Adele Clee Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide
If you like your Regency romance with a shiver of gothic atmosphere and a mystery to unravel, Adele Clee belongs on your shelf. She writes moody, intrigue-laced love stories set in early nineteenth-century London, built around a private enquiry agency whose agents keep falling for the very people they are investigating. Her series are tightly connected, so once you are in, you will want to read them in order. Here is exactly how.
Does order matter? More than usual, because Clee builds a shared world. Each novel is a complete standalone with its own couple and its own mystery solved by the final page, so you can start anywhere. But her series orbit a single enquiry agency, and the enigmatic Mr Daventry threads through them all, dispatching agents case by case. Read in order and the recurring cast and slow-building world pay off beautifully. Below, her linked "Order" series appear in publication sequence.
Gentlemen of the Order (2020–2021)
The series that anchors her enquiry-agency world: four brooding male agents, four dangerous cases, and four women who complicate everything. Atmospheric, romantic, and moreish.
- Dauntless (2020) — An agent and the woman at the heart of his case are forced together by danger, and neither can afford to trust the other. The perfect entry point.
- Raven (2020) — Secrets and a shadowed past pull a guarded hero and a determined heroine into each other's orbit.
- Valiant (2020) — A protective agent, a threatened woman, and a slow-burn built under pressure.
- Dark Angel (2021) — The series closes with its most haunted hero and the case that finally cracks him open.
Ladies of the Order (2021–2022)
The natural follow-on: this time the enquiry agents are women, taking on cases of their own while Mr Daventry keeps pulling the strings. Reads well alone, but richer after the Gentlemen.
- The Devereaux Affair (2021) — A female agent's first major case turns personal fast. A strong female-led starting point.
- More than a Masquerade (2021) — Hidden identities and a masked intrigue drive a tense, romantic case.
- Mine at Midnight (2021) — A midnight mystery and a heroine who refuses to be sidelined.
- Your Scarred Heart (2022) — A wounded hero, a fearless agent, and a case that forces both to risk everything.
- No Life for a Lady (2022) — The series wraps with its most daring investigation and a hard-won happily ever after.
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More from Adele Clee
Clee has written several other linked Regency series in the same intrigue-forward style, including Lost Ladies of London, Scandalous Sons, and Gentlemen of Fortune. Each follows her signature recipe — a mystery to solve, a couple pulled together by danger, and a touch of gothic shadow — so once the "Order" books hook you, there is plenty more to explore.
Where to start
For most readers, the best on-ramp is Dauntless, the first Gentlemen of the Order book. It introduces Mr Daventry and the enquiry agency, sets the tone, and delivers a taut, romantic mystery in one satisfying package. If you would rather start with a heroine driving the investigation, The Devereaux Affair opens the Ladies of the Order and works just as well as a first read. Whichever you choose, finish that series in order before moving on — the connected cast is a big part of the pleasure.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to read Adele Clee's books in order?
Each novel is a standalone romance with its own mystery resolved, so you can start anywhere. Her series are closely linked by a recurring enquiry agency, so reading in order lets you follow the world and cameos most smoothly.
Are the Ladies of the Order connected to Gentlemen of the Order?
Yes. Both revolve around a private enquiry agency, with the mysterious Mr Daventry appearing throughout. Reading Gentlemen of the Order first sets up the world, but Ladies of the Order also works on its own.
Where should I start with Adele Clee?
Start with Dauntless, the first Gentlemen of the Order book, or The Devereaux Affair for a female-led entry.