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This page lists novels and short story collections, by Michael Gilbert.

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

Close Quarters

Michael Gilbert

1947

A Chief Inspector Hazlerigg novel.

"Although it was first published in 1947, Gilbert began this novel in the years immediately before World War II and didn't finish it until he returned from active duty. Set behind the walls of the residential Close of Melchester Cathedral, it's a classic British mystery in which a young Scotland Yard detective is asked to interrupt his holiday to find out if the accidental death of Canon Whyte was indeed an accident."

They Never Looked Inside

Michael Gilbert

1948

A Chief Inspector Hazlerigg novel.

Published in the US as He Didn't Mind Danger.

"After six years of soldiering in occupied Austria, Major Angus McCann spends his second day back in London hunting for a quiet pub in which to sip a few beers. But on his third day out of the army, he is called into the ongoing investigation of a crime wave when an Inspector Hazlerigg of Scotland Yard questions him about a young man nicknamed "Gunner" from his military command. A few days after this conversation McCann begins his own investigation into the rash of criminal activity in London. And although inexperienced at his task, he has the good luck of a man who doesn't know in what sort of danger he has placed himself."

The Doors Open

Michael Gilbert

1949

Chief Inspector Hazlerigg appears in this novel but not as a major character.

"One night on a commuter train, Paddy Yeatman-Carter sees a man attempting suicide. Intervening, he prevents the man from going through with it. However, the very next day the same man is found dead, and Paddy believes the circumstances to be extremely suspicious. Roping in his friend and lawyer, Nap Rumbold, he determines to discover the truth. They become increasingly suspicious of the dead man’s employers: the Stalagmite Insurance Company, who appear to hire some very dangerous staff."

Smallbone Deceased

Michael Gilbert

1950

A Chief Inspector Hazlerigg novel.

"Horniman, Birley and Craine are a highly respected legal firm with clients reaching to the highest in the land. They use a system of keeping important documents in deed-boxes and when one of them is found to contain the remains of a certain Mr. Smallbone, the threat of scandal reaches their innermost psyche. Even worse, the police now suspect that the murder was an inside job. Suspicion falls on everyone and each member of staff keeps a wary eye open."

Death Has Deep Roots

Michael Gilbert

1951

Chief Inspector Hazlerigg appears in this novel but not as a major character.

"The woman was young, French, and on trial for murdering a man said to be her ex-lover and the father of her dead child: an English major who had been one of the great heroes of the French Underground Resistance. during the war. Mr. Macrea, hired to be her attorney on the first day of the trial, must find a way to prove her innocence in only one week. And he must dig deeply into the past to prove it."

Death in Captivity

Michael Gilbert

1952

"A suspected informer is found dead in a collapsed section of an escape tunnel being dug in a prisoner-of-war camp in Italy. So as to protect the tunnel the prisoners decide to move the body to another that has already been abandoned. But then the fascist captors declare the death to be murder and determine to investigate and execute the officer they suspect was responsible. It therefore becomes a race against time to find the true culprit and Captain Henry “Cuckoo” Goyles, a former headmaster, master tunneller and sometime amateur detective takes on the case."

Fear to Tread

Michael Gilbert

1953

Chief Inspector Hazlerigg appears in this novel.

"The story of how Mr. Weatherall, the headmaster of a school, but otherwise an ordinary man, was introduced to a huge nationwide black market operation. It seems that anything goes so as to ensure profits and the continuance of the fraud in what amounts to crime on a vast and organised scale. Moreover, was the victim run over by a train before, or after, he died? And can Mr. Weatherall succeed in getting to the heart of the matter in a one man battle against such odds?"

Sky High

Michael Gilbert

1955

"Tim appears to have had an exciting war, but is fairly secretive about what he had been up to. He lives in a sleepy village with his mother Liz, who is concerned about him not least because he is equally unforthcoming about the job he has in London. Meanwhile, the local choir rehearses, but there are sinister undercurrents and not all of its seemingly respectable members may be have been entirely honest about their past. Then a house in the village explodes, killing the occupant with whom Tim had previously quarrelled. The police immediately latch onto the fact that Tim worked with explosives during the war. Moreover, he could possibly be a suspect in respect of a series of country house burglaries. With the finger pointing at him, should Tim explain, investigate, or solve the mysteries?"

Be Shot for Sixpence

Michael Gilbert

1956

"Philip sees an announcement in 'The Times' from an old school friend who has instructed the newspaper to publish only if they don't hear from him. This sets a trail running through Europe, with much of the action taking place on the Austro-Hungarian border. The Kremlin, defectors, agitators and the People's Court set the background to a very realistic story that could well have happened."

Blood and Judgement

Michael Gilbert

1959

A Patrick Petrella novel.

"When the wife of a recently escaped prisoner is found murdered and partially buried near a reservoir, Patrick Petrella, a Metropolitan Police Inspector, is called in. Suspicion falls on the escaped convict, but what could have been his motive? Petrella meets resistance from top detectives at the Yard who would prefer to keep the inspector out of the limelight, but he is determined to solve the mystery with or without their approval."

After the Fine Weather

Michael Gilbert

1963

"When Laura Hart travels to Austria to visit her brother, vice-consul of Lienz in the Tyrol, she briefly meets an American who warns her of the mounting political tension. Neo-Nazis are stirring trouble in the province, and xenophobia is rife between the Austrians who control the area and the Italian locals. Then Laura experiences the troubles first-hand, a shocking incident that suggests Hofrat Humbold, leader of the Lienz government is using some heavy-handed tactics. Somewhat unsurprisingly, he is unwilling to let one little English girl destroy his plans for the largest Nazi move since the war, and Laura makes a dangerous enemy."

The Crack in the Teacup

Michael Gilbert

1966

"Barhaven is on the south coast within commuting distance from London. It is, however, a fairly sleepy place and it seems incredulous that it could be the kind of town where the local councillors could manage to line their own pockets. However, there is something odd about the borough engineers behaviour, and it seems strange that the owner of the local amusement park is unknown, and the Town Clerk himself is acting peculiarly. Enter a young lawyer, who finds himself at the centre of a major campaign against racketeering. The public and the press become involved and it ends with a twist that is totally unexpected."

The Dust and the Heat

Michael Gilbert

1967

"Oliver Nugent is a young Armoured Corps officer in the year 1945. Taking on a near derelict pharmaceutical firm, he determines to rebuild it and make it a success. He encounters some ruthless opposition, and counteracts with some fairly unscrupulous methods of his own. It seems no one is above blackmail and all is deemed fair in big business battles. Then a threat: apparently from German sources it alludes to a time when Oliver was in charge of an SS camp, jeopardizing his company and all that he has worked for."

Game Without Rules

Michael Gilbert

1968

A Calder and Behrens short story collection.

"Mr. Calder lived with a golden deerhound named Rasselas in a cottage in Kent. Mr. Behrens lives with his aunt and keeps bees. No one would in the least suspect that the pair are in fact agents for the British Joint Services Standing Committee and they are often tasked with jobs that no one else can take on – simply because of the extreme nature of the action needed."

• A Prince of Abyssinia
• On Slay Down
• The Cat Cracker
• The Headmaster
• Trembling’s Tours
• Prometheus Unbound
• Cross-Over
• The Spoilers
• Heilige Nacht
• The Road to Damascus
• "Upon the King..."

The Etruscan Net

Michael Gilbert

1969

"Robert Broke runs a small gallery on the Via de Benci and is an authority on Etruscan terracotta. A man who keeps himself to himself, he is the last person to become mixed up in anything risky. But when two men arrive in Florence, Broke’s world turns upside down as he becomes involved in a ring of spies, the mafiosi and fraud involving Etruscan antiques. When he finds himself in prison on a charge of manslaughter, the net appears to be closing in rapidly, and Broke must fight for his innocence and his life."

Stay of Execution

Michael Gilbert

1971

A short story collection that includes stories that feature Chief Inspector Hazlerigg and Peter Petrella. The contents are:

• Back on the Shelf
• The Blackmailing of Mr. Justice Ball
• Murder by Jury
• Xinia Florata
• Weekend at Wapentake
• The System
• Cousin Once Removed,
• Modus Operandi
• The King in Pawn
• The Rich Man in His Castle
• Where There's a Will
• Mr. Portway's Practice
• Stay of Execution

The Body of a Girl

Michael Gilbert

1972

"The body of a girl is found buried on a small island in the Thames; the problem is to determine who she is, and in so doing all kinds of wicked goings on are uncovered in the Stockbroker Belt. Bent policemen, crooked garage owners, suspicious solicitors, dirty old men, and local roundheels are among the characters. This is a gripping English police procedural by a master of his craft."

The Ninety-second Tiger

Michael Gilbert

1973

"Hugo Greest is the tiger. He now has a TV adventure series in which he has knocked out 91 beautiful girls and 91 villains. The 92nd comes unexpectedly when he is approached by the Foreign Office. It seems that His Highness Sheik bin Rashid bin Abdullah al Ferini, in the middle of a small war, needs a new military advisor and he wants Hugo for the job. Of course, the international arms trade is involved, and of course there is much more to the post than at first apparent."

Amateur in Violence

Michael Gilbert

Davis Publications

1973

"One complete novel and 10 Short stories"

Flash Point

Michael Gilbert

1974

"Will Dylan is an electoral favourite – intelligent, sharp and good-looking, he is the government’s new golden boy. Jonas Killey is a small-time lawyer – determined, uncompromising and obsessed, he is hounding Dylan in the hope of bringing him into disrepute. Believing he has information that can connect Dylan with an illegal procedure during a trade union merger, he starts to spread the word, provoking a top-level fluttering. At the crucial time of a general election, no government can afford bad press. Jonas suddenly finds himself pursued by those who want to keep him quiet, but he is determined that the truth will be heard."

The Night of the Twelfth

Michael Gilbert

1976

"This psychological suspense thriller concerns the police investigation of a series of brutal torture-killings at a boys' school. The presence of an ambassador's son at the school adds the problem of political terrorism. It's a serious book about an ugly subject."

Petrella at Q

Michael Gilbert

1977

Short story collection.

"Twelve intriguing stories span a year in the career of Detective Inspector Patrick Petrella, officer in charge of Patton Street police station."

• Patrick Petrella: biographical sketch by Gilbert
• Summer: The Elusive Baby
• Summer: The Banting Street Fire
• Summer: The Death Of Mrs. Key
• Summer: Why Tarry The Wheels Of His Chariot
• Autumn: Rough Justice
• Autumn: Counterplot
• Autumn: "To The Editor, Dear Sir–"
• Autumn: A Thoroughly Nice Boy
• Winter: The Cleaners: Part I: Inquest On The Death Of Bernie Nicholls
• Winter: The Cleaners: Part II: A Lively Night At Basildon Mansions
• Winter: The Cleaners: Part III: The Peripatetic Birds
• Winter: The Cleaners: Part IV: St. Valentine's Day
• Spring: Captain Crabtree
• Spring: The Last Tenant
• Spring: Mutiny at Patton Street

The Empty House

Michael Gilbert

1978

"The blue Vauxhall was seen going up the track to the Devon cliffs until it was obscured by a clump of trees. But the noise of it going over the edge was unmistakable and final, and at Rackthorn Point the sea holds on to its trophies. Dr Alex Wolfe is presumed dead as a result of this tragic accident. But how certain can one be when there is no possibility of recovering a body; and when the missing man is a vitally important geneticist at a Biological Warfare Research Station, and when he's a man who only recently took out a life insurance policy? Peter Manciple, an insurance investigator, is sent down to investigate - but Peter finds more questions than answers."

Death of a Favourite Girl

Michael Gilbert

1980

Published in the US as The Killing of Katie Steelstock.

"Katie Steelstock was the small-town girl who made good; for millions of fans she was 'our Katie,' the toast of British TV. Then she is found brutally murdered after she had gone down from London to attend a local dance. Chief Superintendent Charlie Knott of Scotland Yard stalks her killer along a trail that leads from the very proper circles of the English country set to the sordid underside of the London show-business jungle."

The Final Throw

Michael Gilbert

1982

Published in the US as End-Game.

"The London Regional Crime Squad, is trying to nail a financial empire involved with organised crime and drug smuggling. David Morgan goes undercover and is hired by a travel company to act as a tour guide around Europe, but is in fact being used as a drug mule. Eventually, he also finds himself posing as a homeless vagrant in order to track down a former employee of the financial empire who knows of the whereabouts of incriminating documents. This is a 'Snakes and Ladders' operation with twists and which ranges from London to Florence."

Mr. Calder and Mr. Behrens

Michael Gilbert

1982

Short story collection.

"More short stories about the deceptively harmless but sometimes lethal pair of agents, Calder and Behrens. Calder lives in Kent with a golden deerhound named Rasselas, whilst Behrens lives with his aunt and keeps bees. No one suspects they are in fact agents for the British security services and that, if necessary, they are prepared to kill."

• The Twilight of the Gods
• Emergency Exit
• One-to-Ten
• The Peaceful People
• The Lion and the Virgin
• The African Tree Beavers
• Signal Tresham
• The Mercenaries
• Early Warning
• The Killing of Michael Finnegan
• The Decline and Fall of Mr. Behrens
• The Last Reunion

The Black Seraphim

Michael Gilbert

1983

"James Scotland, a young pathologist, has come to Melchester on a much-needed vacation. But amid the cathedral town's quiet medieval atmosphere, he finds a hornet's nest of church politics, town and country rivalries. . . and murder. When one of the community's most influential figures dies suddenly (and very publicly), Scotland uncovers some curious alliances among church, state, and big business. Modern forensic pathology, the age-old mysteries of the church, and a bit of unexpected romance all play a part as Scotland unravels the unsettling truth about Melchester."

The Long Journey Home

Michael Gilbert

1985

"Believed dead in a charter plane crash, John Gabriel Benedict, a Londoner from New Zealand, is actually footloose and carefree in southern Italy until he is forced to match wits with the Mafia, the Union Corse in France, and a London-based conglomerate."

Trouble

Michael Gilbert

1987

"The British army and the London police join forces after the key terrorist in an IRA attempt to smuggle in explosives is believed to be hiding in a working-class neighborhood of Southeast London that suffers from racially motivated teenage violence."

Young Petrella

Michael Gilbert

1988

A Patrick Petrella short story collection.

"Patrick Petrella is considered something of a curiosity by his fellow police officers. He is the son of a Spanish policeman and an English school mistress. He speaks four languages and is as good at picking fine wines as he is locks. The short stories contained in this volume follow his career as a constable, dealing with burglars, delinquents of various shapes and sizes, bent lawyers, gangs, drugs trafficking and murder. They are classic police procedural stories and show Michael Gilbert at his best with an eye for detail, wit and humour, and above all suspense right up to the end."

• Prologue: The Conspirators
• Detective Constable:
  Who Has Seen the Wind?
  The Prophet and the Bird
  Nothing Ever Happens on Highside
  Cash in Hand
  Source Seven
  The Night the Cat Stayed Out
• Detective Sergeant:
  Breach of the Peace
  Voyage into Illusion
  The Oyster Catcher
  Dangerous Structure
  Death Watch
  Lost Leader
  The Coulman Handicap
  The Sark Lane Mission
  Paris in Summer

Paint, Gold and Blood

Michael Gilbert

1989

"A young man stumbles across a conspiracy to steal an early Italian triptych in France, little realizing that years later it may hold the key to his future well-being. Meanwhile, he deals with a matter of embezzlement of church funds, not to mention the decoding of confidential information contained in Pepys writing system. All of this pales into insignificance when compared with him tackling an international art smuggling ring, with treasures being sent to South America in order to finance terrorism."

Anything for a Quiet Life

Michael Gilbert

1990

Short story collection.

"Jonas Pickett, lawyer and commissioner of oaths is nearing retirement, but still has lots of energy. However, he leaves the pressure of a London practice behind to set up a new modest office in a quiet seaside resort. He soon finds that he is overwhelmed with clients and some of them involve him in very odd and sometimes dangerous cases. This collection of inter-linked stories tells how these are brought to a conclusion; ranging from an incredible courtroom drama involving a gipsy queen to terrorist thugs who make their demands at gunpoint."

• Anything for a Quiet Life
• Black Bob
• Vivat Regina
• The Reign of Terror
• The Admiral
• We've Come to Report a Murder, Sir
• Holy Writ
• The Bird of Dawning
• The Freedom Folk

The Queen Against Karl Mullen

Michael Gilbert

1991

"In London, a dubious shoplifting charge escalates to a convincing murder case against a South African police torturer in pursuit of a popular black activist. Karl Mullen is a source of embarrassment to the government, of sensational news to the press, and a propaganda gift to the anti-apartheid Orange Consortium. But this is England, where even so loathsome a figure has a right to an impartial trial. So solicitor Roger Sherman and a North London reporter brave the wrath of an impassioned public and violent players on both sides of the game in their determination that this time justice, not politics, will be served."

Roller Coaster

Michael Gilbert

1993

"Patrick Petrella has been promoted, but is now installed behind a desk, dealing with a mountain of paperwork on diverse subjects ranging from police race relations to allegations of brutality, press harassment and bribery of officers. He is, however, desperate to get out onto the streets again. In a fast moving novel Gilbert has Petrella detecting the patterns of rival gangs at work and uncovering a paedophile ring which operates as far as Amsterdam. He is soon taking on one of the more unsavoury and unscrupulous outfits in London and a surprising outcome enables him to map out the direction to take. There is violence, dark-humour and fast action in this gripping story."

Ring of Terror

Michael Gilbert

1995

A Luke Pagan novel.

"Luke Pagan, a young ambitious and Russian-speaking police officer is co-opted by the security services to observe Russian revolutionaries who are wanted by the Ochrana, the Tsar's secret police. It is known they are involved in terrorism, but proof is needed. Robbery, murder, arson, torture and blackmail are rife and an East End jewellers has been ransacked and following a fire in Sydney Street the bodies of two terrorists are found. Pagan and his somewhat unorthodox partner, Joe Narrabone, investigate."

Into Battle

Michael Gilbert

1997

A Luke Pagan novel.

"Luke Pagan is stationed in Portsmouth to keep an eye on Zeppelin flights. He discovers a British Naval officer doing exactly the same. Seemingly, there is a German spy ring operating with a view to directing the Zeppelins so they can keep an eye on the British fleet, although at this time its identity is unknown. Moreover, at the start of World War I, two ships are blown up and the head of counterintelligence orders Luke to carry out surveillance on the suspected British Officer. This in turn leads to the uncovering of an Irish terrorist plot bent on throwing off British rule by any means possible. The Irish have infiltrated the dockyard. It is clear there is an international conspiracy at work which turns out to be run by a German: Krieger. Luke finds himself in a race against time to identify all of the espionage and terrorist activities – or risk Britain losing the war."

The Man Who Hated Banks and other mysteries

Michael Gilbert

1997

A short story collection featuring Inspector Hazlerigg, Patrick Petrella, and others.

"Published in honour of the fiftieth anniversary of Michael Gilbert's first book."

• Introduction by Michael Gilbert
• Back in Five Years
• A Neat, Cold Killing
• Ticker Batson's Last Job
• Something Like Hard Work
• Balloons Will Be Released
• The Awkward Customer
• Follow the Leader
• After All These Years
• Every Monday, A New Letter
• An Appealing Pair of Legs
• Money Is Honey
• The Craven Case
• The Man at the Bottom
• The Man in the Middle
• The Man at the Top
• The Terrible Mrs. Barker
• Petrella's Holiday
• The Man Who Hated Banks

Over and Out

Michael Gilbert

1998

A Luke Pagan novel.

"The slaughter of World War I in the trenches continues unabated. Luke Pagan finds himself in the Intelligence Corps, investigating an illegal organisation controlled by a Belgian, which is encouraging British soldiers to desert and move across to the German side. What began as a trickle now threatens to develop into a flood in the fourth year of war. Pagan enters dangerous territory and faces disaster."

The Mathematics of Murder: A Fearne & Bracknell Collection

Michael Gilbert

2000

A short story collection comprising 14 stories featuring members of a firm of solicitors in London: Fearne & Bracknell. The contents are:

• The Mathematics of Murder
• Tiger Country
• The Lord of the Book
• Rat's Castle
• The Message of the Stars
• The Good Shepherd
• On a Dead Man's Chest
• Halfway House
• Police Business
• High Finance
• Enter the Vulture
• Ranulph Hall
• A Problem in Ethics
• Locard's Principle

The Curious Conspiracy

Michael Gilbert

2002

A collection of 20 previously uncollected short stories published in honour of Michael Gilbert's 90th birthday. Includes stories featuring Inspector Hazlerigg, Patrick Petrella and others. The contents are:

• Introduction by Michael Gilbert
• Audited and Found Correct
• Friends of the Groom
• The Blackmailer
• Squeeze Play
• Under the Last Scuttleful
• Scream in A Soundproofed Room
• The Sheik Goes Shopping
• Clos Carmine
• The Curious Conspiracy
• Blood Match
• The Seventh Musket
• The Inside Pocket
• Freedom of the Press
• Miss Bell's Stocking
• Five on the Gun
• The Jackal and the Tiger
• Judith
• Verdict of Three
• Decoy
• Dead Reckoning

Even Murderers Take Holidays and Other Mysteries

Michael Gilbert

2007

25 previously uncollected short stories featuring Inspector Petrella, Mr. Calder & Mr. Behrens, and Inspector Hazlerigg. The contents are:

• Introduction by John Cooper
• The Girl Who Moved
• Somebody
• Amateur Detective
• Counter Attack
• Deep and Crisp and Even
• It Never Pays to be Too Clever
• Kendrew's Private War
• The White Slaves
• A Real Born Killer
• Old Mr Martin
• The Facts of Life
• The Battle of Bank Street
• Double, Double
• Death Duties
• A Nose in a Million
• Snuffy
• Death Money
• Even Murderers Take Holidays
• The Drop Shot
• Cumberland v Cumberland
• The Indifferent Shot
• Hangover
• When A Girl Moves Among Diplomats
• Twm Carney
• A Very Special Relationship
• The Smiler
• Mrs Haslet's Gone

A Pity About the Girl and Other Stories

Michael Gilbert

2008

14 previously uncollected short stories. The contents are:

• Introduction by John Cooper
• A Pity About the Girl
• The Brave Don't Talk
• The Man Who Was Reconstituted
• One-tenth Man
• What Happened at Castelbonato?
• Camford Cottage
• Safe!
• The Revenge of Martin Lucas Field on Colonel Cristobal Ocampas
• Basilio
• Prize of Santenac
• Villa Almirante
• The Two Footmen
• Trust Little Al
• By The Pricking of My Thumbs

The Murder of Diana Devon and Other Mysteries

Michael Gilbert

2009

A collection of 14 short stories plus two radio play scripts and a poem. The contents are:

• Introduction by John Cooper
• The Murder of Diana Devon
• The Rules of the Game
• Good Old Monty
• No Place Like Home
• St Ethelburga and the Angel of Death (radio play)
• The Great German Spy Hunt
• The Killing of Karl Carver
• Close Contact
• The Fire-Raisers
• Y Mynyddoed Sanctiaidd
• The Klagenfurt Tote
• Churchill's Men (radio play)
• Coronation Year
• The Seventh Paragraph
• Superintendent Mahood and the Craven Case
• Arnold or the Uses of Electricity (poem)

The Man Who Could Not Sleep and Other Mysteries

Michael Gilbert

2011

A collection of two previously unpublished radio plays and two play synopses. Also includes a number of appendices about Gilbert's work. The contents are:

• Introduction by John Cooper
• The Man Who Could Not Sleep: A Serial thriller in six parts (radio play)
• My Aunt She Died a Month Ago (play synopsis)
• The Game Called Justice (play synopsis)
• The Last Chapter (radio play)
• Appendix A - The Casebook of Henry Montacute Bohun
• Appendix B - Radio plays by Michael Gilbert
• Appendix C - Television plays and serial by Michael Gilber