Sergeant Cribb Books In Order

Publication Order of Sergeant Cribb Books

Born in Middlesex, England Peter Lovesey is considered one of the most prolific authors of all time. Lovesey attended Hampton Grammar School before proceeding to Reading University in the year 1955 because he never had the required Latin Qualifications. While there, he opted to pursue a degree in Fine Art. The course included English and History among other electives. In 1958, he graduated with an honors degree. After that he spend three years performing National service in the UK Royal Air Force. Lovesey is considered among the most experienced and skilled practitioners when it comes to both contemporary crime and history novels. He has an endless list of award winning novels as well as short stories that have made him even more popular in the entire world. He started his crime writing career in 1969. This is the same year he submitted his first novels named Wobble to Death. This novel not only won him awards but also introduced readers to the world of Sergeant Cribb and Constable Thackeray, who were helping to solve cases for the Scotland Yard in his eight novels. Lovesey’s novels are characterized by humor and they are set in the Victorian England. The writer has made Cribb different from the eccentric genius such as Holmes or the inane Lestrade. Instead, he is hard working, lucid and humble.

BOOKS IN THE SERGEANT CRIBB (SERIES BY PETER LOVESEY)

The series has several books. Some of the books that will interest you include the following.

WOBBLE TO DEATH

Wobble to Death is considered the first mystery novel by Lovesey. The book was published in the year 1970. It is popularly known for introducing sergeant Cribb. With its setting in the Victorian, London it is the first in the eight books in this series that feature sergeant Cribb. The novels mainly talks about sports-related death. Sergeant Cribb and Constable Thackeray, his assistant are asked to conduct investigations to determine the cause of the murder of a contender who was taking part in a race walking competition that was known as Wobbles. The sport is also popularly known as the Go as you please competition”.

The main objective on the race is to find out one could walk, hobble or run for a period of six nights and six days. The participants as well as observers of the competition are expected to pay an entrance fee. In addition, there are townsmen who are ever ready to pay the wagers for the results. Most competitors consider the race a deadly and bloody fiasco. At the beginning of the race, in the chilly and foggy November, sixteen participants are ready to take part in the race. Charlie Darrell and Erskine Chadwick are among the actual athletes who have prepared for this race in the best way possible. The five hundred milers are among those prospected to win the upcoming race. The rest are only men who decided to join the bandwagon with the hope of becoming in third or fourth positions and behind. In simple terms, these men do not have any hope of becoming the winners of the game at the end of the day.

The winner of the competition will end of receiving a prize of five hundred pounds as well as a belt that will make him to be known as the champion pedestrian in the entire world. On the second of the competition, Darrell falls like he has never experienced in his life. Before the end of the day, he was dead. It does not take long for his trainer to be found dead as well. The death of Darrell is attributed to suicide but Sergeant Cribb is not convinced about the same. He goes ahead to try and find out the potential motives behind the death. Some of the people who are called upon to help when it comes to investigations include Darrell’s wife Cora, his trainer and Erskine Chadwick. The manager of the race and sponsor are also questioned to find out the truth behind the death. The race turns to become a race to find the killer even before the event has been concluded.

Wobble to Death is simply a fascinating mystery that revolves around the unlikely sport competition. The writer offers historical background of the event that seems unusual. The characters have been well-drawn in a colorful manner. The book won different awards including the Macmillan First Crime Novel Prize (1970)

THE DETECTIVE WORE SILK DRAWERS
In this book, Sergeant Cribb is criticized because of the many crimes that he has to solve. His superiors believe that he needs to look for better and innovative ways to deal with the crimes at hand as they have been doing in the nation of France. The sergeant decides to conduct investigations without following the modern paths. The victim under investigation has scars and bruises among other signs of injuries all over his body. Despite the bare-knuckle boxing being considered illegal in the nation of England, this story took place. In addition, it is still being practiced secretly. The fans of this sport are afraid to share information with the police thus making more difficult for Cribb to unveil the truth. This makes him to decide to send another man to help him in the investigations under cover. The sergeant receives information that the victim of murder trained at the Radstock Hall.

He also found out that the management had deadly policies such as murdering fighters who fail during competitions. He decides to enlist Constable Henry Jago to complete the undercover mission. The undercover officer finds himself under the powerful eye of Mrs. Vilbart. The book mainly focuses pug rather than murder. I find the details to do with pugilism unsettling that the murder scene. The explanation we found out is that the victim in such cases is never willing to die. The book has a good character development. This will definitely make you to fall in love with books by the same author even more. The next time you go shopping for books in any store, ensure that you grab a copy of Peter Lovesey series.