Dorothy Dunnett

2 series 14 books in order

Dorothy, Lady Dunnett OBE FRSA (1923-2001) was a Scottish novelist best known for her historical fiction, most famously the six-novel Lymond Chronicles set in the 16th century and its eight-novel prequel series, The House of Niccolò. Her other works include King Hereafter, a novel about the historical Macbeth, and a series of mystery novels featuring the portrait painter and spy Johnson Johnson. Her credits include Checkmate, Niccolò Rising, and Gemini. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)

Born
1923
Known for
Lymond Chronicles, The House of Niccolò

Series by Dorothy Dunnett

Lymond Chronicles

6 books in order · 1961–1975

  1. Cover of The Game of Kings

    The Game of Kings

    1961 · Dorothy Dunnett

    The first book in Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles, set in 1547 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Francis Crawford of Lymond returns to the country despite…

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  2. Cover of Queens' Play

    Queens' Play

    1964 · Dorothy Dunnett

    Young Mary Queen of Scots is part of Henri II's French court. Francis Crawford is sent to France to gather intelligence on negotiations with England,…

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  3. Cover of The Disorderly Knights

    The Disorderly Knights

    1966 · Dorothy Dunnett

    Back in Scotland, Crawford establishes a mercenary force and encounters the willful Joleta Malett. Through her brother Graham, a knight of St John of…

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  4. Cover of Pawn in Frankincense

    Pawn in Frankincense

    1969 · Dorothy Dunnett

    Somewhere within the bejeweled labyrinth of the Ottoman empire, a child is hidden. His father, Francis Crawford of Lymond, soldier of fortune and…

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  5. Cover of The Ringed Castle

    The Ringed Castle

    1971 · Dorothy Dunnett

    Crawford is rescued from Volos by the clever and power-hungry Kiaya Khatun, traveling to Moscow to train the Tsar's army while dealing with a…

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  6. Cover of Checkmate

    Checkmate

    1975 · Dorothy Dunnett

    Checkmate is a 1975 book by Dorothy Dunnett. It is book 6 of the series Lymond Chronicles.

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The House of Niccolò

8 books in order · 1986–2000

  1. Cover of Niccolò Rising

    Niccolò Rising

    1986 · Dorothy Dunnett

    In fifteenth-century Bruges, Nicholas vander Poele, a street-smart dyer's apprentice skilled at figures and diplomacy, schemes his way toward heading…

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  2. Cover of The Spring of the Ram

    The Spring of the Ram

    1987 · Dorothy Dunnett

    In fifteenth-century Europe, young Niccolo travels from Florence to Trevizond on the Black Sea, a place where the West and the Orient meet, and where…

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  3. Cover of Race of Scorpions

    Race of Scorpions

    1989 · Dorothy Dunnett

    The third book in the House of Niccolo series, set in fifteenth-century Cyprus, continues the saga of Nicholas van der Poel, an international…

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  4. Cover of Scales of Gold

    Scales of Gold

    1991 · Dorothy Dunnett

    Scales of Gold is a 1991 book by Dorothy Dunnett. It is book 4 of the series The House of Niccolò.

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  5. Cover of The Unicorn Hunt

    The Unicorn Hunt

    1993 · Dorothy Dunnett

    The fifth book in the House of Niccolo sequence returns to the world of trade, war, and banking in Renaissance Europe. Niccolo comes back to Venice…

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  6. Cover of To Lie with Lions

    To Lie with Lions

    1995 · Dorothy Dunnett

    Set in 1471, this novel follows Nicholas de Fleury, a former dyer's apprentice who has risen to great economic and political power. After parting…

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  7. Cover of Caprice and Rondo

    Caprice and Rondo

    1997 · Dorothy Dunnett

    Caprice and Rondo is a 1997 book by Dorothy Dunnett. It is book 7 of the series The House of Niccolò.

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  8. Cover of Gemini

    Gemini

    2000 · Dorothy Dunnett

    Gemini is a 2000 book by Dorothy Dunnett. It is book 8 of the series The House of Niccolò.

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Frequently asked questions

How many books has Dorothy Dunnett written?

We list 14 books by Dorothy Dunnett across 2 series, published between 1961–2000 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Dorothy Dunnett's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “The Game of Kings.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy Dorothy Dunnett's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Bibliography and reading orders compiled from verified bibliographic data. Spotted an error? We continuously correct the catalog.