Andrew Garve Books in Order (Updated September 8, 2026)

Andrew Garve was the principal crime-writing name of British journalist and novelist Paul Winterton. He also published fiction as Roger Bax and Paul Somers, while his non-fiction appeared under his own name.

Garve is unusual among prolific crime writers because he largely avoided creating one long-running detective series. Most Andrew Garve novels are standalones, built around a fresh setting, crime, moral problem, or suspense situation. The main recurring-character exceptions appear under his other pseudonyms: Inspector James in two Roger Bax books and Hugh Curtis in three Paul Somers novels.

What Is the Best Andrew Garve Reading Order?

Best starting point: If you want Garve’s mature crime fiction, start with No Tears for Hilda or No Mask for Murder. Both were published in 1950 and mark the beginning of his long run under the Andrew Garve name.

Because almost all of the Garve novels are independent, they do not need to be read in publication order. Publication order is mainly useful as a complete bibliography.

If you want the connected pseudonymous books, read the Inspector James novels and the Hugh Curtis trilogy in their own publication sequences.

Andrew Garve Novels in Publication Order

The following list covers the novels published under the Andrew Garve name. Alternate American titles are included where they are likely to cause duplicate purchases.

1. No Tears for Hilda (1950)
2. No Mask for Murder (1950), published in the United States as Fontego’s Folly
3. A Press of Suspects (1951), published in the United States as By-Line for Murder
4. Murder in Moscow (1951), published in the United States as Murder Through the Looking Glass
5. A Hole in the Ground (1952)
6. The Cuckoo Line Affair (1953)
7. Death and the Sky Above (1953)
8. The Riddle of Samson (1954)
9. The End of the Track (1955)
10. The Megstone Plot (1956)
11. The Narrow Search (1957)
12. The Galloway Case (1958)
13. A Hero for Leanda (1959)
14. The Golden Deed (1960)
15. The Far Sands (1961)
16. The House of Soldiers (1962)
17. Prisoner’s Friend (1962)
18. The Sea Monks (1963)
19. Frame-Up (1964)
20. The Ashes of Loda (1965)
21. Murderer’s Fen (1966), published in the United States as Hide and Go Seek
22. A Very Quiet Place (1967)
23. The Long Short Cut (1968)
24. The Ascent of D-13 (1969)
25. Boomerang (1969)
26. The Late Bill Smith (1971)
27. The Case of Robert Quarry (1972)
28. The File on Lester (1974), published in the United States as The Lester Affair
29. Home to Roost (1976)
30. Counterstroke (1978)

Continuity: These books are overwhelmingly standalones. A reader can choose The Narrow Search, The Ascent of D-13, A Very Quiet Place, or any other Garve title without first reading the novels that precede it.

Why Andrew Garve Has So Few Traditional Series

Garve deliberately built his career around varied plots and settings rather than one endlessly recurring detective. His novels move through journalism, mountaineering, Russia, maritime settings, politics, crime investigation, kidnapping, and psychological suspense.

That makes his bibliography particularly easy for new readers. Publication order shows the development of his career, but it is not a continuity requirement.

Roger Bax Books in Publication Order

Before establishing the Andrew Garve name, Winterton published six novels as Roger Bax. Two of them feature Inspector James, while the others are independent crime and adventure novels.

1. Death Beneath Jerusalem (1938)
2. Red Escapade (1940)
3. Disposing of Henry (1947)
4. Blueprint for Murder (1948), published in the United States as The Trouble with Murder
5. Came the Dawn (1949), published in the United States as Two If by Sea
6. A Grave Case of Murder (1951)

Pseudonym boundary: These are Paul Winterton novels, but they were originally published as Roger Bax. Modern reissues may sometimes emphasise the Andrew Garve connection, so checking the original title prevents duplication.

Inspector James Books in Order

Inspector James appears in two of the Roger Bax mysteries. They are the closest thing to a conventional detective series in Winterton’s early fiction.

1. Blueprint for Murder (1948), also The Trouble with Murder
2. A Grave Case of Murder (1951)

Recommended order: Read Blueprint for Murder first and A Grave Case of Murder second. The two mysteries remain understandable independently, but publication order is the clearest way to follow the recurring inspector.

Paul Somers and the Hugh Curtis Trilogy

Winterton used the name Paul Somers for four novels. Three form a connected sequence around Hugh Curtis, while the fourth is a standalone.

Hugh Curtis Books in Order

1. Beginner’s Luck (1958)
2. Operation Piracy (1958)
3. The Shivering Mountain (1959)

Included: These three books are the complete Hugh Curtis sequence. Publication order is recommended because the recurring protagonist provides the continuity.

The Broken Jigsaw

The Broken Jigsaw was published in 1961 under the Paul Somers name. It is a Standalone rather than a fourth Hugh Curtis book.

Later editions have also appeared under the Andrew Garve name, so readers should not buy both versions expecting different stories.

Andrew Garve’s Alternate Titles

British and American editions are the main source of confusion in Garve’s bibliography. The following pairs are the same books.

• No Mask for Murder = Fontego’s Folly.
• A Press of Suspects = By-Line for Murder.
• Murder in Moscow = Murder Through the Looking Glass.
• Blueprint for Murder = The Trouble with Murder.
• Came the Dawn = Two If by Sea.
• Murderer’s Fen = Hide and Go Seek.
• The File on Lester = The Lester Affair.

Buying tip: When a title seems unfamiliar, compare the author name and synopsis before assuming it is another Garve novel. American publishers frequently retitled British crime fiction during this period.

Where Murder in Moscow Fits

Murder in Moscow is a standalone Andrew Garve novel, not the beginning of a Soviet detective series. It draws on Winterton’s first-hand experience of Russia, where he had worked as a correspondent.

The American title Murder Through the Looking Glass refers to the same book. It can be read at any point in the Garve bibliography.

Are The Narrow Search and The Galloway Case Connected?

No. Their proximity in Garve’s publication history can make them look like part of a sequence, but they are separate suspense novels with different characters and plots.

This applies to most of Garve’s mid-career books. Similar genre, publisher, and cover design do not indicate a shared continuity.

Andrew Garve Novels by Decade

1950s

• No Tears for Hilda
• No Mask for Murder
• A Press of Suspects
• Murder in Moscow
• A Hole in the Ground
• The Cuckoo Line Affair
• Death and the Sky Above
• The Riddle of Samson
• The End of the Track
• The Megstone Plot
• The Narrow Search
• The Galloway Case
• A Hero for Leanda

1960s

• The Golden Deed
• The Far Sands
• The House of Soldiers
• Prisoner’s Friend
• The Sea Monks
• Frame-Up
• The Ashes of Loda
• Murderer’s Fen
• A Very Quiet Place
• The Long Short Cut
• The Ascent of D-13
• Boomerang

1970s

• The Late Bill Smith
• The Case of Robert Quarry
• The File on Lester
• Home to Roost
• Counterstroke

These decade groupings are for orientation only. They do not represent story cycles.

Paul Winterton Non-Fiction in Order

Winterton’s journalism and non-fiction are separate from his crime novels, but they help explain the depth of Russian and political detail that appears in some of his fiction.

1. A Student in Russia (1931)
2. Russia with Open Eyes (1937)
3. Mending Minds: The Truth About Our Mental Hospitals (1938)
4. Eye-Witness on the Soviet War Front (1943)
5. Report on Russia (1945)
6. Inquest on an Ally (1948)

These are Optional for readers following Garve’s fiction and do not belong to any crime-series chronology.

Does Andrew Garve Have a Chronological Reading Order?

No single chronological order is needed. The Andrew Garve novels are overwhelmingly standalone stories, and the Roger Bax and Paul Somers books occupy their own separate groups.

The only places where order matters are the two Inspector James mysteries and the three Hugh Curtis novels. Publication order is sufficient for both.

A Recommended Path Through Andrew Garve

1. For classic British murder mystery: begin with No Tears for Hilda.
2. For international intrigue: try Murder in Moscow.
3. For suspense and pursuit: choose The Narrow Search.
4. For mountain adventure: try The Ascent of D-13.
5. For early pseudonymous crime: read the Roger Bax books.
6. For a true recurring-character sequence: start Hugh Curtis with Beginner’s Luck.

There is no disadvantage in moving around the standalone novels according to setting or premise. Garve designed them to work independently.

Andrew Garve’s Final Novel and Current Release Status

Counterstroke, published in 1978, was the final novel in Garve’s principal fiction bibliography. Paul Winterton died in 2001.

Older Garve novels continue to appear in digital and print editions. Recent publication dates on books such as The Case of Robert Quarry, The File on Lester, or The Golden Deed generally identify reissues rather than newly discovered sequels.

Andrew Garve Books in Order FAQs

Was Andrew Garve his real name?

No. Andrew Garve was the principal fiction pseudonym of Paul Winterton, a British journalist and novelist.

Did Andrew Garve write under other names?

Yes. Winterton also published novels as Roger Bax and Paul Somers.

Do Andrew Garve books need to be read in order?

Usually not. Most Andrew Garve novels are standalones with different protagonists and plots.

Which Andrew Garve books form a series?

The clearest recurring sequences appear under Winterton’s other names. Inspector James appears in two Roger Bax novels, while Hugh Curtis appears in three Paul Somers novels.

Is Murder Through the Looking Glass a different book from Murder in Moscow?

No. Murder Through the Looking Glass is the American title for Murder in Moscow.

Is Two If by Sea a separate Roger Bax novel?

No. It is the American title for Came the Dawn.

Is The Broken Jigsaw part of the Hugh Curtis series?

No. Although it was published under the Paul Somers name, it is a standalone rather than a fourth Hugh Curtis novel.

What was Andrew Garve’s final novel?

Counterstroke, published in 1978, was the last novel in his principal fiction bibliography.

How to Build an Andrew Garve Reading List

Andrew Garve is best read by interest rather than by strict chronology. Begin with No Tears for Hilda if you want a representative early crime novel, then move freely through the standalones according to setting and premise.

If you want connected books, keep Inspector James and Hugh Curtis in publication order. Everything else can largely be approached independently, with alternate British and American titles checked carefully to avoid buying the same novel twice.