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This page lists novels and non-fiction by Bernard Picton.

Bernard Picton was the pen name used for a number of early books by Bernard Knight.

Cover images are, when possible, of the UK first edition and a more recent digital edition.

By Bernard Picton:
- novels
- non-fiction

The Lately Deceased

Bernard Picton

1963

Subsequently published as by Bernard Knight.

"When super-rich Margaret Walker is found dead after a wild party, people assume it was an overdose - until a knife wound, almost invisible, is discovered on her body. But who would have wanted to murder her? As the investigation progresses, it is discovered that some of the party guests may have had a motive to kill Margaret...but were those motives enough to make someone a murderer - or was it a case of mistaken identity?"

The Thread of Evidence

Bernard Picton

1965

Subsequently published as by Bernard Knight.

"When some boys find a human bone in a cave in Cardiganshire, Wales, a case that has gone unresolved for over thirty years suddenly springs back into life. For that grisly find is only the start of things... When the rest of the skeleton is soon discovered, the disappearance of a local woman decades earlier comes back to public attention. The woman’s husband has recently returned to the area after years out of the country, and he has no explanation as to why his wife suddenly went missing. The local gossips consider him guilty of murder, as do some in the police force…but not everyone is convinced. It’s up to Superintendent Pacey to work out which bits of the whole sorry tale are fact and which are fiction – and there are some unpleasant surprises along the way."

Mistress Murder

Bernard Picton

1966

Subsequently published as by Bernard Knight.

"When a beautiful woman is found dead in a wrecked car, it’s assumed that she simply lost control and crashed while drunk – a sad but not unfamiliar story. Soon, though, a series of events makes the police re-examine the facts of the case. It transpires that the woman, a part-time model, was brutally murdered before her body was placed in the car. But why? The trail leads through the sleazy clubs and backstreets of 1960s Soho, complete with drug dealers, bookies, and gangsters…and a tale of murder and mayhem that has its roots in Germany, many years earlier…"

Russian Roulette

Bernard Picton

1968

Subsequently published as by Bernard Knight.

"Simon Smith, an ex-Army man with a gift for languages, is drafted in by a shady businessman to do some ‘work’ in the USSR. Simon thinks it’ll be an easy job with an ample reward…but what with multiple murders, beautiful femmes fatale, and devious master criminals, it’s not as simple as he’d hoped! Meanwhile, the Russian detectives set to trail a suspected thief have all their expectations confounded… A thrilling tale of international politics and police work on the other side of the ‘Iron Curtain’."

Policeman's Progress

Bernard Picton

1969

Subsequently published as by Bernard Knight.

"Jackie Stott, Tyneside boxer turned nightclub owner – and criminal – seeks to evade the Newcastle police as he stumbles from one dodgy deal to another. When Jackie gets involved in a murder, the police have a reason to try to get him locked up for good – and it’s not just the police who are out to get Jackie, for rival gangland figures are soon gunning for him too! A rip-roaring ride through the nightlife and criminal underworld of a bustling British city during the 1960s."

Tiger at Bay

Bernard Picton

1970

Subsequently published as by Bernard Knight.

"Set during the 1960s and featuring dastardly deeds in the infamous Tiger Bay area of Cardiff. Local good-for-nothing Iago Price gets more than he bargains for when he sets himself up as a private detective - he's not used to encountering blackmail, drug dealing, and murder! When a bank worker tries to extricate himself from a spot of bother, he turns to Iago for help, but things don't quite go as planned."

The Expert

Bernard Picton

1977

Subsequently published as by Bernard Knight.

"Renowned pathologist John Hardy is thinking of leaving his job following the death of his wife – but when a series of women are found murdered, leaving police baffled, it's up to Hardy to try and crack one last big case. The odds are against him – a local nightclub owner is the key suspect, but fair means don’t seem to be enough to get a conviction, not when the other side has experts of their own…will Hardy manage to succeed? An insight into the latest scientific crime-fighting techniques available during 1970s investigations."

Murder, Suicide, or Accident: The Forensic Pathologist at Work

Bernard Picton

1971

Subsequently published as by Bernard Knight.

"Written under a pseudonym by a practising full-time forensic pathologist and ex-Home Office consultant, the “inside story” is given for the first time of this macabre, yet vital profession which contributes to keeping Britain a country with one of the lowest murder rates in the world. However, murder, although the topic which attracts all the publicity, is the smallest part of the function of a forensic pathologist. The major part of his work concerns the investigation of other causes of sudden death — accidents, suicides and natural disease. These pages show how the community is best served by the careful reconstruction of traffic, domestic and industrial accidents and the documentation of natural diseases which adds to the sum total of preventive medical knowledge. In spite of the relative rarity of murder investigations, a large part of the book is devoted to details of how the pathologist goes about his examination of the scene of a crime, the identification of the victim and the interpretation of the common methods of homicide. The author shows how specialised medical experience assists in the reconstruction of deaths, whether it be by bullet, knife or rope, and he describes the salient features of death associated with sexual crimes, abortion and infant deaths."