Ashton Ford Books In Order

Publication Order of Ashton Ford Books

Ashton Ford is the star of this series, and should be a treat for readers. Ashton Ford is able to see both the future and the past, and is skilled in cryptology and philosophy. Not to mention the fact that he has some skills with a handgun. Ashton is able to use his gifts to be a private investigator. He is a former spy and naval officer. He is a true Renaissance man, and it has been said that he is great in bed (leaving all involved extremely satisfied). Ford also narrates the series in first person.

Don Pendleton, the author of the series, wanted to make sense of all of the things that are going on here on Earth, and to try to reach total knowledge, through his character Ashton Ford. He enjoyed the writing experience (as he was able to explore certain ideas that he was unable to do in his other book series) and hopes that readers enjoy reading them, as well. This series, compared to Pendleton’s other work, is something different for him and for his readers. That being said, there is still something that fans of his private investigator series and action-adventure series for his fans to like here.

While writing the novels in the series, Pendleton also drew on his own experiences in the Navy during the forties and fifties, serving in both World War II (serving in all theaters of the war) and in Korea. He would leave the Navy in 1954, after about eight years of military service; he actually enlisted while only fourteen years old, fraudulently of course. By the time he was out, he had spent a good portion of his life in the military.

There are six novels to the “Ashton Ford” series, and the last one came out in 1988. The series is meant to shatter readers’s perceptions of reality and pull them into a mystical world that has psychic truth, intuition, and vision in it.

“Ashes to Ashes” by Don Pendleton is the first novel in the “Ashton Ford” series that was released in the year 1986. A woman asks that Ashton be her sexual surrogate, something that Ashton wants to help the woman in need out with, but then soon sees that he is about to be in for more than he originally wanted to be. He is pushed into a world of murder and all kinds of other bad things.

Fans of the novel liked how funny the novel was. The style, say some, was written in a way that makes it feel as though the author is simply having a conversation with you. Some felt that Ford makes himself likable and it was as though he were a friend of yours telling you the stories. Fans felt like if they ever were in trouble, they could call on him, and they did not like that the series had ended. It was a change of pace from some of the other things that Pendleton has written in his career. This allowed them to think about things that they normally never would have. Even the psuedo science found in the novel was seen to be entertaining. Some liked that even though there was plenty of action, they were still able to think about mystical aspects in the world.

Some did not like the way the author uses science in the novel, finding that its lack of reality takes away from the experience. Some felt that Pendleton works better when he writes the action stuff that he is known for, as the prophetic element and the science parts were not as fun as “Executioner” or “Joe Copp”. Some found that there is too much exposition and Ford expressing his theories on things. Ashton, at times, also self-glorifies and lectures his readers.

“Eye to Eye” by Don Pendleton is the second novel in the “Ashton Ford” series that was released in the year 1986. The most brilliant astronomers and astrophysicists from Russia and America have vanished under mysterious circumstances. Both the CIA and the KGB are trying their hardest to locate these missing people and find answers. This is the most baffling case Ford has ever taken and he has a lot of eyes watching him too.

Fans of the novel like the way that Pendleton writes the series and really allows his readers to get to know the main characters, like in “Joe Copp”. Some even found that they enjoyed this novel as much as the “Joe Copp” books and that this series served as a nice breath of fresh air from them.

Some did not like the way the women are treated or portrayed in the novel. Some found that the novel takes far too long to get to the point of things. These people say they will not continue with the series, finding that he rants too much and the plot was hard to find as a result.

“Mind to Mind” by Don Pendleton is the third novel in the “Ashton Ford” series that was released in the year 1987. The only clues in the case were some satanic symbols. That was what drew in Ashton Ford to the very brutal and sadistic case involving a murdered unidentified woman. Part of her brain (the whole left hemisphere) was removed, to silence her, and there was also the matter of why someone wanted her dead. These are the things that Ford must find out to solve the case. It will be the toughest case that he will investigate and he must use his strong mind to battle all the evil forces at play. Not to mention to also solve the case.

“Life to Life” by Don Pendleton is the fourth novel in the “Ashton Ford” series that was released in the year 1987. A stunning, powerful, and beautiful psychic comes to Ford for help. She has given aid to many troubled souls and a plan was in the works to extend her ministry across the world. She needs his help because family and followers of hers are dying and in horrible harsh and puzzling ways. She wants the truth of what happened. She, he finds out, is at the center of an ancient mystical group that is facing threats from a split and extremely evil group.