Dorothy Dunnett

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  • Bibliography:
    29 Books (4 Series)
  • First Book:
    January 1961
  • Latest Book:
    July 2000
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About the Author

Dorothy Dunnett was born in Dunfermline in 1923. She began her career working for the Scottish Government Departments as a press officer. In 1950 she became a professional portrait painter, her portraits are exhibited in the Royal Scottish Academy.

She published The Game of Kings, her first novel, in 1961, thus opening her world-famous series, The Lymond Chronicles, which explores the intricacies of sixteenth-century history through the personality of a single man who remains an international byword for charisma. Her bestselling epic novel about MacBeth, King Hereafter, was published in 1982, and she is also the author of a series of contemporary thrillers. Currently she is writing a new series, The House of Niccolo, which re-creates the fifteenth-century world of trade, war and banking. In 1992 Dorothy Dunnett was awarded the OBE for her services to literature. She is married to the author and former editot of The Scotsman, Sir Alastair Dunnett; they have two sons and live in Edinburgh,

Full Series List in Order

Dolly

1 - Dolly and the Singing Bird // Photogenic Soprano (1968)
2 - Dolly and the Cookie Bird // Murder in the Round (Jun-1970)
3 - Dolly and the Doctor Bird // Match for a Murderer (1971)
4 - Dolly and the Starry Bird // Murder in Focus (1972)
5 - Dolly and the Nanny Bird (1976)
6 - Dolly and the Bird of Paradise (1983)
7 - Send a Fax to the Kasbah (May-1992)

The House of Niccolo

1 - Niccolo Rising (Aug-1986)
2 - The Spring of the Ram (Jun-1988)
3 - Race of Scorpions (May-1990)
4 - Scales of Gold (May-1992)
5 - Unicorn Hunt (Aug-1994)
6 - To Lie With Lions (Jun-1996)
7 - Caprice and Rondo (May-1998)
8 - Gemini (Jul-2000)

Johnson Johnson

1 - Rum Affair (Jan-1968)
2 - The Ibiza Surprise (Jan-1970)
3 - Operation Nassau (Jan-1971)
4 - Roman Nights (Jan-1973)
5 - Split Code (Jan-1976)
6 - The Tropical Issue (Jan-1983)
7 - Moroccan Traffic (Jan-1991)

The Lymond Chronicles

1 - The Game of Kings (Jan-1961)
2 - Queen's Play (Jan-1964)
3 - The Disorderly Knights (1966)
4 - Pawn in Frankincense (Jun-1969)
5 - The Ringed Castle (Apr-1971)
6 - Checkmate (1975)

Book List in Order: 29 titles

  • The Game of Kings

    The Lymond Chronicles - 1

    The game of Kings is the first book of Dorothy Dunnett's brilliant LYMOND CHRONICLES, which explore the intricacies of sixteenth-century history through the personality and exploits of Francis Crawford of Lymond, Scottish soldier of fortune, scholar ...

  • Queen's Play

    The Lymond Chronicles - 2

    Queen's Play is the second book in Dorothy Dunnett's series, THE LYMOND CHRONICLES, which bring to life sixteenth-century history through the adventures of Scottish soldier of fortune, scholar and wit, Francis Crawford of Lymond. Menaced b...

  • The Disorderly Knights

    • / Historical Mystery
    • Buy Buy
    The Lymond Chronicles - 3

    The Disorderly Knights is the third book in Dorothy Dunnett's series, THE LYMOND CHRONICLES, which bring to life sixteenth-century history through the adventures of Scottish soldier of fortune, scholar and wit, Francis Crawford of Lymond. Malt...

  • Rum Affair

    Johnson Johnson - 1

    This mystery is told from the point of view of the 'Bird'; Tina Rossi, a famous coloratura soprano who arrives to sing at the Edinburgh Festival, only to find a murder victim in a cupboard, whilst at the same time her lover, top scientist Kenneth Hom...

  • Dolly and the Singing Bird // Photogenic Soprano

    • / Amateur Sleuth
    • Buy Buy
    Dolly - 1

    This fast-paced, sophisticated and often hilarious mystery by a distinguished historical novelist introduces Johnson Johnson, a famous but enigmatic portrait painter whose interests, it soon becomes obvious, range far beyond painting, and his sailing...

  • Pawn in Frankincense

    The Lymond Chronicles - 4

    In this fourth book in the legendary Lymond Chronicles, Francis Crawford of Lymond desperately searches the Ottoman empire for his kidnapped child. Somewhere within the bejeweled labyrinth of the Ottoman empire, a child is hidden. Now his f...

  • The Ibiza Surprise

    Johnson Johnson - 2

    Life in Ibiza can be glorious and fast, especially for those who have money. Sarah Cassells is an intelligent girl and has many admirers. Having completed her training as a chef, she hears of her father's violent death on the island, and refuses to b...

  • Dolly and the Cookie Bird // Murder in the Round

    Dolly - 2

  • Operation Nassau

    Johnson Johnson - 3

    Dr. B. McRannoch is in the Bahamas with her father, who has moved there from Scotland because of asthma. She is a savvy and tough young lady who shows much independence of mind and spirit. However, when Sir Bart Edgecombe, a British agent who has bee...



  • Dolly and the Doctor Bird // Match for a Murderer

    • / Amateur Sleuth
    • Buy Buy
    Dolly - 3

    Reissued as Operation Nassau...

  • The Ringed Castle

    The Lymond Chronicles - 5

    For the first time Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles are available in the United States in quality paperback editions.Fifth in the legendary Lymond Chronicles, The Ringed Castle leaps from Mary Tudor's England to the barbaric Russia of Ivan the Terrible. F...

  • Dolly and the Starry Bird // Murder in Focus

    • / Amateur Sleuth
    • Buy Buy
    Dolly - 4

    Reissued as Roman Nights...

  • Roman Nights

    Johnson Johnson - 4

    Ruth Russell, an astronomer working at the Maurice Frazer Observatory, is enjoying herself in Rome - that is, until her lover, Charles Digham, a fashion photographer and writer of obituary verses, has his camera stolen. The thief ends up as a head...

  • Checkmate

    • / Historical Mystery
    • Buy Buy
    The Lymond Chronicles - 6

    For the first time Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles are available in the United States in quality paperback editions.Sixth in the legendary Lymond Chronicles, Checkmate takes place in 1557, where Francis Crawford of Lymond is once again in France, leading...

  • Split Code

    Johnson Johnson - 5

    Joanna Emerson, a trained nursery nurse, is hired as a nanny, albeit reluctantly, to the infant heir of a cosmetics fortune. She then becomes caught up in a complex kidnap plot. She is also an expert in codes and her purpose is to gain an insight int...

  • Dolly and the Nanny Bird

    • / Amateur Sleuth
    • Buy Buy
    Dolly - 5

    Reissued as Split Code...

  • King Hereafter

    In the early years of the eleventh century, the young warlords of northern Europe, divided between pagans and followers of the White Christ, grappled endlessly for power. Many of them lost their heads in the process. Among those who didn't was an ung...

  • The Tropical Issue

    Johnson Johnson - 6

    Rita Geddes is a dyslexic makeup artist whose appearance seems to change with the weather. She is called to Johnson Johnson's apartment, which he has let to a friend who wishes to use his studio, to fix the makeup of the famous Natalie Sheridan. Howe...

  • Dolly and the Bird of Paradise

    • / Amateur Sleuth
    • Buy Buy
    Dolly - 6

    Reissued as The Tropical Issue...



  • Niccolo Rising

    The House of Niccolo - 1

    With the bravura storytelling and pungent authenticity of detail she brought to her acclaimed Lymond Chronicles, Dorothy Dunnett, grande dame of the historical novel, presents The House of Niccolo series. The time is the 15th century, when intrepid m...

  • The Spring of the Ram

    The House of Niccolo - 2

    With the bravura storytelling and pungent authenticity of detail she brought to her acclaimed Lymond Chronicles, Dorothy Dunnett, grande dame of the historical novel, presents The House of Niccolo series. The time is the 15th century, when intrepid m...

  • Race of Scorpions

    The House of Niccolo - 3

    With the bravura storytelling and pungent authenticity of detail she brought to her acclaimed Lymond Chronicles, Dorothy Dunnett presents The House of Niccola series. The time is the 15th century, when intrepid merchants became the new knighthood of ...

  • Moroccan Traffic

    Johnson Johnson - 7

    The chairman of Kingsley Conglomerates is conducting negotiations, which are both difficult and somewhat dubious, in Morocco. He is accompanied by executive secretary Wendy Helmann. However, there are soon distractions when unorthodox Rita Geddes app...

  • Scales of Gold

    The House of Niccolo - 4

    With the bravura storytelling and pungent authenticity of detail she brought to her acclaimed Lymond Chronicles, Dorothy Dunnett, grande dame of the historical novel, presents The House of NiccolO series. The time is the 15th century, when intrepid m...

  • Send a Fax to the Kasbah

    Dolly - 7

    When a bomb at Kingsley Conglomerates sends upwardly mobile Executive Secretary Wendy Helmann and her mother, Kingsley's Chairman, to Morocco, the two must endure races on horseback, murder, and mayhem. 10,000 first printing. Reissued as Moroccan ...

  • Unicorn Hunt

    The House of Niccolo - 5

    With the bravura storytelling and pungent authenticity of detail she brought to her acclaimed Lymond Chronicles, Dorothy Dunnett, grande dame of the historical novel, presents The House of Niccola series. The time is the 15th century, when intrepid m...

  • To Lie With Lions

    The House of Niccolo - 6

    The sixth volume in the popular The House of Niccolo series, this vivid novel of the 15th century centers on Nicholas vander Poele who, in 1471, is acclaimed by all the great courts of Europe, but whose personal life is tumultuous. He and his passion...

  • Caprice and Rondo

    The House of Niccolo - 7

    With the bravura storytelling and pungent authenticity of detail she brought to her acclaimed Lymond Chronicles, Dorothy Dunnett, grande dame of the historical novel, presents The House of Niccolò series. The time is the 15th century, when intrepid m...

  • Gemini

    The House of Niccolo - 8

    With the bravura storytelling and pungent authenticity of detail she brought to her acclaimed Lymond Chronicles, Dorothy Dunnett, grande dame of the historical novel, presents The House of Niccola series. The time is the 15th century, when intrepid m...



Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Dorothy Dunnett has published 29 books.

Dorothy Dunnett does not have a new book coming out soon. The latest book, Gemini, was published in July 2000.

The first book by Dorothy Dunnett, The Game of Kings, was published in January 1961.

Yes. Dorothy Dunnett has 4 series.
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