J.M. Gregson Books In Order

Publication Order of Lambert and Hook Books

Publication Order of Inspector Peach Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

James Michael Gregson, better known as J.M. Gregson, is a Lancastrian born in 1934. He was born and raised in Lancaster, England. Gregson was involved in education for a little under 30 years before becoming a full-time writer, a passion he was developing throughout his whole career as a teacher. He taught at various local colleges as well as accredited universities prior to switching over to the craft of writing novels. In addition to his diverse repertoire of publications, he’s also a well-renowned lecturer and public speaker.

Gregson is most well-known as an author of mystery and detective novels and series. He has written two book series, the first being Lambert and Hook and the second being Inspector Peach. Lambert and Hook features who clever detectives who solve countless murders, more than they can count on both of their pairs of hands combined. The Inspector Peach series follows a similar path in which it highlights the extraordinarily intricate detective works of an unrelenting Inspector Peach. Each series included over nineteen books, a feat few authors have done. In addition to that, he has written one novel on the famous Sherlock Holmes, borrowing the character from the Arthur Conan Doyle novel series.

Lambert and Hook: Murder at the Nineteenth

This is book one to the Lambert and Hook series, and it features Superintendent John Lambert and his eventual sidekick and partner, Sergeant Hook. The series begins with a bang and it reels the readers toward a violent murder at Home counties golf club, a celebrated golf site. The person who comes across the crime is no other than John Lambert himself. The victim turns out to be an important local businessman and the Chairman of the golf club. But here’s where matters get rather sticky: while conducting an intense investigation of this crime, Lambert finds himself questioning and interrogating the very people who are actually close to him. His investigation led him to prime suspects who turn out to be the very people who work in the committee of that golf club. These suspects are discovered to also be notable members of the community, which makes the investigation even more complicated. Readers are led to question the motives of these respected and close members to the club. What did they have against the chairman of the club? It places the Chief Constable at a very bad situation, giving him much unease. Yet, the real reason for his unease comes not from the identities of the prime suspects but at the amount of turmoil as a result of this crime. His agitation seems to be directed more toward the overwhelming media attention on the murder itself than towards the findings of Lambert’s investigation. Readers now feel that it is up to the fearless duo of Lambert and Hook to take the helm that the Chief Constable fail to take. We are eager to see how our two protagonists eventually solves this mystery. As events further unfold and each new revealing fact adding to the already messy scene of crime, Lambert and Hook scramble to race against time to solve the crime before things get even more complicated, and worse, out of hand.

With suspense interwoven between the inky black words on the pages, this book is a very fast-paced and intense read. The cover of the book itself, a black and white X-ray filtered photo the head of a golf stick and a golf ball with splotches of red blood on them, is already an attention-grabber alone. The color choice gives the book a serious tone, placing the focus on the red hue of the blood and the presumed choice of weapon for the crime. Aside from being suspenseful, the characters of this book share a similar feel to the characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The chemistry between Superintendent John Lambert and Sergeant Hook is very reminiscent of the classic Detective Sherlock Holmes and his beloved partner in investigation, John Watson. Will Lambert and Hook solve this mystery as cunningly as Holmes and Watson might have? It keeps readers hooked to read on! It’s clear that Gregson knew how to build the chemistry between his protagonists that keeps his readers hooked. Why else would this series have lasted nearly two dozen books?

Lambert and Hook: Bring Forth Your Dead

The 4th book to the Lambert and Hook series has a familiar and cozy feel to it because Detective Chief Superintendent John Lambert and his partner Detective Sergeant Hook are back at the crime scene again. The body of a murdered man is found in a country cemetery. The victim’s name was Edmund Craven, and it is apparent to the investigators that he was murdered by someone close to him. The murder was meticulously planned and mercilessly executed. This crime proves to be quite the challenge for Lambert and his team. But here’s the catch. This murder happened over a year prior to the discovery of the body. And Lambert and his men get themselves tangled deeper into this dark mystery, they uncovered a complicated history that Craven had with his family and housekeeper. Craven’s own children, housekeeper, and friend had all wanted him dead and they all had the chance to kill him. Gregson powerfully creates another spellbinding mystery scene full of surprises and difficulties that only convinces his readers to eagerly devour each mystery novel after the next. It’s no surprise though why the Lambert and Hook novel series lasted almost thirty books.

From seeing the synopsis of several of Gregson’s wonderfully written crime mystery novels, it is clear that he possesses a unique ability to create stories that hooks readers into the suspense and mess of each crime scene. Much like many real-life crimes, the crimes in these stories are carefully thought out. The duo Lambert and Hook are the new detective duo to save the day, digging through the clutter of evidence and finding the truth beneath the jungle of lies and secrets. Gregson was able to accomplished so much in his novels after he left his teaching career of nearly thirty years to devote his time to crafting his mystery stories. With full attention and more time, Gregson achieved a literary career like no other. Fan of mystery novels should take the time to read some of Gregson’s works and acknowledge another of the great names alongside Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, both of whom are accomplished mystery writers.