Jack Treby Books In Order

Publication Order of Hilary Manningham-Butler Books

Publication Order of Simon Turing Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Jack Treby is a Mystery, thriller and historical fiction writer known for the Hilary Manningham – Butler series. His other works include The Pineapple Republic, The Stiletto and the book of death.

The Scandal at Bletchley
The Scandal at Bletchley is the debut in the Hilary Manningham- Butler series. Sir Hilary Manningham butler receives an invitation to attend a party at Bletchery during the 20th-anniversary celebrations of MI5. However, Sir Hilary has a huge secret that no one except his valet. He’s a woman who has lived his entire life masquerading as a man.

He even has a wife he thinks doesn’t know his real gender. Since it’s a marriage of convenience, he feels that his wife doesn’t know his secret. The US stock market crashes on that day, and sir Hilary leaves for the party where the guests don’t know anything about each other.

He goes by car with his valet and is accompanied by an old American friend, Hargreaves and scoundrel Harry Latimer who was also invited to the party. He meets prominent people, such some being a French doctor, a chorus girl, the daughter of a cabinet member and a popular journalist.

She doesn’t know why she was invited since it’s been years since she left the secret service. However, Hilary never expected to face one thing that he feared the most: someone who could recognize her as a woman, not a man. Soon he finds out that most guests at the party have a secret to hide, just like him.

Events from his past threaten to cause his whole life to fall apart as things get out of hand. So when the tragedy strikes expectantly, it’s up to the guests to solve the mystery instead of calling the police since secrecy and security are all vital.

Soon dead bodies start piling up; people have to catch the killer before it worsens. Hilary has been a thief, a whore, a black mailer and a scoundrel but never a murderer. The consequences of the person threatening to expose her could turn disastrous for all the guests.

Jack Treby narrates the book so perfectly, and the ambiguous gender comes out too well to add more flesh to the story. The story is told in first-person perspective from Hilary’s point of view. It’s an extraordinary, exciting and well-crafted story to keep the reader craving for more.

The characterization is excellent and humorous as games are played, alcohol is drunk, and meals are eaten. The setting was also perfect for a closed house mystery establishment. Even though there is no modern graphic violence, there’s enough murder in an era with an odd way of playing justice.

It’s a British murder mystery with some twists and turns and details about the MI5 in the early years.

The Red Zeppelin
The Red Zeppelin is the second in the Hilary Manningham-Butler series. The novel was set in 1931, just six months since the British airship lost R101, and now the German Zeppelin is on its way to land in Southern Spain.

Hilary Manningham is an MI5 operative surviving due to a merciful existence on the Rock of Gibraltar. The job offer given by the Americans provides a potential life, but the issue is that there are strings attached.

First, she has to prove her resilience to her knowledge of London, which will mean getting on board with the Richthofen before the airship departs from Seville. When certain documents are stolen from Scotland Yard, someone has to retrieve them, a failure to which the British security will be significantly compromised.

It’s up to Hilary to make plans and hunt down the thief before it’s too late. However, as the airship crosses the Atlantic heading to Brazil, it’s more evident that no one appears to be what they seem. Even worse, there seems to be a guarantee that they will all arrive in Rio de Janeiro alive.

The author had the mystery plot well, giving clues and red herring throughout the story. The novel is set in an intriguing venue, and the main character is under an alias after the last time he found himself trapped.

The story revolves around Hilary, who still poses as a man so that he can access the areas where only men are allowed. He’s about to transition into a new position in the US. However, before going, he should prove his worth by discovering missing documents

Jack Treby’s way of writing is so addictive that you’ll find yourself craving for more. He does an excellent job of giving each character a unique description to identify them while on the scene. The story has twists and turns and will keep you wondering what will happen next.

The Devil’s Brew
The Devil’s Brew is the third in the Hilary Manningham-Butler series. The story is set in Central America in 1931, where Hilary Manningham is starting his new job as a passport control officer at the British legation in Guatemala City.

His predecessor is Giles Markham and happens to be no more, and after misusing a considerable sum of money in the visa receipts offices, he committed suicide. Hilary is shown where his predecessor was seated before he shot himself and the bloodstains are still evident on the walls. Freddie Reeves is a friend and does not doubt that Gile’s death was more than just a suicide.

The weekend before he died, Markham had spent some hours at a remote coffee plantation located in the north-central highlands. Freddie is acquainted with the owner of the plantation and requests Hilary to spend a weekend there, hoping that she might uncover the truth.

However, Hilary has no plans of getting involved, but after one of the guests dies mysteriously, it’s soon clear that he has no choice but to dig and find out what’s happening. In this novel, Hilary is still bumbling through the mystery finding more bodies and making himself among the suspects.

The story is fast-paced and draws the reader right in from the beginning. Its mystery aspect is so solid and compelling to keep the reader engaged. There are many clues accompanied by sequential suspense on who the suspect is.

Jack Treby has assorted the characters drawing them so well for the readers to stay hooked. The characters are recognizable and well-defined while on the scene. The author appears to have done good research before writing the book.