The Recommended Starting Point
For the vast majority of readers, the best place to start with Bruno Vincent is his bestselling Enid Blyton for Grown-Ups series. These books parody the classic childhood adventures of the Famous Five, sending the original crew—Julian, Dick, Anne, George, and Timmy the dog—straight into the confusing world of modern adulthood. Since these books are episodic satires of 21st-century struggles, they do not require a strict chronological reading. However, beginning with either Five on Brexit Island (the breakout hit that captures the political satire) or Five Go Gluten Free (a perfect spoof of modern wellness trends) is highly recommended.
If you prefer children's fiction with a dark, Victorian gothic twist, you should start instead with Grisly Tales from Tumblewater, Vincent's debut fiction novel. For fans of trivia-based humor, his non-fiction collaborations with Jon Butler—starting with Do Ants Have Arseholes?—offer a great collection of quick, cynical laughs.
Enid Blyton for Grown-Ups (Famous Five Parodies)
This is Vincent's most famous collection. Each book is a standalone story poking fun at a specific aspect of modern life, from corporate culture to dietary restrictions and parenthood. While you can read them in any order depending on what topic amuses you most, here is the order they were published:
- Five Go Gluten Free (2016)
- Five Go On A Strategy Away Day (2016)
- Five Go Parenting (2016)
- Five on Brexit Island (2016)
- Five Give Up the Booze (2016)
- Five Get Gran Online (2017)
- Five Forget Mother's Day (2017)
- Five Lose Dad in the Garden Centre (2017)
- Five Get Beach Body Ready (2017)
- Five at the Office Christmas Party (2017)
- Five Escape Brexit Island (2017)
- Five Get On the Property Ladder (2017)
- Five Go Bump in the Night (2017)
- Five Go Absolutely Nowhere (2020)
Reading Caveat: The Brexit Island Duology
While the Famous Five parodies are largely standalone, there is one exception to the rule. Five Escape Brexit Island (2017) acts as a direct sequel to the events of Five on Brexit Island (2016). For the best experience, read these two in sequence to follow the full, hilarious arc of the group's retreat to Kirrin Island during the political chaos.
Grisly Tales from Tumblewater Books
Before his parody series took off, Bruno Vincent wrote gothic horror stories for children. This series follows Daniel Dorey, an orphan who travels to the gloomy town of Tumblewater and becomes a scribe for the town's dark, creepy local legends. Unlike the Famous Five parodies, this duology features a continuous narrative and should be read in publication order:
- Grisly Tales from Tumblewater (2010)
- School for Villains (2012)
Standalone Fiction, Collections, and Children's Books
Beyond his main series, Vincent has written standalone books that cross genres from horror comedy to historical adventure:
- A Christmas Carol II: Contagion (2011) – A satirical gothic sequel to the Charles Dickens classic, which throws Ebenezer Scrooge into the middle of a Victorian London zombie apocalypse.
- Fairy Tales for Millennials (2019) – A collection of classic folklore updated to reflect the lifestyle and struggles of the modern generation.
- So You Want to be a Ninja? (2020) – An educational children's adventure illustrated by Takayo Akiyama, where three kids travel back in time to 1789 Japan to learn ninjutsu.
Co-Authored Humorous Non-Fiction
Vincent began his publishing success co-authoring cynical, fun-filled trivia and Q&A books with Jon Butler. These are great for light reading and can be picked up in any order:
- Do Ants Have Arseholes? (2007)
- Do Bats Have Bollocks? (2008)
- The Secret Diary of Mario Balotelli (2012) – A spoof diary capturing the eccentricities of the famous Italian footballer.