Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Mysterious Commission | 1974 | Michael Innes | Buy |
| 2 | Honeybath’s Haven | 1978 | Michael Innes | Buy |
| 3 | Lord Mullion’s Secret | 1981 | Michael Innes | Buy |
| 4 | Appleby and Honeybath | 1983 | Michael Innes | Buy |
Charles Honeybath arrived late in Michael Innes’s career, giving the author a new protagonist for mysteries set in the art world. As a respected portrait painter, Honeybath moves through country houses and galleries where his commissions lead him into crime.
The series uses Honeybath’s profession to good effect. Portrait painters observe faces closely and notice when subjects hide their true feelings. His work gives him access to private family spaces where secrets tend to emerge during long sitting sessions.
The fourth book brings Honeybath together with the retired Sir John Appleby, connecting Innes’s two detective series. Both men share refined tastes and sharp minds, making them natural partners when murder disrupts their comfortable world of art and English society.