If you are trying to read Lucy Foley books in order, the good news is that most of her novels are easy to approach.
You do not need to follow one continuous series.
Her bibliography is mainly made up of standalone novels, beginning with historical fiction and later moving into the atmospheric mystery thrillers she is now best known for.
That means you can either:
- read everything in publication order
- start with her mystery thrillers
- choose based on setting or reading mood
- begin with the book that sounds most appealing
As of September 2026, Foley’s bibliography includes her earlier historical novels, four major standalone mystery thrillers, and the authorized Miss Marple novel Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel.
Quick Answer: Lucy Foley Books in Order
For a simple publication-order guide, use this list:
- The Book of Lost and Found (2015)
- The Invitation (2016)
- Last Letter from Istanbul (2018)
- The Hunting Party (2018)
- The Guest List (2020)
- The Paris Apartment (2022)
- The Midnight Feast (2024)
- Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel (2026)
Her first three novels are historical fiction. The Hunting Party marked the beginning of the modern mystery-thriller style most readers now associate with Lucy Foley.
Do You Need to Read Lucy Foley Books in Order?
Usually, no.
Most Lucy Foley novels are standalone stories with different characters, settings, mysteries, and timelines.
So you can start wherever you want.
The main exception in terms of fictional world is Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel, because it is an authorized new Miss Marple mystery using Agatha Christie’s character. You still do not need to read Foley’s earlier novels before it.
For readers who want to see the progression of Foley’s writing career, publication order is the cleanest approach.
Lucy Foley Books in Publication Order
1. The Book of Lost and Found
This is where Foley’s published novel career begins.
It is historical fiction rather than crime thriller, with a more emotional and sweeping style than her later books.
Best for: family history, romance, and historical secrets.
If your main interest is Lucy Foley’s mystery writing, you can skip ahead to The Hunting Party without losing anything.
2. The Invitation
Another historical novel, this one has a glamorous European setting and a slower, more romantic atmosphere than Foley’s thrillers.
Best for: historical fiction, travel, and complicated relationships.
3. Last Letter from Istanbul
This continues Foley’s early historical-fiction phase.
It is more reflective and character-driven than the closed-circle-style mysteries she later became known for.
Best for: historical settings, emotional drama, and wartime stories.
The Shift to Mystery Thrillers
From this point onward, Foley’s work changes significantly.
Her later books are built much more around:
- limited suspect groups
- remote or enclosed settings
- multiple perspectives
- hidden motives
- old secrets
- murder mysteries
That is the style most House of Readers visitors are likely looking for.
4. The Hunting Party
A group of old friends travels to a remote Scottish estate for New Year.
The setting is beautiful.
The relationships are strained.
And eventually, someone dies.
This is one of Foley’s clearest closed-circle mysteries and an excellent introduction to the style she would continue developing.
Best for: remote winter settings, friendship tension, and limited suspects.
5. The Guest List
A wedding takes place on a remote island off the coast of Ireland.
The celebration brings together people with complicated histories.
Old grudges resurface.
Someone ends up dead.
This became one of Foley’s best-known mysteries and helped define her reputation for atmospheric ensemble thrillers.
Best for: remote islands, weddings, secrets, and multiple suspects.
6. The Paris Apartment
A woman arrives in Paris to stay with her brother.
He is missing.
The apartment building is full of residents who all seem to be hiding something.
This book moves away from remote nature and into a more urban, claustrophobic mystery.
Best for: apartment mysteries, suspicious neighbors, and urban suspense.
7. The Midnight Feast
Guests gather for the opening weekend of a luxury countryside retreat called The Manor.
Old tensions return.
A body is found.
The novel blends murder mystery with darker folk-horror elements and a strong sense of place.
Best for: luxury retreats, old secrets, darker atmosphere, and ensemble mysteries.
8. Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel
This is an important addition to Foley’s bibliography because it is not simply another standalone Lucy Foley thriller.
It is an authorized Miss Marple mystery based on Agatha Christie’s character.
The novel was published in September 2026 and places Miss Marple at the Grand Alpine Hotel in the Swiss Alps, where a death and a snowstorm turn a luxurious holiday into a murder investigation.
Official reference: Agatha Christie – Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel
Best for: Agatha Christie, classic detective fiction, elegant hotel mysteries, and Miss Marple.
Lucy Foley Books by Genre
The easiest way to understand her bibliography is to split it into three groups.
Historical Fiction
- The Book of Lost and Found
- The Invitation
- Last Letter from Istanbul
Standalone Mystery Thrillers
- The Hunting Party
- The Guest List
- The Paris Apartment
- The Midnight Feast
Miss Marple Mystery
- Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel
Are Lucy Foley’s Mystery Books Connected?
No.
Her major thrillers work as standalone novels.
You do not need to read The Hunting Party before The Guest List, or The Guest List before The Paris Apartment.
Each mystery has a separate cast, setting, and central crime.
That makes Foley particularly easy to approach by mood rather than strict chronology.
Where Should You Start With Lucy Foley?
This depends on what you want.
Start with The Guest List if you want:
- a remote island
- a wedding
- multiple suspects
- social tension
- classic closed-circle mystery structure
Start with The Hunting Party if you want:
- snow
- an isolated estate
- friendship tension
- a winter atmosphere
Start with The Paris Apartment if you want:
- an urban mystery
- suspicious neighbors
- a claustrophobic setting
- a disappearance
Start with The Midnight Feast if you want:
- a luxury retreat
- old secrets
- a darker atmosphere
- folk-horror elements
Start with Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel if you want:
- Miss Marple
- classic detective fiction
- a hotel mystery
- Agatha Christie atmosphere
Lucy Foley Books by Reading Mood
Another easy way to choose:
For Winter Isolation
The Hunting Party
For Island Suspense
The Guest List
For Urban Claustrophobia
The Paris Apartment
For Dark Luxury Retreats
The Midnight Feast
For Classic Detective Mystery
Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel
For Historical Fiction
The Book of Lost and Found, The Invitation, or Last Letter from Istanbul
Best Lucy Foley Book for Ruth Ware Fans
If you have been following our Ruth Ware cluster, Lucy Foley is a very natural next author.
For readers who enjoyed One by One, start with:
The Hunting Party
For snow, isolation, and group tension.
The Guest List
For a limited suspect pool and remote setting.
The Midnight Feast
For another high-end retreat where old secrets matter.
If snowy isolation is your favorite part of these mysteries, read our One by One Review: Is Ruth Ware’s Snowy Thriller Worth Reading?.
For more books with the same isolated-group tension, see Books Like One by One: 12 Isolated Thrillers to Read Next.
Lucy Foley vs Ruth Ware
Both authors write atmospheric mysteries, but they often emphasize different things.
Lucy Foley
- more ensemble casts
- more social tension
- more multiple-perspective storytelling
- more group secrets
- more glamorous event settings
Ruth Ware
- more individual narrator focus
- more psychological isolation
- more gothic houses and travel settings
- more survival tension
- more unreliable perception
If you enjoy one author, there is a strong chance you will find several books from the other worth trying.
You can explore Ruth Ware’s complete bibliography in our Ruth Ware Books in Order: Complete Reading Guide.
Which Lucy Foley Book Should You Read Next?
If you want the shortest answer:
Want snow?
The Hunting Party
Want an island mystery?
The Guest List
Want city suspense?
The Paris Apartment
Want something darker?
The Midnight Feast
Want classic detective fiction?
Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel
Want historical fiction instead of mystery?
The Book of Lost and Found
What to Read Before The Guest List
Nothing.
The Guest List is a standalone.
You can read it without reading The Hunting Party first.
What to Read Before The Hunting Party
Again, nothing.
The Hunting Party stands alone.
That means you can read it even if it is your first Lucy Foley book.
What to Read After Lucy Foley
If you like Foley’s isolated settings and group mysteries, Ruth Ware is one of the clearest next authors.
Read our Ruth Ware Books in Order: Complete Reading Guide.
For a snowy thriller, see One by One Review: Is Ruth Ware’s Snowy Thriller Worth Reading?.
For recommendations, explore Books Like One by One: 12 Isolated Thrillers to Read Next.
If you prefer twist-heavy psychological thrillers, our Alice Feeney Books in Order: Complete Reading Guide is another good place to continue.
Final Thoughts
Reading Lucy Foley books in order is simple because most of her novels stand alone.
If you want to follow her entire career, start with The Book of Lost and Found and continue chronologically.
But if you are mainly interested in the mystery-thriller style Foley is now known for, I would start with:
The Hunting Party → The Guest List → The Paris Apartment → The Midnight Feast
Then move to Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel if you want her take on Miss Marple and classic detective fiction.
For most House of Readers visitors, The Guest List or The Hunting Party will probably be the easiest entry point.
