Steeley Books in Order

Steeley is Captain W.E. Johns' aviation-adventure series about a former RAF pilot whose activities bring him into contact with criminals, police and dangerous international jobs. Known as Steeley Delaroy, he begins outside the law rather than as a conventional official investigator. His flying ability and readiness to take risks make him useful in situations that ordinary methods won't easily resolve. The series follows his adventures with companions Tubby Wilde and Brian Ballantyne.

Sky High introduces Steeley as an air smuggler who gives much of his money anonymously to charity. That unusual position makes him an ambiguous hero from the beginning. He is prepared to break rules, yet his motives aren't simply personal profit. The tension between an adventurous outsider and the authorities helps establish the series' world, where someone whose methods cause official concern may also possess exactly the skills a dangerous situation requires.

Flying gives him room to operate.

Aircraft are central to these stories because they make movement, pursuit and escape possible across considerable distances. A pilot can reach a place or carry out a task beyond the scope of a more ordinary traveler. At the same time, a plane creates its own risks: Steeley and his friends can find themselves in danger in the air as well as on the ground. The aviation element is therefore part of how the plots work, rather than simply a profession assigned to the main character.

Tubby Wilde, a friend from Steeley's wartime flying life, and Brian Ballantyne, a young journalist, provide the continuing partnership around him. Tubby also narrates adventures, allowing the reader to encounter Steeley's decisions through a companion's account. The combination of an experienced pilot, a trusted comrade and a reporter brings different perspectives to the same trouble. The books keep returning to that small group instead of building their stories around a large official organization.

In Murder by Air, Steeley is working on the side of the law, with former adversaries among the authorities becoming allies. A criminal investigation involving an aircraft and a dangerous gang gives his abilities a different purpose from the smuggling of the opening book. That movement toward crime fighting doesn't remove the roughness of the adventures. Ruthless opponents still require the friends to improvise, and being aligned with the police doesn't guarantee a safe or straightforward assignment.

Begin with Sky High and continue with Steeley Flies Again before reaching Murder by Air. The tone is aviation thriller and crime adventure, built around resourceful men operating in uncertain circumstances. Readers interested in pilots, close companions and a hero with an unconventional relationship to authority will find a clear thread through the series: Steeley's usefulness lies partly in his willingness to go where a more cautious person would stop.