DI Tobias Stone Books in Order
The complete DI Tobias Stone series by Phillip Strang — all 4 Lake District crime thrillers in reading order
Crime among the fells and lakes of England's most scenic county. Beneath the postcard surface of the Lake District — the tarns, the tourist villages, the walking trails — Detective Inspector Tobias Stone uncovers the darker currents running through communities where everyone knows everyone, and secrets are kept for generations. Newly returned to Cumbria after years with the Metropolitan Police, Stone works alongside DS Amy Hopwood and forensic pathologist Dr Helen Lawson to solve the murders that hide beneath the postcard surface. The scenery is breathtaking; the crimes are anything but. Perfect for fans of Martin Edwards, Ann Cleeves, and L.J. Ross.
1. The Lakeview Murder
A respected hotel owner is found dead at his desk in the middle of the tourist season, and everyone sees an ageing man who worked himself into the grave. Everyone except DI Tobias Stone. Newly returned to Cumbria after years with the Met, Stone notices what the others miss — folded reading glasses that don't fit the scene, a bruise beneath the collar, an unsent email about a business partner's aggressive plans for the lakefront. What looks like a heart attack is murder. With DS Amy Hopwood and Dr Helen Lawson, Stone must break open a Windermere community where everyone has something to protect.
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2. The Grasmere Grave
A burial is uncovered near Grasmere, disguised to pass for something ancient — until a retired archaeologist recognises it for what it is: a modern murder, dressed up to delay discovery. The dead woman was a manuscript authentication expert who lived quietly nearby, and whose professional eye had detected a forgery she was never meant to question. As Stone digs in, the case opens onto a sophisticated operation preying on academic trust across the north of England — forged credentials, stolen manuscripts, elderly scholars targeted one by one. With Hopwood and Lawson, Stone must expose the ring before it buys the time to disappear.
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3. The Haweswater Secret
An unprecedented drought drains Haweswater and lays bare the ruins of Mardale Green, the village drowned when the reservoir was built in the 1930s. On the floor of the old smithy lie human remains wrapped in plastic — and Stone has only days before the rising water reclaims the scene and everything in it. The dead woman vanished in 1972 while researching the lost village; the questions she was asking led straight to a celebrated local author whose reputation rests on a connection he cannot afford to have exposed. With Hopwood and Lawson, Stone must read a half-century of evidence before the lake takes its secret back.
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4. Elements of Death
A barn burns near Coniston Water, and inside Stone finds what the fire couldn't touch — a body preserved by an ancient burial technique, a copper-bound shepherd's crook laid carefully beside it. The method matches "Kept Cumbria," a scandalous exhibition from twenty years ago that documented traditional preservation through earth, air, water and fire. When a second victim follows the same grim pattern, Stone understands he is chasing someone working through the elements one killing at a time — and that the next target has days, not weeks. With Hopwood and Lawson, Stone must find the final "exhibition" before artistic obsession claims another life.
Buy on Amazon →If You Enjoy DI Tobias Stone, Try These
Love Stone's investigations among the fells and lakes? Here are three series that deliver the same rural British crime writing, with landscape as much a character as the detective.
Lake District Mysteries — Martin Edwards
DCI Hannah Scarlett and historian Daniel Kind investigate cold cases across Cumbria, with the same lakes and fells providing the backdrop. The closest match to Stone's territory — atmospheric, puzzle-driven, and steeped in the region.
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Vera Stanhope — Ann Cleeves
DCI Vera Stanhope solves murders across the wild landscapes of Northumberland — remote communities, buried secrets, and a detective who misses nothing. If you like Stone's eye for small-town undercurrents, Vera is a natural next read.
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DI Tremayne — Phillip Strang
If you've finished the Tobias Stone books, DI Keith Tremayne is the natural next Strang series — the same rural-British detective instincts, set among the ancient landscapes of Wiltshire and Salisbury. 10 novels.
Read the Series Guide →More Crime Series Worth Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
How many DI Tobias Stone books are there?
There are 4 DI Tobias Stone novels. The series is set in the Lake District and is available in Kindle, paperback, and audiobook formats.
Should you read the DI Tobias Stone books in order?
Yes — the series rewards reading in order. While each novel presents a self-contained murder investigation, the recurring characters and Stone's own story develop across the series. Start with The Lakeview Murder.
What is the best DI Tobias Stone book to start with?
Start with The Lakeview Murder (Book 1) to meet Stone and his team from the beginning and follow the series as it was written.
Where are the DI Tobias Stone books set?
The series is set in the Lake District in Cumbria — among the fells, lakes, and villages of England's largest national park. Locations including Grasmere and Haweswater feature across the books, with the landscape playing an integral part in each story.
Is DI Tobias Stone similar to other British detective series?
Yes — readers who enjoy Martin Edwards' Lake District Mysteries, Ann Cleeves' Vera, or Peter Robinson's DCI Banks tend to find DI Stone a natural fit. The series shares their rural settings, character-driven investigations, and strong sense of place.