Patrick Quentin Books In Order

Publication Order of Dr. Westlake Books

Publication Order of Peter Duluth Mystery Books

Publication Order of Timothy Trant Books

Publication Order of Gold Medal Classic Trials Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Anthologies

Patrick Quentin
Patrick Quentin, Jonathan Stagge, and Q. Patrick were pseudonyms that Hugh Callingham Wheeler, Martha Mott Kelley, Richard Wilson Webb, and Mary Louise White Aswell wrote detective fiction. In some foreign countries their books were published under the variant name of Quentin Patrick.

Most of the tales were penned by Wheeler and Webb together, or by Wheeler alone. The authors’ most famous creation is Peter Duluth, the amateur detective.

The name’s origins come from Martha Mott Kelley and Richard Wilson Webb’s names. Kelley was known as Patsy (Patsy Kelly was a well-known character actress of the period). Webb, an Englishman who worked for a pharmaceutical company in Philadelphia, was known as Rick, so they came up with the name Q. Patrick by combining both their nicknames. The Q they added because it was unusual.

Kelley and Webb’s literary partnership quickly ended, with Kelley marrying Stephen Wilson. Webb would continue to writing as Q. Patrick, as he looked for a new partner. He wrote two novels with Louise Aswell (Harper’s Bazaar editor and journalist), but would find his permanent collaborator in a Londoner named Hugh Wheeler, that had moved to America in 1934.

Their first collaboration was published in the year 1936, and they introduced two new pen names that year. The first “Dr. Westlake” novel was released, credited to Jonathan Stagge, which they used for the rest of the series. “A Puzzle for Fools” was signed Patrick Quentin and introduced the Peter Duluth character. It proved to be their most famous and primary pseudonym, despite using Q. Patrick til the end of their time collaboration, using it primarily for the “Inspector Trant” tales.

During the late forties, Webb’s contributions decreased due to his health problems. Starting in the fifties, Wheeler continued writing as Patrick Quentin by himself, and published one book under his name.

In the year 1963, “The Ordeal of Mrs. Snow” (the story collection), was awarded a Special Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America.

Patrick’s debut novel, called “Cottage Sinister” (published as Q. Patrick), was released in the year 1931.

“A Puzzle for Fools” is the first novel in the “Peter Duluth” series and was released in the year 1936. Peter Duluth was an up-and-comer on the Great White Way at one time. After his wife died, he dove right into a bottle and he stayed there. It is only when he is about to hit rock bottom that he decides to dry out, going into rehab to try and save his life.

Peter’s new home ends up being even more dangerous than the outside world when one of the staff members is found murdered, and one patient is found having been killed in a similar way. Peter thinks he might have an idea of what’s happening, but is unsure what he is seeing and hearing is real, or if the DTs still play with his head.

A beautiful fellow patient follows under suspicion, and Peter realizes that this lethal mystery is offering him not just a new life, but a new love. All he must do now is locate a crazed killer in a place where crazy’s the norm.

“Puzzle for Players” is the second novel in the “Peter Duluth” series and was released in the year 1938. Peter Duluth, a theater producer, has just gotten out of the sanitarium where he got clean, found Iris (his love), and just so happened to catch a killer. Now he is dead set on staging a big comeback with a new play featuring his lady as the star.

Unfortunately for Iris and Peter, they wind up in a broken-down theater where the rats keep company with some ghosts, and there hasn’t been a hit there in many years. Combined with the usual divas, egos, and personal demons, and it’s going to be a miracle if Peter can get his play off the ground.

His seemingly cursed production takes a deadly turn when one of the actors dies onstage, with one more murder following after. This is no dress rehearsal. Now it is all up to Peter to shine the spotlight on a killer.

“Puzzle for Puppets” is the third novel in the “Peter Duluth” series and was released in the year 1944. While the war rages in the Pacific, Peter Duluth, a naval lieutenant, is overjoyed to make port and spend some time with Iris, his lady love. The couple has little luck finding a room until one brassy blond offers up her hotel suite out of what appears to be charity. This is when Peter’s shore leave begins going sideways.

While unwinding in a steam room, Peter’s uniform gets stolen. Iris, gets mistaken many times for her cousin, a local vamp with an odd group of friends. Things hit a bloody head once Peter’s missing uniform winds up implicating him in a murder.

With both of their identities in flux, Iris and Peter have to navigate their way through the fog-shrouded alleys in the City by the Bay if they are going to learn what sort of mess they’ve gotten caught up in. And if they will be able to get out of it alive.

“Puzzle for Wantons” is the third novel in the “Peter Duluth” series and was released in the year 1945. Peter Duluth, while on extended shore leave from the war in the Pacific, and his movie star wife, Iris escaped from the press’ prying eyes, and have landed at their friend Lorraine Playgel’s Nevada desert mansion. Unfortunately, however, they are not alone.

Three old school friends are staying with Lorraine, all of whom are waiting to get a Reno divorce from their husbands for their own reasons. However the brassy Lorraine cannot help but stir up drama by inviting all three of the ladies’ soon-to-be-exes out to the oasis. Naturally, things start off a tad uncomfortable.

This tension snaps with some deadly results. One hopeful divorcee ends up dead, followed soon after by another. Peter and Iris, who both know there is a lot more at stake than mere alimony, begin hunting a killer that takes ‘til death do we part’ literally.