Note: titles in bold mentioned in the Timeline are available in paperback and as e-books and are presented as links to the Amazon store.
- 1943
- R.J. (Raymond John) Carr is born in Chicago, Illinois, to parents Raymond and Jean Carr. “R.J”. is bestowed on him immediately as a nick-name to distinguish him from his father.
- 1949
- The second of three children, Ginny (Virginia Lara) Robb is born to parents Stephen and Catherine Robb in Lakepoint Heights, Illinois, where she lives until 1967 in the family flat above Robb’s Market.
- 1955
- The Carr family purchases a new three-flat on N. Mills Avenue and moves in on the top floor.
- 1958
- Jean McPherson Carr, R.J.’s mother, dies of cancer.
- 1959
- Johnny Carr, nine years older than younger brother R.J. (two sisters born between them not having survived childbirth), finishes his tour of Naval duty, then follows in their father’s footsteps by joining the Chicago police force.
- 1961-1965
- R.J. attends Southern Illinois University where he gains Little All-America honors at football (1964) as well as Academic All-America status (1962-64).
- 1965
- Captain Ray Carr of the Chicago Police Department dies of a heart attack at age 55.
- 1967-1971
- Ginny Robb attends the University of Chicago on a full academic scholarship and graduates summa cum laude.
- 1967
- Carr Investigations and Security (CIS) opens for business in a two-room office on Belmont Avenue above McPherson Home Appliances.
- 1968-1972
- Taking one course at a time, R.J. adds to his undergraduate criminology degree by achieving a Masters Degree in Sociology from the University of Chicago — where his path and Ginny Robb’s fail to cross.
- 1971-1972
- Ginny continues her studies at U. of C. and is awarded a Masters Degree in Educational Counseling.
- 1972
- The events of “Runaways Traced”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, October 2000).
- 1972-1974
- Ginny serves as an Assistant Dean of Admissions at U. of C.
- 1974 — May
- R.J. and Ginny meet, conspire on their first case, and become engaged within a week. The events of Culs-de-sac.
- 1974 — June
- R.J. and Ginny marry.
- 1975
- The events of “The No-Brainer”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, April 2002).
- 1975
- Jeanie (Jean Catherine) Carr is born to parents R.J. and Ginny.
- 1976 — Autumn
- The events of “No Mystery Here” (The Unclaimed Dead and Other Stories)
- 1977
- A second Carr child, ‘Johnny’, suffering severe birth defects, is born prematurely and dies instantly.
- 1977
- The major events of Death and Remembrance (Formerly titled RMS).
- 1978 — July
- The events of “Trouble Waiting to Happen”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, October 2011)
- 1979 — June-July
- The events of The Vanderhoff Business.
- 1979
- Steve (Stephen Raymond) Carr is born to parents R.J. and Ginny.
- 1979-80 — Winter
- The events of “Rookies Know Everything”. (Mystery Scene, December 1993)
- 1980 — Summer
- The events of Four North.
- 1983 — August-October
- The events of The Crimson Butterfly.
- 1983
- The events of “The Facts Concerning the Carnival of Crime at Christmas”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, January 2003).
- 1984 — July
- The events of “The Triumph of Truth and Time”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, December 2004)
- 1985
- Upon Steve’s entry into grade school, Ginny resumes her professional career at the Elm Grove, Illinois, High School as Sophomore Class Counselor and “resigns as chief detective assistant”.
- 1986
- Ginny’s parents sell Robb’s Market and move to Florida.
- 1986 — March
- The events of “Fallen among Thieves”. (The Unclaimed Dead and Other Stories)
- 1987
- R.J.’s uncle, Carl McPherson, Sr., retires, closes McPherson Home Appliances, and sells the building which the new owner demolishes, forcing the relocation of Carr Investigations and Security to an office building on N. Harlem Avenue.
- 1987
- Ginny “un-resigns”.
- 1988 — July
- The events of “Rednecks and Lies”. (The Unclaimed Dead and Other Stories)
- 1988 — September
- The events of “Damsels in Distress”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, November 2017)
- 1989
- Mrs. Andersen (“Aunt Dorothy”), longtime tenant in the Carr three-flat, dies at the age of 84. R.J. and Ginny sell the three-flat and move to a “modest but attractive” ranch house in Elm Grove two blocks from the high school where Ginny counsels.
- 1989 — May
- The events of “Trip to Reno”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, January/February 2015)
- 1989 — Late July
- The events of “Where the Bodies Are Buried”. (The Unclaimed Dead and Other Stories)
- 1990
- Johnny Carr, after ten years as second in line, becomes Commander of the Central Homicide Division.
- 1990
- The events of “Capriccio for Unaccompanied Violin”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, July/August 1999)
- 1991
- The events of “Until Proven Innocent”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, August 2003)
- 1992 — September
- The events of “Luisa Speaks”. (The Unclaimed Dead and Other Stories)
- 1993 — Summer
- The events of Silver Queen.
- 1994 — Winter/Early Spring
- The framing events of Death and Remembrance (Formerly titled RMS).
- 1994 — Late Spring
- The events of “Deadline Edition”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, April 2009)
- 1994 — Fall
- The events of Hawksbill.
- 1996 — July
- The events of “Worst-Case Scenario”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, January/February 2014)
- 1993-1997
- Jeanie Carr attends the University of Michigan.
- 1997 — February
- The events of “A Precautionary Tale”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, November 2016)
- 1997 — June
- The events of “Raptors”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, January/February 2013)
- 1997 — November-1998 — January
- The events of Russian Dolls.
- 1997-2001
- Steve Carr attends Lawrence University in Wisconsin.
- 1997-2000
- Jeanie Carr studies medicine at Northwestern University.
- 1998 — February
- The events of “Broken Glass”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, December 2000).
- 1998 — Summer
- The events of “Shamus in a Pickle Factory”. (The Unclaimed Dead and Other Stories)
- 1999 — January
- The events of “Mischief”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine July/August 2006)
- 1999 — Summer/Fall
- The events of Exception to the Rule.
- 2000
- Death of Stephen Robb, Ginny’s father. Jean Catherine Carr, M.D., marries Stephen Carrier.
- 2000 — Fall
- The events of Translation—Death.
- 2001 — Late April
- The events of “The Finlay Millions”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, January/February 2016)
- 2002
- Steve Carr marries Lauren Driscoll.
- 2002 — Summer
- The events of “The Unclaimed Dead”. (The Unclaimed Dead and Other Stories)
- 2003 — January
- Steve Carr joins CIS.
- 2004 — Winter
- The events of Unintended Consequences. (Consequences: Two Novels)
- 2006 — Spring-Summer
- The events of “Rescuing Meg”. (The Unclaimed Dead and Other Stories)
- 2008
- R.J. and Ginny retire.
- 2009 — Fall
- The events of Consequences Forgiven. (Consequences: Two Novels)
- 2012 — Summer/Fall
- The events of “Manitoba Posmortem”. (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Forthcoming)