Inspector George Gently books in order

Reading order

The Inspector George Gently series by Alan Hunter follows a senior detective from Scotland Yard who often finds himself investigating murders in rural England, particularly in the Norfolk region. Gently is a quiet, thoughtful investigator who relies on patience and observation rather than dramatic confrontation. The series began in 1955 with Gently Does It and grew to 51 books, making it one of the most prolific single-character detective series in British fiction.

The books are best read in publication order, as Gently’s personal life and relationships develop over time, including his eventual retirement from the force. Early entries like Gently By the Shore and Gently Down the Stream established the template of a London detective called out to East Anglian crime scenes, while later books found Hunter experimenting with different settings and formats. Several titles were published with alternate names for different markets (for example, Fields of Heather was also issued as Death on the Heath), which can cause some confusion for collectors. Four novels were released after Hunter’s death in 2005, discovered among his papers and published between 2014 and 2016. Fans of traditional British detective fiction, especially those who enjoy the slower, character-driven approach of writers like P.D. James and Ruth Rendell, will find a lot to like in this series.