Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No. 17 | 1926 | Joseph Jefferson Farjeon | Buy |
| 2 | Murderer’s Trail / Phantom Fingers | 1931 | Joseph Jefferson Farjeon | Buy |
| 3 | Ben on the Job | 1932 | Joseph Jefferson Farjeon | Buy |
| 4 | Ben Sees It Through | 1932 | Joseph Jefferson Farjeon | Buy |
| 5 | Little God Ben | 1935 | Joseph Jefferson Farjeon | Buy |
| 6 | Detective Ben | 1936 | Joseph Jefferson Farjeon | Buy |
| 7 | Number Nineteen | 1952 | Joseph Jefferson Farjeon | Buy |
The Ben The Tramp series by Joseph Jefferson Farjeon is a seven-book mystery series that stretches across more than two decades, opening with No. 17 in 1926 and closing with Number Nineteen in 1952. The series was most active in the early 1930s: Murderer’s Trail / Phantom Fingers appeared in 1931, followed by Ben on the Job and Ben Sees It Through both in 1932, then Little God Ben in 1935 and Detective Ben in 1936.
After Detective Ben there’s a long gap of sixteen years before Number Nineteen arrived in 1952 to close out the series. It’s worth noting that the first book, No. 17, and the final one, Number Nineteen, both carry number-based titles, which gives the series an unexpected structural symmetry across its twenty-six-year span.