Order of Commissioner Adamsberg's books by Fred Vargas

The Saga of Commissioner Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg, created by the French writer Fred Vargas, is a prominent series of detective novels combining intrigue, supernatural elements and a deep exploration of the human psyche.

Fred Vargas, pseudonym of Frédérique Audoin-Rouzeau, is a historian and archaeologist, best known for her work on the Black Death. Her novels have won multiple awards, including the prestigious International Dagger Award three times in a row, an unprecedented achievement.

Commissioner Adamsberg

The protagonist, Jean-Baptiste AdamsbergAdamsberg is a police commissioner in Paris, originally from the Basses-Pyrénées. Known for his intuitive and unconventional approach, Adamsberg draws on his deep understanding of human nature to solve cases that defy traditional logic. Throughout the series, he faces mysteries that intertwine ancient legends and contemporary crimes, offering the reader a unique experience in the detective genre.

I'll show you the correct order of the saga.

1. The man with the blue circles (1991)

For four months, blue circles mysteriously appear on the sidewalks of Paris, each surrounding an everyday object. Although they appear harmless at first, Commissioner Adamsberg senses an underlying threat. His intuition is confirmed when the body of a woman with her throat slit appears inside one of these circles.

2. The man upside down (1999)

In the French Alps, several sheep are found with their throats torn out, and soon a shepherdess is killed in the same way. The villagers suspect a werewolf. Adamsberg, together with Camille, his companion, delves into an investigation that mixes superstition and reality.

3. The four rivers (2000)

Two young men steal a bag from an old man and discover esoteric objects and human teeth inside. Shortly afterwards, one of them is found dead. Adamsberg becomes involved in a case that leads him to explore occult practices and secrets from the past.

4. Run away fast, go far away (2001)

In Paris, a town crier announces cryptic messages referring to the Black Death. At the same time, strange symbols appear on the doors of several buildings. Adamsberg must decipher these signs before panic grips the city.

5. The Seine flows (2002)

This collection of short stories presents three cases of Commissioner Adamsberg, in which he deals with murders and attempted murders, always with his particular intuitive approach.

6. Under the winds of Neptune (2004)

Adamsberg travels to Quebec to train in new investigative techniques. However, he is confronted with a case that bears disturbing similarities to an old enemy nicknamed "The Trident", forcing him to confront ghosts from his past.

7. The third virgin (2006)

The commissioner is faced with a series of murders that seem to be connected to the ghost of an 18th-century nun and the desecration of virgin corpses. The investigation leads him to delve into legends and potions that promise eternal life.

8. An uncertain place (2008)

Seventeen pairs of shoes with their respective amputated feet appear lined up in front of a cemetery in London. Adamsberg, invited by Scotland Yard, finds himself involved in an investigation that will take him back to France and confront ancient myths and macabre realities.

9. The furious army (2011)

In Normandy, an ancient legend about a horde of undead knights who carry off the guilty resurfaces when several townspeople go missing. Adamsberg must discern between superstition and reality to solve the case.

10. Ice times (2015)

The death of a mathematics teacher in her bathtub, apparently a suicide, arouses suspicion in Adamsberg because of a strange symbol found at the scene. The investigation leads him to a tragic expedition in Iceland and to secret societies.

11. When the inmate leaves (2017)

After returning from vacation, Adamsberg becomes interested in the death of three elderly people due to the bite of a spider known as the recluse. Although not lethal, the circumstances arouse his curiosity, leading him to discover a complex plot that dates back to the Middle Ages.

12. On the slab (2023)

After closing a case in Brittany, Adamsberg is called upon by the Rennes police to investigate a crime linked to the legend of a count nicknamed “The Lame.” The investigation takes him to a small village where superstitions and ancient secrets play a crucial role.

The Commissioner Adamsberg series is renowned for its mix of mystery, historical elements and touches of magical realism, characteristics that have established Fred Vargas as one of the most prominent authors of the contemporary police genre.