Edith Pargeter Books In Order

Publication Order of Brothers of Gwynedd Books

Publication Order of Heaven Tree Books

Publication Order of Second World War Trilogy Books

Publication Order of Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Books

Publication Order of Inspector Felse Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Ellis Peters Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Murderous Christmas Stories Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Edith Pargeter was a successful published author. She was a novelist known by many other pen names, including Peter Benedict, Ellis Peters, Jolyon Carr, and John Redfern.

She was born in Shropshire in the United Kingdom on September 29, 1913 and passed away on October 14, 1995. Her father worked at a local ironworks as a clerk. Edith would go to school locally at the Dawley Church of England School and the Coalbrookdale High School for Girls. Edith would come to love Shropshire’s history and countryside through her mother and made it her home her entire life.

Prior to World War II, she was employed as a chemist’s assistant. She started writing for publication seriously while also getting information on medicines that she would use later while writing crime stories. Her first novel to be published came in 1936 and was titled Hortensius, friend of Nero. It was a dry tale that did not do well but she kept on, with The City Lies Foursquare being better received after that.

At some point during the war, she worked with the Women’s Royal Navy Service in Liverpool in an administrative role. For this she received the British Empire Medal. More novels would come along and after 1945 she was able to put a lot of time towards writing. Edith was especially proud of her Heaven tree trilogy.

In 1951, she decided to take on a mystery story with “Fallen into the Pit”, which was the first time that Sergeant George Felse appeared as an investigating police officer. Her other character was Brother Cadfael after that. The monk appeared in A Morbid Taste for Bones and would appear in later novels, which kept the author busy for the remaining years of her life.

Edith would take on the pen name of Ellis Peters in order to be able to mark a division between her mystery stories and different work. Her brother was Ellis and she got the last name from a friend from Czechoslovakia. The author was interested in the culture after meeting some soldiers there during the war, which motivated her to learn the language and resulted in her translating some books into English.

The author won awards for her writing from the British Crime Writers Association and Mystery Writers of America. She was given an Officer of the Order of the British Empire as well as an honorary Masters Degree from Birmingham University and the Gold Medal of the Czechoslovak Society for Foreign Relations. There is also a memorial to her in Shrewsbury Abbey.

Following her death in October of 1995, The Times released an obituary that called her a ‘deeply sensitive and perceptive woman’ while also remarking on how she was an ‘intensely private and modest person’ with ‘direct’, ‘even stilted’ writing.

Sunrise in the West is the first book in The Brothers of Gwynedd series by Edith Pargeter. If you are a fan of classic fantasy, be sure to check this story out!

Two brothers are the sons of a Welsh prince who are locked in battle. David is the chosen heir of his father and the younger. Meanwhile, Griffith is the illegitimate son. Welsh law says that both of them are allowed an equal share of the inheritance. Out of their rivalry, seeds of discord come out. While they are fighting, the foes of Wales are gathering.

Can they organize things in time to make a difference? Will this rivalry be the end of them? Read this book to find out!

The Dragon at Noonday is the second book in The Brothers of Gwynedd series by Edith Pargeter. It is a classic fantasy story that continues this interesting series in a way that is reminiscent of The Canterbury Tales.

Samson is a clerk of the thirteenth-century Princes of Gwynedd. He tells the story of Llewelyn ap Griffith, who wanted to free Wales from English tyranny and make a nation. Getting power from the power hungry King Henry ends up resulting in unusual policies. This is the story of family rivalries and allegiances that you won’t want to miss!