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This page lists novels by Kenneth Benton.

The list may be incomplete. It inludes one novel published using the pen name James Kirton.

The cover images are for the first UK edition and for a recent paperback or digital edition.

Twenty-fourth Level

Kenneth Benton

1969

A Peter Craig novel.

"In 1960s Rio, Craig's investigations into smuggled diamonds take him from British Embassy high society, to the deepest, most dangerous level of a goldmine, and into the heart of a deadly conspiracy. Kenneth Benton's first novel is a tense, claustrophobic suspense thriller with exotic Brazilian locations and a chilling villain."

Sole Agent

Kenneth Benton

1970

A Peter Craig novel.

"A British diplomat's daughter is missing, and security specialist Peter Craig must track her down before a scandal erupts. The case soon descends into a web of murder and espionage, with the KGB and the secret police both hot on Craig's heels, an international incident brewing, and a dangerous case of conflicting loyalties. Will Craig live to regret helping the Embassy save face?"

Spy in Chancery

Kenneth Benton

1972

A Peter Craig novel.

"Craig is seconded by S.3 - the Special Security Service - with orders to investigate leaks from the British embassy to the KGB, one of which has already resulted in the assassination of an MI6 agent. Using his cover as a security advisor, Craig investigates the intrigues and clashing motivations at play in the embassy to find the traitor, with the help of an Ambassador whose disdain for the 'sordid business' of espionage takes a back seat to settling old scores with a little 'disinformatsiya'. Before a week has passed, the cast of players has grown to include the CIA, private detectives and the Mafia."

Craig and the Jaguar

Kenneth Benton

1973

A Peter Craig novel.

Subsequently published as Shadow Of The Jaguar.

"In Peru, ruthless terrorists plotted to turn an isolated valley into a guerrilla haven. To blackmail the Peruvian government, they kidnapped a group of student volunteer workers, but one was the nephew of the chief of M16. Sent to investigate, special agent Peter Craig had to pit his own deadly skills against the savage cunning of the rebels in a lonely struggle for the lives of the hostages."

Craig and the Tunisian Tangle

Kenneth Benton

1974

A Peter Craig novel.

Subsequently published as The Tunisian Tangle.

"Counter-terrorism expert Peter Craig is in Tunis, working with a Tunisian security service that is reeling from an epidemic of raids on banks, armouries and medical stores, and street protests that are becoming increasingly violent. Kidnapped by insurgents and rescued in brutal fashion by mysterious vigilantes, Craig realises there are several agendas at work, and the instigators are as likely to be found at the Embassy parties his government host as in the street battles he's tasked with preventing."

Death on the Appian Way

Kenneth Benton

1974

"The mighty Roman Republic is in decline, torn by corruption and political in-fighting and with the coming power struggle between Caesar and Pompey looming. Determined to make his name as an advocate and orator, as well as a fortune, young nobleman Marcus Caelius Rufus soon learns that the most useful skill needed is the ability to change sides at a moment’s notice, especially when rubbing shoulders with characters such as the cunning and manipulative Cicero, the street-fighting politician Clodius Pulcher (‘the gangster king of Rome’), his lascivious sister Clodia an infamous ‘socialite’, and the fearsome ex-gladiator Milo, who is more than happy to punch and stab his own way to the top."

Craig and the Midas Touch

Kenneth Benton

1975

A Peter Craig novel.

Subsequently published as The Midas Touch.

"In the middle eastern state of Jubayl, the Emir's son and heir is found murdered on the eve of a huge oil deal. British security specialist Peter Craig, visiting the region to advise on counter-terrorism, soon finds himself seconded to help find the killer. Craig's instincts say the prime suspect has been framed, but those instincts have little weight in a fragile autocracy where justice must be seen to be done - and swiftly. Unravelling the dead Sheikh's network of spies, lovers and rivals leads Craig back to the oil rig via nightclubs, soukhs and sidestreets, and although he rightly senses the deadly forces at play, he’s ill-prepared for the truth when it finds him."

The Red Hen Conspiracy

Kenneth Benton

1982

"Dr Letty Hennessy, leader of James Caudle's New Revolutionary Group, is a Cambridge don with a contempt for all facets of capitalist society. The Red Hen, as Letty is affectionately called, sends Caudle to Buenos Aires to enlist the help of the Argentine ERP, the world's experts in robbery and extortion."

A Single Monstrous Act

Kenneth Benton

1982

Time for Murder

James Kirton

1985

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Ward of Caesar: The Making Of A King

Kenneth Benton

1985

Greek Fire

Kenneth Benton

1985

"MI6’s man in Corfu is dead and his Greek double-agent is missing; SIS investigator Lucas Grant is tasked with completing the dead man’s mission to uncover a KGB spy ring’s plans for Albania – a failing and volatile satellite state of crucial importance to the Soviet Union in the twilight of the Cold War. With the reluctant help of the dead man’s fellow spy and former lover, the British Embassy and some old-fashioned espionage work, Grant picks up the trail and stalks his Russian opponent to a thrilling showdow."