James Maxted Books in Order

Robert Goddard is best known for his standalone historical mysteries, but with the James Maxted books, he decided to try something a little grander. Collectively known as "The Wide World Trilogy," this series functions less like three separate cases and more like one massive, sprawling story sliced into three volumes. The action kicks off in the spring of 1919, right in the chaotic heart of the Paris Peace Conference.

It is a time when the map of the world is being redrawn by the victors. The city is teeming with diplomats, soldiers, spies, and opportunists, all looking to carve out their slice of the future while the Spanish Flu still lingers in the background.

Into this hotbed of political maneuvering steps James “Max” Maxted. He is a distinct departure from the author’s usual heroes. Instead of a quiet, middle-aged academic stumbling over a secret in a library, Max is a man of action. He is a former Royal Flying Corps ace who survived the Great War with his nerve intact and a healthy disregard for rules. He is dashing, brave, and perhaps a little too reckless for his own good.

His post-war life takes a sharp, tragic turn when his father, the diplomat Sir Henry Maxted, is found dead outside a Parisian nightclub.

The police and the diplomatic corps are quick to rule it an accident or a suicide, eager to brush the potential scandal under the rug. Max refuses to accept that. He knows his father wouldn’t just give up. Launching a private investigation, Max discovers that Sir Henry stumbled upon a secret that threatens the stability of the new world order. This discovery pits Max against a formidable enemy: Fritz Lemmer, a legendary German spymaster running a shadow network known as "The Wide World."

The narrative arc pulls the reader through The Ways of the World, The Corners of the Globe, and finally The Ends of the Earth. It is a relentless chase that moves from the backstreets of Paris to the foggy alleys of London, eventually stretching all the way to Japan. Along the way, Max relies on a makeshift team of allies, including his old military mechanic, to stay one step ahead of Lemmer’s agents.

Because the plot is so tightly interconnected, these aren't books you can pick up at random. You have to start at the beginning.

Goddard uses this trilogy to blend his signature complex plotting with the pacing of a classic adventure thriller. It feels like a high-stakes serial from the era it depicts, full of double-crosses, deep period detail, and espionage. For readers used to his slower burns, Max offers a refreshing, fast-paced tour of a world on the brink of change.