Inspector West books in order

The Inspector West series by John Creasey follows a Scotland Yard detective through forty-seven books of classic British police procedural fiction from 1942 to 1978.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Inspector West Takes Charge 1942 John Creasey Buy
2 Go Away to Murder 1943 John Creasey N/A
3 Inspector West Leaves Town / Go Away To Murder 1943 John Creasey Buy
4 Inspector West at Home / Apostle of Gloom 1944 John Creasey Buy
5 Holy Death 2016 John Creasey N/A
6 Holiday for Inspector West 1946 John Creasey Buy
7 Battle for Inspector West 1948 John Creasey Buy
8 Triumph for Inspector West / The Case Against Paul Raeburn 1948 John Creasey Buy
9 Inspector West Kicks Off / Sport for Inspector West 1949 John Creasey Buy
10 Inspector West Regrets 1945 John Creasey Buy
11 Inspector West Cries Wolf / The Creepers 1950 John Creasey Buy
12 A Case for Inspector West / The Figure in the Dusk 1951 John Creasey Buy
13 Puzzle for Inspector West / The Dissemblers 1951 John Creasey Buy
14 Inspector West Alone 1950 John Creasey Buy
15 Inspector West at Bay / The Blind Spot 1952 John Creasey Buy
16 A Gun for Inspector West / Give a Man a Gun 1953 John Creasey Buy
17 Send Superintendent West 1953 John Creasey N/A
18 Send Superintendent West / Send Inspector West 1953 John Creasey Buy
19 A Beauty for Inspector West / The Beauty Queen Killer 1954 John Creasey Buy
20 Inspector West Makes Haste / The Gelignite Gang 1955 John Creasey Buy
21 Two for Inspector West / Murder: One, Two, Three 1955 John Creasey Buy
22 Parcels for Inspector West / Death of a Postman 1956 John Creasey Buy
23 A Prince for Inspector West / Death of an Assassin 1956 John Creasey Buy
24 Find Inspector West / Doorway to Death / The Trouble at Saxby’s 1957 John Creasey Buy
25 Accident for Inspector West / Hit and Run 1957 John Creasey Buy
26 Murder, London - New York 1958 John Creasey Buy
27 Strike for Death 1958 John Creasey N/A
28 Strike for Death / The Killing Strike 1958 John Creasey Buy
29 Death of a Racehorse 1959 John Creasey Buy
30 The Case of the Innocent Victims 1959 John Creasey Buy
31 Murder on the Line 1960 John Creasey Buy
32 Death in Cold Print 1961 John Creasey Buy
33 The Scene of the Crime 1961 John Creasey Buy
34 Policeman’s Dread 1962 John Creasey Buy
35 Hang the Little Man 1963 John Creasey Buy
36 Look Three Ways at Murder 1964 John Creasey Buy
37 Murder, London - Australia 1967 John Creasey Buy
38 Murder, London - South Africa 1967 John Creasey Buy
39 So Young to Burn 1967 John Creasey Buy
40 The Executioners 1967 John Creasey Buy
41 Murder, London - Miami 1969 John Creasey Buy
42 A Part for a Policeman 1970 John Creasey Buy
43 Alibi / Alibi for Inspector West 1971 John Creasey Buy
44 A Splinter of Glass 1972 John Creasey Buy
45 The Theft of Magna Carta 1973 John Creasey Buy
46 The Extortioners 1974 John Creasey Buy
47 A Sharp Rise in Crime 1978 John Creasey Buy

“Inspector West is John Creasey’s entry in the classic police procedural tradition. Forty-seven books follow Roger West from Inspector to Superintendent at Scotland Yard, covering cases that range from domestic murder to international crime. The series launched in 1942 with Inspector West Takes Charge and ran through A Sharp Rise in Crime in 1978.”

“Creasey built the series around methodical police work rather than brilliant deduction or amateur sleuthing. West is a professional doing a difficult job, and the novels reflect the realities of institutional policing — the paperwork, the politics, the long hours. The international titles (Murder, London - New York; Murder, London - Australia; Murder, London - Miami) show the series expanding its scope as West’s career progressed.”

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Inspector West series?

There are 47 books in the Inspector West series, published between 1942 and 2016.

What is the first book in the Inspector West series?

The first book in the Inspector West series is Inspector West Takes Charge, published in 1942.

Who is Inspector West?

“Inspector Roger West (later Superintendent West) is a Scotland Yard detective who appears in forty-seven novels spanning 1942 to 1978. He is a capable, professional police officer who handles a wide range of cases — from domestic murders to international criminal conspiracies. The series provides a long-running portrait of British policing across nearly four decades.”

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