Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cunning as a Fox | 1965 | John Creasey | Buy |
| 2 | Wicked as the Devil | 1966 | John Creasey | Buy |
| 3 | Sly as a Serpent | 1967 | John Creasey | Buy |
| 4 | Cruel as a Cat | 1968 | John Creasey | Buy |
| 5 | Too Good to Be True | 1969 | John Creasey | Buy |
| 6 | A Period of Evil | 1970 | John Creasey | Buy |
| 7 | As Lonely as the Damned | 1971 | John Creasey | Buy |
| 8 | As Empty as Hate | 1972 | John Creasey | Buy |
| 9 | As Merry as Hell | 1973 | John Creasey | Buy |
| 10 | This Man Did I Kill? | 1974 | John Creasey | Buy |
| 11 | The Man Who Was Not Himself | 1976 | John Creasey | Buy |
“The Dr. Emmanuel Cellini series brings a psychological angle to John Creasey’s crime fiction. The eleven books, published between 1965 and 1976, follow a psychiatrist who solves crimes by understanding the minds behind them. The early titles use animal similes — Cunning as a Fox, Wicked as the Devil, Sly as a Serpent, Cruel as a Cat — before shifting to more introspective titles like As Lonely as the Damned and This Man Did I Kill?”
“Cellini represents a different approach to detection in Creasey’s catalog. Where Inspector West relies on procedure and the Toff uses charm, Cellini works through psychology and empathy. The series appeared during the later phase of Creasey’s career, reflecting a growing interest in the inner lives of criminals.”