Reading order · 7 books · 2014 to 2023 · Set in Brighton
Brighton Mysteries in Order
The Brighton Mysteries are set in the 1950s and 1960s, following Detective Edgar Stephens and the stage magician Max Mephisto, who served together in a secret unit of conjurors during the war.
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Series facts
- Books
- 7
- Published
- 2014 to 2023
- First book
- The Zig Zag Girl
- Latest
- The Great Deceiver (2023)
- Setting
- Set in Brighton
The reading order
Every Brighton Mysteries book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
7 books · Set in Brighton
- 1The Zig Zag Girl2014With Edgar Stephens and Max MephistoIn Brighton in 1950, a woman’s body is found cut into three pieces, like the famous Zig Zag Girl magic trick.Buy on Amazon
- 2Smoke and Mirrors2015With Edgar Stephens and Max MephistoIn Brighton at Christmas 1951, two children go missing, while Max Mephisto is starring in a pantomime.Buy on Amazon
- 3The Blood Card2016With Edgar Stephens and Max MephistoIn 1953, as Britain prepares for the coronation, the old commanding officer of Edgar and Max is found dead, holding a playing card.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Vanishing Box2017With Edgar Stephens and Max MephistoMax Mephisto and his daughter Ruby top the bill at the Brighton Hippodrome, until a performer in a daring tableau act is found dead and DI Edgar Stephens suspects a link to an earlier case.Buy on Amazon
- 5Now You See Them2019With Edgar Stephens and Max MephistoIn the swinging 1960s, a series of young women go missing in Brighton, and Edgar’s wife Emma, a former detective, sees the case as her chance to prove herself.Buy on Amazon
- 6The Midnight Hour2021With Edgar Stephens and Max MephistoPrivate investigators Emma Holmes and Sam Collins are hired by a retired music-hall star to find out who poisoned her husband, putting Emma in competition with Edgar’s police inquiry.Buy on Amazon
- 7The Great Deceiver2023With Edgar Stephens and Max MephistoA magician’s assistant is found dead at a Brighton boarding house full of performers, and when a second assistant is killed, Edgar persuades Max Mephisto out of semi-retirement.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with The Zig Zag Girl.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Edgar Stephens | Max Mephisto | Emma Holmes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Zig Zag Girl | LLead | LLead | MMajor |
| 2 Smoke and Mirrors | LLead | LLead | MMajor |
| 3 The Blood Card | LLead | LLead | MMajor |
| 4 The Vanishing Box | LLead | LLead | MMajor |
| 5 Now You See Them | LLead | LLead | MMajor |
| 6 The Midnight Hour | LLead | LLead | MMajor |
| 7 The Great Deceiver | LLead | LLead | MMajor |
Characters in the Brighton Mysteries books
3 characters from Elly Griffiths’s chart, with the number of Brighton Mysteries books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Edgar StephensBrighton detective and former wartime magician | 7 | The Zig Zag Girl 2014 |
| Max MephistoStage magician and Edgar’s old comrade | 7 | The Zig Zag Girl 2014 |
| Emma HolmesDetective Sergeant, later private detective | 7 | The Zig Zag Girl 2014 |