Michael Innes Books In Order

Publication Order of Inspector Appleby Books

Publication Order of Inspector Appleby Collections

Publication Order of Charles Honeybath Books

Publication Order of Staircase In Surrey Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of J.I.M. Stewart Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Murderous Christmas Stories Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

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Michael Innes was a Scottish novelist, born John Innes Mackintosh Stewart on September 30, 1906. He passed away in 1994, at age 88.

Innes was educated at Edinburgh Academy and then Oriel College, Oxford. He did his B.A. Honours in English in 1928 and spent the next two years in Austria and Germany to study Freudian psychoanalysis. After his first book, an edition of Florio’s translation of Montaigne, he was offered a lecture chair at University of Leeds.

In 1932, he married Margaret Hardwick, who was a doctor. They eventually had five children, one of whom was also a novelist (Angus).

In 1936, while Professor of English at University of Adelaide, he wrote his first Inspector Appleby mystery, Death at the President’s Lodging. His second in the series, Hamlet, Revenge!, established his reputation as an entertaining and talented writer.

After World War II, he returned to the UK and spent two years at Queen’s University, Belfast, where in 1949 he wrote The Case of the Journeying Boy, notable for highly effective comedic use of an Irish setting. Following that, he was a Reader in English Literature at Christ Church, Oxford, and retired from there in 1973.

The contribution of Michael Innes is significant in the world of English Literature as one of the greatest classic crime fiction writers. Between 1936 and 1986, he published close to fifty crime novels and short story collections.

His most well-known detective is Sir John Appleby, first introduced in Death at the President’s Lodging as a Detective Inspector at Scotland Yard. Appleby is tasked with solving the murder of Professor Umpleby, president of St. Antony’s College, shot in his lodgings. It soon becomes evident that the only people with motive to murder him are the only people who had opportunity, because the lodgings are locked at night and only Fellows of the College have keys.

Detective Inspector Appleby features in many novels and short stories, eventually becoming Metropolitan Police Commissioner. Other novels feature portrait artist and Royal Academician, Charles Honeybath, a sleuth who is an amateur but very effective. These two detectives meet in Appleby and Honeybath. Later stories feature Appleby’s son, Bobby, as a detective.

Sheiks and Adders is another book in the Inspector Appleby series. The story begins with a charity masquerade at Drool Court, where half of the guests have turned up dressed as sheikhs, but only one is the real thing. Sir John Appleby believes that is more than just a coincidence, which puts him in danger. Then one of the fake sheikhs turns up dead and Appleby finds himself in the middle of an international political imbroglio.

Going It Alone is a standalone novel from Michael Innes. The book follows Gilbert Averell, who relieves his tax burden by spending part of each year in France. It’s a good plan, but he finds himself unhappy when he is away from his home country. Gilbert has a friend named Georges who looks very similar to himself and the two decide to swap passports for a bit. Gilbert jumps at the opportunity to spend more time at home; however, a number of incidents take place that leave Gilbert questioning his decision. It appears that Georges might have made his offer for reasons other than friendship.

The character of Charles Honeybath gets his own story in The Mysterious Commission. Honeybath is a portrait painter who is visited by the mysterious Mr. Peach, who wants him to paint an anonymous man known as Mr. X, claimed by his relatives to be insane. Honeybath is taken to the man’s house at night and asked to stay while he completes the work. When he returns to his studio, Honeybath finds that the bank next door to him has been robbed and that he is the prime suspect.

The Gaudy (A Staircase in Surrey) is the first volume in the Staircase in Surrey series. The series is written by Innes under the pen name of J.I.M. Stewart. The story begins in Oxford at a dinner held for past members of the Fellows. There are many distinguished guests, including a former Prime Minister. Duncan Pattullo is one of the attendees and he meets many of his old friends and enemies. As the night goes on, Duncan finds himself enmeshed in many of the difficulties and problems of the other guests. As the story unfolds, he acquires a few new problems of his own, which will force him to take stock of his own past and future.

The Staircase in Surrey series continues with book two of the quintet (chronologically, book one), Young Pattullo. Duncan arrives in Oxford, and on the staircase in Surrey, meets those who will become his new friends and compadres . All of the usual student escapades develop, and a punting accident leads to the girl who is in love with Duncan suffering. His cousin is involved in affair that has left her pregnant, but refuses to name the father.

Michael Innes was a talented writer of crime fiction who won the hearts of his fans with ambiance, characters, his tongue-in-cheek penchant, and the creative plot twists of his stories. His work is still highly regarded.