Author Guide · Narrative History
Books Written by
In June 1860 a three-year-old boy disappeared from his bed in a country house in Wiltshire and was found dead in the grounds. The case drew Detective Inspector Jonathan Whicher of Scotland Yard, one of the first detectives, and gripped Victorian England. Kate Summerscale reconstructed it in The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, which won the Samuel Johnson Prize. Her books recover forgotten Victorian and twentieth-century stories of crime, scandal and obsession. This guide covers all seven of them in order, and where to start.
By Lisanne Swart · 7 books · Narrative history · 1997–2024 · Updated October 2026
ClickTap a spine to jump to that book below.
Quick answer
Kate Summerscale has published seven books: The Queen of Whale Cay (1997); The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (2008); Mrs Robinson's Disgrace (2012); The Wicked Boy (2016); The Haunting of Alma Fielding (2020); The Book of Phobias and Manias (2022); and The Peepshow (2024).
Where to Start with Kate Summerscale
If you want the famous one
→ The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (2008).
If you want the most recent
→ The Peepshow (2024).
If you want a ghost story
→ The Haunting of Alma Fielding (2020).
All 7 Kate Summerscale Books, in Order
The Queen of Whale Cay
The life of Joe Carstairs, an heiress, speedboat racer and ruler of a Bahamas island.
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher
The 1860 murder of a child at Road Hill House in Wiltshire and the detective sent to solve it, which helped shape the detective novel.
Mrs Robinson's Disgrace
A Victorian woman's diary, used as evidence in a scandalous divorce case.
The Wicked Boy
A thirteen-year-old boy in London in 1895 who killed his mother, and what became of him afterwards.
The Haunting of Alma Fielding
A poltergeist case in 1938 London, investigated by a psychical researcher, set against the rising fears before the war.
The Book of Phobias and Manias
An alphabetical history of fears and compulsions.
The Peepshow
The 1953 murders at 10 Rillington Place in London and the public frenzy around them.
How Many Books Did Kate Summerscale Write?
Seven books between 1997 and 2024.
- True crime — The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, The Wicked Boy, The Peepshow. Read the entries →
- History and biography — The Queen of Whale Cay, Mrs Robinson's Disgrace, The Haunting of Alma Fielding, The Book of Phobias and Manias. Read the entries →
In What Order to Read Kate Summerscale
Her books are not a series and can be read in any order.
A reading path
1. The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (2008)
2. The Wicked Boy (2016)
3. The Haunting of Alma Fielding (2020)
4. The Peepshow (2024)
Quick facts about Kate Summerscale
- Nationality
- British
- Career
- Former literary editor of The Daily Telegraph
- Prizes
- Samuel Johnson Prize (2008); Somerset Maugham Award
- Adaptation
- The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (ITV)
- Books
- 7, from 1997 to 2024
How Kate Summerscale Writes: Archives as Story
Summerscale builds her books from archives, court records, newspapers and diaries, and tells them with the pace of a novel.
She places each case in its time, showing how crimes and scandals reflected and shaped the anxieties of their period.
Frequently asked questions about Kate Summerscale's books
How many books has Kate Summerscale written?
Kate Summerscale has published seven books, from The Queen of Whale Cay (1997) to The Peepshow (2024).
What is The Suspicions of Mr Whicher about?
It tells the story of the 1860 murder at Road Hill House and the detective who investigated it. It won the Samuel Johnson Prize.
Footnotes
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all hers.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
If this shelf interested you, the full bookshelf has more: reading lists by theme, author guides, and notes on what is actually worth your time.
Browse the full bookshelf Get book recommendations