Desmond Cory Books in Order

How to Start Reading Desmond Cory

If you are looking to dive into the work of Desmond Cory—the celebrated pen name of Shaun Lloyd McCarthy—you have a few excellent entry points depending on your favorite subgenre. As a pioneer of post-war British espionage and detective fiction, Cory wrote in distinct series that can be read independently from one another. Here is where you should begin:

• For classic spy thriller fans: Start at the very beginning with Secret Ministry (1951). This book introduces Johnny Fedora, the cynical, half-Irish, half-Spanish agent who set the template for the modern "licensed to kill" hero long before 007 arrived.
• For mystery lovers with a sense of humor: Start with The Strange Attractor (1991), the first novel in the John Dobie sequence, which follows an eccentric, absent-minded mathematics professor who constantly stumbles into murder mysteries.
• For fans of gritty detective noir: Pick up Begin, Murderer! (1951) to meet Lindy Grey, an urbane former policeman who cracks cases with a mix of violence, wisecracks, and Shakespearean quotes.
• For a premium standalone heist thriller: Read Deadfall (1965), a psychological caper set in Spain that centers on a complex love triangle and a sophisticated jewel heist.

The Johnny Fedora Espionage Series

Johnny Fedora is Desmond Cory’s signature creation. Spanning 16 novels published between 1951 and 1971, Fedora predates Ian Fleming’s James Bond by two years. Unlike the gadget-reliant Bond, Fedora is a more grounded, intellectual, and psychologically complex protagonist. A former British Commando of mixed Irish and Spanish heritage, his missions often take him to exotic locations reflecting Cory's own travels, particularly Spain.

The Feramontov Quintet

While the early Fedora books function well as standalones, the final five novels form a tight, continuous narrative arc known as the Feramontov Quintet. This sequence chronicles the high-stakes, Moriarty-like rivalry between Johnny Fedora and his ultimate nemesis, the Soviet spymaster Feramontov. To fully appreciate this character arc, these five novels must be read in strict order, beginning with Undertow.

Johnny Fedora Publication Order

To watch both the character and the genre evolve from post-WWII Nazi-hunting to gritty Cold War espionage, we recommend reading the Johnny Fedora series in its original publication order:

1. Secret Ministry (1951)
2. This Traitor Death (1952)
3. Dead Man Falling (1953)
4. Intrigue (1954)
5. Height of Day (1955)
6. High Requiem (1955)
7. Johnny Goes North (1956)
8. Johnny Goes East (1957)
9. Johnny Goes West (1958)
10. Johnny Goes South (1959)
11. The Head (1960)
12. Undertow (1962) - Start of the Feramontov Quintet
13. Hammerhead / Shockwave (1963)
14. Feramontov (1966)
15. Timelock (1967)
16. Sunburst (1971)

The John Dobie Mysteries

Later in his career, Cory shifted his focus to create John Dobie, an absent-minded mathematics professor who regularly gets caught up in ingenious murder cases. This series is lighter in tone than Fedora's adventures, full of academic wit, dry humor, and clever puzzles. The original trilogy was published in the early 1990s, but a fourth novel, The Shy Traffickers, was released posthumously in 2016.

John Dobie Series Order

1. The Strange Attractor (1991) (Also published as The Catalyst)
2. The Mask of Zeus (1992)
3. The Dobie Paradox (1993)
4. The Shy Traffickers (2016) (Posthumous release)

The Lindy Grey Detective Noir Series

Lindy Grey is an urbane, dissolute man-about-town and a former private detective of private means. Written concurrently with the earliest Johnny Fedora spy novels, this series is characterized by its sharp dialogue, wry humor, and classic mid-century hardboiled detective styling.

Lindy Grey Series Order

1. Begin, Murderer! (1951)
2. This is Jezebel (1952)
3. Lady Lost (1953)
4. The Shaken Leaf (1954)

The Mr. Dee Books

A short-lived but highly regarded duology, the Mr. Dee books focus on an off-beat protagonist operating on the fringes of the law. They are quick, atmospheric thrillers that showcase Cory's versatility in the crime genre.

Mr. Dee Series Order

1. Stranglehold (1961)
2. The Name of the Game (1964)

Standalone Novels and Posthumous Releases

Desmond Cory frequently stepped away from his recurring series to write standalone psychological thrillers. His most famous standalone is Deadfall (1965), which features cat burglar Michael Jeye in a highly tense caper. Decades after his passing, unpublished manuscripts from his estate were prepared for readers, including the thriller On the Gulf, which Cory completed shortly before his death in 2001 and was published in 2012.

Standalone Novels in Publication Order

1. The City of Kites (1955)
2. Pilgrim At the Gate (1958)
3. Jones on the Belgrade Express (1960)
4. Deadfall (1965)
5. The Night Hawk (1969)
6. Take My Drum to England (1971)
7. Even If You Run (1972)
8. A Bit of a Shunt Up the River (1974)
9. The Circe Complex (1975)
10. Bennett (1977)
11. On the Gulf (2012) (Posthumous publication)

What to Know Before You Start

While Johnny Fedora is frequently compared to James Bond, readers should prepare for a very different tone. Fedora is a darker, more reflective, and at times cynical character whose exploits rely on intelligence rather than gadgetry. Cory's writing is highly atmospheric and literate, drawing extensively on his own experiences living in Spain and working as an academic. While most of his books can be read as standalones, following the publication order offers the best experience, letting you witness the evolution of post-war thriller fiction firsthand.