The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 9 books · 1991 to 2017 · Set in Paris

Fred Vargas

Crime and mysteryPolice procedural

Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg leads the Paris Serious Crime Squad by intuition and daydream, to the despair of his learned deputy Danglard, through cases full of folklore, ghosts and the absurd.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. Fred Vargas is a French archaeologist and historian. Years are first French publication; English editions came later and in a different order.

Vote for Fred Vargas as a favourite author, and for books and characters below. See the favourites

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Who appears in which book

Click a name to follow that character from book to book, or a book title to see its cast.

LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
The chart needs JavaScript. The reading order and character list below work without it.

Fred Vargas books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Commissaire Adamsberg

9 books · Set in ParisPolice procedural
  1. 1The Chalk Circle Man1991With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Seeking Whom He May Devour1999With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Have Mercy on Us All2001With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergBuy on Amazon
  4. 4Wash This Blood Clean from My Hand2004With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergBuy on Amazon
  5. 5This Night’s Foul Work2006With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergBuy on Amazon
  6. 6An Uncertain Place2008With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergBuy on Amazon
  7. 7The Ghost Riders of Ordebec2011With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergBuy on Amazon
  8. 8A Climate of Fear2015With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergBuy on Amazon
  9. 9This Poison Will Remain2017With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergBuy on Amazon

Characters

6 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

The Serious Crime Squad