Desmond Merrion books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Desmond Merrion series?"

"There are 63 books in the Desmond Merrion series, published between 1930 and 1960."

Q: "What is the first book in the Desmond Merrion series?"

"The first book in the Desmond Merrion series is The Secret of High Eldersham, published in 1930."

Q: "Who is Desmond Merrion?"

"Desmond Merrion is an amateur detective who frequently assists Inspector Arnold of Scotland Yard. He appears in over 60 novels written between 1930 and 1960, making him one of the longest-running characters in Golden Age mystery fiction."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	The Secret of High Eldersham	1930	Miles Burton	N/A
2	The Secret of High Eldersham / The Mystery of High Eldersham	1930	Miles Burton	Buy
3	Menace on the Downs	1931	Miles Burton	N/A
4	The Three Crimes	1931	Miles Burton	N/A
5	Death of MrGantley	1932	Miles Burton	N/A
6	Fate at the Fair	1933	Miles Burton	N/A
7	Tragedy at the Thirteenth Hole	1933	Miles Burton	N/A
8	Death at the Crossroads	1933	Miles Burton	N/A
9	To Catch A Thief	1934	Miles Burton	N/A
10	The Charabanc Mystery	1934	Miles Burton	N/A
11	The Devereux Court Mystery	1935	Miles Burton	N/A
12	The Milk-Churn Murder / The Clue of the Silver Brush	1935	Miles Burton	Buy
13	Where is Barbara Prentice? / The Clue of the Silver Cellar	1936	Miles Burton	N/A
14	Death in the Tunnel	1936	Miles Burton	N/A
15	Death in the Tunnel / Dark in the Tunnel	1936	Miles Burton	Buy
16	Murder of a Chemist	1936	Miles Burton	N/A
17	Death at the Club / The Clue of the Fourteen Keys	1937	Miles Burton	N/A
18	Murder in Crown Passage / The Man with the Tattooed Face	1937	Miles Burton	N/A
19	Death at Low Tide	1938	Miles Burton	N/A
20	The Platinum Cat	1938	Miles Burton	N/A
21	Mr Babbacombe Dies	1939	Miles Burton	N/A
22	Death Leaves No Card	1939	Miles Burton	Buy
23	Mr Westerby Missing	1940	Miles Burton	N/A
24	Written in Dust / Murder in the Calhole	1940	Miles Burton	N/A
25	Vacancy with Corpse / Death Takes A Flat	1941	Miles Burton	N/A
26	Up the Garden Path / Death Visits Downspring	1941	Miles Burton	N/A
27	Death of Two Brothers	1941	Miles Burton	N/A
28	Death at Ash House / This Undesirable Residence	1942	Miles Burton	Buy
29	Dead Stop	1943	Miles Burton	N/A
30	Who Killed the Doctor? / Murder, M.D.	1943	Miles Burton	N/A
31	Four-Ply Yarn / The Shadow on the Cliff	1944	Miles Burton	N/A
32	The Three Corpse Trick	1944	Miles Burton	Buy
33	Early Morning Murder / Accidents Do Happen	1945	Miles Burton	Buy
34	Not a Leg to Stand On	1945	Miles Burton	N/A
35	The Cat Jumps	1946	Miles Burton	N/A
36	Situation Vacant	1946	Miles Burton	N/A
37	Heir to Lucifer	1947	Miles Burton	N/A
38	A Will in the Way	1947	Miles Burton	Buy
39	Devil's Reckoning	1948	Miles Burton	N/A
40	Death in Shallow Water	1948	Miles Burton	N/A
41	Death Takes the Living / The Disappearing Person	1949	Miles Burton	N/A
42	Look Alive	1949	Miles Burton	Buy
43	Ground for Suspicion	1950	Miles Burton	N/A
44	A Village Afraid	1951	Miles Burton	N/A
45	Beware Your Neighbour	1951	Miles Burton	Buy
46	Murder Out of School	1951	Miles Burton	N/A
47	Murder On Duty	1952	Miles Burton	N/A
48	Heir to Murder	1953	Miles Burton	Buy
49	Something to Hide	1953	Miles Burton	N/A
50	Murder in Absence	1954	Miles Burton	Buy
51	Unwanted Corpse	1954	Miles Burton	N/A
52	A Crime in Time	1955	Miles Burton	N/A
53	Murder Unrecognised	1955	Miles Burton	N/A
54	Death in a Duffle Coat	1956	Miles Burton	N/A
55	Found Drowned	1956	Miles Burton	N/A
56	The Chinese Puzzle	1957	Miles Burton	N/A
57	The Moth-Watch Murder	1957	Miles Burton	N/A
58	Bones in the Brickfield	1958	Miles Burton	N/A
59	Death Takes a Detour	1958	Miles Burton	N/A
60	A Smell of Smoke	1959	Miles Burton	Buy
61	Return from the Dead	1959	Miles Burton	N/A
62	Death Paints a Picture	1960	Miles Burton	Buy
63	Legacy of Death	1960	Miles Burton	Buy

The Desmond Merrion series is one of the longest detective series from the Golden Age of mystery fiction, spanning over 60 novels from 1930 to 1960. Merrion is an amateur detective with connections to Scotland Yard, and he works alongside Inspector Arnold to solve murders in English towns, countryside settings, and the occasional London case.

The books follow classic fair-play mystery rules, with clues laid out for the reader to follow. Many of the titles have been reissued by the British Library Crime Classics imprint, giving modern readers access to books that were out of print for decades.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Desmond Merrion series?

There are 63 books in the Desmond Merrion series, published between 1930 and 1960.

What is the first book in the Desmond Merrion series?

The first book in the Desmond Merrion series is The Secret of High Eldersham, published in 1930.

Who is Desmond Merrion?

Desmond Merrion is an amateur detective who frequently assists Inspector Arnold of Scotland Yard. He appears in over 60 novels written between 1930 and 1960, making him one of the longest-running characters in Golden Age mystery fiction.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order