Felse Books In Order

Publication Order of Inspector Felse Books

George Felse (who works as a Detective Inspector) stars in this series of mystery books that was written by British author Edith Pargeter (the books are published under her pen name of Ellis Peters). The series was set in modern times (at least when the books were written anyway). Assisting George in his cases, is his son Dominic (who is thirteen years old in the first book) and his wife Bunty.

The stories feature the Felse family caught up in a series of crimes that George has to figure out the truth; figuring out who the innocent and guilty are.

The series began in the year 1951 with the release “Fallen into the Pit”; at the time of publication, it was her first detective novel. It concluded in the year 1978 with the release of “Rainbow’s End”, after a total of thirteen novels.

“Death and the Joyful Woman”, book two in the series, won an Edgar for the Best Novel in the year 1963. The novel was also adapted into an episode of “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour”, and starred Frank Overton as George Felse.

“Fallen Into the Pit” is the first novel in the “Felse Investigations” series and was released in the year 1951. Chad Wedderburn (who was a Resistance hero during the second world war and a classics master) is accused of murdering an annoying ex- Nazi land worker.

None of the students he was teaching actually believe he is guilty. Especially not Dominic Felse, who is the one that found the body. He decides that he will find out who the real killer is.

This series has plenty to offer readers: interesting setting, deep themes, and well drawn characters. Fans of the novel found this to be a delightful book that has a great character in Felse and readers were left wanting more stories to read. This author wrote a beautiful novel here; it is uneasy and sad, too. Some are glad that they have a new series of novels, with this, that they can read; they hope that each one will live up to this one.

“Death and the Joyful Woman” is the second novel in the “Felse Investigations” series and was released in the year 1961. George Felse arrests Kitty Norris for murdering a millionaire. Kitty is Dominic’s first love, and George looked through all the evidence he had before doing so.

What was just a young man being infatuated turns more dangerous. Dominic takes Kitty’s cause on, which is in opposition to the investigation that his father runs.

Peters does a great job of creating complex characters in her well written books and her grasp of the English language is second to none. Fans of the novel found they were involved in the whole mystery and all of its details. The last third of the book made things difficult to put down, and readers were captivated to read on, until the end. Everything that Peters put in this book, she makes come alive and feel real.

“Flight of a Witch” is the third novel in the “Felse Investigations” series and was released in the year 1964. Annet Beck is quite gorgeous, and her parents are worried about it to the point that they have her on lock down, like she is a prisoner. That ends the rainy day in October when she goes missing.

The last time Annet was seen, she was seen going over Hallomount’s crest, which is a hill in Welsh Country. It is believed to be a witch’s domain. Five days go by and she comes back, Annet claims that she was only gone for two hours.

George Felse is not one to believe in witchcraft, but does believe in the power of love. He is not one to underestimate the power it has, especially when it could lead to murder.

This one has a good mystery, with quite a few red herrings along the way; it will hold the attention of the reader throughout. Fans of the novel found this to be a haunting read that was written by an author that has few equals. This is for mystery readers that enjoy reading about complex characters and use a high level of writing. This novel, for some of the readers, is the best the series has to offer; which is saying a lot due to how strong the other books in the series are.

“A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs” is the fourth novel in the “Felse Investigations” series and was released in the year 1965. Morwenna Treverra’s epitaph reads something like: “Do not shed any tears here. No Saint could have died any More Comforted and Blessed than I did”. She composed it hundreds of years ago as she died after her husband, Jan. The couple have been together since, the models of being piously content, spending eternity while in the little Saxon church, near the sea and close to Maymouth.

Curious scholars decide to open up Jan’s tomb, they find two bodies, not just one. Neither one is Jan Treverra’s body, like it should be. George is on vacation close by, and he helped open up the crypt and reveal the modern contents of the tomb. Mystery unfolds from this ancient grave.

Some were able to read this over the course of just one night. Fans of the feel that Peters is a great contemporary mystery author, and meditates with each book on the subject of mortality. She also does a great job of writing about a boy character without making them just naughty and sassin and spittin the whole entire time. Here is an author you can count on to deliver a strong story, packed with well drawn characters that will keep you hooked until the very end.

“The Piper on the Mountain” is the fifth novel in the “Felse Investigations” series and was released in the year 1966. Herbert Terrell falls off of the mountain that he was on in Czechoslovakia. It is ruled as an accidental death.

His stepdaughter, named Tossa, gets a note that suggests that Terrell was really murdered. It turns the holiday in Europe that Tossa had been planning for a long time with some of her friends from college into a hunt for the killer.