Order of Book Series
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John Wainwright Books in Order

John Wainwright has written 77 books, published between 1965 and 1995. The first book is Ten steps to the gallows (1965) and the newest is Murder Story (1995). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
77
Published
1965–1995
Pages on record
12,886 in 59 of 77 books
Reading time
215–322 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 12,886 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 59 of 77 titles with a page count on record.

See all 77 books in order Printable John Wainwright checklist

John Wainwright wrote British police procedurals. His catalogue holds 77 books published between 1965 and 1995, from Ten Steps to the Gallows (1965) to Murder Story (1995). Wainwright built several police series around recurring officers, including Chief Inspector Lennox, Superintendent Gillant, Inspector Lyle, Superintendent Robert Blayde and Superintendent Ralph Flensing. The books run to a median of 221 pages, the 1970s were his heaviest decade, and the run is complete.

How many John Wainwright books are there?

John Wainwright has 77 books, released between 1965 and 1995. They include 8 series and 42 titles listed outside any series.

John Wainwright Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 77 John Wainwright books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. Cover of The Crystallised Carbon Pig by John Wainwright, book 2 of the Superintendent Gillant series (1966)
  2. Cover of The Pig Got Up And Slowly Walked Away by John Wainwright (1971)
  3. Cover of Davis Doesn’t Live Here Any More by John Wainwright (1971)
  4. Cover of A Touch of Malice by John Wainwright, book 2 of the Charles Ripley series (1973)
  5. Cover of Night Is a Time to Die by John Wainwright, book 4 of the Charles Ripley series (1974)
  6. Cover of Cause For A Killing by John Wainwright (1974)
  7. Cover of Who Goes Next? by John Wainwright (1976)
  8. Cover of Walther P. 38 by John Wainwright (1976)
  9. Cover of Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me by John Wainwright (1977)
  10. Cover of A Ripple of Murders by John Wainwright, book 5 of the Superintendent Gillant series (1978)
  11. Cover of Brainwash by John Wainwright, book 1 of the Inspector Lyle series (1979)
  12. Cover of Take Murder by John Wainwright, book 4 of the Chief Inspector Lennox series (1979)
  13. Cover of The Reluctant Sleeper by John Wainwright (1979)
  14. Cover of Home Is The Hunter And The Big Kayo by John Wainwright (1979)
  15. Cover of Dominoes by John Wainwright, book 3 of the Inspector Lyle series (1980)
  16. Cover of The Eye Of The Beholder by John Wainwright (1980)
  17. Cover of A Kill Of Small Consequence by John Wainwright (1980)
  18. Cover of All on a Summer's Day by John Wainwright, book 1 of the Superintendent Robert Blayde series (1981)
  19. Cover of The Day of the Peppercorn Kill by John Wainwright, book 6 of the Chief Inspector Lennox series (1981)
  20. Cover of Cul-de-sac by John Wainwright (1984)
  21. Cover of Clouds Of Guilt by John Wainwright (1985)
  22. Cover of The Forgotten Murders by John Wainwright (1987)
  23. Cover of Blind Brag by John Wainwright (1988)
  24. Cover of A Very Parochial Murder by John Wainwright, book 9 of the Chief Inspector Lennox series (1989)
  1. 1
    Ten steps to the gallowsSuperintendent Gillant #11965 · confirmed 1/4
    1965–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    The Crystallised Carbon PigSuperintendent Gillant #21966 · 426 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1966426
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Shall I Be a Policeman?1967 · 94 pages · confirmed 1/4
    196794
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    Edge of ExtinctionLewis #11968 · confirmed 1/4
    1968–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    Freeze Thy Blood Less ColdlyCharles Ripley #11970 · 189 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1970189
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    Prynter's Devil1970 · 190 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1970190
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    Discovering Lapidary Work1971 · 216 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1971216
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    The Big Tickle1971 · confirmed 1/4
    1971–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    The Pig Got Up And Slowly Walked Away1971 · 181 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1971181
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Davis Doesn’t Live Here Any More1971 · 216 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1971216
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    The Last Buccaneer1971 · 319 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1971319
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    Dig The Grave And Let Him Lie1971 · 223 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1971223
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Requiem for a LoserSuperintendent Gillant #31972 · 223 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1972223
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    My God How The Money Rolls In1972 · 184 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1972184
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    My Word You Should Have Seen Us1972 · 186 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1972186
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    A Touch of MaliceCharles Ripley #21973 · 256 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1973256
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    High Class KillSuperintendent Gillant #41973 · 255 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1973255
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    A Pride Of Pigs1973 · 223 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1973223
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    The devil you don't1973 · 189 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1973189
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    Kill The Girls And Make Them CrySullivan #11974 · 252 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1974252
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    The Evidence I Shall GiveChief Inspector Lennox #11974 · 220 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1974220
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    Guard Your Castle1974 · 152 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1974152
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    The Hard HitCharles Ripley #31974 · 224 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1974224
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    Night Is a Time to DieCharles Ripley #41974 · 240 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1974240
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    Cause For A Killing1974 · 224 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1974224
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    Coppers Don't CrySullivan #21975 · 222 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1975222
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    Death in a Sleeping CityLewis #21975 · 223 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1975223
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    Square DanceChief Inspector Lennox #21975 · 255 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1975255
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 29
    Evil IntentCharles Ripley #51975 · 222 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1975222
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    Who Goes Next?1976 · 220 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1976220
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

John Wainwright series in order

The series linked below has its own reading-order page.

John Wainwright books grouped by series

Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. None of these groups has a reading-order page of its own on this site.

Charles Ripley in order

7 books
  1. 1. Freeze Thy Blood Less Coldly
  2. 2. A Touch of Malice
  3. 3. The Hard Hit
  4. 4. Night Is a Time to Die
  5. 5. Evil Intent
  6. 6. Death of a Big Man
  7. 7. Portrait in Shadows

Superintendent Gillant in order

5 books
  1. 1. Ten steps to the gallows
  2. 2. The Crystallised Carbon Pig
  3. 3. Requiem for a Loser
  4. 4. High Class Kill
  5. 5. A Ripple of Murders

Inspector Lyle in order

5 books
  1. 1. Brainwash
  2. 2. Duty Elsewhere
  3. 3. Dominoes
  4. 4. The Man Who Wasn't There
  5. 5. Hangman's Lane

Superintendent Robert Blayde in order

3 books
  1. 1. All on a Summer's Day
  2. 2. An Urge for Justice
  3. 3. Blayde, R.I.P.

Lewis in order

2 books
  1. 1. Edge of Extinction
  2. 2. Death in a Sleeping City

Sullivan in order

2 books
  1. 1. Kill The Girls And Make Them Cry
  2. 2. Coppers Don't Cry

Superintendent Ralph Flensing in order

2 books
  1. 1. Their Evil Ways
  2. 2. The Ride

Standalone books

42 books

42 John Wainwright titles here are not listed as part of any series.

Do you have to read John Wainwright books in order?

You only need to read John Wainwright books in order within each series: the books listed here span 8 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.

Where to start with John Wainwright

Start with The Evidence I Shall Give (1974), the first Chief Inspector Lennox book. The earliest catalogued title overall is Ten steps to the gallows (1965).

What is the newest John Wainwright book?

Murder Story (1995) is the newest John Wainwright book released so far.

Is there a new John Wainwright book coming?

No next John Wainwright book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

John Wainwright at a glance

No recent titles
The newest John Wainwright title on record dates from 1995, 31 years ago. No later title is catalogued.
Release pace
John Wainwright books have appeared more than one a year on average.
Length
12,886 pages across the 59 of 77 books with a recorded length, a median of 221 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most John Wainwright books, 43 of 77, were published in the 1970s.

What the John Wainwright books are about

53 of the 77 John Wainwright books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: mystery & detective is tagged on 32 of 53. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.