Order of Anthony Price Books

British espionage novelist Anthony Price (1928-2019) carved out a distinguished place in the thriller genre through his acclaimed David Audley series. What set Price apart was his masterful weaving of Cold War tension with elements of archaeology, art history, and complex moral questions, creating spy fiction renowned for its sophisticated plotting and scholarly depth. His novels stand as exemplars of the intelligent modern thriller, combining historical research with intricate espionage narratives.

Price launched his literary career in 1970 with The Labyrinth Makers, establishing the foundation for what would become his signature series featuring Dr. David Audley.

In Colonel Butler's Wolf, the third David Audley installment, Soviet operatives return to British universities—but this time their mission isn't intelligence collection, it's destruction. Dr. Audley stumbles upon their scheme and finds himself pursuing a deadly academic imposter from Oxford's quiet libraries to the windswept landscapes near Hadrian's Wall. The stakes prove higher than Audley realizes, as his quarry operates under orders where both failure and survival are equally impossible.

The fourth series entry, October Men, finds British Intelligence officer David Audley making an unauthorized trip to Italy with his wife, sparking defection rumors that catch the attention of Italian security services—particularly when his presence exposes a dangerous communist operative. But Audley pursues his own critical mission where the consequences of failure could prove fatal.

Our Man in Camelot, the sixth David Audley novel, begins when a U.S. Air Force aircraft vanishes during a routine flight from its British base, taking its top pilot with it. CIA investigators uncover puzzling evidence that pulls David Audley into a complex pursuit, leading him on a journey that somehow connects to sixth-century history in his confrontation with Soviet intelligence operatives.

In War Game, the seventh series book, a peaceful English countryside hosts a Civil War reenactment that turns deadly when an actual corpse appears in Swine Brook after the mock battle concludes. Simultaneously, an impoverished but aristocratic revolutionary claims to have located a cache of "Cromwell's Gold." David Audley's investigation reveals how centuries-old mysteries intertwine with modern espionage dangers in this elaborate tale of betrayal and misdirection.

The '44 Vintage, the eighth David Audley book, transports readers to post-D-Day France, where Major O'Conor, a former Yugoslav Partisan liaison, conducts his own covert operation with a handpicked team of dangerous operatives behind German lines. His greatest obstacles prove to be French Resistance fighters and British Intelligence agents rather than enemy forces. Among his interpreters are Second-Lieutenant David Audley and Corporal Butler, already displaying the talents that would later elevate them within their profession. O'Conor's true mission remains hidden until a startling final revelation.