How Do I Read Laurie R King’S Series In Timeline Order Across Universes

As a librarian who shelves these constantly, the common patron request is for 'the next Mary Russell book'. We always use the series list in publication order. It's numerically ordered on our site. 'The Beekeeper's Apprentice' (1994) is #1. 'A Monstrous Regiment of Women' is #2, and so on. That list is your timeline order for that universe.

The other books have their own sections. It's not like the Marvel Cinematic Universe where you need to watch 'Captain America' before 'Iron Man 3'. They're independent. Even the few short stories that feature Russell are best read after you know the characters from the main novels. Stick with the list on Laurie King's official website; it's there for a reason.

We just went through this on the Holmesian chronology forum last month. The trick is realizing there are three distinct 'eras' across King's novels, but they're all in the same universe and timeline—just following different protagonists. Start with 'The Beekeeper's Apprentice' because it's both the first published and the foundational entry point to the Russell-Holmes timeline. Then you can go straight through the Mary Russell series in publication order for a clean experience; that's the core spine.

After you finish 'The God of the Hive', you've basically followed them from 1915 into the 1920s. The Kate Martinelli series is a separate, modern-day detective strand set in San Francisco and exists in its own continuity, so you could read those anytime as a palate cleanser. The standalones like 'Folly' or 'Touchstone' are also their own things.

The real debate is where to slot 'The Language of Bees' and the later Russells that jump forward in time, but honestly, publication order works perfectly for emotional payoff. I'd save the crossover-y 'Locke' stories for after you're fully invested.

I appreciate the thorough answers here, but I'm still a bit confused. So there's no book where Kate Martinelli meets Mary Russell? Not even a cameo? That's a shame, but it makes sense given the time periods. Okay, I'll just pick one and start. Leaning toward the Holmes stuff because I love that era.

From a strict in-universe chronological perspective for Mary Russell, you'd start with the short story 'Beekeeping for Beginners' (from the 'A Study in Sherlock' anthology) which covers Holmes's perspective of their meeting. Then go to 'The Beekeeper's Apprentice'. But honestly, that short story is better as a bonus after you've read the first novel. It's a fun alternate view, not a necessary prologue.

So again, publication order of the core novels is your friend. The chronology is already 95% there. The few detours are intentional narrative choices by King to reveal information at a specific point in the reader's journey, not an oversight.