Henry Wade Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

Henry Wade
Major Sir Henry Lancelot Aubrey-Fletcher, born September 10, 1887, was a baronet and writer, writing under the pen name of Henry Wade. He was one of the founders of the Detection Club. The Wade pseudonym was taken from his mom’s maiden name.

He was born in Surrey, and received his education at Oxford and Eton. During both world wars, he served as a Grenadier Guard, and was awarded French Croix de guerre and the Distinguished Service Order.

Henry was a member of Buckinghamshire County Council and was also appointed High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire in the year 1925. he played Minor counties cricket for Buckinghamshire from 1921 until 1928.

Henry was the second child and only son of Sir Lancelot Aubrey-Fletcher, 5th Baronet and Emily Harriet Wade. His dad had a son from a previous marriage, but that kid died during infancy.

In the year 1911, he married Mary Augusta Chilton, with whom he had five kids, four sons and a daughter. Henry and Mary were married until 1963 when she died. And in 1965, he married second wife Nancy Cecil Reynolds. Nancy and Henry were married until his death at the age of 81 May 30, 1969.

Henry’s debut novel was released in the year 1926, and was called “The Verdict of You All”. He wrote mystery novels, and created the character Inspector John Poole. His mysteries were both of the traditional and inverted kind and he was published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine.

Henry was one of the leading authors during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.

“The Verdict of You All” is the first stand alone novel and was released in the year 1926. Geoffrey Hastings has been doing very well for himself lately. He survived the Great War, and not only does he work for the wealthy financier Sir John Smethurst but is also engaged to Emily, John’s daughter. Hastings has got a rival for Emily’s affections in Samuel McCorquodalem, who is a successful businessman and both rival and friend of Sir John and there isn’t any love lost between both men.

Sir John is then discovered murdered, and the suspicion soon falls on Hastings until there is an unexpected alibi sets him free. Who actually killed Sir John? There is layer upon layer of deception that gets peeled back until the shocking truth comes out.

Henry Wade delivers a clever mystery novel, and is rather interesting how the detective and his superior favor the different suspects and how that dynamic plays out. The reader is led into making some assumptions about the leads, plays on prejudices, and ends with a strong twist. The novel is a bit short, but shows the knack Henry had for vivid characterization. This book portrays the professional police in a realistic way, as often fallible humans.

“Missing Partners” is the second stand alone novel and was released in the year 1928. Sir Garth Fratten, a rather wealthy banker, dies all of a sudden from an aneurysm right on the Duke of York’s Steps. His doctor is satisfied that the mild shock like getting jostled would be sufficient to cause Garth’s death. It seems very straightforward, and there isn’t any inquest.

Fratten’s daughter, named Inez, is nowhere near satisfied. She puts an ad in the London papers that soon comes to Scotland Yard’s attention, and Inspector John Poole gets assigned with making enquiries.

Poole’s investigating takes him right into a world of high finance where things aren’t at all what they first appear to be. A sordid world where rich young guys make fools out of themselves over the chorus girls.

Henry Wade spins a complex and interesting plot, with some red herrings, an unexpected ending, and some romance to be found. He does a magnificent job of fleshing out his characters and evokes atmospheric settings well and you feel like you are actually there with all the characters.

“Dying Alderman” is a stand alone novel and was released in the year 1930. During a meeting of the Queenborough Borough Council, Sir John Assington (the Mayor) gets accused of turning a blind eye to the speculators on the make and wasting funds by Alderman Trant. Then Trant gets killed with his own knife, and as he dies, he manages to scratch ‘MA’ on a scrap of paper.

Local Chief Constable Race is investigating the case. He is new on the force, so Superintendent Vorley steps up to help him. With Scotland Yard’s help, who offers Inspector Lott to the case, they all bring their own approach to this case.

Because the truth is so rarely straightforward.

This novel deftly combines realistic police procedure, three dimensional characters, some serious themes, and a finely wrought murder puzzle. Novels like this prove deserves to be more widely read and underrated. Each one of the characters are clearly depicted and all of the clues are handed out from early on. With Wade there is a late twist in the plot, and keeps the pacing just right.

“Constable, Guard Thyself!” is a stand alone novel and was released in the year 1934. Two threats from the newly released convict, one was a poacher framed on a murder charge, put Chief Constable of Brodshire, Captain Scole, on guard. Special men get assigned to protect him.

Four days later, Captain Scole is discovered shot right through the head right at his desk in Police headquarters. A week later, young Inspector Poole from Scotland Yard gets called in to follow the cold trail while he faces open hostility from the local cops. The more he explores this murder, the more baffled he gets.

Could Scole’s own Great War past be catching up to him, or is there something much closer to home?

The novel is filled with some strong police procedure, solidly clued, and full of clearly defined characters. The method of murder, while ingenious, is rather believable, and the denouement is highly dramatic. This novel, like the rest of Henry Wade’s novels find their strength in some serious plotting. Wade writes about a mystery, as well as the melancholy ramifications of the Great War as well as the long term consequences that come with injustice.