Cleopatra Fox Books in Order: All the Historical Mysteries by C. J. Archer
The series has 13 books listed, including Murder Under the Mistletoe, scheduled for December 2026. Start with the first book to follow Cleo’s growing confidence as a detective and the development of her relationships with the people around her.
C. J. Archer is known for historical mystery and fantasy series featuring independent women, intriguing investigations, and richly detailed historical settings. In the Cleopatra Fox Mysteries, she takes readers to London in 1899, where a luxurious hotel becomes the center of murder investigations, family tension, and social scandal.
Cleo is not content to accept easy explanations, especially when a suspicious death threatens the reputation of her family’s hotel. As she investigates one case after another, she encounters secrets hidden behind the respectable appearance of London society.
Here is the complete reading order, with a brief description of each mystery.
Cleopatra Fox Books in Publication Order
1. Murder at the Mayfair Hotel (2020)
After the death of her beloved grandmother, Cleopatra Fox moves into the luxurious Mayfair Hotel, which belongs to her estranged uncle. She hopes to leave hardship behind and begin a new chapter of her life, but a guest is poisoned on Christmas Eve.
With the hotel’s reputation at risk and a New Year’s Eve celebration approaching, Cleo begins asking questions. Her determination to uncover the truth introduces her to the challenges of investigating crime in a world where wealth and social standing can influence how people are treated.
This first book introduces Cleo, the hotel, her complicated family relationships, and Harry Armitage, the assistant manager who becomes an important figure in her investigations.
2. Murder at the Piccadilly Playhouse (2021)
A celebrated actress is found dead at the Piccadilly Playhouse, and the circumstances surrounding her death raise serious questions. When the authorities appear ready to accept an explanation that does not satisfy everyone, Cleo becomes involved in uncovering what really happened.
The investigation takes her into London’s theatrical world, where ambition, jealousy, private relationships, and public reputation can create dangerous tensions. Cleo must look beyond the glamorous surface to identify the person who had a reason to kill.
3. Murder in the Drawing Room (2021)
A woman from London’s respectable social circles is found dead in her own drawing room, and suspicion quickly falls on someone close to her. Cleo is not convinced that the obvious explanation tells the whole story.
As she examines the family’s relationships and the secrets hidden behind its polished public image, she discovers that appearances can be misleading. This installment combines a traditional murder puzzle with questions about reputation, social expectations, and the pressures faced by women in Victorian society.
4. Murder at the Dressmaker’s Salon (2022)
A murder at a prestigious dressmaker’s salon draws Cleo into a world of fashion, wealthy clients, and carefully guarded secrets. The salon’s reputation depends on discretion, but a violent death threatens to expose the rivalries and tensions beneath its elegant appearance.
Cleo must separate gossip from useful evidence while trying to determine who had a reason to commit the crime. The setting gives readers a glimpse of the fashion business and the social expectations surrounding women’s clothing in late nineteenth-century London.
5. Murder at the Debutante Ball (2022)
A fashionable society event becomes the setting for another dangerous mystery. Behind the formal introductions, elegant dresses, and expectations surrounding young women entering society, personal ambitions and private conflicts complicate the investigation.
Cleo must pay attention to the relationships between guests and the information people would prefer to keep hidden. The book combines the atmosphere of a Victorian social gathering with the series’ familiar questions about motive, reputation, and trust.
6. Murder at the Crown and Anchor (2023)
This mystery takes Cleo beyond the polished environment of the Mayfair Hotel and into a different part of London’s social world. The investigation reveals that crime and secrecy are not limited to fashionable homes or wealthy guests.
As Cleo works through the evidence, she must consider the different pressures facing people from different backgrounds. The setting adds variety to the series while allowing Archer to continue exploring the contrasts between public respectability and private behavior.
7. Murder at the Polo Club (2023)
A polo club provides the backdrop for this installment, bringing Cleo into contact with a world shaped by wealth, status, and competition. When a crime disrupts the club’s social environment, the people connected to it become part of the investigation.
Cleo must look beyond appearances and consider the personal rivalries that may lie beneath a respectable sporting community. The novel continues the series’ interest in the ways money and social position can complicate the search for justice.
8. Murder at the Dinner Party (2024)
A dinner party brings together people whose relationships and secrets make the gathering more complicated than it first appears. When murder enters the picture, the guests’ stories and conflicting accounts become important clues.
Cleo must work out which details matter and which are intended to mislead her. The closed social setting makes this installment appealing to readers who enjoy mysteries involving a limited circle of suspects and a gathering where almost everyone may have something to hide.
9. Murder on the Brighton Express (2024)
A journey aboard the Brighton Express provides the setting for this mystery. Train travel creates an unusual investigative challenge because passengers, their movements, and their interactions may offer clues, while the journey itself limits where and when people can go.
Cleo must piece together the circumstances surrounding the crime and examine the connections between those involved. The railway setting adds movement and suspense to the series while retaining its historical atmosphere.
10. Murder at Hambledon Hall (2025)
Cleo’s investigation takes her to Hambledon Hall, where a crime disrupts the world of a country estate. The house and its occupants provide a new setting for a mystery involving personal relationships, hidden information, and competing interests.
As Cleo investigates, she must look beyond the appearances maintained by the people who live and work there. The novel expands the series beyond London’s hotels and social venues while keeping the focus on careful observation and uncovering the truth.
11. Murder on Harley Street (2025)
Harley Street is associated with London’s medical profession, making it a fitting setting for a mystery involving people whose public reputations matter greatly. Cleo must investigate a crime in a world where professional standing and private secrets may be closely connected.
The case requires her to question assumptions and examine the motives of people who may appear trustworthy. Readers who enjoy historical mysteries involving professions, reputations, and concealed wrongdoing may particularly enjoy this installment.
12. Murder and the Missing Treasure (2026)
A long-lost pirate treasure attracts attention when a celebrated biographer connected with the infamous pirate Blackheart takes a suite at the Mayfair Hotel. The possibility of discovering valuable treasure creates excitement, but it also gives people reasons to conceal information and pursue their own interests.
Cleo must determine whether greed, rivalry, or another motive lies behind the mystery. The story returns to the hotel setting and combines a murder investigation with the intrigue surrounding a missing treasure.
13. Murder Under the Mistletoe (December 2026, scheduled release)
The thirteenth book is scheduled to return readers to Cleo’s world just before Christmas. A gambling-house proprietor’s death appears to involve a poisoned kiss, and Cleo and Harry investigate in an effort to establish whether a woman accused of the crime is truly responsible.
The investigation becomes more complicated as the evidence raises questions about guilt and innocence. Because this title is scheduled for December 2026, readers should check the publisher’s latest information for the confirmed release date and availability.
Should You Read the Cleopatra Fox Books in Order?
Yes, reading the series in publication order is the best option. Each book contains its own murder mystery, so the central case can generally be followed without having read every previous installment.
However, Cleo’s personal life, her relationship with Harry Armitage, and her place within the Mayfair Hotel community develop across the books. Starting at the beginning gives you the clearest understanding of her progress as an investigator and the relationships that continue from one story to the next.
If you have already read a later book, you can still go back to the first installment without losing the enjoyment of the series. The early books explain how Cleo’s investigative interests begin and why she becomes increasingly involved in solving crimes.
What Is the Cleopatra Fox Series About?
The Cleopatra Fox Mysteries are cozy historical mysteries set in London in 1899. The central character, Cleopatra Fox, moves into a hotel owned by her estranged uncle after her grandmother’s death. A murder soon disrupts her new life, and she begins investigating when the official response fails to satisfy her.
The Mayfair Hotel acts as a recurring home base for Cleo and provides a steady stream of guests, staff members, visitors, and secrets. As the series continues, her investigations take her into theaters, private homes, fashion establishments, social events, and other parts of Victorian London.
The books combine murder puzzles with historical atmosphere and an ongoing story about independence, family, and relationships. They generally emphasize clues, interviews, motives, and social observation rather than graphic violence.
Who Is Cleopatra Fox?
Cleopatra, often called Cleo, is a young woman who wants to make her own decisions and understand the world around her. Her circumstances place her in a complicated position within her uncle’s family and the Mayfair Hotel, but she gradually develops confidence in her ability to investigate crimes.
Her curiosity often leads her to question explanations that other people accept too quickly. She is willing to speak to people whom others overlook and to look beyond the social standing of suspects and witnesses.
Harry Armitage, the hotel’s assistant manager, is another important recurring character. His relationship with Cleo develops alongside the mysteries, adding a continuing personal thread to the series.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Cleopatra Fox books are there?
There are 13 books listed in the Cleopatra Fox Mysteries series, including Murder Under the Mistletoe, which is scheduled for December 2026. The first book is Murder at the Mayfair Hotel, published in 2020.
Who writes the Cleopatra Fox books?
The series is written by C. J. Archer, an author known for historical mystery and fantasy fiction. The Cleopatra Fox books focus on a young woman investigating murders in late Victorian London.
What is the first Cleopatra Fox book?
The first book is Murder at the Mayfair Hotel (2020). It introduces Cleo Fox, the hotel, her family situation, and the murder investigation that draws her into detective work.
Are the Cleopatra Fox books cozy mysteries?
Yes. The series is generally categorized as cozy historical mystery. The stories focus on solving murders through clues, interviews, and observation, with historical settings and recurring characters.
Do the Cleopatra Fox books have a continuing romance?
Yes. Cleo’s relationship with Harry Armitage develops across the series, alongside her growing independence and investigative work. Reading the books in order helps you follow that relationship.
Can you read Cleopatra Fox books as standalones?
Each installment has its own central murder case, so individual books can be understood on their own. Still, publication order is recommended because Cleo’s personal relationships and circumstances continue to develop.
Final Thoughts on Cleopatra Fox Books in Order
The Cleopatra Fox Mysteries are a good fit for readers who enjoy historical settings, clever investigations, and a heroine who refuses to accept easy answers. C. J. Archer combines the atmosphere of Victorian London with murder puzzles that reveal the secrets hidden behind respectable appearances.
Start with Murder at the Mayfair Hotel and continue through the series in publication order. Each book introduces a new case, while Cleo’s relationships and growing confidence give the wider story a sense of continuity. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with recurring characters and a historical backdrop, the Cleopatra Fox books offer a satisfying series to explore.
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