Order of Book Series
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Russell Thorndike Books in Order

19 books are credited to Russell Thorndike, published between 1915 and 2021; 9 of them appeared after Russell Thorndike's death in 1972. The first book is Doctor Syn (1915) and the newest is Lilian Baylis, (2021). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
19
Published
1915–2021
Pages on record
1,333 in 6 of 19 books
See all 19 books in order Printable Russell Thorndike checklist
Photo of Russell Thorndike, author of the Doctor Syn series

Russell Thorndike was a British actor and novelist, born in 1885 and died in 1972, and the Doctor Syn of Romney Marsh novels are the work most associated with the name. Thorndike served in World War I and then turned mainly to writing; the actress Sybil Thorndike was a sister. Doctor Syn (1915) heads the catalogue, and titles naming Doctor Syn continue through Doctor Syn Returns (1936) to The Shadow Of Doctor Syn (1944). Other books include The Slype (1927) and The Master of the Macabre (1947). Recorded subjects include smugglers, haunted houses and the occult.

How many Russell Thorndike books are there?

Russell Thorndike has 19 books, released between 1915 and 2021. 9 of them were published after Russell Thorndike's death in 1972. 7 of them belong to the Doctor Syn series.

Russell Thorndike Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 19 Russell Thorndike 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 Slype by Russell Thorndike (1927)
  2. Cover of Doctor Syn on the High Seas by Russell Thorndike, book 2 of the Doctor Syn series (1935)
  3. Cover of The Courageous Exploits of Doctor Syn by Russell Thorndike, book 5 of the Doctor Syn series (1939)
  4. Cover of The Amazing Quest of Doctor Syn by Russell Thorndike, book 6 of the Doctor Syn series (1939)
  5. Cover of The Shadow Of Doctor Syn by Russell Thorndike, book 7 of the Doctor Syn series (1944)
  6. Cover of The Master of the Macabre by Russell Thorndike (1947)
  1. 1
    Doctor SynDoctor Syn #11915 · confirmed 1/4
    1915–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    The Slype1927 · 310 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1927310
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Doctor Syn on the High SeasDoctor Syn #21935 · 162 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1935162
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    Doctor Syn ReturnsDoctor Syn #31936 · confirmed 1/4
    1936–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    The Further Adventures of Doctor SynDoctor Syn #41936 · confirmed 1/4
    1936–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    The Courageous Exploits of Doctor SynDoctor Syn #51939 · confirmed 1/4
    1939–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    The Amazing Quest of Doctor SynDoctor Syn #61939 · 200 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1939200
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    The Shadow Of Doctor SynDoctor Syn #71944 · 192 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1944192
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    The Master of the Macabre1947 · 213 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1947213
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    The First Englishman1971 · 256 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1971256
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    A Wanderer with Shakespeare2015 · confirmed 1/4
    2015–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 13
    Tragedy of Mr. Punch2020 · confirmed 1/4
    2020–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 14
    Children of the Garter2020 · confirmed 1/4
    2020–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 15
    In the Steps of Shakespeare2020 · confirmed 1/4
    2020–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 16
    The Vandekkers2020 · confirmed 1/4
    2020–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 17
    The House of Jeffreys2020 · confirmed 1/4
    2020–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 18
    Sybil Thorndike,2021 · confirmed 1/4
    2021–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 19
    Lilian Baylis,2021 · confirmed 1/4
    2021–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Russell Thorndike 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.

Doctor Syn in order

7 books
  1. 1. Doctor Syn
  2. 2. Doctor Syn on the High Seas
  3. 3. Doctor Syn Returns
  4. 4. The Further Adventures of Doctor Syn
  5. 5. The Courageous Exploits of Doctor Syn
  6. 6. The Amazing Quest of Doctor Syn
  7. 7. The Shadow Of Doctor Syn

Standalone books

12 books

12 Russell Thorndike titles here are not listed as part of any series.

Do you have to read Russell Thorndike books in order?

You only need to read Russell Thorndike books in order within the Doctor Syn series, which holds 7 of the 19 Russell Thorndike books listed here. The numbered table above gives every book in publication order.

Where to start with Russell Thorndike

Start with Doctor Syn (1915), the earliest published title.

What is the newest Russell Thorndike book?

Lilian Baylis, (2021) is the newest Russell Thorndike book released so far.

Is there a new Russell Thorndike book coming?

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

Russell Thorndike at a glance

Died
Russell Thorndike died in 1972, according to Wikidata.
After death
Books credited to Russell Thorndike are still being published after Russell Thorndike's death in 1972; the newest appeared in 2021.
Release pace
Russell Thorndike books have appeared about one every 6 years on average.
Length
1,333 pages across the 6 of 19 books with a recorded length, a median of 206 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Russell Thorndike books, 7 of 19, were published in the 2020s.

What the Russell Thorndike books are about

5 of the 19 Russell Thorndike books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. No subject is tagged on more than one of them, so each one below describes a single book. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.