About this series
“A lively outing, complete with sly shout-outs to Jane Austen and gritty police procedurals.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
In Terry Pratchett’s delightful New York Times bestselling tale of crime, class, prejudice, and punishment, Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is on vacation. But this is Discworld, where nothing goes as planned—and hilarious adventure ensues.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a policeman taking a holiday would barely have had time to open his suitcase before he finds his first corpse.
At long last, Lady Sybil has lured her husband, Sam Vimes, on a well-deserved and long-overdue holiday. But for the commander of the City Watch, a vacation in the country is anything but relaxing. The balls, the teas, the muck—not to mention all that fresh air and birdsong—are more than a bit taxing on a cynical city-born and -bred copper.
The policeman is back on familiar ground when a body is found—the first of many, many corpses—and an ancient crime more terrible than murder is uncovered. Out of his jurisdiction, out of his element, and out of bacon sandwiches (thanks to his well-meaning wife)—Sam must rely on his copper’s instincts, guile, and Ankh-Morpork street smarts to see justice done.
As he sets off on the chase, though, he must remember to watch where he steps. . . . This is the countryside, after all, and the streets most definitely are not paved with gold.
The Discworld novels can be read in any order, but Snuff is the 8th book in the City Watch collection and the 39th Discworld book.
The City Watch series in order:
- Guards! Guards!
- Men at Arms
- Feet of Clay
- Jingo
- The Fifth Element
- Night Watch
- Thud!
- Snuff
Titles in the series (6)
- Guards! Guards!: A Discworld Novel
1
"As traumatic as it is to only choose one Pratchett, this first entry in his Guards sub-series encompasses everything that is brilliant about his writing: terrific characterization and plotting, a completely believable world, and new details that come up with each re-reading. . . . The story of dwarves, dragons and good police work remains fresh, sharp, and incredibly funny." — Telegraph (UK) Magic, mayhem, and a marauding dragon combine for extraordinary fun in this brilliant Discworld novel from New York Times bestselling author Terry Pratchett. Insurrection is in the air in the city of Ankh-Morpork. The Haves and Have-Nots are about to face off. Again. It’s old news to Captain Sam Vimes of the city’s ramshackle Night Watch. But this time, something is different—the Have-Nots have found the key to a dormant, lethal weapon that even they can’t fully control, and they’re about to unleash a campaign of terror on the city. Long believed extinct, a draco nobilis can now be seen patrolling the skies above Discworld's greatest city. Not only does this unwelcome visitor have a nasty habit of charbroiling everything in its path, but it’s also soon crowned King. Can Vimes, Captain Carrot, and the rest of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch restore order (before it's burned to a crisp)? The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Guards! Guards! is the first book in the City Watch collection. The City Watch collection in order: Guards! Guards!Men at ArmsFeet of ClayJingoThe Fifth ElephantNight WatchThud!Snuff
- Feet of Clay: A Discworld Novel
3
“This is fantasy served with a twist of Monty Python, parody that works by never taking itself too seriously.” —Publishers Weekly Murder! Mahem! Bacon sandwiches! People are dying suspiciously in Ankh-Morpork, and Sam Vimes of the City Watch will find the truth. Another brilliant and hilarious Discworld adventure from beloved New York Times bestselling author Terry Pratchett For Commander Sam Vimes, Head of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, life consists of trouble . . . and more trouble: a werewolf with pre-lunar tension, a dwarf with attitude, a golem who’s begun to think for itself. Now he’s got the unusual deaths of three elderly Ankh-Morporkians on his hands. It’s murder in Discworld!—which ordinarily is no big deal. The problem is, the deaths do not bear the clean, efficient marks of the Assassins' Guild; there’s an apparent lack of motive, and there’s no trace of anything alive having been at the crime scene. What Vimes does have are some tracks of white clay and more bothersome “clue” thingies that muck up his investigations. The anger of a fearful populace is already targeting the city’s small community of golems—those mindless, absurdly industrious creatures of baked clay, who can occasionally be found toiling in the city's factories. And certain highly placed personages are using the unrest as an excuse to resurrect a monarchy—which would be bad enough even if their would-be “king” wasn’t as empty-headed as your typical animated pottery. In addition to quieting the restless populace, Vimes has to find out whodunit—and howdunit too. He’s not even sure what they dun. But as soon as he knows what the questions are, he’s going to look for some answers. The Discworld novels can be read in any order, but Feet of Clay is the 3rd book in the City Watch collection and the 17th Discworld book. The City Watch collection in order: Guards! Guards!Men at ArmsFeet of ClayJingoThe Fifth ElementNight WatchThud!Snuff
- Men at Arms: A Discworld Novel
2
“Unadulterated fun.”—San Francisco Chronicle The fate of Ankh-Morpork rests on the unlikely shoulders of newly promoted Corporal Carrot and his hapless charges in the City Watch in this wildly wacky Discworld novel from the legendary New York Times bestselling author Terry Pratchett. Corporal Carrot is now in charge of the new recruits guarding Ankh-Morpork from barbarian rribes, miscellaneous marauders, unlicensed thieves, and other dangerous Discworld denizens. It’s a big job for an adopted dwarf keeping the likes of young coppers Lance-constable Cuddy (really a dwarf), Lance-constable Detritus (a troll), Lance-constable Angua (a woman. . . most of the time) and Corporal Nobbs (disqualified from the human race for shoving) in line. Especially since someone in Ankh-Morpork has been getting dangerous ideas about crowns and legendary swords, and destiny—which points its crooked finger again when an ancient document reveals that Ankh-Morpork has a secret sovereign. What's more, Captain Sam Vimes is getting married and retiring from the Watch. For good. Which is a shame, because no one knows the streets of Ankh-Morpork or its criminal underworld better than him. It’s the beginning of the most awesome epic encounter of all time (or at least all afternoon), in which the fate of a city—indeed of the universe itself!—depends on a young man’s courage, an ancient sword’s magic, and a three-legged poodle’s bladder. The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Men at Arms is the 2nd in the City Watch collection and the 15th Discworld book. The City Watch series in order: Guards! Guards!Men at ArmsFeet of ClayJingoThe Fifth ElephantNight WatchThud!Snuff
- The Fifth Elephant: A Discworld Novel
5
“Pratchett cheerfully takes readers on an exuberant tale of mystery and invention. Along the way, he skewers everything from monarchy to fascism, as well as communism and capitalism, oil wealth and ethnic identities, Russian plays, immigration, condoms, and evangelical Christianity—in short, everything worth talking about.” —Publishers Weekly Elephants, werewolves, and ruby tights (oh my!) collide in this clever Discworld tale rich in mystery, myth, intrigue, and a dollop of diplomacy from the legendary New York Times bestselling author Terry Pratchett. Everyone knows that the world is flat, and supported on the backs of four elephants. But weren’t there supposed to be five? Indeed there were. So where is the fifth elephant? Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork constabulary is the man to find out. A copper through and through, he’s been “invited” to attend a royal function as a diplomat, ambassador to the mysterious, fat-rich country of Uberwald—complete with ruby tights. Of course where cops go, crime follows. An attempted assassination and a theft soon lead to a desperate chase from the low halls of Discworld royalty to the legendary fat mines of Uberwald, where lard is found in underground seams along with tusks and teeth and other precious ivory artifacts. It’s up to the dauntless Vimes to solve the puzzle of the missing pachyderm. After all, that’s what he does. Only there are monsters on his trail—bright, fast, toothy werewolves. And they’re catching up. The Discworld novels can be read in any order but The Fifth Elephant is the 5th book in the City Watch collection. The City Watch series in order: Guards! Guards!Men at ArmsFeet of ClayJingoThe Fifth ElephantNight WatchThud!Snuff
- Night Watch: A Discworld Novel
6
"Night Watch turns out to be an unexpectedly moving novel about sacrifice and responsibility, its final scenes leaving one near tears. . . Terry Pratchett may still be pegged as a comic novelist, but . . . he’s a lot more.” — Washington Post Book World Getting knocked back in time thirty years, Sam Vines, Commander of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch experiences a day like no other in which past, present, and future collide with hilarious—and poignant—results in this rollicking Discworld adventure from Terry Pratchett. One moment Commander of the City Watch Sam Vimes is chasing a murderer across the rooftops of Ankh-Morpork. The next, he’s lying in the street below, naked—and back in his own tough past thanks to a lightning strike and a group of meddling, time-manipulating monks. It’s a dark Discworld that is all too familiar. Worse, the cop-killing psychopath he’d been pursuing has been transported back with him, and it’s the eve of a deadly street rebellion that took a few good (and not so good) lives. Vimes is determined to do his duty— track down the murderer and change the outcome of the rebellion. By changing history he might just save some worthwhile necks, and steer a novice watchman straight—an impressionable young copper named Sam Vimes. But if he succeeds, Sam knows it could cost him the future—including the job and the family he loves. The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Night Watch is the sixth book in the City Watch series. The series includes: Guards! Guards!Men at ArmsFeet of ClayJingoThe Fifth ElephantNight WatchThud!Snuff
- Snuff: A Discworld Novel
8
“A lively outing, complete with sly shout-outs to Jane Austen and gritty police procedurals.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) In Terry Pratchett’s delightful New York Times bestselling tale of crime, class, prejudice, and punishment, Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is on vacation. But this is Discworld, where nothing goes as planned—and hilarious adventure ensues. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a policeman taking a holiday would barely have had time to open his suitcase before he finds his first corpse. At long last, Lady Sybil has lured her husband, Sam Vimes, on a well-deserved and long-overdue holiday. But for the commander of the City Watch, a vacation in the country is anything but relaxing. The balls, the teas, the muck—not to mention all that fresh air and birdsong—are more than a bit taxing on a cynical city-born and -bred copper. The policeman is back on familiar ground when a body is found—the first of many, many corpses—and an ancient crime more terrible than murder is uncovered. Out of his jurisdiction, out of his element, and out of bacon sandwiches (thanks to his well-meaning wife)—Sam must rely on his copper’s instincts, guile, and Ankh-Morpork street smarts to see justice done. As he sets off on the chase, though, he must remember to watch where he steps. . . . This is the countryside, after all, and the streets most definitely are not paved with gold. The Discworld novels can be read in any order, but Snuff is the 8th book in the City Watch collection and the 39th Discworld book. The City Watch series in order: Guards! Guards!Men at ArmsFeet of ClayJingoThe Fifth ElementNight WatchThud!Snuff
Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) is the acclaimed creator of the globally revered Discworld series. In all, he authored more than fifty bestselling books, which have sold more than one hundred million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any.
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