Reading order · 5 books · 1925 to 1944 · Set in London
Superintendent Battle Books in Order
Superintendent Battle is a stolid, unflappable Scotland Yard detective who appears in five of Christie’s novels, including one with Hercule Poirot.
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Series facts
- Books
- 5
- Published
- 1925 to 1944
- First book
- The Secret of Chimneys
- Latest
- Towards Zero (1944)
- Setting
- Set in London
The reading order
Every Superintendent Battle book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary. Books marked Crossover also belong to another series.
5 books · Set in London
- 1The Secret of Chimneys1925Anthony Cade takes on an errand to deliver a manuscript to a London publisher, and finds himself at Chimneys, a great country house, at the centre of a murder and a plot over a Balkan throne.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Seven Dials Mystery1929With Bundle BrentA practical joke at a country house party ends in death, and Lady Eileen Brent, known as Bundle, finds a link to a mysterious secret society called the Seven Dials.Buy on Amazon
- 3Cards on the Table1936CrossoverWith Hercule Poirot · Also a Hercule Poirot bookMr Shaitana, a sinister host, invites Hercule Poirot, Ariadne Oliver, Superintendent Battle and Colonel Race to dinner, along with four people he believes have got away with murder.Buy on Amazon
- 4Murder Is Easy1939A retired policeman meets an elderly woman on a train who says she is going to Scotland Yard to report a murderer in her village.Buy on Amazon
- 5Towards Zero1944With Superintendent BattleA group of people gather at a seaside house, and the stage is set for murder.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
The books stand alone and can be read in any order. The Secret of Chimneys and The Seven Dials Mystery share several characters.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Superintendent Battle | Bundle Brent | Hercule Poirot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Secret of Chimneys | MMajor | MMajor | |
| 2 The Seven Dials Mystery | MMajor | LLead | |
| 3 Cards on the Table | MMajor | LLead | |
| 4 Murder Is Easy | MMajor | ||
| 5 Towards Zero | LLead |
Characters in the Superintendent Battle books
5 characters from Agatha Christie’s chart, with the number of Superintendent Battle books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Superintendent BattleScotland Yard detective | 5 | The Secret of Chimneys 1925 |
| Bundle BrentLady Eileen Brent, adventurous aristocrat | 2 | The Secret of Chimneys 1925 |
| Hercule PoirotBelgian detective who relies on his “little grey cells” | 1 | Cards on the Table 1936 |
| Ariadne OliverCrime novelist and Poirot’s friend | 1 | Cards on the Table 1936 |
| Colonel RaceIntelligence officer | 1 | Cards on the Table 1936 |
Crossovers with Agatha Christie’s other series
- Hercule Poirot: 1 book shared (Cards on the Table); Hercule Poirot also appears in 32 of its books