Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Night of Shadows | 1962 | Richard & Frances Lockridge | Buy |
| 2 | The Devious Ones / Four Hours to Fear | 1964 | Richard & Frances Lockridge | Buy |
| 3 | Quest of the Bogeyman | 1965 | Richard & Frances Lockridge | Buy |
| 4 | Squire of Death | 1965 | Richard & Frances Lockridge | Buy |
The Paul Lane series is a short run of four mystery novels published between 1962 and 1965. These were written during the period when Richard Lockridge was transitioning from collaborative work with Frances to writing on his own. The Lane books have a tighter, more suspenseful feel than the cozy Mr. and Mrs. North mysteries.
Each book puts Paul Lane into a new dangerous situation, and while they can be read in any order, reading them in publication sequence gives you a sense of how Richard Lockridge’s solo style developed. At just four books, this is a quick series to get through, and it appeals to readers who like classic 1960s mystery fiction with a strong sense of tension.