Reading order · 16 books · 1978 to 2009 · Set in London
Rumpole Books in Order
Horace Rumpole is a defence barrister at the Old Bailey, who never pleads guilty, quotes Wordsworth, drinks cheap claret at Pommeroy’s wine bar and goes home to his wife Hilda, She Who Must Be Obeyed. John Mortimer was himself a barrister.
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Series facts
- Books
- 16
- Published
- 1978 to 2009
- First book
- Rumpole of the Bailey
- Latest
- Rumpole at Christmas (2009)
- Setting
- Set in London
- Order
- Story order differs from publication order
The reading order
Every Rumpole book in publication order, with the story order a switch away. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
16 books · Set in London
- 1Rumpole of the Bailey1978With Horace RumpoleStories of Horace Rumpole, a defence barrister at the Old Bailey, and the clients, judges and colleagues he deals with.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Trials of Rumpole1979With Horace RumpoleMore stories of Rumpole at the Old Bailey.Buy on Amazon
- 3Rumpole's Return1980With Horace RumpoleRumpole retires to Florida, but cannot resist coming back to London for one more case.Buy on Amazon
- 4Rumpole for the Defence1982With Horace RumpoleMore stories of Rumpole defending the unfortunate.Buy on Amazon
- 5Rumpole and the Golden Thread1983With Horace RumpoleRumpole travels to Africa to defend an old friend, among other cases.Buy on Amazon
- 6Rumpole's Last Case1987With Horace RumpoleMore stories of Rumpole at the Old Bailey.Buy on Amazon
- 7Rumpole and the Age of Miracles1988With Horace RumpoleMore stories of Rumpole at the Old Bailey.Buy on Amazon
- 8Rumpole à la Carte1990With Horace RumpoleMore stories of Rumpole at the Old Bailey.Buy on Amazon
- 9Rumpole on Trial1992With Horace RumpoleMore stories of Rumpole at the Old Bailey.Buy on Amazon
- 10Rumpole and the Angel of Death1995With Horace RumpoleMore stories of Rumpole at the Old Bailey.Buy on Amazon
- 11Rumpole Rests His Case2001With Horace RumpoleMore stories of Rumpole, as old as ever and as defiant.Buy on Amazon
- 12Rumpole and the Primrose Path2002With Horace RumpoleMore stories of Rumpole at the Old Bailey.Buy on Amazon
- 13Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders2004With Horace RumpoleRumpole’s first great triumph: as a young barrister in the 1940s, he defends a young man accused of murdering his father in a bungalow in Penge.Buy on Amazon
- 14Rumpole and the Reign of Terror2006With Horace RumpoleRumpole defends a doctor accused of terrorism and held without trial.Buy on Amazon
- 15The Anti-Social Behaviour of Horace Rumpole2007With Horace RumpoleRumpole is served with an anti-social behaviour order.Buy on Amazon
- 16Rumpole at Christmas2009With Horace RumpoleChristmas stories of Rumpole.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
The stories can be read in any order. Rumpole of the Bailey is the place to start; Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders tells of his first great case.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Horace Rumpole | Hilda Rumpole | Claude Erskine-Brown | Phyllida Trant | Guthrie Featherstone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Rumpole of the Bailey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 2 The Trials of Rumpole | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 3 Rumpole's Return | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 4 Rumpole for the Defence | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 5 Rumpole and the Golden Thread | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 6 Rumpole's Last Case | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 7 Rumpole and the Age of Miracles | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 8 Rumpole à la Carte | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 9 Rumpole on Trial | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 10 Rumpole and the Angel of Death | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 11 Rumpole Rests His Case | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 12 Rumpole and the Primrose Path | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 13 Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 14 Rumpole and the Reign of Terror | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 15 The Anti-Social Behaviour of Horace Rumpole | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 16 Rumpole at Christmas | LLead | MMajor |
Characters in the Rumpole books
5 characters from John Mortimer’s chart, with the number of Rumpole books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Horace RumpoleOld Bailey defence barrister | 16 | Rumpole of the Bailey 1978 |
| Hilda RumpoleHis formidable wife, She Who Must Be Obeyed | 16 | Rumpole of the Bailey 1978 |
| Claude Erskine-BrownOpera-loving barrister in chambers | 15 | Rumpole of the Bailey 1978 |
| Phyllida TrantYoung barrister, later Erskine-Brown's wife | 15 | Rumpole of the Bailey 1978 |
| Guthrie FeatherstoneHead of chambers, later a judge | 10 | Rumpole of the Bailey 1978 |