The Recommended Reading Path
For readers diving into the Perry Trethowan mysteries, the best and most rewarding starting point is the first book in the series, Death by Sheer Torture (published in 1981). Starting here is highly recommended because it establishes Perry's background, his complex attitude toward his aristocratic family, and introduces his wife, Jan. While each novel presents a self-contained mystery that can technically be read as a standalone, reading the series in publication order allows you to appreciate the character development, the changing dynamics of Perry’s household, and the evolving satirical target of each book.
Perry Trethowan Books in Publication Order
Robert Barnard published the five novels in this series between 1981 and 1987. Because the series was published in both the United Kingdom and the United States, several books are known by alternate titles depending on the edition you pick up. Here is the complete list of the Perry Trethowan books in their recommended reading order:
1. Death by Sheer Torture / Sheer Torture (1981)
The series opens with Perry being pulled back into the orbit of his estranged, eccentric family. When his bizarre father, Harold Trethowan, is found dead at Harpenden House—having been killed while suspended from a medieval strappado machine in a spangled leotard—Scotland Yard asks Perry to handle the investigation. Perry must return to his gothic ancestral home, navigate addled aunts, creepy cousins, and a secretive sister to uncover who cut the safety rope. This novel serves as a brilliant parody of traditional country-house mysteries and family sagas.
2. Death and the Princess (1982)
In this second installment, Superintendent Perry Trethowan is assigned as a personal bodyguard to Princess Helena, a minor and somewhat rebellious member of the British Royal Family who has been receiving death threats. The assignment plunges Perry into the strange, coddled, and highly privileged world of royalty. As he attempts to protect the princess and handle her flirtatious advances, Perry must unmask a calculating killer targeting the princess's close circle of lovers, providing Barnard with ample opportunity for biting social satire.
3. The Case of the Missing Brontë / The Missing Brontë (1983)
While on vacation in the Yorkshire Dales with his wife, Jan, Perry’s car breaks down, leading them to seek shelter in a local pub. There, they cross paths with Miss Edith Wing, a retired schoolteacher who unknowingly has a priceless treasure in her possession: a handwritten, unpublished manuscript that might be a lost novel by Emily Brontë. What begins as a fascinating literary puzzle turns dangerous when rare book dealers, collectors, and thieves resort to violence and murder to steal the manuscript. Perry is forced to step in to protect the elderly teacher and solve the crime.
4. Bodies (1986)
The fourth novel shifts focus to the seedy streets of London's Soho. Perry investigates a shocking multiple homicide where four bodies—a photographer, an assistant, a student-actress, and a bodybuilder—are found shot and staged under the hot studio lights of a physical culture magazine titled Bodies. The investigation leads Perry deep into the obsessive, narcissistic subculture of competitive bodybuilding. As a self-described large, out-of-shape detective, Perry feels entirely out of place, but his persistence helps him uncover a dark criminal operation masquerading behind the fitness industry.
5. Death in Purple Prose / The Cherry Blossom Corpse (1987)
In the final installment, Perry's sister, Christobel, convinces him to accompany her to Bergen, Norway, for a convention hosted by the World Association of Romantic Novelists. Perry expects a dull weekend dealing with dramatic writers, but the gathering quickly descends into a hotbed of professional jealousy, gossip, and murder. When one of the writers is found dead, Perry must navigate the eccentricities and rivalries of the romance publishing world to track down the killer. This book relies heavily on Barnard's own experiences living in Norway and offers a satirical look at the literary industry.
What to Know Before You Start
Robert Barnard was a master of the cozy mystery, but he infused his stories with a sharp, satirical edge that sets him apart from traditional Golden Age writers. Perry Trethowan himself is an engaging narrator: standing at an imposing 6 feet 5 inches, he is a dedicated Scotland Yard officer who has deliberately distanced himself from his wealthy, aristocratic, and thoroughly dysfunctional family. Perry’s down-to-earth personality and dry humor provide a perfect lens for observing the eccentric suspects he encounters.
The series does not feature complex chronological timelines or split-narrative prequels, making it incredibly straightforward to follow. There are no major spin-offs or co-authored volumes, meaning you only need to focus on these five core novels. For fans of classic British whodunits, Barnard’s work offers a delightful mix of puzzling plots, witty dialogue, and lighthearted social commentary that earned him the prestigious Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement from the Crime Writers' Association in 2003.