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Home / Authors / Frances Crane Frances Crane Frances Crane was an American author best known for the Pat and Jean Abbott mystery series. Her popular whodunits, featuring the globe-trotting married sleuths, were adapted into radio and film. This page provides the Frances Crane books in order, including both chronological and series reading order.
All books · chronological
1941 The Turquoise Shop POoPaJAMB · 1 Buy ↗ 1942 The Golden Box POoPaJAMB · 2 Buy ↗ 1942 The Yellow Violet POoPaJAMB · 3 Buy ↗ 1943 The Applegreen Cat POoPaJAMB · 4 Buy ↗ 1943 The Pink Umbrella / The Pink Umbrella Murder POoPaJAMB · 5 Buy ↗ 1944 The Amethyst Spectacles POoPaJAMB · 6 Buy ↗ 1944 The Indigo Necklace / The Indigo Necklace Murders POoPaJAMB · 7 Buy ↗ 1946 The Cinnamon Murder POoPaJAMB · 8 Buy ↗ 1946 The Shocking Pink Hat POoPaJAMB · 9 Buy ↗ 1947 Murder on the Purple Water POoPaJAMB · 10 Buy ↗ 1948 Black Cypress POoPaJAMB · 11 Buy ↗ 1949 The Flying Red Horse POoPaJAMB · 12 Buy ↗ 1950 The Daffodil Blonde POoPaJAMB · 13 Buy ↗ 1951 Murder in Blue Street / Death in the Blue Hour POoPaJAMB · 14 Buy ↗ 1951 The Polkadot Murder POoPaJAMB · 15 Buy ↗ 1953 13 White Tulips POoPaJAMB · 16 Buy ↗ 1953 Murder in Bright Red POoPaJAMB · 17 Buy ↗ 1954 The Coral Princess Murders POoPaJAMB · 18 Buy ↗ 1955 Death in Lilac Time POoPaJAMB · 19 Buy ↗ 1956 Horror on the Ruby X POoPaJAMB · 20 Buy ↗ 1956 The Ultra-Violet Widow POoPaJAMB · 21 Buy ↗ 1958 The Buttercup Case POoPaJAMB · 22 Buy ↗ 1958 The Man in Gray / The Grey Stranger POoPaJAMB · 23 Buy ↗ 1960 Death-Wish Green POoPaJAMB · 24 Buy ↗ 1961 The Reluctant Sleuth POoSN · 1 Buy ↗ 1962 The Amber Eyes POoPaJAMB · 25 Buy ↗ 1965 Three Days in Hong Kong POoSN · 2 Buy ↗ 1965 Body Beneath a Mandarin Tree POoPaJAMB · 26 Buy ↗ 1966 A Very Quiet Murder POoSN · 3 Buy ↗ 1968 Worse Than a Crime POoSN · 4 Buy ↗ Book series · browse all →
Publication Order of Pat and Jean Abbott Mystery Books 26 books · 1941–1965
01 The Turquoise Shop 1941 Buy ↗ 02 The Golden Box 1942 Buy ↗ 03 The Yellow Violet 1942 Buy ↗ 04 The Applegreen Cat 1943 Buy ↗ 05 The Pink Umbrella / The Pink Umbrella Murder 1943 Buy ↗ 06 The Amethyst Spectacles 1944 Buy ↗ 07 The Indigo Necklace / The Indigo Necklace Murders 1944 Buy ↗ 08 The Cinnamon Murder 1946 Buy ↗ 09 The Shocking Pink Hat 1946 Buy ↗ 10 Murder on the Purple Water 1947 Buy ↗ 12 The Flying Red Horse 1949 Buy ↗ 13 The Daffodil Blonde 1950 Buy ↗ 14 Murder in Blue Street / Death in the Blue Hour 1951 Buy ↗ 15 The Polkadot Murder 1951 Buy ↗ 16 13 White Tulips 1953 Buy ↗ 17 Murder in Bright Red 1953 Buy ↗ 18 The Coral Princess Murders 1954 Buy ↗ 19 Death in Lilac Time 1955 Buy ↗ 20 Horror on the Ruby X 1956 Buy ↗ 21 The Ultra-Violet Widow 1956 Buy ↗ 22 The Buttercup Case 1958 Buy ↗ 23 The Man in Gray / The Grey Stranger 1958 Buy ↗ 24 Death-Wish Green 1960 Buy ↗ 25 The Amber Eyes 1962 Buy ↗ 26 Body Beneath a Mandarin Tree 1965 Buy ↗ Publication Order of Standalone Novels 4 books · 1961–1968
01 The Reluctant Sleuth 1961 Buy ↗ 02 Three Days in Hong Kong 1965 Buy ↗ 03 A Very Quiet Murder 1966 Buy ↗ 04 Worse Than a Crime 1968 Buy ↗