What is confirmed
See-Saw intends to develop a premium returning crime drama: a contemporary reimagining that returns to the books’ darker, unrulier version of Lovejoy rather than recreating the BBC series scene for scene.
Lovejoy Ledger / research archive
The 24 novels—and what may come next
A publication-order guide to Jonathan Gash’s literary Lovejoy, followed by the verified status of the contemporary screen adaptation now in development.
DEVELOPMENT REPORT
A new Lovejoy adaptation is genuinely in development
On 4 March 2026, See-Saw Films—the production company behind Slow Horses—announced that it had acquired the adaptation rights to John Grant’s 24 Lovejoy novels, published as Jonathan Gash, after a competitive bidding process.
Who is attached
Executive producers named in the announcement are Lisa Gilchrist, Helen Gregory, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Simon Gillis, with John Grant and his literary agent Lisa Moylett also attached.
What is not yet confirmed
No broadcaster or streaming service, cast, filming date or release date has been announced. Ian McShane’s involvement is not confirmed. Development does not guarantee that filming will take place.
Why the wording matters
This is stronger than a rumour because rights and producers are confirmed, but it is not yet a commissioned series. The Ledger will update this record when a broadcaster, cast or production start is formally announced.
Sources: the See-Saw rights announcement carried by Advanced Television, with independent trade confirmation from Variety and Deadline. Evidence reviewed 31 August 2026.
PUBLICATION ORDER
All 24 Lovejoy novels
John Grant wrote the sequence under the name Jonathan Gash between 1977 and 2008. The novels form their own continuity: Ian McShane’s television Lovejoy is warmer and many screen stories are original. Dates below follow the working first-publication chronology; individual editions and territories may carry later dates.
Book 1
The Judas Pair
Book 2
Gold from Gemini
Book 3
The Grail Tree
Book 4
Spend Game
Book 5
The Vatican Rip
Book 6
Firefly Gadroon
Book 7
The Sleepers of Erin
Book 8
The Gondola Scam
Book 9
Pearlhanger
Book 10
The Tartan Sell
Also published as The Tartan Ringers
Book 11
Moonspender
Book 12
Jade Woman
Book 13
The Very Last Gambado
Book 14
The Great California Game
Book 15
The Lies of Fair Ladies
Book 16
Paid and Loving Eyes
Book 17
The Sin Within Her Smile
Book 18
The Grace in Older Women
Book 19
The Possessions of a Lady
Book 20
The Rich and the Profane
Book 21
A Rag, a Bone and a Hank of Hair
Book 22
Every Last Cent
Book 23
Ten Word Game
Book 24
Faces in the Pool
READING NOTES
Before moving from screen to page
Begin with The Judas Pair
The 1977 debut introduces the literary Lovejoy and won the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey award. It is the clearest bridge to the television series.
Expect a rougher anti-hero
The books’ Lovejoy is more morally abrasive than the familiar BBC portrayal. The proposed adaptation explicitly intends to recover more of that edge.
Read in publication order
The sequence moves widely—from East Anglia to Venice, Ireland, America and Hong Kong—but publication order preserves recurring relationships and Lovejoy’s changing circumstances.
Titles can vary
The Tartan Sell is also known as The Tartan Ringers. Catalogues can differ slightly on dates because British, American, hardback and paperback editions appeared at different times.