Sara Woods was a British mystery writer best known for writing the Anthony Maitland, Barrister series of books.

Woods was a pen name used by Lana Hutton Bowen-Judd. She also wrote under the names of Anne Burton, Mary Challis, and Margaret Leek. She was born in Bradford, Yorkshire and then went on to Convent of the Sacred Heart in Filey, Yorkshire for her education. She married in 1946 and the two would move to Nova Scotia, Canada in 1957. Four years later, she wrote her first novel in the Maitland series, Bloody Instructions.

Publication Order of Antony Maitland Books

Bloody Instructions (1961)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Malice Domestic (1962)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Error of the Moon (1963)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Taste of Fears / The Third Encounter (1963)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
This Little Measure (1964)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Trusted Like the Fox (1964)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Though I Know She Lies (1965)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Let's Choose Executors (1966)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
And Shame the Devil (1967)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Past Praying For (1968)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Knives Have Edges (1970)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
An Improbable Fiction (1970)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Tarry and Be Hanged (1971)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Knavish Crows (1971)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Serpent's Tooth (1971)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
They Love Not Poison (1972)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Enter the Corpse (1973)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Yet She Must Die (1973)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Done to Death (1974)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
A Show of Violence (1975)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
My Life Is Done (1976)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Law's Delay (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
A Thief or Two (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Exit Murderer (1978)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
This Fatal Writ (1979)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
They Stay for Death (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Weep for Her (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Proceed to Judgement (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Cry Guilty (1981)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Dearest Enemy (1981)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Enter a Gentlewoman (1982)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Most Grievous Murder (1982)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Villains by Necessity (1982)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Call Back Yesterday (1983)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Lie Direct (1983)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Where Should He Die? (1983)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Bloody Book of Law (1984)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Murder's Out of Tune (1984)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Defy the Devil (1984)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Away with Them to Prison (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Put Out the Light (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
An Obscure Grave (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Most Deadly Hate (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Nor Live So Long (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Naked Villainy (1987)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Publication Order of Richard Trenton Books

(as Anne Burton)

The Dear Departed (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Where There\'s a Will (As:Anne Burton) (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Worse Than a Crime (1981)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Publication Order of Jeremy Locke Books

(as Mary Challis)

Crimes Past (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Burden of Proof (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Ghost of an Idea (1981)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
A Very Good Hater (1981)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Publication Order of Stephen Marryat Books

(as Margaret Leek)

The Healthy Grave (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
We Must Have a Trial (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Voice of the Past (1981)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

If You Like Sara Woods Books, You’ll Love…

Bloody Instructions sees an elderly family solicitor that has turned up dead. He was used to taking his four o’clock tea alone in his chambers, but on this day he turned up dead. It could’ve been any of his clients from that day, but all signs are pointing to Joseph Dowling who has evidence working against him. Dowling is an actor who is performing Macbeth with a bloody dagger, the same kind that has been found in the lawyer’s back. The actor will be tried in a British courtroom for the crime and be prosecuted for it unless barrister-detective Antony Maitland can find the real killer.

Another good book in the series is called Error of the Moon. The story sees Maitland working undercover as a new employee at the General Aircraft company in Yorkshire. He’s there because of some missing documents that point towards espionage and the dead body that was left behind. Maitland will need to use all the skills he learned in the war to find the traitor. There are plenty of suspects at the company, but as the bodies start piling up – the suspect list shrinks. Maitland will need to work quick to find the killer before they strike again.

Order of Books » Authors » Order of Sara Woods Books

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