Harry Vicary Books In Order

Publication Order of Harry Vicary Books

The “Harry Vicary” series by Peter Turnbull follows main characters Detective Sargent Harry Vicary and Detective Inspector Archibald Dew. Dew is dealing with a daughter who suffers from mental problems and Vicary is an alcoholic in recovery. Also involved, are the other members of Harry Vicary’s team (one of which is a pathologist). The series is detective fiction and police procedural. The series is written by Peter Turnbull and is set in London, England.

“Improving the Silence” is the first book in the “Harry Vicary” series of books that was written by Peter Turnbull. The novel came out in 2009. A grave, dug deep in the woods, is found, and the police find out that it is the remains of an undercover officer (Detective Constable James Coventry) from three decades earlier. They do not have much to go off of, but are able to build off what little that they have. What they find, after investigating is that there is a lot of corruption and murder within their very own ranks.

Readers liked the way that the content in this book was a departure from Peter Turnbull’s “Hennessey and Yellich” series, and is bleaker and grittier. Fans of the novel say that the book has a good plot and serves a good procedural. The book is a fast read and makes for a lot of fun reading. The details of how killers can find work in the London underworld and how to produce illegal drugs in the United Kingdom made for some great reading. Some readers liked the way that the book stuck with them once they were done, leaving them mad at how things turned out; making them feel as though they were a part of the story like the characters were.

Some readers did not like the book, and found it to have stilted prose, and the way there is little mystery in what happened in the book. Other readers felt there was too much violence for what was supposed to be an English mystery. Others thought the novel starts with promise and becomes a cliché later on. Some found that the book was a disappointment to them due to the fact that it started off with such promise and then just did not live up to it.

“Deep Cover” is the second book in the “Harry Vicary” series of books that was written by prolific author Peter Turnbull. The novel came out in 2011. After the winter thaw, a pair of bodies is discovered in Hampstead Heath that is the start of a very nasty case for Detective Inspector Harry Vicary and company. The body of a man is found, underneath they also find a shallow grave filled with the remains of a young woman who was beaten to death. The man appears to have frozen to death, but how is he connected to the woman underneath him? Vicary must look into it and figure things out.

Some fans found themselves not doing the things they needed to do in order to read this book. The novel is full of interesting characters, a complex plot, and scary villains. The British slang was easy enough to pick up by readers. Some found the book to be an entertaining read. The novel is full of flawed heroes and dark villains; fans cannot wait until Peter Turnbull releases more of this series. The detectives are well drawn and show a large amount of loyalty and dedication to their job, they have sharp minds that are full of energy. They also have very strong morals, to an usual level. Fans of the novel felt that the book moves slowly to a really intense conclusion. Some say that the characters and well they are drawn, make up for the lack of mystery in the book.

Some readers did not like the book due to the fact that there was not enough character development and that it felt like it was simply detective fiction, not a mystery. The novel had a forced ending to some. Some did not like the way the characters are clearly defined (good guys good, bad guys bad) without any gray area whatsoever.

“The Garden Party” is the third book in the “Harry Vicary” series of books that was written by Peter Turnbull. The novel came out in 2012. After an intoxicated bus driver plows through someone’s Victorian brick wall, the owner has to pay to have it fixed. The contractor finds a note in the crumbling wall that leads Detective Sargent Harry Vicary and his squad to the remains of two men. They are quickly led into a dark world, Harry and his team are going to have to do some digging to figure out everything about the two men. For one thing, how did they end up buried and burnt to the point of charring their bones? They were last seen at a gangland garden party, that neither man returned to.

Readers enjoyed the book for the way it puts the story first and shows the painstaking aspect of solving a crime. It also lets people into the lives of the characters found in the book as well. Readers will find that the book gets right to the point, due to Turnbull’s crisp writing style.

Some readers thought that the ending was abrupt and was slow paced. It featured too much of the procedural aspect for some readers. Most thought that the characters could have been better developed. Readers did not like the way that in some parts, the book was long winded.

This series is for fans of Sally Spencer and Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. The book contains graphic and violent scenes that may be for maturer audiences only.

The novels starring Detective Sargent Harry Vicary also feature Peter Turnbull’s signature combination of dry wit and distinctive writing style that fans of his other books should recognize right off the bat. The novels are for fans of police fiction rather than those readers who like suspense and mystery. Some readers prefer these books to the “Hennessey and Yellich” series as they say these books are more edgy. Fans of British mysteries should like this series.