Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Dark Power | 1968 | William Arden | Buy |
| 2 | Goliath Scheme | 1970 | William Arden | Buy |
| 3 | Deal in Violence | 1971 | William Arden | Buy |
| 4 | Murder Underground / Die to a Distant Drum | 1972 | William Arden | Buy |
| 5 | Deadly Legacy | 1973 | William Arden | Buy |
The Kane Jackson series is William Arden’s adult mystery work, separate from his better-known contributions to The Three Investigators. Kane Jackson is a former MP who now handles industrial security cases, a setup that lets Arden blend corporate intrigue with hardboiled detective fiction.
The five novels were published between 1968 and 1973, starting with A Dark Power. Each book is a standalone mystery, though Jackson’s character and background develop across the series. The books reflect the style of late 1960s and early 1970s crime fiction — lean prose, morally gray situations, and a protagonist who knows how to handle himself.