Reading order · 9 books · 1991 to 2017 · Set in Paris
Commissaire Adamsberg Books in Order
Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg leads the Paris Serious Crime Squad by intuition and daydreaming, to the despair of his learned, wine-loving deputy Danglard. His cases are full of folklore, legend and the absurd. Strange, poetic and very French crime fiction.
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Series facts
- Books
- 9
- Published
- 1991 to 2017
- First book
- The Chalk Circle Man
- Latest
- This Poison Will Remain (2017)
- Setting
- Set in Paris
The reading order
Every Commissaire Adamsberg book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
9 books · Set in Paris
- 1The Chalk Circle Man1991With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergBlue chalk circles begin to appear on the pavements of Paris, each drawn around a discarded object.Buy on Amazon
- 2Seeking Whom He May Devour1999With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergIn a village in the French Alps, sheep are being killed by what seems to be a giant wolf, and then a woman is found dead.Buy on Amazon
- 3Have Mercy on Us All2001With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergStrange black fours are painted on doors across Paris, while a town crier reads out mysterious messages, and people begin to die as though from plague.Buy on Amazon
- 4Wash This Blood Clean from My Hand2004With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergOn a training course in Quebec, Adamsberg is haunted by a killer from his past, and finds himself under suspicion of murder.Buy on Amazon
- 5This Night’s Foul Work2006With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergTwo men are found dead in Paris, while a deer is found slaughtered in Normandy, and a new recruit with an old grudge joins Adamsberg’s squad.Buy on Amazon
- 6An Uncertain Place2008With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergIn London, a row of severed feet still in their shoes is found outside Highgate Cemetery, and the case leads Adamsberg to a village in Serbia and the legend of the vampire.Buy on Amazon
- 7The Ghost Riders of Ordebec2011With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergIn a Normandy village, a woman claims to have seen the legendary Ghost Riders, who foretell death, and soon people begin to die.Buy on Amazon
- 8A Climate of Fear2015With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergA woman is found dead in her bath beside a strange symbol, and the case links a fatal expedition to Iceland with a society devoted to the French Revolution.Buy on Amazon
- 9This Poison Will Remain2017With Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergElderly men in the south of France are dying from the bites of a usually harmless spider, and Adamsberg suspects murder.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with The Chalk Circle Man, although each book stands alone.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg | Adrien Danglard | Violette Retancourt | Louis Veyrenc | Tom | Camille Forestier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Chalk Circle Man | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |||
| 2 Seeking Whom He May Devour | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | |||
| 3 Have Mercy on Us All | LLead | MMajor | ||||
| 4 Wash This Blood Clean from My Hand | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ||
| 5 This Night’s Foul Work | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 6 An Uncertain Place | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 7 The Ghost Riders of Ordebec | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 8 A Climate of Fear | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 9 This Poison Will Remain | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Commissaire Adamsberg books
6 characters from Fred Vargas’s chart, with the number of Commissaire Adamsberg books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergCommissaire of the Paris Serious Crime Squad | 9 | The Chalk Circle Man 1991 |
| Adrien DanglardAdamsberg’s erudite deputy | 9 | The Chalk Circle Man 1991 |
| Violette RetancourtFormidable lieutenant | 6 | Wash This Blood Clean from My Hand 2004 |
| Louis VeyrencNew recruit with an old grudge | 5 | This Night’s Foul Work 2006 |
| TomAdamsberg and Camille’s son | 5 | This Night’s Foul Work 2006 |
| Camille ForestierAdamsberg’s great love | 4 | The Chalk Circle Man 1991 |