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Desmond Merrion Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of Desmond Merrion books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: April 2026
Quick Answer
What order should I read the Desmond Merrion series? Start with "The Secret of High Eldersham / The Mystery of High Eldersham" (1930) and follow publication order through all 61 books.
The complete Desmond Merrion reading order is listed below in publication sequence.
Publication Order
The Secret of High Eldersham / The Mystery of High Eldersham
1930
Menace on the Downs
1931
The Three Crimes
1931
Death of MrGantley
1932
Fate at the Fair
1933
Tragedy at the Thirteenth Hole
1933
Death at the Crossroads
1933
To Catch A Thief
1934
The Charabanc Mystery
1934
The Devereux Court Mystery
1935
The Milk-Churn Murder / The Clue of the Silver Brush
1935
Where is Barbara Prentice? / The Clue of the Silver Cellar
1936
Death in the Tunnel / Dark in the Tunnel
1936
Murder of a Chemist
1936
Death at the Club / The Clue of the Fourteen Keys
1937
Murder in Crown Passage / The Man with the Tattooed Face
1937
Death at Low Tide
1938
The Platinum Cat
1938
Mr Babbacombe Dies
1939
Death Leaves No Card
1939
Mr Westerby Missing
1940
Written in Dust / Murder in the Calhole
1940
Vacancy with Corpse / Death Takes A Flat
1941
Up the Garden Path / Death Visits Downspring
1941
Death of Two Brothers
1941
Death at Ash House / This Undesirable Residence
1942
Dead Stop
1943
Who Killed the Doctor? / Murder, M.D.
1943
Four-Ply Yarn / The Shadow on the Cliff
1944
The Three Corpse Trick
1944
Early Morning Murder / Accidents Do Happen
1945
Not a Leg to Stand On
1945
The Cat Jumps
1946
Situation Vacant
1946
Heir to Lucifer
1947
A Will in the Way
1947
Devil\'s Reckoning
1948
Death in Shallow Water
1948
Death Takes the Living / The Disappearing Person
1949
Look Alive
1949
Ground for Suspicion
1950
A Village Afraid
1951
Beware Your Neighbour
1951
Murder Out of School
1951
Murder On Duty
1952
Heir to Murder
1953
Something to Hide
1953
Murder in Absence
1954
Unwanted Corpse
1954
A Crime in Time
1955
Murder Unrecognised
1955
Death in a Duffle Coat
1956
Found Drowned
1956
The Chinese Puzzle
1957
The Moth-Watch Murder
1957
Bones in the Brickfield
1958
Death Takes a Detour
1958
A Smell of Smoke
1959
Return from the Dead
1959
Death Paints a Picture
1960
Legacy of Death
1960
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