akitada and the Way of Justice | 2011 | Sugawara Akitada | Buy |
| 7 | Akitada’s Holiday | 2012 | Sugawara Akitada | Buy |
| 8 | Three Tales of Love and Murder | 2012 | Sugawara Akitada | Buy |
| 9 | Confessions | 2012 | Sugawara Akitada | Buy |
The Sugawara Akitada short stories and novellas complement the main novel series with shorter investigations set in the same Heian-era Japan. Published between 2003 and 2012, the nine works include standalone mysteries like Fox Magic and The Water Sprite, as well as pieces that fill in Akitada’s backstory, such as Akitada’s First Case.
These shorter works give I.J. Parker room to explore different aspects of Heian society and different types of mysteries than the novels typically cover. The collection Three Tales of Love and Murder bundles several stories together. For fans of the main series, they add depth to the world and character, while for newcomers, pieces like Akitada’s First Case offer a low-commitment introduction.