DS Jack Penrose Books in Order
The complete Jack Penrose series by Phillip Strang — all 3 Cornwall crime thrillers in reading order
Atmospheric Cornwall noir, as dark as the Atlantic depths. Detective Sergeant Jack Penrose knows the waters off St Petroc — the boats, the tides, and the men who work them — and he knows when a death that looks like an accident is nothing of the kind. Beneath the harbour villages and the coastal paths runs a current of old grievances, buried secrets, and greed dressed up as progress. Perfect for fans of W.J. Burley, Ann Cleeves, and Peter James.
1. Deep Water
When a crab pot is hauled from the grey water off St Petroc, it holds more than the day's catch — wedged inside is the body of local fisherman Tom Hendry. DS Jack Penrose knows these waters, the boats, and the men who work them, and he knows Hendry didn't drown by accident. The knots are machine-tied, the rope cheap chandler's stock, and Tom far too experienced to slip. Then a second fisherman washes up, and a third — each of them a man who stood against an £80 million marina development. As a November storm closes in, Penrose must prove what the tide keeps washing away, before the killer slips out on the next one.
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2. The Wreck
When marine archaeologist Owen Marsh is found dead on the Cornish coast, one detail won't leave DS Jack Penrose alone: divers in distress shed their gear, and this one didn't. The post-mortem confirms it — the tank valve was deliberately tampered with, by someone who knew exactly what they were doing. Marsh had just made the discovery of his career, a Spanish galleon four centuries on the seabed off St Petroc Head, and filed the legal protection in his own name. The case against the obvious suspect looks solid — until it falls apart completely. Now Penrose must start again, colder and faster, against a killer who has been patient, cooperative and helpful from the very first day.
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3. The Refusal
A retired insurance adjuster is found dead on a Cornish breakwater at dusk — town shoes, no grip, a man dressed for a meeting rather than a walk. DS Jack Penrose attends as routine; the post-mortem ends that. A single blow from behind. Murder. Raymond Voss spent thirty-eight years settling claims for a living, hundreds of cases and thousands of decisions — and one of them, somewhere in that long career, gave a person reason enough to follow a retired man to a quiet village and kill him on a footpath in October. The evidence, when it comes, is exact: a prepaid mobile, an ANPR trace, a forensic match. Penrose must find which refusal, decades old, has finally come due.
Buy on Amazon →If You Enjoy Jack Penrose, Try These
Love Penrose's investigations along the Cornish coast? Here are three series that deliver the same maritime crime writing, with the sea and the landscape at the heart of every case.
Wycliffe — W.J. Burley
Detective Superintendent Charles Wycliffe solves murders across Cornwall and the West Country, in the series that defined Cornish crime fiction. The closest match to Penrose's territory — quiet villages, coastal settings, and a detective who reads people as carefully as evidence.
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Shetland — Ann Cleeves
DI Jimmy Perez investigates murders across the remote Shetland Isles, where the sea shapes every community and everyone knows everyone. If you like Penrose's island-edge atmosphere and tight-knit suspects, Perez is a natural next read.
Read the Series Guide →
DI Tobias Stone — Phillip Strang
If you've finished the Penrose books, DI Tobias Stone is the natural next Strang series — the same landscape-driven British crime, moved from Cornwall's coast to the fells and lakes of Cumbria. 4 novels set across the Lake District.
Read the Series Guide →More Crime Series Worth Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Jack Penrose books are there?
There are 3 Jack Penrose novels, all published in 2026. The series is set on the Cornish coast and is available in Kindle, paperback, and audiobook formats.
Should you read the Jack Penrose books in order?
Yes — the series rewards reading in order. While each novel presents a self-contained murder investigation, Penrose himself and the recurring cast develop across the books. Start with Deep Water.
What is the best Jack Penrose book to start with?
Start with Deep Water (Book 1), which introduces DS Jack Penrose and the fishing community of St Petroc, and sets up the world the later books build on.
Where are the Jack Penrose books set?
The series is set in Cornwall, centred on the fictional coastal village of St Petroc and the waters around it — harbours, breakwaters, dive sites, and the Atlantic itself. The sea and the coastline are woven through every case, giving the series its distinctive Cornwall-noir atmosphere.
Is Jack Penrose similar to other British detective series?
Yes — readers who enjoy W.J. Burley's Wycliffe, Ann Cleeves' Shetland, or Peter James's Roy Grace tend to find Jack Penrose a natural fit. The series shares their coastal and rural settings, close-knit communities, and evidence-driven investigations.