Reading order · 5 books · 2002 to 2007 · Set in Ely
Philip Dryden Books in Order
Philip Dryden is a journalist on a small newspaper in Ely, in the flat, watery Fens. He does not drive, and is ferried around by a taxi driver called Humph, while his wife Laura lies in a coma after a car crash. Atmospheric mysteries steeped in the landscape.
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Series facts
- Books
- 5
- Published
- 2002 to 2007
- First book
- The Water Clock
- Latest
- The Skeleton Man (2007)
- Setting
- Set in Ely
The reading order
Every Philip Dryden book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
5 books · Set in Ely
- 1The Water Clock2002With Philip DrydenIn the freezing Fens around Ely, a car is pulled from a river with a body in the boot, and a skeleton is found on the roof of the cathedral.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Fire Baby2004With Philip DrydenBuy on Amazon
- 3The Moon Tunnel2005With Philip DrydenA skeleton is found in an escape tunnel dug by prisoners at an old prisoner of war camp in the Fens.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Coldest Blood2006With Philip DrydenDryden investigates the death of a man found frozen in the Fens during a bitter winter, and the case leads into old secrets.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Skeleton Man2007With Philip DrydenShells from an army exercise expose a hidden cellar in an abandoned Fenland village, and Dryden sets out to identify the body found inside.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with The Water Clock.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Philip Dryden | Humph | Laura Dryden |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Water Clock | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 2 The Fire Baby | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 3 The Moon Tunnel | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 4 The Coldest Blood | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 5 The Skeleton Man | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Philip Dryden books
3 characters from Jim Kelly’s chart, with the number of Philip Dryden books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Philip DrydenJournalist on the Crow newspaper | 5 | The Water Clock 2002 |
| HumphDryden's taxi driver | 5 | The Water Clock 2002 |
| Laura DrydenDryden's wife, in a coma | 5 | The Water Clock 2002 |