Harriet Steel Books In Order

Publication Order of The Inspector de Silva Mysteries Books

Publication Order of The Paris Chronicles Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of Anthologies

Harriet Steel
Author Harriet Steel penned four historical novels before she turned to crime with the “Inspector de Silva Mysteries”, which were inspired by her time in Sri Lanka. Harriet’s work has appeared in national magazines and newspapers.

When Harriet isn’t busy writing, she enjoys long walks, reading, and visiting museums and art galleries. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family and going to the theater. She is married with two daughters and three grandkids, and she lives in Surrey.

Before writing, she worked as a lawyer. A lot of her short fiction got published, however, she had not plans to be more ambitious than that.

During her teenage years, she loved books by Anya Seton, Alexander Dumas, and Jean Plaidy. All of whom are writers that based their work on a good grasp of history and are able to tell a compelling tale. She has found many authors since, like Robert Harris, CJ Sansom, Manda Scott, Elizabeth Chadwick, and Rose Tremaine only to name a few and she is always looking for new writers.

Harriet began writing like many do, by writing short stories. They are a lot of fun to write since you can easily try out all kinds of different genres and if something doesn’t work, you haven’t lost a lot of time. Her better efforts were sent off to magazines and she was encouraged when they were accepted. She will always remember the buzz she felt when she got paid for the first time.

Harriet also entered competitions. One of these was a national competition that was organized by the BBC that used it as the springboard for a six-part television series titled “End of Story”. The concept was that six well-known writers would write the first half of a short story. Then contestants would have one thousand words to add in the ending.

She chose a story by Joanne Harris, and, to her own delight, wound up in the final three in her section. This meant that she took part in an episode, which was a fascinating experience. She wound up coming in second, but she feels the experience was not dimmed by this outcome at all, and she felt considerably encouraged to be much more ambitious.

During the process, Joanne was asked what advice she would give to aspiring authors, and her answer was to drop the ‘aspiring’ and just write. From here, Harriet tried writing a novel. She had no idea what she should write, however, only that she wanted it to be something historical, since she is a big fan of historical novels as well as mystery stories.

While on holiday with her husband, she read a biography about Lola Montez, a Victorian adventuress and dancer. She knew that she had found the perfect subject for a novel. It wound up being “Becoming Lola”.

Harriet’s debut novel, called “Becoming Lola”, was released in the year 2010. She writes the “Paris Chronicles” series and the “Inspector de Silva Mysteries” series.

“City of Dreams” is the first novel in the “Paris Chronicles” series and was released in the year 2014. After the whirlwind courtship and marriage to the dashing Emile Daubigny, Anna (who is the teen daughter of a Russian furrier) moves to France in order to be with her husband. She is looking forward to the life of love, gaiety, and comfortable affluence.

The social scene and married life in the most fashionable city on earth is exactly what Anna hoped it would be. However Emile vanishes without a trace and she gets evicted, she is forced to discover the poverty stricken dark side of the city. Its squalid tenements and harsh streets, where the temptation for a penniless young woman to be a kept lady is overwhelming.

To make things worse, war with Prussia looms and Anna, as well as the city she loves are both going to struggle to survive.

“Trouble in Nuala” is the first novel in the “Inspector de Silva Mysteries” series and was released in the year 2016. Inspector Shanti de Silva moves with Jane, his English wife to begin his new job in the sleepy hill town of Nuala, he is expecting a much more relaxing life than what police work in a big city entails.

However, one arrogant plantation owner with his lonely wife, and some crusading lawyer, as well as a death in suspicious circumstances present him with one riddle that he is going to have to call on all of his experience in order to solve.

The mystery in this novel is intriguing, and many of the characters are likable. With this story, Harriet transports you to another country and time, mainly due to the pace and sheer lack of technology. Readers felt this was a light, entertaining, and pleasant read.

“Offstage in Nuala” is the third novel in the “Inspector de Silva Mysteries” series and was released in the year 2017. There is great excitement when a professional theater company arrives in Nuala. Matters a take a dark turn, however, as the company’s actor/manager winds up murdered.

Inspector de Silva has got a new case to solve and has to consider some rather unsavory motives for this crime. He is going to need all of his own persistence as well as Jane’s, his wife, who is invaluable in aiding him in unmasking the killer.

“Rough Time in Nuala” is the seventh novel in the “Inspector de Silva Mysteries” series and was released in the year 2019. Inspector de Silva’s quiet evening gets disrupted when he gets called up to the Royal Nuala Golf Club where one of the wealthy members was found brutally killed. Could this have been a private feud, a foiled robbery, or could the murderer have some other motive that is going to cause them to kill again?

With the help of Jane, his resourceful wife, and one unexpected new ally, he has to navigate his way right into the heart of the privileged British establishment in order to get answers. And there is not a whole lot of time left to lose.

2 Responses to “Harriet Steel”

1. Peter J Heath: 3 years ago

   A list of Harriet Steel’s works pleas.
   Peter Heath

   Reply
   • Graeme: 3 years ago

     That’s what this page is?

     Reply