Thomas Littlejohn books in order

The complete reading order for the Thomas Littlejohn series by George Bellairs, a long-running British detective series featuring Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard across 60 novels.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Littlejohn on Leave 1941 George Bellairs N/A
2 The Four Unfaithful Servants 1942 George Bellairs N/A
3 Death of a Busybody 1942 George Bellairs Buy
4 Murder Will Speak 1942 George Bellairs N/A
5 The Dead Shall be Raised & Murder of a Quack 1942 George Bellairs Buy
6 The Murder of a Quack 1943 George Bellairs N/A
7 The Case of the Seven Whistlers 1944 George Bellairs Buy
8 He’d Rather Be Dead 1945 George Bellairs Buy
9 Calamity at Harwood 1945 George Bellairs Buy
10 Death in the Night Watches 1946 George Bellairs Buy
11 The Case of the Scared Rabbits 1946 George Bellairs Buy
12 The Crime at Halfpenny Bridge 1946 George Bellairs Buy
13 Death on the Last Train 1948 George Bellairs Buy
14 Outrage on Gallows Hill 1949 George Bellairs Buy
15 The Case of the DeMented Spiv 1949 George Bellairs Buy
16 The Case of the Famished Parson 1949 George Bellairs Buy
17 Half-Mast for the Deemster 1950 George Bellairs Buy
18 The Case of the Headless Jesuit 1950 George Bellairs Buy
19 Dead March for Penelope Blow 1951 George Bellairs Buy
20 Crime in Lepers’ Hollow 1952 George Bellairs Buy
21 Death in Dark Glasses 1952 George Bellairs Buy
22 A Knife for Harry Dodd 1953 George Bellairs Buy
23 Corpses in Enderby 1954 George Bellairs Buy
24 The Cursing Stones Murder 1954 George Bellairs Buy
25 Death in Room Five 1955 George Bellairs Buy
26 Death Drops the Pilot 1956 George Bellairs Buy
27 Death Treads Softly 1956 George Bellairs Buy
28 Death in High Provence 1957 George Bellairs Buy
29 Morte in Provenza 1957 George Bellairs N/A
30 Death Sends for the Doctor 1957 George Bellairs Buy
31 Corpse at the Carnival 1958 George Bellairs Buy
32 Murder Makes Mistakes 1958 George Bellairs Buy
33 Bones in the Wilderness 1959 George Bellairs Buy
34 Toll the Bell for Murder 1959 George Bellairs Buy
35 Death in the Fearful Night 1960 George Bellairs Buy
36 Death of a Tin God 1961 George Bellairs Buy
37 The Body in the Dumb River 1961 George Bellairs Buy
38 Murder Masquerade 1961 George Bellairs Buy
39 Death Before Breakfast 1962 George Bellairs Buy
40 The Tormentors 1962 George Bellairs Buy
41 Death in the Wasteland 1963 George Bellairs Buy
42 Death of a Shadow 1964 George Bellairs Buy
43 Surfeit of Suspects 1964 George Bellairs Buy
44 Death Spins the Wheel 1965 George Bellairs Buy
45 Strangers Among the Dead 1966 George Bellairs Buy
46 Intruder in the Dark 1966 George Bellairs Buy
47 Death in Despair 1960 George Bellairs N/A
48 Death in Desolation 1967 George Bellairs Buy
49 Single ticket to Death 1967 George Bellairs Buy
50 Fatal Alibi 1968 George Bellairs Buy
51 Murder Gone Mad 1968 George Bellairs Buy
52 Tycoon’s Death-Bed 1970 George Bellairs Buy
53 The Night They Killed Joss Varran 1971 George Bellairs Buy
54 Pomeroy Deceased 1971 George Bellairs Buy
55 Murder Adrift 1972 George Bellairs Buy
56 Devious Murder 1973 George Bellairs Buy
57 Fear Round About 1975 George Bellairs Buy
58 All Roads to Sospel 1977 George Bellairs Buy
59 The Downhill Ride Of Leeman Popple 1979 George Bellairs Buy
60 An Old Man Dies 1980 George Bellairs Buy

The Thomas Littlejohn series follows Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard as he investigates murders across England and occasionally abroad. George Bellairs wrote sixty Littlejohn novels between 1941 and 1980, making it one of the longest-running detective series in British fiction. Littlejohn is a calm, persistent investigator who often finds himself in tight-knit communities where everyone has something to hide.

Each book is largely self-contained, with Littlejohn arriving in a new location to untangle a fresh case. The settings range from rural English villages to the Isle of Man to the south of France, and Bellairs had a knack for capturing the atmosphere and social fabric of each place. Fans of classic British whodunits will find a lot to enjoy here, especially if they like their mysteries with a side of local character and dry humor.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Thomas Littlejohn series?

There are 60 books in the Thomas Littlejohn series, published between 1941 and 1980.

What is the first book in the Thomas Littlejohn series?

The first book in the Thomas Littlejohn series is Littlejohn on Leave, published in 1941.

Can you read the Thomas Littlejohn books in any order?

The Thomas Littlejohn books are mostly standalone mysteries, so you can start with almost any entry in the series. That said, reading in publication order lets you follow Littlejohn’s career progression and the occasional references to earlier cases. Death of a Busybody and The Dead Shall be Raised are popular starting points.

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