Saxon Books in Order

How to Read the Saxon Series: The Recommended Path

For readers looking to dive into Les Roberts' atmospheric mystery series, the best path is straightforward: read the books in order of publication. Because the series spans six novels published between 1987 and 1994, Saxon's personal life, his acting career, and his relationship with his adopted son, Marvel, develop sequentially. Reading the books chronologically allows you to watch Saxon evolve from a struggling actor taking odd detective jobs into a seasoned investigator dealing with deep personal connections and family responsibilities.

Here is the complete publication and recommended reading order for the Saxon series:

1. An Infinite Number of Monkeys (1987) — Saxon's debut case involves a car bombing, launching his dual life as an actor-PI.
2. Not Enough Horses (1988) — Saxon investigates a conspiracy within network television after a deadly bombing.
3. A Carrot for the Donkey (1989) — Hired by a wealthy film producer to find a runaway daughter in exchange for a movie role.
4. Snake Oil (1990) — An investigation into a real estate developer's allegedly unfaithful wife spirals into corruption in the oil industry.
5. Seeing the Elephant (1992) — Saxon returns to his hometown of Chicago to solve the murder of his childhood friend.
6. The Lemon Chicken Jones (1994) — Saxon and his teenage son Marvel hunt for a washed-up comedian's missing mail-order bride.

What to Know Before You Start

Before cracking open the first page, it is helpful to understand the unique flavor that Les Roberts brings to the detective genre. Unlike typical hard-boiled private eyes who are purely cynical loners, Saxon is a multi-dimensional protagonist. He is an actor first, using his acting chops, dialects, and ability to read people to solve cases. The books capture the transitional era of the late 1980s and early 1990s, blending classic Chandleresque noir tropes with the neon aesthetics, television network power struggles, and cultural shifts of the time.

Another distinguishing feature of the series is its heart. Saxon is not just chasing paychecks; he is also a father. His relationship with Marvel, his adopted Black teenage son, provides a grounding element that sets this series apart from other gritty detective fiction of its era. Marvel is not just background noise; he actively participates in Saxon's life, showing up in the offices, demanding to help, and keeping Saxon morally anchored. The author, Les Roberts, spent 24 years in Hollywood as a writer and producer for shows like The Hollywood Squares and The Andy Griffith Show, which gives the show-business elements of the books a high degree of authenticity.

A Deep Dive into the Saxon Novels

1. An Infinite Number of Monkeys (1987)

The series begins with An Infinite Number of Monkeys, which won the 1986 St. Martin's Press Best First Private Eye Novel Contest. Saxon is introduced as a struggling actor in Los Angeles who takes on private investigation work to pay the bills. When Buck Weldon hires him to look into a car bombing, Saxon is thrown into a web of deceit that introduces him to Weldon's daughter, Tori. The novel sets up Saxon's signature wit, his reliance on his acting skills, and the double-edged sword of Hollywood ambition.

2. Not Enough Horses (1988)

In his second outing, Saxon is hired to navigate the cutthroat corridors of network television. When another bombing threatens the industry, Saxon must use his insider knowledge of Hollywood boardrooms to figure out who is targeting the networks. Roberts uses his personal background as a TV producer to paint a vivid, cynical, and highly entertaining portrait of the entertainment industry's top executives and the desperate creatives trying to survive them.

3. A Carrot for the Donkey (1989)

In the third book, Saxon is offered the ultimate inducement: a guaranteed acting role in an upcoming film by wealthy producer Mark Evering. The catch? Saxon must first locate Evering's missing daughter, who has run away with a suspicious older lawyer. Saxon's search takes him out of Los Angeles and down to Laguna Beach, eventually crossing the Mexican border into Tijuana. It is a gritty exploration of exploitation at both the highest and lowest rungs of society.

4. Snake Oil (1990)

What begins as a standard domestic surveillance case quickly escalates in Snake Oil. Hired by a wealthy real estate developer to find out if his wife is having an affair, Saxon finds himself entangled in a massive conspiracy involving the California oil industry. This book marks a turning point in the series as Saxon's family dynamics, particularly with his adopted son Marvel, become more prominent, offering a sharp contrast to the corporate greed and murder he investigates during the day.5. Seeing the Elephant (1992)

For the fifth book, the action shifts away from sunny Los Angeles. Saxon travels back to his hometown of Chicago to investigate the suspicious death of his childhood friend, Gavin Cassidy, who was a local police officer. Seeing the Elephant deals with heavy themes of political corruption, family estrangement, and the ghosts of Saxon's past, adding significant emotional depth to the overall narrative arc of the series.

6. The Lemon Chicken Jones (1994)

The final book in the series, The Lemon Chicken Jones, pairs Saxon and a teenage Marvel on a search for a missing mail-order bride. Nappy Kane, a washed-up comedian, hires Saxon after his new wife from Hong Kong vanishes along with his assets. The investigation takes Saxon and Marvel into Chinatown and deep into the cultural complexities of the immigrant experience in California. It stands as a fitting end to the series, highlighting the strong bond between Saxon and Marvel.

Saxon vs. Milan Jacovich: Choosing Your Path

While Saxon is a beloved cult favorite, Les Roberts is best known for his long-running Milan Jacovich series, which features a Cleveland-based, kielbasa-eating private investigator. Readers often wonder how the two series compare. Saxon is sun-drenched, Hollywood-focused, and fast-paced, reflecting Roberts' years on the West Coast. Milan Jacovich, on the other hand, is blue-collar, gritty, and deeply rooted in the Midwest. If you prefer neon lights, acting auditions, and West Coast noir, start with Saxon; if you want a longer, traditional, rust-belt detective saga, Milan Jacovich is the way to go.