Julian Symons Books In Order

Publication Order of Francis Quarles Books

Publication Order of Inspector Bland Books

Publication Order of Inspector Crambo Books

Publication Order of Joan Kahn-Harper Books

Publication Order of Sheridan Haynes Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Julian Symons Poems Books

Publication Order of British Library Crime Classics Books

Publication Order of Murderous Christmas Stories Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Julian Symons was a published author of fiction and a poet. He is known for writing novels in the crime genre.

The British author was born on May 30, 1912. His full name is Julian Gustave Symons. He was born in Clapham, London. He would eventually pass away in Walmer, Kent on November 19, 1994.

The author was appreciated not just for his crime novels but his writing on military and social history. He also wrote studies of literature in addition to biographies.

Symons was born to his parents Minnie Louise and his father Morris Albert Symons. His parents were Russian and Polish Jewish immigrants and his father worked as an auctioneer. He had a brother that would become A.J.A. Symons, a writer. His older brother would later have his younger brother as his biographer. The family did not have a lot of money at the time and due to the situation, he ended up leaving school at the age of 14. He had already studied at a school designed for ‘backward children’ due to his stutter.

As a result of leaving school early, Julian educated himself. He was busy being employed by an engineering firm as a typist and a clerk and learned on the job. Symons was the founder of Twentieth Century Verse, a poetry magazine that he set up in 1937. He would work as an editor on it for two years.

Before the war, he tried his hand at crime writing and found that he had a skill for it. He then established himself as a crime writer. Using irony to show violence that lurks behind the masks of society was a common theme.

Once the war came, Symons applied to be recognized as a conscientious objector to World War II as a Trotskyist. The tribunal refused and he decided that he would not appeal the decision. He would join the Royal Armoured Corps from 1942 to 1944. That was when he received an arm injury not obtained in battle and as an invalid was no longer available for service.

He worked as an ad copy writer for some time before turning serious about writing. In 1947, he at last reached the status of being a full-time writer. He received two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. In 1982, he received the Grand Master Award from the MWA. He was also the president of the Detection Club, serving from 1976 to 1985.

He is known for having one of the best critical works in crime fiction for his 1972 novel Bloody Murder: From the Detective Story to the Crime Novel. It was published under the title Mortal Consequences in the United States. There were revised editions that came out in 1985, 1992, and 1994. He focused on the difference of the classic puzzler who done it mystery genre (such as with writers like Agatha Christie) and the modern crime novel, which has much more focus on the psychology and motivation of the crime.

Symons was a prolific writer, and between the time of 1945 and 1994 published over thirty crime novels and collections of his stories. His books were part a classic detective story and crime novel, with more of an emphasis on a crime novel focusing on psychology and character. One common trope was that regular everyday type of people would be taken into what would ultimately be a murderous series of events. The plots also were frequently interlaced with dark humor.

Some of his novels that illustrate this include The Color of Murder, The Progress of a Crime (which won him an Edgar Award), The Man Whose Dreams Came True, The Man Who Lost His Wife, and The Plot Against Roger Ryder.

He also wrote unique books that were Sherlock Holmes Pastiches. These include A Three-Pipe Problem and the sequel The Kentish Manor Murders. In the first novel, Sherlock Holmes has a true identity as television actor Sheridan Hayes, who assumes his identity. In his 1981 book The Great Detectives, he wrote yet another Sherlock Holmes Pastiche where the events take place in the twenties as Holmes comes out of retirement so that he can serve a missing person case. The story is called “How a Hermit was Disturbed in His Retirement” and was included as part of The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Collection and was retitled “The Adventure of Hillerman Hall”.

Symons also wrote historical mystery, which included his story The Blackheath Poisonings. The 1978 story was adapted and filmed for television in 1992. He also wrote the historical mystery story Sweet Adelaide, which was published in 1980. His book The Narrowing Circle was also adapted into a 1956 movie.

The author was married, having gotten hitched to Kathleen Clark in 1941. The couple had a son together that they named Mark. He passed away in Walmer, Kent at his home. His wife and son survived him.

All of his novels were unique and crafted by the hand of a master. Julian Symons was considered one of the great crime writers of his time. He was named Grand Master in 1982 by the Mystery Writers of America. That is a distinguishment that has been awarded to only three other writers that came before him.

He also would succeed Agatha Christie as president of the Detection Club in England, holding the status from 1976 to 1985. The British Crime Writers Association awarded him the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 1990 for his writing.

Julian Symons is the creator and the author of the Inspector Bland series. The series got started with the debut of the first novel The Immaterial Murder Case, which was published in 1945. That was followed by A Man Called Jones in 1947. It was followed by the third book, Bland Beginning, in 1949.

The Immaterial Murder Case is the first novel in the Inspector Bland series by Julian Symons. This features main character John Wilson, an American.

John Wilson has his own money and hangs out with a group of immaterialists. Most of them are very unique, and he hangs around this group in London where the group of friends is well known in all the fashionable parts of the city.

When a dead body appears, Wilson gets in touch with a cousin who is a detective. The immaterialists are all about the perfect immaterial piece of art, but what about a murder?

This sounds like a case for Inspector Bland of Scotland Yard to investigate. Can he get to the bottom of this artful murder? Or is it the ideal immaterial murder where no one will ever get caught? Read this book to find out!

A Man called Jones is the second novel in the Inspector Bland series by author Julian Symons. If you like murder mysteries, check this book out!

Lionel Hargreaves was killed by being shot in the back at close range. There was an office party happening at the time, and it was already going, so no one heard it.

Lionel Hargreaves was the oldest son of the man who founded Hargreaves Advertising Agency. There was only one clue left behind, a pair of yellow gloves.

But are they a placement to throw off the entire investigation? Inspector Bland is on the case, determined to solve the murder. Along the way, he’ll encounter plenty of danger and two more dead bodies which make catching the killer all the more imperative. Read this crime novel to catch all of the suspense for yourself!