Reading order · 6 books · 1988 to 1996 · Set in London
Helen West Books in Order
Helen West is a Crown Prosecutor in London, and her partner is the reserved detective Geoffrey Bailey. Frances Fyfield, herself a former prosecutor, writes about the people caught in the law as much as the crimes.
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Series facts
- Books
- 6
- Published
- 1988 to 1996
- First book
- A Question of Guilt
- Latest
- Without Consent (1996)
- Setting
- Set in London
The reading order
Every Helen West book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
6 books · Set in London
- 1A Question of Guilt1988With Helen WestCrown Prosecutor Helen West takes on a murder case in which the killer has confessed, but the woman behind the crime will go to great lengths to avoid being caught.Buy on Amazon
- 2Not That Kind of Place1990With Helen WestHelen West and Detective Superintendent Geoffrey Bailey investigate the death of a woman found in the woods, which may not be the crime of passion it seems.Buy on Amazon
- 3Deep Sleep1991With Helen WestRecovering from an operation, Helen West grows suspicious of the death of a pharmacist’s wife, officially ruled natural, and investigates despite Bailey urging her to let it go.Buy on Amazon
- 4Shadow Play1993With Helen WestWhen Helen West again fails to convict a man well known to the courts, her personal life begins to unravel, and his dark obsession moves towards deadly extremes.Buy on Amazon
- 5A Clear Conscience1994With Helen WestHelen West, prosecuting in a domestic violence court, is close to burning out as the system fails the women she represents, and her relationship with Bailey is losing its spark.Buy on Amazon
- 6Without Consent1996With Helen WestEvidence in a string of murders points to a police officer who is a close friend of Geoffrey Bailey, and Helen West faces a deeply troubling case.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with A Question of Guilt. Helen and Bailey’s relationship develops through the series.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Helen West | Geoffrey Bailey |
|---|---|---|
| 1 A Question of Guilt | LLead | MMajor |
| 2 Not That Kind of Place | LLead | MMajor |
| 3 Deep Sleep | LLead | MMajor |
| 4 Shadow Play | LLead | MMajor |
| 5 A Clear Conscience | LLead | MMajor |
| 6 Without Consent | LLead | MMajor |
Characters in the Helen West books
2 characters from Frances Fyfield’s chart, with the number of Helen West books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Helen WestCrown Prosecutor | 6 | A Question of Guilt 1988 |
| Geoffrey BaileyDetective superintendent, Helen's partner | 6 | A Question of Guilt 1988 |