Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coffin, Scarcely Used | 1958 | Colin Watson | Buy |
| 2 | Bump in the Night | 1960 | Colin Watson | Buy |
| 3 | Hopjoy Was Here | 1962 | Colin Watson | Buy |
| 4 | Lonelyheart 4122 | 1967 | Colin Watson | Buy |
| 5 | Charity Ends at Home | 1968 | Colin Watson | Buy |
| 6 | The Flaxborough Crab | 1969 | Colin Watson | Buy |
| 7 | Broomsticks Over Flaxborough | 1972 | Colin Watson | Buy |
| 8 | Six Nuns and a Shotgun | 1975 | Colin Watson | N/A |
| 9 | The Naked Nuns | 1975 | Colin Watson | Buy |
| 10 | One Man’s Meat | 1977 | Colin Watson | Buy |
| 11 | Blue Murder | 1979 | Colin Watson | Buy |
| 12 | Plaster Sinners | 1980 | Colin Watson | Buy |
| 13 | Whatever’s Been Going On at Mumblesby? | 1982 | Colin Watson | Buy |
The Flaxborough Chronicles by Colin Watson are a series of satirical crime novels set in the fictional English town of Flaxborough. Inspector Purbright serves as the main detective, though much of the humor comes from the supporting cast of townspeople, bureaucrats, and suspects who populate the stories. Watson’s writing treats the mystery plot as a vehicle for social comedy, poking fun at respectable English society and the gap between public propriety and private behavior.
The series began with Coffin, Scarcely Used in 1958 and ran through Whatever’s Been Going On at Mumblesby? in 1982. Watson published steadily through the 1960s and 1970s, and the books attracted a loyal following among readers who appreciated crime fiction with wit and a sharp eye for human absurdity. Several of the novels were adapted for the ITV series “Murder Most English” in the 1970s.