🎯 Where Should I Start?
Best Starting Point
Publication Order of Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones Books
Start with: For Love of Imabelle / A Rage in Harlem (1957)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
Start with: If He Hollers Let Him Go (1945)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Short Story Collections
Start with: The Collected Stories of Chester Himes (1991)
ⓘ About Chester Himes
Chester Himes was an American bestselling author of mystery, thriller, and literary fiction author. The author was born into a well-educated middle-class family in Jefferson Missouri in 1909. He grew up in a family that had a passion for writing and books and hence he read a lot as a child. He made his name writing novels that reflect the experiences of African Americans with racism as he describes unpalatable truths. For a very long time, Himes’ literary genius was not recognized in the United States. When he moved to France, he published several black detective mysteries and came to be deemed a master on the level of Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, and Richard Wright.
All Book Series by Chester Himes
1
For Love of Imabelle / A Rage in Harlem
Series opener · book 1 of 8 · published 1957
Buy on Amazon1957
2
The Real Cool Killers
Book 2 of 8 · published 1958
Buy on Amazon1958
4
The Big Gold Dream
Book 4 of 8 · published 1959
Buy on Amazon1959
6
Cotton Comes to Harlem
Book 6 of 8 · published 1964
Buy on Amazon1964
7
The Heat's On / Come Back Charleston Blue
Book 7 of 8 · published 1966
Buy on Amazon1966
8
Blind Man with a Pistol / Hot Day, Hot Night
Latest in the series · book 8 of 8 · published 1969
Buy on Amazon1969
1
If He Hollers Let Him Go
Series opener · book 1 of 11 · published 1945
Buy on Amazon1945
3
Cast the First Stone / Yesterday Will Make You Cry
Book 3 of 11 · published 1952
Buy on Amazon1952
4
Third Generation
Book 4 of 11 · published 1954
Buy on Amazon1954
5
The End of a Primitive
Book 5 of 11 · published 1956
Buy on Amazon1956
11
Yesterday Will Make You Cry
Latest in the series · book 11 of 11 · published 2025
Buy on Amazon2025
1
The Collected Stories of Chester Himes
Single-title series · published 1991
Buy on Amazon1991
1
My Life of Absurdity
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 1990
Buy on Amazon1990
2
The Quality of Hurt
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 1997
Buy on Amazon1997
1
San Francisco Noir
Series opener · book 1 of 121 · published 2002
Buy on Amazon2002
6
Brooklyn Noir 2
Book 6 of 121 · published 2005
Buy on Amazon2005
9
Manhattan Noir
Book 9 of 121 · published 2006
Buy on Amazon2006
12
Baltimore Noir
Book 12 of 121 · published 2006
Buy on Amazon2006
13
Twin Cities Noir
Book 13 of 121 · published 2006
Buy on Amazon2006
15
New Orleans Noir
Book 15 of 121 · published 2007
Buy on Amazon2007
16
Los Angeles Noir
Book 16 of 121 · published 2007
Buy on Amazon2007
17
Wall Street Noir
Book 17 of 121 · published 2007
Buy on Amazon2007
19
Detroit Noir
Book 19 of 121 · published 2007
Buy on Amazon2007
21
Brooklyn Noir 3: Nothing But the Truth
Book 21 of 121 · published 2008
Buy on Amazon2008
22
Toronto Noir
Book 22 of 121 · published 2008
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23
Las Vegas Noir
Book 23 of 121 · published 2008
Buy on Amazon2008
24
Trinidad Noir
Book 24 of 121 · published 2008
Buy on Amazon2008
26
Manhattan Noir 2
Book 26 of 121 · published 2008
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28
Istanbul Noir
Book 28 of 121 · published 2008
Buy on Amazon2008
31
San Francisco Noir 2
Book 31 of 121 · published 2009
Buy on Amazon2009
32
Portland Noir
Book 32 of 121 · published 2009
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34
Phoenix Noir
Book 34 of 121 · published 2009
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35
Los Angeles Noir 2
Book 35 of 121 · published 2010
Buy on Amazon2010
36
Mexico City Noir
Book 36 of 121 · published 2010
Buy on Amazon2010
37
Richmond Noir
Book 37 of 121 · published 2010
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38
Orange County Noir
Book 38 of 121 · published 2010
Buy on Amazon2010
39
Indian Country Noir
Book 39 of 121 · published 2010
Buy on Amazon2010
41
Lone Star Noir
Book 41 of 121 · published 2010
Buy on Amazon2010
42
Philadelphia Noir
Book 42 of 121 · published 2010
Buy on Amazon2010
44
Copenhagen Noir
Book 44 of 121 · published 2010
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45
Pittsburgh Noir
Book 45 of 121 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
46
San Diego Noir
Book 46 of 121 · published 2011
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47
Barcelona Noir
Book 47 of 121 · published 2011
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48
Cape Cod Noir
Book 48 of 121 · published 2011
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49
New Jersey Noir
Book 49 of 121 · published 2011
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50
Staten Island Noir
Book 50 of 121 · published 2012
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52
Long Island Noir
Book 52 of 121 · published 2012
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54
Kingston Noir
Book 54 of 121 · published 2012
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55
St. Petersburg Noir
Book 55 of 121 · published 2012
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56
Kansas City Noir
Book 56 of 121 · published 2012
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57
Boston Noir 2
Book 57 of 121 · published 2012
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60
Buffalo Noir
Book 60 of 121 · published 2013
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62
Haiti Noir 2
Book 62 of 121 · published 2013
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63
Singapore Noir
Book 63 of 121 · published 2014
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65
Tel Aviv Noir
Book 65 of 121 · published 2014
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67
Belfast Noir
Book 67 of 121 · published 2014
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68
Helsinki Noir
Book 68 of 121 · published 2014
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70
Providence Noir
Book 70 of 121 · published 2015
Buy on Amazon2015
71
Chicago Noir: The Classics
Book 71 of 121 · published 2015
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72
Memphis Noir
Book 72 of 121 · published 2015
Buy on Amazon2015
74
Marseille Noir
Book 74 of 121 · published 2015
Buy on Amazon2015
76
New Orleans Noir: The Classics
Book 76 of 121 · published 2016
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77
Stockholm Noir
Book 77 of 121 · published 2016
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78
Brussels Noir
Book 78 of 121 · published 2016
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79
Mississippi Noir
Book 79 of 121 · published 2016
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80
St. Louis Noir
Book 80 of 121 · published 2016
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82
San Juan Noir
Book 82 of 121 · published 2016
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83
Oakland Noir
Book 83 of 121 · published 2017
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84
Trinidad Noir: The Classics
Book 84 of 121 · published 2017
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85
Atlanta Noir
Book 85 of 121 · published 2017
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86
New Haven Noir
Book 86 of 121 · published 2017
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87
Montana Noir
Book 87 of 121 · published 2017
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88
Buenos Aires Noir
Book 88 of 121 · published 2017
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89
Montreal Noir
Book 89 of 121 · published 2017
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91
São Paulo Noir
Book 91 of 121 · published 2018
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92
Santa Cruz Noir
Book 92 of 121 · published 2018
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94
Marrakech Noir
Book 94 of 121 · published 2018
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95
Baghdad Noir
Book 95 of 121 · published 2018
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96
Vancouver Noir
Book 96 of 121 · published 2018
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98
Hong Kong Noir
Book 98 of 121 · published 2018
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99
Amsterdam Noir
Book 99 of 121 · published 2019
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100
Milwaukee Noir
Book 100 of 121 · published 2019
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101
Houston Noir
Book 101 of 121 · published 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
102
Nairobi Noir
Book 102 of 121 · published 2020
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103
Columbus Noir
Book 103 of 121 · published 2020
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104
Santa Fe Noir
Book 104 of 121 · published 2020
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105
Alabama Noir
Book 105 of 121 · published 2020
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106
Berkeley Noir
Book 106 of 121 · published 2020
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107
Addis Ababa Noir
Book 107 of 121 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
108
Tampa Bay Noir
Book 108 of 121 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
109
Miami Noir: The Classics
Book 109 of 121 · published 2020
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110
Accra Noir
Book 110 of 121 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
111
Belgrade Noir
Book 111 of 121 · published 2020
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112
Palm Springs Noir
Book 112 of 121 · published 2021
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113
Paris Noir: The Suburbs
Book 113 of 121 · published 2022
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114
Denver Noir
Book 114 of 121 · published 2022
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115
South Central Noir
Book 115 of 121 · published 2022
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116
Cleveland Noir
Book 116 of 121 · published 2023
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117
East Jerusalem Noir
Book 117 of 121 · published 2023
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118
West Jerusalem Noir
Book 118 of 121 · published 2023
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119
Honolulu Noir
Book 119 of 121 · published 2024
Buy on Amazon2024
120
Sacramento Noir
Book 120 of 121 · published 2025
Buy on Amazon2025
121
Hamburg Noir
Latest in the series · book 121 of 121 · published 2025
Buy on Amazon2025
1
Conversations with Jorge Luis Borges
Series opener · book 1 of 97 · published 1969
Buy on Amazon1969
2
Conversations with Czeslaw Milosz
Book 2 of 97 · published 1981
Buy on Amazon1981
3
Conversations with Graham Greene
Book 3 of 97 · published 1983
Buy on Amazon1983
4
Conversations with Eudora Welty
Book 4 of 97 · published 1985
Buy on Amazon1985
5
Conversations with Walker Percy
Book 5 of 97 · published 1985
Buy on Amazon1985
6
Conversations With Isaac Bashevis Singer
Book 6 of 97 · published 1985
Buy on Amazon1985
7
Conversations with William Styron
Book 7 of 97 · published 1985
Buy on Amazon1985
8
Conversations with Malcolm Cowley
Book 8 of 97 · published 1986
Buy on Amazon1986
9
Conversations with Lillian Hellman
Book 9 of 97 · published 1986
Buy on Amazon1986
10
Conversations with Tennessee Williams
Book 10 of 97 · published 1986
Buy on Amazon1986
11
Conversations with Ernest Hemingway
Book 11 of 97 · published 1986
Buy on Amazon1986
12
Conversations with Katherine Anne Porter
Book 12 of 97 · published 1987
Buy on Amazon1987
13
Truman Capote: Conversations
Book 13 of 97 · published 1987
Buy on Amazon1987
14
Conversations with Flannery O'Connor
Book 14 of 97 · published 1987
Buy on Amazon1987
15
Conversations with Peter Taylor
Book 15 of 97 · published 1987
Buy on Amazon1987
16
Conversations with Arthur Miller
Book 16 of 97 · published 1987
Buy on Amazon1987
17
Conversations with Kurt Vonnegut
Book 17 of 97 · published 1988
Buy on Amazon1988
18
Conversations with Edward Albee
Book 18 of 97 · published 1988
Buy on Amazon1988
19
Conversations with Erskine Caldwell
Book 19 of 97 · published 1988
Buy on Amazon1988
20
Conversations with Norman Mailer
Book 20 of 97 · published 1988
Buy on Amazon1988
21
Conversations with Robert Graves
Book 21 of 97 · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
22
Conversations with Joyce Carol Oates
Book 22 of 97 · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
23
Conversations with Shelby Foote
Book 23 of 97 · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
24
Conversations with Robertson Davies
Book 24 of 97 · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
25
Conversations with James Baldwin
Book 25 of 97 · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
26
Conversations with John Gardner
Book 26 of 97 · published 1990
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27
Conversations with Richard Wilbur
Book 27 of 97 · published 1990
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28
Conversations with Tom Wolfe
Book 28 of 97 · published 1990
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29
Conversations with Raymond Carver
Book 29 of 97 · published 1990
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30
Conversations with Eugene O'Neill
Book 30 of 97 · published 1990
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31
Conversations with Reynolds Price
Book 31 of 97 · published 1991
Buy on Amazon1991
32
Conversations with Bernard Malamud
Book 32 of 97 · published 1991
Buy on Amazon1991
33
Conversations with Elizabeth Spencer
Book 33 of 97 · published 1991
Buy on Amazon1991
34
Conversations with Nikki Giovanni
Book 34 of 97 · published 1992
Buy on Amazon1992
35
Conversations With Thornton Wilder
Book 35 of 97 · published 1992
Buy on Amazon1992
36
Conversations with Robert Coles
Book 36 of 97 · published 1992
Buy on Amazon1992
37
Conversations with M. F. K. Fisher
Book 37 of 97 · published 1992
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38
More Conversations with Walker Percy
Book 38 of 97 · published 1993
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39
Conversations with Richard Wright
Book 39 of 97 · published 1993
Buy on Amazon1993
40
Conversations with Paul Bowles
Book 40 of 97 · published 1993
Buy on Amazon1993
41
Conversations with Louise Erdrich and Michael Dorris
Book 41 of 97 · published 1994
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42
Conversations with Amiri Baraka
Book 42 of 97 · published 1994
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43
Conversations with Toni Morrison
Book 43 of 97 · published 1994
Buy on Amazon1994
44
Conversations with Saul Bellow
Book 44 of 97 · published 1994
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45
Conversations with Henry Miller
Book 45 of 97 · published 1994
Buy on Amazon1994
46
Conversations With S.J. Perelman
Book 46 of 97 · published 1995
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47
Conversations with Ernest Gaines
Book 47 of 97 · published 1995
Buy on Amazon1995
48
Conversations with Ralph Ellison
Book 48 of 97 · published 1995
Buy on Amazon1995
49
Conversations with Chester Himes
Book 49 of 97 · published 1995
Buy on Amazon1995
50
Conversations with Susan Sontag
Book 50 of 97 · published 1995
Buy on Amazon1995
51
Conversations with Ishmael Reed
Book 51 of 97 · published 1995
Buy on Amazon1995
52
Conversations with Derek Walcott
Book 52 of 97 · published 1996
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53
More Conversations with Eudora Welty
Book 53 of 97 · published 1996
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54
Conversations with Elizabeth Bishop
Book 54 of 97 · published 1996
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55
Conversations with Pauline Kael
Book 55 of 97 · published 1996
Buy on Amazon1996
56
Conversations with V. S. Naipaul
Book 56 of 97 · published 1997
Buy on Amazon1997
57
Conversations with N. Scott Momaday
Book 57 of 97 · published 1997
Buy on Amazon1997
58
Conversations with Chinua Achebe
Book 58 of 97 · published 1997
Buy on Amazon1997
59
Conversations with Maxine Hong Kingston
Book 59 of 97 · published 1998
Buy on Amazon1998
60
Conversations with Denise Levertov
Book 60 of 97 · published 1998
Buy on Amazon1998
61
Conversations With William Faulkner
Book 61 of 97 · published 1999
Buy on Amazon1999
62
Conversations with E. L. Doctorow
Book 62 of 97 · published 1999
Buy on Amazon1999
63
Conversations With John Fowles
Book 63 of 97 · published 1999
Buy on Amazon1999
64
Conversations with Salman Rushdie
Book 64 of 97 · published 2000
Buy on Amazon2000
65
Conversations with William S. Burroughs
Book 65 of 97 · published 2000
Buy on Amazon2000
66
Conversations with Leslie Marmon Silko
Book 66 of 97 · published 2000
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67
Conversations with Chaim Potok
Book 67 of 97 · published 2001
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68
Conversations with Richard Ford
Book 68 of 97 · published 2001
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69
Conversations with Christopher Isherwood
Book 69 of 97 · published 2001
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70
Conversations with Mary Gordon
Book 70 of 97 · published 2002
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71
Conversations with Jim Harrison
Book 71 of 97 · published 2002
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72
Conversations with Clarence Major
Book 72 of 97 · published 2002
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73
Conversations with Margaret Walker
Book 73 of 97 · published 2002
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74
Conversations with Erica Jong
Book 74 of 97 · published 2002
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75
Elie Wiesel: Conversations
Book 75 of 97 · published 2002
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76
Joseph Brodsky: Conversations
Book 76 of 97 · published 2003
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77
Conversations with Rita Dove
Book 77 of 97 · published 2003
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78
Conversations with F. Scott Fitzgerald
Book 78 of 97 · published 2003
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79
Conversations with Gwendolyn Brooks
Book 79 of 97 · published 2003
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80
Conversations with Stanley Kaufmann
Book 80 of 97 · published 2003
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81
Conversations with Gloria Naylor
Book 81 of 97 · published 2004
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82
Conversations with Audre Lorde
Book 82 of 97 · published 2004
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83
Conversations with Ray Bradbury
Book 83 of 97 · published 2004
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84
Conversations With John le Carré
Book 84 of 97 · published 2004
Buy on Amazon2004
85
Conversations with Isaac Asimov
Book 85 of 97 · published 2005
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86
Conversations with Don DeLillo
Book 86 of 97 · published 2005
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87
Conversations with Gore Vidal
Book 87 of 97 · published 2005
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88
Conversations with Robert Penn Warren
Book 88 of 97 · published 2005
Buy on Amazon2005
89
Conversations with Jack Kerouac
Book 89 of 97 · published 2005
Buy on Amazon2005
90
Conversations with Gabriel García Márquez
Book 90 of 97 · published 2005
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91
Conversations with Thomas McGuane
Book 91 of 97 · published 2006
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92
Conversations with Larry Brown
Book 92 of 97 · published 2007
Buy on Amazon2007
93
Conversations with Sonia Sanchez
Book 93 of 97 · published 2007
Buy on Amazon2007
94
Conversations with Wendell Berry
Book 94 of 97 · published 2007
Buy on Amazon2007
95
Conversations with Leon Forrest
Book 95 of 97 · published 2007
Buy on Amazon2007
96
Conversations with Kazuo Ishiguro
Book 96 of 97 · published 2008
Buy on Amazon2008
97
Conversations with Jimmy Carter
Latest in the series · book 97 of 97 · published 2023
Buy on Amazon2023
1
The Olympia Reader: An Anthology of Erotic & Literary Classics
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 1965
Buy on Amazon1965
2
City Sleuths and Tough Guys
Book 2 of 3 · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
3
Writing Los Angeles
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2002
Buy on Amazon2002
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Chester Himes?
Chester Himes was an American bestselling author of mystery, thriller, and literary fiction author. The author was born into a well-educated middle-class family in Jefferson Missouri in 1909. He grew up in a family that had a passion for writing and books and hence he read a lot as a child.
Which Chester Himes series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones series, the earliest of Chester Himes's multi-book series: it opens with For Love of Imabelle / A Rage in Harlem (1957) and runs to 8 books across 1957–1969, ending with Blind Man with a Pistol / Hot Day, Hot Night (1969).
How many books has Chester Himes written?
Chester Himes has 243 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1945 and 2025. 226 of them belong to 3 named series — the largest being the Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones series with 8 books — and 17 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Chester Himes's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Chester Himes's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones (1957–1969, 8 books).
How are Chester Himes's books organised into series?
This guide splits Chester Himes's 243 books into 3 named series and 17 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones (8 books, 1957–1969); Akashic Noir (121 books, 2002–2025); Literary Conversations (97 books, 1969–2023).
