PG Wodehouse

Complete list of Novels, ordered by series - Linked, wherever the link is available.  (Separate page for short stories, biographies and articles soon)

Blandings Castle

The upper-class inhabitants of the fictional Blandings Castle, including the eccentric Lord Emsworth, obsessed by his prize-winning pig, the "Empress of Blandings", are the subject of eleven novels and nine short stories, written between 1915 and Wodehouse's death in 1975.

Something Fresh (Something New) Young neighbours and fellow-writers Ashe Marson and Joan Valentine, newly met and both in need of a change of direction, find themselves drawn down to Blandings, for various reasons attempting to retrieve a scarab belonging to an American millionaire, absent-mindedly purloined by Lord Emsworth.
Once within the Castle's idyllic walls, despite impersonating servants, romance cannot help but blossom; meanwhile, Freddie Threepwood, engaged to the millionaire's daughter, is worried about some incriminating letters....
    
Leave it to Psmith: The plot is a typical Wodehouse romance, with Psmith inveigling himself into the idyllic castle, where there are the usual crop of girls to woo, crooks to foil, imposters to unmask, haughty aunts to baffle and valuable necklaces to steal. Among the players is Psmith's good friend Mike, married to Phyllis and in dire need of some financial help; the ever-suspicious Rupert Baxter is on watch as usual.

   
Summer Lightning / Fish Preferred : Gally is down at Blandings and writing his memoirs, to the horror of all who knew him in their wild youths, particularly Lord Emsworth's neighbour and pig-fancying rival Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe. While sinister forces, including the efficient Baxter and the unpleasant Percy Pilbeam, scheme to put a stop to the book, Ronnie Fish and his old pal Hugo Carmody are entangled in difficult relationships, which require much subterfuge, some pig-theft and a little imposter-ing to resolve..
   
Heavy Weather: With the Hon. Galahad's reminiscences removed from the market, publisher Lord Tilbury is anxious to get hold of the manuscript, while Lady Constance Keeble and Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe want to lay hands on it for quite other reasons. Lord Emsworth fears that Parsloe-Parsloe is out to spoil his prize pig Empress of Blandings' chances at the forthcoming county show, and keeps detective Pilbeam on hand to keep watch. Meanwhile, Sue Brown is anxious to hide her old friendship with Monty Bodkin from her jealous fiance Ronnie Fish, giving his mother Lady Julia a chance to talk him out of the unsuitable marriage...

Uncle Fred in the Springtime: When Alaric, Duke of Dunstable decides to take Empress of Blandings away from her loving master and get her fit, Lord Emsworth calls in the services of the redoutable Uncle Fred. Fred arrives full of the joys of spring, with nephew Pongo Twistleton and old friend Polly Pott in tow, and despite the efforts of the efficient Baxter, endeavours to scupper the Duke and to bring together a variety of romantic couplings.

Full Moon: Clarence, 9th Earl of Emsworth, is forced to play host to his younger son Freddie, while two of his nieces, Prudence Garland and Veronica Wedge are romantically entangled with, respectively, Gally's godson Bill Lister and American millionaire Tipton Plimsoll. Further complications ensue when Tipton thinks Bill's gorilla-like face is an apparition brought about by too much drink, Lister is hired to paint the Empress's portrait, and Aggie's necklace gets waylaid.

Pigs Have Wings: The absent minded Lord Emsworth finds himself once again embroiled in fierce rivalry in the pig-rearing arena with his neighbour, the obese baronet Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe. With Emsworth's champion Empress of Blandings in line for a third straight victory in the local show and Parsloe bringing in a ringer, suspicions run high. Meanwhile, Blandings has its full complement of romantic entanglements. Fortunately, the ever-resourceful Gally is on hand to help out.

   
Service With a Smile: More turmoil at Blandings Castle, as Lord Emsworth finds his idyllic home overrun not only with the local Church Lad's Brigade, but also old curmudgeon the Duke of Dunstable and publishing magnate (and fellow pig-lover) Lord Tilbury, both scheming to get their hands on Emsworth's peerless pig, Empress of Blandings. Meanwhile, star-crossed lovers battle the iron will of Lady Constance Keeble. Fortunately, Uncle Fred is also on hand, to sort things out.

Galahad at Blandings: Lord Emsworth's idyllic demesne, Blandings Castle, is as usual overrun with overbearing sisters, overefficient secretaries, and the lovestruck; even worse, an alleged old flame has appeared, determined to put an end to the Earl's peaceful, pig-loving existence. All Gally's genius is required to sort things out satisfactorily...

A Pelican at Blandings / No Nudes is Good Nudes: Blandings Castle lacks its usual balm for the Earl of Emsworth, as his stern sister Lady Constance Keeble is once more in residence. The Duke of Dunstable is also infesting the place again, along with the standard quota of American millionaires, romantic youths, con artists, imposters and so on. With a painting of reclining nude at the centre of numerous intrigues, Gally's genius is once again required to sort things out.

Sunset at Blandings: Wodehouse's final novel, unfinished when he died. Sunset at Blandings is an unfinished novel by P. G. Wodehouse. Wodehouse was still working on the book when he died in 1975; the published version was edited by Richard Usborne, and includes Wodehouse's notes on the ending of the story. The story is, as the poignant name suggests, another tale set at Blandings Castle, filled as ever with romance and imposters. Galahad Threepwood uses his charm and wit to ensure his brother Clarence continues to lead a quiet and peaceful life.


Jeeves

The wealthy, foppish Bertie Wooster narrates a number of stories and novels, which, collectively called the Jeeves canon, are Wodehouse's most famous. They recount the improbable and unfortunate situations in which Bertie and his friends find themselves, and the manner in which his ingenious valet Jeeves is always able to solve them. Many of Bertie's problems stem from his aunts, the fearsome Aunt Agatha and loving Aunt Dahlia.

Thank You, Jeeves (1934) – The first full-length Jeeves novel
After a falling out concerning Bertie's relentless playing of the banjolele, Jeeves leaves Bertie's service and finds work with Bertie's old friend, Lord "Chuffy" Chuffnell, of Chuffnell Hall, Chuffnell Regis, Dorset. He is replaced by Brinkley, a most unsatisfactory valet (who is referred to as "Bingley" in some later books), and together they travel to one of Chuffy's rental properties in Dorset, the remote location of the cottage allowing Bertie to continue practicing the banjolele without complaints from his neighbors.

Right Ho, Jeeves (1934) – (U.S. title: Brinkley Manor): Gussie is in love with Madeline and has decamped from Lincolnshire to the metrop to court her. Jeeves advises him to accept her invitation to a fancy-dress ball, wearing a Mephistopheles costume. When Gussie muddles it by forgetting the address, his cabfare, and his latchkey, Bertie decides that Jeeves has lost his form, and takes on Gussie's case.

The Code of the Woosters (1938)
Bertie is summoned by Aunt Dahlia, and ordered by her to go to an antique shop and "sneer at a cow creamer" to sap the confidence of the shop's owner, and thus drive down the price) before the antique silver piece is purchased by Dahlia's collector husband Tom Travers. Later, via underhanded skulduggery, Sir Watkyn gets hold of the creamer instead of Uncle Tom, and spirits it away to Totleigh Towers.

Joy in the Morning (1946) (U.S. title: Jeeves in the Morning)
Bertie is persuaded to brave the home of his fearsome Aunt Agatha and her husband Lord Worplesdon, knowing that his former fiancee, the beautiful and intelligent Lady Florence Craye will also be in attendance. What ensues will come to be remembered as The Steeple Bumpleigh Horror, with Bertie under constant threat of engagement to Craye, violence from her oafish suitor Stilton Cheesewright, the unfortunate interventions of her young brother Edwin and unnamed peril from the acid tongue of Aunt Agatha. Only the masterful Jeeves can save the day...

The Mating Season (1949)
Bertie Wooster and Gussie Fink-Nottle swap their identities, while Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright pretends to be the faux-Gussie's valet Meadowes and Jeeves pretends to be the faux-Bertie's valet, before complications ensue. Together, they find themselves at the Aunt-ridden Deverill Hall, Hampshire, seat of the imposing Dame Daphne Winkworth, where Gussie's on-off engagement to Madeline Bassett is once again in danger, leaving Bertie at risk of becoming reattached her. Bertie must also defend his friend Catsmeat's girl Gertrude Winkworth, daughter of Dame Daphne, from the attentions of the attractive Esmond Haddock, while avoiding fulfilling his Aunt Agatha's wish that he marry her himself...


Ring for Jeeves (1953) – In which Bill Belfry "borrows" Jeeves from Bertie (U. S. title: The Return of Jeeves) While Bertie is at a school for the idle rich, Jeeves takes work elsewhere, in the home of an impoverished Earl, Rowcester Abbey. While there, he helps unravel a complicated matter involving impersonated bookies, purloined gems, wealthy Americans and other Wodehousian tropes, all in the name of ensuring his employer William "Bill" Rowcester, the 9th Earl of Rowcester, can marry his girl Jill Wyvern.

Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit (1954) (U.S. title: Bertie Wooster Sees It Through)
Bertie finds himself once more at Brinkley Court, sampling the delights of Anatole's cooking while attempting to help Aunt Dahlia sell off her magazine Milady's Boudoir to the Liverpudlian Trotters, avoiding trouble in the shape of ex-fiancee Florence Craye, her hulking beau Stilton Cheesewright and the equally fearsome Spode.


Jeeves in the Offing (1960) (U.S. title: How Right You Are, Jeeves)
The ninth Jeeves novel, Jeeves in the Offing chronicles another visit by Bertie Wooster to his Aunt Dahlia at Brinkley Court, and marks the beginning of the friendship between Bertie and Sir Roderick Glossop, who previously shared a great dislike for one another. Like most of Wodehouse's stories, this one employs ripe and humorous language to great effect.

Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves (1963)
So long as Gussie and Madeline continue to profess their undying love for each other, Bertie is safe from marrying her...but disaster looms when Gussie rebels at Madeline's attempt to turn him into a vegetarian. Throw in the intrigues of Miss Stiffy Byng and her dog Bartholomew to gain the Reverend Stinker Pinker a vicarage, the renewed rivalry of art collectors Sir Watkyn Bassett and Bertie's Uncle Tom (husband of Aunt Dahlia), and the irresistible cooking skills of American Emerald Stoker (who happens to be the younger sister of Bertie's old friend Pauline, whom he also narrowly avoided marrying), and you have trouble of the sort that only Jeeves can mend.


Much Obliged, Jeeves (1971) – In which appears the only mention of Jeeves's Christian name, Reginald (U.S. title: Jeeves and the Tie That Binds) A heretofore unknown old school chum of Bertie's, Ginger Winship, is standing for the House of Commons in a by-election, and Aunt Dahlia has offered the use of Brinkley as a general H. Q. for the campaign. Dahlia persuades Bertie to come down to Brinkley to assist in the canvassing. At luncheon before departing for Brinkley, Bertie discovers that Ginger is standing in the by-election on the wishes of his fiancée. He also discovers that said fiancée has kept him out of the metropolis for several years and discourages him from partaking in alcoholic stimulants. On arriving at Brinkley he discovers that this hard-hearted mystery woman is none other than Florence Craye, authoress of Spindrift and former fiancée of Percy Gorringe—and of Bertie himself. Bertie begins to muse on how he might save his friend from a life of encountering Florence Craye every morning over the eggs and bacon.

Aunts Aren't Gentlemen (1974) (U.S. title: The Cat-nappers)
Bertie goes to Maiden Eggesford, with its two leading men, Jimmy Briscoe and Pop Cook, their respective horses, Simla and Potato Chip, and their dark rivalry. Aunt Dahlia, a friend of Jimmy Briscoe, has bet on Simla only to find that it isn't a snitch. Bertie is annoyed to see old enemy Major Plank in residence with Vanessa Cook and her Pop Cook, who takes an instant dislike to Bertie when he is found tickling a passing cat which is a favorite of his horse Potato Chip. Things get hot when Aunt Dahlia gets a neighbourhood poacher to steal the cat in the hope to impede his horse friend, embroiling Bertie in the to-do. Meanwhile, after a rift between Vanessa and Orlo Porter, the girl decides to plight her troth to the blighted Bertie, whose Code is to never refuse a girl asking for marriage.


Psmith

Psmith is an ingenious jack-of-all-trades. The worlds of Psmith and Blandings overlap, as in his final adventure Psmith visits the Castle, becomes a friend of Freddie Threepwood and is eventually employed by Lord Emsworth.

Mike (1909) – Reissued in two parts as Mike at Wrykyn and Mike and Psmith in 1953; the second part also published as Enter Psmith in 1935 Mike is the youngest son of a renowned cricketing family. When Mike arrives at Wrykyn himself, his cricketing talent and love of adventure bring him success and trouble in equal measure. The second part, also known as Enter Psmith or Mike and Psmith, takes place two years later. Mike, due to take over as cricket captain at Wrykyn, is withdrawn from the school by his father and sent to a lesser school, called Sedleigh. On arrival at Sedleigh, he meets the eccentric Rupert Psmith, another new arrival from the superior school of Eton. Becoming fast friends, the two eschew cricket and indulge in all manner of high-jinks and adventures.

Psmith, Journalist (1915): The story begins with Psmith accompanying his fellow Cambridge student Mike to New York on a cricketing tour. Through high spirits and force of personality, Psmith takes charge of a minor periodical, and becomes imbroiled in a scandal involving slum landlords, boxers and gangsters - the story displays a strong social conscience, rare in Wodehouse's generally light-hearted works.

Psmith in the City: Mike Jackson, cricketer and scion of a cricketing clan, finds his dreams of studying and playing at Cambridge upset by news of his father's financial troubles, and must instead take a job with the "New Asiatic Bank". On arrival there, Mike finds his friend Psmith is also a new employee, and together they strive to make the best of their position, and perhaps squeeze in a little cricket from time to time.

Leave it to Psmith (1923): Although the main character is Psmith (here called Ronald Eustace rather than Rupert as in previous books), the bulk of the story takes place at Blandings Castle and involves various intrigues within the extended family of Lord Emsworth, the absent-minded elderly Earl. The plot is a typical Wodehouse romance, with Psmith inveigling himself into the idyllic castle, where there are the usual crop of girls to woo, crooks to foil, imposters to unmask, haughty aunts to baffle and valuable necklaces to steal. Among the players is Psmith's good friend Mike, married to Phyllis and in dire need of some financial help; the ever-suspicious Rupert Baxter is on watch as usual.


School stories

The Pothunters (1902): The novel follows the lives of several of the schoolboys as they study, take part in their school sports (particularly boxing and running), and enjoy tea in their studies. After the school's sports trophies ('pots' in contemporary slang) are stolen in a burglary, the boys, their masters, and the police join in the hunt for the 'pots'.

A Prefect's Uncle (1903): The action of the novel takes place at the fictional "Beckford College", a private school for boys; the title alludes to the arrival at the school of a mischievous young boy called Farnie, who turns out to be the uncle of the older "Bishop" Gethryn, a prefect, cricketer and popular figure in the school. His arrival, along with that of another youngster who becomes fag to Gethryn, leads to much excitement and scandal in the school, and the disruption of some important cricket matches.

The Gold Bat (1904): Set at the fictional public school of Wrykyn, the novel tells of how two boys, O'Hara and Moriarty, tar and feather a statue of the local M.P. as a prank. They get away with it, but O'Hara had borrowed a tiny gold cricket bat belonging to Trevor, the captain of the cricket team, and after the escapade he discovers the trinket is missing. Schoolboy honour is at stake, and the book covers events that term including inter-house rugby matches and the appearance of a mysterious society called the League, as Trevor and friends try to get the gold bat back.

The Head of Kay's (1905): Set at the fictional school of Eckleton, the story centres around the house of "Kay's", the riotous boys therein, its tactless, unpopular master Mr. Kay, and Fenn, the head boy. The story features practical jokes, fighting between the boys and with the locals in the nearby town, politics amongst the houses of the school, a trip to an army-style camp, and plenty of cricket and rugby.

The White Feather (1907): When Sheen, a quiet and studious boy, finds himself facing a street brawl between boys of Wrykyn and those of St. Jude's, their sworn enemies, he slips away to safety to avoid the wrath of his masters. However, his cowardliness is noticed by his fellows, who send him to Coventry. In order to save his reputation, he must train secretly under boxing legend Joe Bevan. Can he overcome the many obstacles in his path, and restore the school's honour in the ring?

Mike (1909)

 Ukridge

Love Among the Chickens (1906) – Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge is a scheming character, always looking to enlarge his income. The novel is written in the first person, from the point of view of Jeremy Garnet, an author and an old friend of Ukridge. Seeing Ukridge for the first time in years, with a new wife in tow, Garnet finds himself dragged along on holiday to Ukridge's new chicken farm in Dorset. The novel intertwines Garnet's difficult wooing of a girl living nearby, with the struggles of the farm, which are exacerbated by Ukridge's bizarre business ideas and methods.

 Uncle Fred

Pongo Twistleton's Uncle Fred is a wily and mischievous former Pelican, with a love of taking of false identities.

Uncle Fred in the Springtime (1939): When Alaric, Duke of Dunstable decides to take Empress of Blandings away from her loving master and get her fit, Lord Emsworth calls in the services of the redoutable Uncle Fred. Fred arrives full of the joys of spring, with nephew Pongo Twistleton and old friend Polly Pott in tow, and despite the efforts of the efficient Baxter, endeavours to scupper the Duke and to bring together a variety of romantic couplings.

Uncle Dynamite (1948): Uncle Fred has just arrived at Ashenden Manor, home of Sir Aylmer Bostock, Pongo's future father-in-law. Pongo is already in residence and has committed two rank floaters: accidentally smashing a whatnot from Sir Aylmer's collection of African curios, and (in the course of demonstrating how Brazilian natives kill birds with rude slings) smashing a coveted bust of his host. Pongo's solution is to replace the busted bust with another one, abstracted from Ickenham hall. But unknown to him, the replacement bust was fashioned by his former fiancée Sally Painter, and conceals valuable jewellery that a friend of hers was planning to smuggle through New York Customs.

Cocktail Time (1958): this romp begins with the unruly sexagenarian knocking the hat off his stuffy in-law Beefy Bastable with a slingshot. Bastable, assuming the outrage was perpetrated by a Drones Club member, takes his revenge by anonymously publishing a scandalous novel about the misbehavior of the young titled Cocktail Time. Then, afraid that exposure of his authorship will wreck his political aspirations, he lets his worthless nephew, Cosmo, claim the book's authorship?and its royalties. The wicket doesn't get really sticky until Cosmo learns that Hollywood studios are bidding big bucks for Cocktail Time. In the midst of all this, as well as several romances in need of repair, Lord Ickenham is in his element, with happy endings to the deserving and big laughs assured. Add Frederick Davidson's masterly reading, and this package is a can't-miss audiobook, particularly for libraries with mature readers.?R. Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, Cal.

Service With a Smile (1961): More turmoil at Blandings Castle, as Lord Emsworth finds his idyllic home overrun not only with the local Church Lad's Brigade, but also old curmudgeon the Duke of Dunstable and publishing magnate (and fellow pig-lover) Lord Tilbury, both scheming to get their hands on Emsworth's peerless pig, Empress of Blandings. Meanwhile, star-crossed lovers battle the iron will of Lady Constance Keeble. Fortunately, Uncle Fred is also on hand, to sort things out.

 Other

William Tell Told Again (1904): Friesshardt and Leuthold lay on the ground beside the pole, feeling very sore and bruised, and thought that perhaps, on the whole, they had better stay there. There was no knowing what the crowd might do after this, if they began to fight again. So they lay on the ground and made no attempt to interfere with the popular rejoicings. What they wanted, as Arnold of Sewa might have said if he had been there, was a few moments' complete rest. Leuthold's helmet had been hammered with sticks until it was over his eyes and all out of shape, and Friesshardt's was very little better.

The Swoop (1909): The Swoop! tells of the simultaneous invasion of England by several armies — "England was not merely beneath the heel of the invader. It was beneath the heels of nine invaders. There was barely standing-room." [1] — The invaders are the Russians under Grand Duke Vodkakoff, the Germans under Prince Otto of Saxe-Pfennig — the reigning British monarch of the day was Edward VII of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha — the Swiss Navy, the Monegasques, a band of Moroccan brigands under Raisuli, the Young Turks, a Mad Mullah from Somaliland, the Chinese under Prince Ping Pong Pang, and the Bollygollans in war canoes.

A Gentleman of Leisure (1910) (Also Intrusion of Jimmy): The action begins with playboy bachelor Jimmy Pitt in New York; having fallen in love on a transatlantic liner, he befriends a small-time burglar and breaks into a police captain's house as a result of a bet. The cast of characters head to England, and from there on its a typically Wodehousian romantic farce, set at the stately Dreever Castle, overflowing with imposters, detectives, crooks, scheming lovers and conniving aunts.

The Prince and Betty (1912): The story tells of how unscrupulous millionaire Benjamin Scobell decides to build a casino on the small Mediterranean island of Mervo, dragging in the unwitting heir to the throne to help. Little does he know that his stepdaughter Betty has history with the young man John Maude, and his schemes lead to a rift between the newly-reunited pair.

The Little Nugget (1913): The "Little Nugget" of the title is one Ogden Ford, a spoilt, unpleasant child of overindulgent, wealthy parents; he is so dubbed due to his immense ransom value, being a prime target for kidnappers. The novel revolves around numerous schemes to kidnap the boy, for various ends. It is essentially a comic romance, whose hero, Peter Burns, leaves behind a comfortable lifestyle to become a master at the boy's school, thanks to his scheming fiancee, and finds the change of lifestyle envigorating. Ogden and his mother Nesta also appear in Piccadilly Jim (1918).

Uneasy Money (1917): The story doesn't include any of Wodehouse's regular characters or settings; instead it tells of amiable, kindly but hard-up Lord "Bill" Dawlish, golf lover, and his adventures in romance, golf and the theatre.

Piccadilly Jim – Partially a sequel to The Little Nugget (1918): The novel features Ogden Ford and his mother Nesta (both previously encountered in The Little Nugget (1913)). Nesta has remarried, to the hen-pecked, baseball-loving millionaire Mr. Peter Pett, and Ogden remains spoilt and obnoxious. Charismatic Jimmy Crocker, Nesta's nephew and a reforming playboy, is called upon to assist in the kidnapping of Ogden, amongst much confusion involving imposters, crooks, detectives, butlers, aunts etc. - all in the name of romance of course.

A Damsel in Distress (1919): Golf-loving American composer George Bevan falls in love with a mysterious young lady who takes refuge in his taxicab one day; when he tracks her down to a romantic rural manor, mistaken identity leads to all manner of brouhaha...

The Coming of Bill (1920): The book tells the story of Kirk Winfield, his marriage to Ruth, and their child called Bill. Bill's upbringing is threatened by the interference of Ruth's busybody writer aunt, Mrs Lora Delane Porter.

Jill the Reckless (1921): The heroine here, Jill Mariner, is a young woman from the lower end of the upper class. We follow her through financial disaster, a broken engagement, an awkward stay with some grasping relatives, employment as a chorus girl, and of course, the finding of true love. Other characters include wealthy Drone Freddie Rooke and writer Wally Mason, her childhood friends; her financially inept uncle Major Christopher Selby; her fiancee at the beginning of the book, the M.P Derek Underhill, and his domineering mother, Lady Underhill; Jill's unpleasant relatives, Elmer and Julia Mariner; more Drones Club members, various chorus girls, composers and other theatrical types, and, of course, miscellaneous servants.

The Girl on the Boat (1922): The maid of the title is red-haired, dog-loving Wilhelmina "Billie" Bennet, and the three men are Bream Mortimer, a long-time friend and admirer of Billie, Eustace Hignett, a lily-livered poet who is engaged to Billie at the opening of the tale, and Sam Marlowe, Eustace's dashing cousin, who falls for Billie at first sight. All four find themselves on an ocean liner headed for England together, along with a capable young woman called Jane Hubbard who is smitten with Eustace, and typically Wodehousian romantic shenanigans ensue

The Adventures of Sally (1922)
The story concerns a young American girl named Sally, who inherits a considerable fortune and finds her life turned upside down.

Bill the Conqueror (1924)
The story is a romantic comedy, revolving around a young girl whose family want her to marry against her wishes. Big, strong Bill West, inspired by his love of Alice Coker, takes her brother Judson to London, under strict instructions to keep him sober; there he meets his old friend Flick Sheridan. Meanwhile, devious schemes are afoot at the home of Bill's uncle Cooley...

Sam the Sudden (1925)
The story is a romantic comedy, the hero of which is Sam Shotter, an alumnus of Wrykyn school. Sent to England by his uncle to work for the Mammoth Publishing Company, he finds a girl he has long adored, despite only knowing her from a photograph. He woos the girl, and his man woos her maid, while a syndicate of crooks circle their suburb, seeking hidden treasure...

The Small Bachelor (1927)
The story tells of the romantic troubles of George Finch, a short would-be artist living in New York's Greenwich Village.

Money for Nothing (1928)
The action is mostly set at Rudge Hall, home to miser Lester Carmody, and at Healthward Ho, a health farm run by "Chimp" Twist, along with his cohorts "Soapy" and "Dolly" Molloy, who were all previously encountered in Sam the Sudden (1925), and would return in Money in the Bank (1946). Hugo Carmody, Lester's nephew, and his friend Ronnie Fish, would appear later at Blandings Castle, home of Ronnie's uncle Lord Emsworth, in Summer Lightning (1929) and Heavy Weather (1933).

Big Money (1931)
The story concerns two young men, "Biscuit" Brent and "Berry" Conway, and their efforts to raise money and to woo their respective girls.

If I Were You (1931)
The story concerns the romantic troubles of young Anthony Bryce, Earl of Droitwich. Engaged to be married to Violet Waddington, heiress to 'Waddington's 97 Soups', Tony's life is thrown into chaos when his old nurse comes to pay him a visit, revealing a long-kept family secret. Tony departs for London with the resourceful Polly Brown, leaving the ancestral pad in the hands of the Socialist barber Syd Price.

Doctor Sally (1932)
The story was adapted from Wodehouse's play, Good Morning, Bill, and tells of golf expert Dr. Sally Smith, and of golf addict Bill Bannister, who loves her.

Hot Water (1932)
The story's central character is Packy Franklyn, an American millionaire and sportsman. He is engaged to Lady Beatrice Bracken and is staying in England. A chance meeting with the great Dry legislator, Senator Ambrose Opal, leads to all hell breaking loose when a letter written by the Senator to his bootlegger is used as a tool for blackmail. The book also features Gordon "Oily" Carlisle and Gertie, who reappears in the book Cocktail Time, as well as Soup Slattery and Jane Opal.

The Luck of the Bodkins (1935)
The story concerns amiable young Drone Monty Bodkin, the nephew of Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe who was for a time one of Lord Emsworth's many secretaries (in Heavy Weather (1933)), and his complicated love life. Monty, the object of his affections, hockey-playing Gertrude Butterwick, and movie-mogul Ivor Llewellyn would all return in Pearls, Girls and Monty Bodkin (1972).

Laughing Gas (1936)
Drone Reginald Swithin, the third Earl of Havershot ("Reggie") is 28, unmarried, and has a face like a gorilla. As the new head of his family, he is assigned a delicate task by his Aunt Clara and by Plimsoll, the family lawyer: He is to go to Hollywood and look for Aunt Clara's son, his cousin Eggy, who it seems has got himself into trouble over there, and bring him back home. In particular, Reggie is to prevent Eggy from getting engaged, let alone married, to some American gold-digger that would undoubtedly be far beneath the titled family.

Summer Moonshine (1938)
Former big-game hunter Sir Buckstone Abbott, finding himself hard up, takes in paying guests at his pile, Walsingford Hall, while hoping to sell the place to a wealthy Princess. Pretty soon, all kinds of schemes, plots and romantic entanglements are going on...

Quick Service (1940)
Mrs Chavendar, upon consuming a forkful of ham, pronounces it unfit for human consumption, and decides to call ham, ham, to Duff's face. This doesn't suit George, who is hoping to get his guardian to fork out money to allow him to trot up the aisle. So, young Sally rallies around to avert the disaster, and so meets Joss. When the two come face-to-face, Cupid does quick work on Joss, a red-blooded, efferevescent young man, and he jumps at the opportunity of playing valet at Claines Hall. Getting his employer, that tough-egg, Steptoe, to waltz to his tune is but a moment's work for Joss, who uses Howard's Achilles' heel of playing dice (and losing dearly) to turn the relationship Damon-and-Pythias-esque.

Money in the Bank (1946)
George, 6th Viscount Uffenham, a typically impecunious and absent-minded Wodehousian aristocrat, mislays his Aunt's fortune in diamonds, and is forced to let his family pile, returning there disguised as a butler named Cakebread to seek the gems. The tale also features the crooks Alexander "Chimp" Twist, "Dolly" Gunn and Thomas "Soapy" Molloy, who had earlier appeared in Sam the Sudden (1925) and Money for Nothing (1928).

Spring Fever (1948)
The story begins when Stanwood Cobbold, a millionaire heir with a face like a hippo, is sent to London by his father to keep him from marrying a Hollywood actress. He is escorted by his valet and reformed thief, Augustus Robb, and his friend, Mike Cardinal, the Hollywood agent with the face of a Greek god. Throw into the mix Lord Shortlands, a destitute earl who longs for two hundred pounds so he can marry his cook, his daughter Teresa who wants nothing to do with Mike Cardinal, and his butler who also wants to marry the cook and will stop at nothing to woo her away from Lord Shortlands.

The Old Reliable (1951)
A few poor down-and-out souls in Hollywood are desperate to get their hands on some money to get themselves back on their feet. And since everyone turns to Wilhelmina "Bill" Shannon to solve all of their problems, she has garnered the title nickname, the Old Reliable, for her quick thinking and ingenious plans.

French Leave (1956)
Here we are, young, ardent idealistic, yearning for life and love and laughter, and what do we get? Eggs.' But with a nest-egg of another kind, the Trent sisters - Terry and Jo - fly from the chicken farm in Bensonburg to the fleshpots of France, where even the eagle eye of elder sister Kate cannot prevent muddle and mismatch.

Something Fishy (1957) (U.S. title: The Butler Did It)
When Keggs was a butler he eavesdropped on a meeting between his employer, J.J. Bunyan, and a covey of tycoons--J.J. and his associates each agreed to put up fifty-thousand dollars, the total to go to whichever of their sons was the last to marry. Thirty years later, Keggs wants to cash in on what he knows.

Ice in the Bedroom (1961)
It features several well-known Wodehouse characters, including Drones Freddie Widgeon and Oofy Prosser, and criminal gang Alexander "Chimp" Twist, Thomas "Soapy" Molloy and Dora "Dolly" Molloy. Freddie is trying to escape a dull work in a London office to become the owner of a coffee plantation in Kenya and marry Sally Foster at the same time. Some jewelry, hidden at the neighbour of Freddie, is playing an important part in the novel as the criminals are trying to get hold of it by all means. Most of the plot takes place in the normally quiet suburb named Valley Fields.

Frozen Assets (1964)
The "Frozen Assets" of the title belong to Edmund Biffen Christopher and they are the legacy of his Godfather which he will receive if he manages to avoid been arrested, something of a previous habit of Biffen's, until after his thirtieth birthday one week hence. Lord Tilbury, proprietor of the Mammoth publish company, whom we met previously in "Bill the Conqueror", 'Summer Lightning" and "Heavy Weather", is keen that Biffen does fall foul of the law as he will then receive the legacy himself. Tilbury has therefore engaged his usual henchman, Percy Pilbeam, to ensure that Biffen is lead astray and that it is brought to the attention of the constabulary. Only Wodehouse can scare up a happy ending where everyone gets exactly what is coming to them.

Company For Henry (1967)
The titular Henry is Henry Paradenen whom after a career treading the boards has unexpectedly inherited Ashby Hall and the families associated financial obligations. American multi-millionaire relative J. Wendell Stickney and has arrived and Henry is keen to unload the family pile on him whilst wooing Stickney's Aunt Kelly.


Do Butlers Burgle Banks? (1968)
Bond's Bank, which Mike Bond has inherited from his over-enthusiastically philanthropist uncle Horace, is insolvent. With the examiners due shortly and no solution in sight, Mike faces the prospect of a stretch in the clink for not revealing this earlier. If the criminal mastermind Appleby had known this, he probably wouldn't have insinuated his way into the temporary butler vacancy. But then he probably wouldn't have fallen in love with Ada. And Chicago mobster Charlie Yost wouldn't have come along to settle his score with Appleby.

The Girl in Blue (1970)
Homer Pyle, an eminent corporation lawyer, is abashed to have to rescue his sister, the wealthy Barney Claybourne, from being prosecuted for shoplifting from Guildenstern's on Madison Avenue in New York. Guildenstern's suggests that Barney be kept away from department stores so they agree to take Barney to a country home that takes paying guests in England, one Mellingham Hall, operated by the impoverished Crispin Scrope.

Pearls, Girls and Monty Bodkin (1972)
Monty Bodkin, nephew of Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe, is back from his adventures in Hollywood, with his situation (as introduced in The Luck of the Bodkins (1935)) still as complicated as ever. Getting involved with sneaky crook Alexander "Chimp" Twist and his associates the Molloys was never going to help any...

Bachelors Anonymous (1973)
Much married, much divorced movie mogul Ivor Llewellyn (friend of Monty Bodkin), and his long-suffering lawyer Ephraim Trout, find the idea of a support group for bachelors appealing. The members can watch each other's backs, keeping them safe from roving females. With spring in the air, however, romance is never far behind...