Harbinder Kaur
mystery
Series · mystery
The Brighton Mysteries (Stephens & Mephisto)
The Brighton Mysteries (Stephens & Mephisto) series by Elly Griffiths has 7 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Zig Zag Girl (2014).
- Books
- 7 books
- First published
- 2014
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: The Zig Zag Girl (2014) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Zig Zag Girl
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Zig Zag Girl - Book 2:
Smoke and Mirrors
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Smoke and Mirrors - Book 3:
The Blood Card
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Blood Card - Book 4:
The Vanishing Box
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Vanishing Box - Book 5:
Now You See Them
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Now You See Them - Book 6:
The Midnight Hour
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Midnight Hour - Book 7:
The Great Deceiver
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Great Deceiver
About The Brighton Mysteries (Stephens & Mephisto)
Elly Griffiths's third detective series pairs DI Edgar Stephens with Max Mephisto, a stage magician, against the fading glamour of post-war Brighton. The two men served together during the Second World War in the Magic Men, a real-inspired shadowy military unit that used stage-magic deception techniques for wartime camouflage and misdirection — a shared history that gives their unlikely partnership its emotional foundation. The Zig Zag Girl (2014) opens with a murder staged to mimic one of Max's own magic tricks, drawing him back into police work as Edgar's unofficial consultant, and the series continues to root its mysteries in the world of variety theatre, seaside end-of-pier shows and the slow death of British music hall through the 1950s and into the 1960s.
Across seven novels, Griffiths uses the fading entertainment industry as both backdrop and clue-generating machine — magicians, ventriloquists, mind-readers and impresarios all become suspects and victims — while Edgar and Max's friendship, and Edgar's eventual marriage to policewoman Emma Holmes, deepen across the run. It's Griffiths's most theatrical, nostalgia-soaked series, distinct in tone from both Ruth Galloway's archaeological mysteries and Harbinder Kaur's contemporary settings.
How to read this series
Read in publication order, starting with The Zig Zag Girl (2014). The series moves forward in time with its 1950s-60s setting, and Edgar and Max's friendship, plus Edgar's relationship with Emma Holmes, develop continuously across all seven books. This is a separate Elly Griffiths series from Ruth Galloway and Harbinder Kaur, sharing no characters, though fans of one often enjoy the others for Griffiths's consistent voice and eye for period or professional detail.
Frequently asked questions
How many Brighton Mysteries books are there?
Seven: The Zig Zag Girl, Smoke and Mirrors, The Blood Card, The Vanishing Box, Now You See Them, The Midnight Hour and The Great Deceiver, published 2014-2023.
What order should I read the Brighton Mysteries in?
Publication order, starting with The Zig Zag Girl. The series moves forward through the 1950s and 60s, and Edgar Stephens and Max Mephisto's friendship develops continuously.
Who are Stephens and Mephisto?
DI Edgar Stephens and stage magician Max Mephisto, who served together in a wartime unit called the Magic Men and later team up to solve murders connected to Brighton's variety theatre world.
Is this series connected to Ruth Galloway or Harbinder Kaur?
No — all three are separate Elly Griffiths series with different characters, settings and time periods.
Is there an eighth Brighton Mysteries book coming?
No eighth book is confirmed as of August 2026; The Great Deceiver (2023) is the most recent entry.
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Reading order last verified .