Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Game Without Rules | 1967 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
| 2 | Stay Of Execution | 1971 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
| 3 | Amateur in Violence | 1973 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
| 4 | Mr Calder And Mr Behrens | 1982 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
| 5 | Anything For A Quiet Life and Other Mysteries | 1990 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
| 6 | The Man Who Hated Banks | 1997 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
| 7 | Pity About the Girl & Other Stories | 1998 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
| 8 | The Mathematics of Murder | 2000 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
| 9 | The Curious Conspiracy And Other Crimes | 2002 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
| 10 | Even Murderers Take Holidays | 2007 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
| 11 | The Murder of Diana Devon and Other Mysteries | 2011 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
| 12 | The Man Who Could Not Sleep and Other Mysteries | 2011 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
Short fiction was central to Michael Gilbert’s career. His twelve collections span more than four decades, from Game Without Rules (1967) through two posthumous volumes published in 2011. The stories range from Cold War espionage to London police work, and many feature recurring characters who also appear in his novels.
The Calder and Behrens stories are among the best-regarded spy fiction in the short story form. These two agents, one living quietly in the English countryside with a pet dog and the other operating from a London base, handle assignments that often end with surprising moral ambiguity. Beyond the spy stories, Gilbert wrote short mysteries about solicitors, accountants, police officers, and ordinary people who find themselves in dangerous situations. The later posthumous collections gathered previously uncollected work, ensuring that stories written across his long career reached readers.