Hardcastle Books In Order

Publication Order of Hardcastle Books

The Hardcastle series has been written by the author Graham Ison. The plots are crime thrillers and describe Inspector Hardcastle’s detective investigations in the World War 1 era. Hardcastle is a smart and shrewd investigator who is straightforward to the point of being rude. He is an honest officer who treats the rich and poor alike. The first book of the Hardcastle series, Hardcastle Spy, was released in 2004. The story is set in France and describes how the pipe-smoking detective solves the case involving the death of women in London, who was dressed as a prostitute. The backdrop of the story is the war of the Somme which has the entire London shocked and worried. Detective Hardcastle probes into the murder mystery to discover that the woman is a German spy. She was getting laid by every man from the soldiers to the government officers, to get hands on vital secrets. M15 is Britain’s primary intelligence agency and Hardcastle has to directly report to the M15 head. As the case progresses, Hardcastle soon realizes that the M15 is trying to keep him away from the vital secrets in the case. He senses some major conspiracy. So when the next murder occurs, Hardcastle is all geared to solve the case without being deterred by any of the big guns. The story goes on at a rapid pace and has a good balance of humor, wit, suspense and thrill.

About the author:
Graham Ison is a British writer who was a Scotland Yard cop for thirty years and served the Special Branch. Ison has investigated the case of the spy George Blake and served as a Protection officer to 2 prime ministers in the Downing Street.

The Hardcastle series:-

Hardcastle’s Actress (Hardcastle series book 5):
Victoria Hart is an enchanting music-hall actress who has many admirers. She is found dead on Christmas day and detective Ernie Hardcastle and his friend Detective-sergeant Charles Marriott, an investigating officer, are summoned to take up the case. Victoria had a huge fan following of men and often persuaded them to enlist and sign the recruitment papers, promising a kiss in behalf. She was known for her incredible beauty and skimpy costumes.

The backdrop of the story is Beaux Belles revue and the year is 1914, the scene of a war becoming more evident in Europe. Detective Hardcastle is called to Windsor for solving the murder case. On further investigations, it was found that the actress was married to a navy commanding officer. The plot becomes even more complex as the local recruiting agent in the town suddenly dies. There seems to be a link between the murder and the army. Hardcastle is all set to track the murderer among the long list of suspects, namely, the actress’s husband, theater director, and her admirers. The story is set in the era where no gadgets, no technology, and no DNA findings were used to conduct investigations. The coordination among the two investigating officers is superb with amazing wit, friendliness, and humor and weaved to reflect their rapport. The crude methods of investigations and authentic detective methods used in the early 20th century is a delight to read about. The temperamental, rude and even obnoxious behavior of the detective is what actually makes him loved by his fans. Readers who like the stories plotted in those times will thoroughly enjoy reading the crime mystery book.

Hardcastle’s Collector (Hardcastle series book 13):
The thirteenth and the latest book in the series, the plot of the Hardcastle’s collector is set in the year 1917 in the Hampshire village. The story set in the sleepy countryside gives a vintage feel to the novel. The novel comes across nice and fresh, set in a different venue from the bustling city life of London. Divisional Detective Inspector Ernest and Sergeant Marriott of the Whitehall division are sent by the head of the CID to investigate a murder. A young local girl is murdered in the village of Thresham Parva in Hampshire. The two detectives are joined by a young local sergeant Detective constable Yardley. He is of great help in dealing and seeking the cooperation of the locals in the village. Daisy Salter was the young girl who was murdered. She had many wooers and some of them are soldiers from an army camp not far away. In this novel, Hardcastle’s personal relationships and family life come into the picture. He is opposed to the changing modern times to which his daughter wants to adapt. The family attachment reflects the warm disposition of Hardcastle’s tough character. The three detectives work as a team to solve the murder mystery. How Hardcastle tackles the suspicious villagers and gets information out of them is truly commendable.

The book is staged around the classic English era which moves at its own pace. Detective Hardcastle conducts the investigations in his signature style. Hardcastle is an overbearing, sarcastic, and unreasonably stubborn character, who follows his heart and does not necessarily follow the regular code of conduct while investigating. In this story, his warm side is reflected. And as the story progresses, the reader falls in love with the simple-hearted detective who has no frills and fallacies. He solves the mystery with his wit, acumen, and sensible analysis of the data collected during the inquiry.

Wrap-up:
The crime thriller suspense series has 13 books released so far. The books are crime thriller mysteries with exceptional plots all set in the world war era. The stories are hardcore detective plots which have a gripping storyline. The investigation methods and shrewd wit of Hardcastle make the stories an interesting read. The stories are all staged in Europe and the war backdrop adds to the thrill. All the novels have a connection to the army and police services. It could be attributed to the personal background of the author who served as a special officer with the Scotland Yard. The Hardcastle plots are meaty, full of surprises, and the unexpected twists leave the reader excited and happy at the end of the novel