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John Mortimer Books in Order

Find every John Mortimer book in order, including standalone titles and complete series reading orders with publication years.

Updated 2026-07-11 / 43 books / 6 series

British author best known for the Rumpole of the Bailey series and the *Brideshead Revisited* adaptation. A celebrated barrister-turned-writer, his works earned critical acclaim and lasting literary legacy. This page provides the John Mortimer books in order, including both chronological order and series reading order.

All John Mortimer Books in Chronological Order

1947 Charade POoSN / 1 Buy
1953 Like Men Betrayed POoSN / 2 Buy
1954 The Narrowing Stream POoSN / 3 Buy
1971 A Voyage Round My Father. John Mortimer POoP / 1 Buy
1978 The Fear Of Heaven POoNB / 1 Buy
1978 Rumpole of the Bailey POoRotBB / 1 Buy
1980 Rumpole’s Return POoRotBB / 2 Buy
1981 The Trials of Rumpole POoRotBB / 3 Buy
1981 Regina V. Rumpole POoRotBB / 4 Buy
1982 Clinging to the Wreckage POoNB / 2 Buy
1982 Rumpole for the Defence POoRotBB / 5 Buy
1983 Rumpole and the Golden Thread POoRotBB / 6 Buy
1985 Paradise Postponed POoRCB / 1 Buy
1985 Summer's Lease POoSN / 4 Buy
1986 Character Parts POoNB / 3 Buy
1986 Rumpole for the Prosecution POoRotBB / 7 Buy
1988 Rumpole's Last Case POoRotBB / 8 Buy
1989 Rumpole and the Age of Miracles POoRotBB / 9 Buy
1989 Rumpole and the Age for Retirement POoRotBB / 10 Buy
1990 Titmuss Regained POoRCB / 2 Buy
1991 Rumpole a La Carte POoRotBB / 11 Buy
1992 The Oxford Book of Villains POoNB / 4 Buy
1992 Dunster POoSN / 5 Buy
1992 Rumpole on Trial POoRotBB / 12 Buy
1993 The Best of Rumpole POoRotBB / 13 Buy
1994 Murderers and Other Friends POoNB / 5 Buy
1995 Rumpole and the Younger Generation POoRotBB / 14 Buy
1995 Rumpole and the Angel of Death POoRotBB / 15 Buy
1996 Felix In The Underworld POoSN / 6 Buy
1998 The Sound of Trumpets POoRCB / 3 Buy
2000 The Summer of a Dormouse POoNB / 6 Buy
2002 Rumpole Rests His Case POoRotBB / 16 Buy
2003 Where There's a Will POoNB / 7 Buy
2003 Rumpole and the Primrose Path POoRotBB / 17 Buy
2004 Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders POoRotBB / 18 Buy
2005 The Scales of Justice POoC / 1 Buy
2005 Quite Honestly POoSN / 7 Buy
2005 Zerah Colburn - Spirit of Darkness POoNB / 8 Buy
2006 Rumpole and the Reign of Terror POoRotBB / 19 Buy
2007 The Anti-Social Behaviour of Horace Rumpole / Rumpole Misbehaves POoRotBB / 20 Buy
2008 In Other Words POoNB / 9 Buy
2009 Rumpole at Christmas / A Rumpole Christmas POoRotBB / 21 Buy
2011 Forever Rumpole POoRotBB / 22 Buy

John Mortimer Book Series Reading Orders / browse all ->

01 A Voyage Round My Father. John Mortimer 1971 Buy
01 The Scales of Justice 2005 Buy
01 The Fear Of Heaven 1978 Buy
02 Clinging to the Wreckage 1982 Buy
03 Character Parts 1986 Buy
04 The Oxford Book of Villains 1992 Buy
05 Murderers and Other Friends 1994 Buy
06 The Summer of a Dormouse 2000 Buy
07 Where There's a Will 2003 Buy
08 Zerah Colburn - Spirit of Darkness 2005 Buy
09 In Other Words 2008 Buy
01 Rumpole of the Bailey 1978 Buy
02 Rumpole’s Return 1980 Buy
03 The Trials of Rumpole 1981 Buy
04 Regina V. Rumpole 1981 Buy
05 Rumpole for the Defence 1982 Buy
06 Rumpole and the Golden Thread 1983 Buy
07 Rumpole for the Prosecution 1986 Buy
08 Rumpole's Last Case 1988 Buy
09 Rumpole and the Age of Miracles 1989 Buy
10 Rumpole and the Age for Retirement 1989 Buy
11 Rumpole a La Carte 1991 Buy
12 Rumpole on Trial 1992 Buy
13 The Best of Rumpole 1993 Buy
14 Rumpole and the Younger Generation 1995 Buy
15 Rumpole and the Angel of Death 1995 Buy
16 Rumpole Rests His Case 2002 Buy
17 Rumpole and the Primrose Path 2003 Buy
18 Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders 2004 Buy
19 Rumpole and the Reign of Terror 2006 Buy
20 The Anti-Social Behaviour of Horace Rumpole / Rumpole Misbehaves 2007 Buy
21 Rumpole at Christmas / A Rumpole Christmas 2009 Buy
22 Forever Rumpole 2011 Buy
01 Paradise Postponed 1985 Buy
02 Titmuss Regained 1990 Buy
03 The Sound of Trumpets 1998 Buy
Standalone Books in Reading Order 7 books / 1947-2005
01 Charade 1947 Buy
02 Like Men Betrayed 1953 Buy
03 The Narrowing Stream 1954 Buy
04 Summer's Lease 1985 Buy
05 Dunster 1992 Buy
06 Felix In The Underworld 1996 Buy
07 Quite Honestly 2005 Buy

Where to start with John Mortimer

What is the best order to read John Mortimer books?

Publication order is usually the safest place to start. If a book belongs to a series, follow the numbered series reading order shown on this page.

Are standalone books and series both included?

Yes. Standalone titles appear in the full chronological bibliography, and series are broken out separately with reading-order links when catalog data is available.

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Source note: Sequencebooks organizes author, book, and series records from its catalog data. Publication years and series order are shown when available.