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Inspector Shan Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of Inspector Shan books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: March 2026
Quick Answer
What order should I read the Inspector Shan series? Start with "The Skull Mantra" (1999) and follow publication order through all 10 books.
The complete Inspector Shan reading order is listed below in publication sequence.
Publication Order
The Skull Mantra
1999
Water Touching Stone
2001
Bone Mountain
2002
Beautiful Ghosts
2004
Prayer of the Dragon
2007
The Lord of Death
2009
Mandarin Gate
2012
Soul of the Fire
2014
Skeleton God
2017
Bones of the Earth
2019
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