Simon Mason Books in Order

Journalist Wallows loses his wife’s affection to painter Henry Fluck, whose latest project turns house-party guests into subjects for an English nude. When Fluck dies in suspicious circumstances, the gathering’s artistic ambitions and personal entanglements take a darker turn.

Geoffrey Dudley retreats into elaborate fantasies whenever ordinary life becomes difficult. As his imaginary escapes strain both his marriage and his work, pressure to confront reality instead encourages him to withdraw even further into his own inventions.

In the southern English suburb of Parkside, longtime residents and young families construct versions of one another through gossip and suspicion. Interlocking stories reveal how rumor, fantasy, and private frustration transform ordinary neighbors into figures from each other’s imaginations.

Four stories introduce Mum, Dad, Will, and Lucy Quigley, each offering a different view of family life. Everyday problems become comic adventures as the affectionate, unpredictable household tries to manage one another's habits and unexpected mishaps.

The Quigley family faces fresh disasters at home and abroad, including a camping trip to France. A village competition, a school mishap, and a missing pet turn ordinary activities into four comic tests of family resilience.

A visit to an elegant hotel and a Mother's Day outing bring more trouble for the Quigleys. Across four family stories, attempts to behave well go awry and an encounter with a bull becomes an unforgettable adventure.

Five stories follow the Quigleys through awkward visitors, birthday plans, and a cat-related rooftop predicament. Will, Lucy, Mum, and Dad each discover how quickly ordinary family arrangements can become complicated when everyone has different expectations.

This guide introduces more than two hundred major novels across periods and literary traditions. Plot summaries, author profiles, and suggestions for further reading sit alongside advice on editions, translations, genres, and screen adaptations for readers exploring classic fiction.

Eleven-year-old Martha manages the household and cares for her younger brother while their father’s drinking grows worse. Trying to keep his troubles secret places more responsibility on her until she begins to recognize that she needs help.

Brilliant but disengaged teenager Garvie Smith becomes interested in a mystery when his former girlfriend is found dead. Detective Singh resents his interference, but Garvie's unconventional thinking may uncover what the official investigation is missing.

When Amy Roecastle vanishes with her dog and something dangerous, the police have few leads. Teenage detective Garvie Smith suspects her friend is lying, but following the clues draws him into a more perilous case than expected.

Oxford detectives Ryan and Ray Wilkins share a surname and little else, clashing over class, manners, and methods. A woman found strangled in a college provost’s study forces them to combine their talents despite their mutual irritation.

A young girl disappears outside an Oxford nursery, drawing detective Ray Wilkins into a hidden criminal network. His dismissed former partner Ryan begins an unofficial investigation that risks confrontation with the authorities who forced him out.

A celebrity’s abandoned Rolls-Royce triggers a media frenzy in Oxford while a homeless man also goes missing. Put in charge of the investigation, Ryan Wilkins must manage the case and tensions with his more polished partner, Ray.

Years after schoolgirl Alice disappears, another child’s death prompts police to reopen her case. A specialist called the Finder interviews family and witnesses, uncovering contradictory accounts of a girl whose life was more complicated than anyone admitted.

Accountant Don Bayliss vanishes during the financial crash, leaving clothes beside Poole Harbour and no explanation. Years later, a business card found by his wife brings the Finder into a cold case marked by overlooked clues and hidden relationships.

Assigned what appears to be a straightforward search for a missing professor, detectives Ryan and Ray Wilkins find the academic dead in mysterious circumstances. Their inquiry becomes tangled with another investigation after a security guard is killed during a robbery.

Five years after a man confessed to killing Ella Bailey, her bag reappears and someone claims to have seen her alive. A specialist investigator revisits the pandemic-era disappearance while a new murder brings fresh fear to Sheffield.

A refugee is set on fire outside an Oxford hotel during a riot, prompting demands for swift arrests. Detectives Ryan and Ray Wilkins investigate the attack, but unexpected information about the victim overturns their assumptions about the crime.