"How many books are in the Dr David Audley \u0026 Colonel Jack Butler series?"

"There are nineteen books in the Dr David Audley \u0026 Colonel Jack Butler series, published between 1970 and 1989."

"What is the first book in the Dr David Audley \u0026 Colonel Jack Butler series?"

"The first book in the Dr David Audley \u0026 Colonel Jack Butler series is The Labyrinth Makers, published in 1970."

Dr David Audley & Colonel Jack Butler books in order

Q: "Do the Dr David Audley \u0026 Colonel Jack Butler books need to be read in order?"

"The books can be read independently, as each novel has its own self-contained case. However, reading them in publication order rewards patience, since the relationship between Audley and Butler deepens across the series and Price gradually builds a picture of the intelligence world they inhabit. Several books shift the narrative perspective to Butler or other characters, which is easier to appreciate with some familiarity with the earlier books."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	The Labyrinth Makers	1970	Dr David Audley	Buy
2	The Alamut Ambush	1971	Dr David Audley	Buy
3	Colonel Butler’s Wolf	1972	Dr David Audley	Buy
4	October Men	1973	Dr David Audley	Buy
5	Other Paths to Glory	1974	Dr David Audley	Buy
6	Our Man in Camelot	1975	Dr David Audley	Buy
7	War Game	1976	Dr David Audley	Buy
8	The ‘44 Vintage	1978	Dr David Audley	Buy
9	Tomorrow’s Ghost	1979	Dr David Audley	Buy
10	The Hour Of The Donkey	1980	Dr David Audley	Buy
11	Soldier No More	1981	Dr David Audley	Buy
12	The Old Vengeful	1982	Dr David Audley	Buy
13	Gunner Kelly	1983	Dr David Audley	Buy
14	Sion Crossing	1984	Dr David Audley	Buy
15	Here Be Monsters	1985	Dr David Audley	Buy
16	For the Good of the State	1986	Dr David Audley	Buy
17	A New Kind of War	1987	Dr David Audley	Buy
18	A Prospect Of Vengeance	1988	Dr David Audley	Buy
19	The Memory Trap	1989	Dr David Audley	Buy

Anthony Price built one of the most literate and carefully constructed series in British crime fiction across these nineteen novels. The premise, that British intelligence employs a medieval historian whose instinct for pattern-recognition makes him an effective analyst, could have been a gimmick, but Price grounded it convincingly in actual historical research. Books like Other Paths to Glory (set against the Battle of Loos) and War Game (touching on re-enactment and buried memory) use the past as genuine subject matter rather than decoration.

David Audley and Jack Butler are complementary figures: Audley brilliant and somewhat reckless, Butler steadier and more tied to institutional loyalty. Price alternated the spotlight between them across the series, so readers get a full-bodied picture of both men and the organization they serve. The books are firmly set in the Cold War but their concerns, loyalty, the uses of history, and the cost of institutional compromise, read beyond their period, which is part of why the series retains its reputation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Dr David Audley & Colonel Jack Butler series?

There are nineteen books in the Dr David Audley & Colonel Jack Butler series, published between 1970 and 1989.

What is the first book in the Dr David Audley & Colonel Jack Butler series?

The first book in the Dr David Audley & Colonel Jack Butler series is The Labyrinth Makers, published in 1970.

Do the Dr David Audley & Colonel Jack Butler books need to be read in order?

The books can be read independently, as each novel has its own self-contained case. However, reading them in publication order rewards patience, since the relationship between Audley and Butler deepens across the series and Price gradually builds a picture of the intelligence world they inhabit. Several books shift the narrative perspective to Butler or other characters, which is easier to appreciate with some familiarity with the earlier books.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order