The Monsarrat Mystery books in order

The Monsarrat Mystery series by Thomas Keneally features a convict-turned-clerk solving crimes in colonial Australia.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 The Soldier’s Curse 2017 Thomas Keneally Buy
2 The Unmourned 2019 Thomas Keneally Buy
3 The Ink Stain 2019 Thomas Keneally Buy
4 The Power Game 2020 Thomas Keneally Buy

The Monsarrat Mystery series is a four-book historical mystery collaboration between Thomas Keneally and his daughter Meg Keneally. Set in colonial Australia, the books follow Hugh Monsarrat, a transported convict whose education and skills land him a position as a government clerk, where he becomes entangled in murder investigations.

Published between 2017 and 2020, the series brings the senior Keneally’s deep knowledge of Australian colonial history to the mystery genre. The Soldier’s Curse (2017) opens the series in a remote penal settlement, and subsequent books move Monsarrat through different corners of the colony.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the The Monsarrat Mystery series?

There are four books in the The Monsarrat Mystery series, published between 2017 and 2020.

What is the first book in the The Monsarrat Mystery series?

The first book in the The Monsarrat Mystery series is The Soldier’s Curse, published in 2017.

Who is Monsarrat?

Hugh Llewelyn Monsarrat is a convicted forger who works as a government clerk in the early Australian colony. His literacy and intelligence make him useful to the authorities, and his outsider status as a convict gives him a unique perspective on the crimes he investigates.

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