Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blood And Judgement | 1959 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
| 2 | Petrella At Q | 1977 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
| 3 | Young Petrella | 1988 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
| 4 | Roller-Coaster | 1994 | Michael Gilbert | Buy |
Patrick Petrella is one of Michael Gilbert’s most fully realized characters, a half-English, half-Spanish police detective whose career readers can follow from his first days on the beat to his years as a senior officer. Blood And Judgement (1959) introduced him in novel form, and subsequent books mixed novels with short story collections that captured the rhythms of London policing across decades.
The series is notable for how it ages alongside its protagonist. Young Petrella (1988) fills in the detective’s early career, while Roller-Coaster (1994) finds him dealing with organized crime as an experienced officer. Gilbert used the short story format particularly well here, writing compact cases that show Petrella handling everything from petty crime to murder with the same patient professionalism.