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The Professionals Books in Order

Part ofRobert Holdstock Books in Order

Find The Professionals books by Robert Holdstock in order, with episode-based summaries, series background, CI5 context, and easy starting guidance.

Last updated: July 15, 2026

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The Professionals books in publication order

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15 books

1

Hunter Hunted

by Robert Holdstock

1978

CI5 finds itself facing an adversary who understands pursuit as well as Bodie and Doyle do. The agents must turn the pressure around before they become the targets of the operation.

2

Long Shot

by Robert Holdstock

1978

Bodie and Doyle take on another high-risk CI5 assignment where a small lead may be their only way into a larger criminal operation. Fast decisions and close surveillance drive this television-style thriller.

3

Stake Out

by Robert Holdstock

1978

A routine watch turns into a volatile CI5 case for Bodie and Doyle. As they track suspects and wait for the missing piece to appear, the danger moves much closer than expected.

4

Where The Jungle Ends

by Robert Holdstock

1978

CI5 agents Bodie and Doyle investigate when ex-mercenaries rob a bank and draw the attention of a major crime boss. The operation quickly becomes a dangerous test of who is using whom.

5

Blind Run

by Robert Holdstock

1979

Bodie and Doyle are sent into a CI5 mission with uncertain information and little room to prepare. Every move risks exposing the operation, but standing still could be even worse.

6

Fall Girl

by Robert Holdstock

1979

A woman caught in a dangerous situation becomes the center of a CI5 investigation. Bodie and Doyle must work out whether she needs protection, knows too much, or is being used by someone else.

7

Dead Reckoning

by Robert Holdstock

1980

Past choices and present danger collide in this CI5 adventure. Bodie and Doyle follow a trail through criminal connections, knowing that an old score can become deadly when someone decides to settle it.

8

Hiding to Nothing

by Robert Holdstock

1980

A case built around concealment and false identities pulls Bodie and Doyle into a tense CI5 investigation. Finding the right person is only the start, because the people hiding have reasons to fight back.

9

Cry Wolf

by Robert Holdstock

1981

Susan Grant says a masked stalker is terrorizing her, but the local police do not believe her. Cowley sends Bodie to protect her, and CI5 discovers that the threat is very real.

10

No Stone

by Robert Holdstock

1981

A young woman and a sympathetic lawyer plan attacks on legal institutions they see as corrupt. CI5 must stop the escalating terror campaign before Bodie and Doyle become caught in its fallout.

11

Spy Probe

by Robert Holdstock

1981

A shadowy organization begins murdering people who seem to have no connection to espionage. Bodie and Doyle go undercover to learn why these ordinary targets are being marked for death.

12

Foxhole

by Robert Holdstock

1982

A newly released criminal plans to ransom a hospital ward full of post-operative patients. CI5 has little time to contain the threat before a desperate scheme becomes a mass-casualty crisis.

13

Operation Susie

by Robert Holdstock

1982

A government department tries to bury the consequences of a failed drugs raid involving South American nationalists. Bodie and Doyle enter a case where official secrecy may be more dangerous than the criminals.

14

The Untouchables

by Robert Holdstock

1982

Bodie loses heavily in a private poker game and finds himself indebted to a foreign diplomat. Clearing that debt may require betraying CI5 secrets, putting loyalty and survival in direct conflict.

15

You'll Be All Right

by Robert Holdstock

1982

A gang leader offers to surrender if CI5 will protect his threatened family. Bodie and Doyle must keep them alive while flushing out the enemy who wants leverage before the deal can be completed.

The Professionals books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Where The Jungle Ends"

    Where The Jungle Ends

    by Robert Holdstock

    1978The Professionals, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Long Shot"

    Long Shot

    by Robert Holdstock

    1978The Professionals, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Stake Out"

    Stake Out

    by Robert Holdstock

    1978The Professionals, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Hunter Hunted"

    Hunter Hunted

    by Robert Holdstock

    1978The Professionals, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Blind Run"

    Blind Run

    by Robert Holdstock

    1979The Professionals, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Fall Girl"

    Fall Girl

    by Robert Holdstock

    1979The Professionals, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Hiding to Nothing"

    Hiding to Nothing

    by Robert Holdstock

    1980The Professionals, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Dead Reckoning"

    Dead Reckoning

    by Robert Holdstock

    1980The Professionals, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "No Stone"

    No Stone

    by Robert Holdstock

    1981The Professionals, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "Cry Wolf"

    Cry Wolf

    by Robert Holdstock

    1981The Professionals, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "Spy Probe"

    Spy Probe

    by Robert Holdstock

    1981The Professionals, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "Foxhole"

    Foxhole

    by Robert Holdstock

    1982The Professionals, Book 12
  13. Book cover for "Operation Susie"

    Operation Susie

    by Robert Holdstock

    1982The Professionals, Book 13
  14. Book cover for "The Untouchables"

    The Untouchables

    by Robert Holdstock

    1982The Professionals, Book 14
  15. Book cover for "You'll Be All Right"

    You'll Be All Right

    by Robert Holdstock

    1982The Professionals, Book 15

Series background & context

The Professionals is a run of action-crime novelizations connected to the British television series of the same name. Robert Holdstock contributed several of the books under the pen name Ken Blake, while other volumes in the wider paperback line were written by Ken Bulmer under that shared name.

At the center of every story is CI5, a government security unit led by George Cowley. Its two main field agents are William Bodie and Ray Doyle. They are partners, friends, and frequent headaches for their boss. When a threat involves terrorism, organized crime, espionage, political violence, or a sensitive hostage situation, Cowley sends them in.

The cases move quickly.

Bodie and Doyle work in a rough version of London and beyond, where official channels are often too slow and the people behind a crime are rarely obvious. One mission may involve ex-mercenaries, another a vulnerable woman who says she is being stalked, and another an intelligence operation that has gone badly wrong. The books rely on pursuit, surveillance, deception, and the pressure of making a decision before someone gets hurt.

The partnership is the key to the series. Bodie is direct, physical, and hard to intimidate. Doyle is sharp-eyed, restless, and more likely to argue with Cowley when an order does not sit right. Cowley, meanwhile, is the imposing strategist who knows more than he says. Their banter and friction give the stories energy even when the plot is built around a familiar television-style threat.

Most entries can be read on their own. They are adapted from, or closely connected to, individual television adventures, so each title brings a new operation rather than continuing a single mystery. Reading in publication order is still a good choice for readers who want the full tie-in run, beginning with Where The Jungle Ends. Readers seeking Holdstock's specific contributions can start later with Cry Wolf and continue through You'll Be All Right.

This is not the Robert Holdstock of Ryhope Wood. There are no mythagos here, no ancient forests, and no trips into deep folklore. Instead, these are compact, street-level thrillers built around a trusted television team. They are a good fit for readers who enjoy vintage British action, capable partners under pressure, and cases that do not leave much room for hesitation.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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