Reading order · 7 books · 2003 to 2011 · Set in London
J. W. Wells & Co. Books in Order
J. W. Wells & Co. is a very old London firm of magicians that hires very ordinary young people. Comic fantasy about office life and magic.
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Series facts
- Books
- 7
- Published
- 2003 to 2011
- First book
- The Portable Door
- Latest
- Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages (2011)
- Setting
- Set in London
The reading order
Every J. W. Wells & Co. book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
7 books · Set in London
- 1The Portable Door2003With Paul CarpenterPaul Carpenter takes a junior job at J.Buy on Amazon
- 2In Your Dreams2004With Paul CarpenterPaul settles into his job at J.Buy on Amazon
- 3Earth, Air, Fire and Custard2005With Paul CarpenterPaul’s working life at the firm takes yet more surprising turns.Buy on Amazon
- 4You Don't Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps2006Dragon-tackling pest controller Emily Spitzer keeps dying, and Frank Carpenter must work out who wants her dead.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Better Mousetrap2008Colin, stuck in his father’s failing widget business, turns to a friend at J.W.Buy on Amazon
- 6May Contain Traces of Magic2009Polly, a solicitor at the end of her rope, faces strange events as her dry cleaner’s vanishes, someone else does her work, and chickens start to speak.Buy on Amazon
- 7Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages2011Chris Popham’s satnav starts showing signs of a mind of its own, and he begins to regret never listening when it spoke to him.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read The Portable Door, In Your Dreams and Earth, Air, Fire and Custard in order. The later books can be read on their own.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Paul Carpenter | Sophie Pettingell |
|---|---|---|
| 1 The Portable Door | LLead | MMajor |
| 2 In Your Dreams | LLead | MMajor |
| 3 Earth, Air, Fire and Custard | LLead | MMajor |
| 4 You Don't Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps | ||
| 5 The Better Mousetrap | ||
| 6 May Contain Traces of Magic | ||
| 7 Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages |
Characters in the J. W. Wells & Co. books
2 characters from Tom Holt’s chart, with the number of J. W. Wells & Co. books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Paul CarpenterHapless junior clerk | 3 | The Portable Door 2003 |
| Sophie PettingellFellow junior clerk | 3 | The Portable Door 2003 |