🎯 Where Should I Start?
Best Starting Point
Publication Order of Phil Crawford Books
Start with: Backstage Love (1959)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Parker Books
Start with: Payback / Point Blank / The Hunter (1962)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Mitch Tobin Books
Start with: Kinds of Love, Kinds of Death (1966)
ⓘ About Donald E. Westlake
Donald Edwin Westlake was a noteworthy American author of the science fiction and crime genre. Being born in the year 1933, Westlake died in the year 2008 at the age of 75 after writing hundreds of novels and nonfiction books. Although the crime and science fiction genres were his specialty, he used to write in other genres as well. Westlake has been awarded the Edgar Award three times in his career. He was also one of the three writers to have won this award in three different categories. He was also bestowed with the highest honor of a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in the year 1993. Donald Westalke was born in the Brooklyn, New York and was raised in Albany. He was very fond of writing as a teenager and used to pen down anything that would come to his mind.
All Book Series by Donald E. Westlake
1
Backstage Love
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 1959
Buy on Amazon1959
2
What Girls Will Do
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 1962
Buy on Amazon1962
1
Payback / Point Blank / The Hunter
Series opener · book 1 of 24 · published 1962
Buy on Amazon1962
2
The Steel Hit / The Man With The Getaway Face
Book 2 of 24 · published 1963
Buy on Amazon1963
5
The Score / Killtown
Book 5 of 24 · published 1963
Buy on Amazon1963
7
The Seventh / The Split
Book 7 of 24 · published 1966
Buy on Amazon1966
8
The Handle / Run Lethal
Book 8 of 24 · published 1966
Buy on Amazon1966
9
The Rare Coin Score
Book 9 of 24 · published 1967
Buy on Amazon1967
10
The Green Eagle Score
Book 10 of 24 · published 1967
Buy on Amazon1967
11
The Black Ice Score
Book 11 of 24 · published 1968
Buy on Amazon1968
12
The Sour Lemon Score
Book 12 of 24 · published 1969
Buy on Amazon1969
15
Plunder Squad
Book 15 of 24 · published 1972
Buy on Amazon1972
16
Butcher's Moon
Book 16 of 24 · published 1974
Buy on Amazon1974
19
Flashfire / Parker
Book 19 of 24 · published 2000
Buy on Amazon2000
22
Nobody Runs Forever
Book 22 of 24 · published 2004
Buy on Amazon2004
23
Ask The Parrot
Book 23 of 24 · published 2006
Buy on Amazon2006
24
Dirty Money
Latest in the series · book 24 of 24 · published 2008
Buy on Amazon2008
1
Kinds of Love, Kinds of Death
Series opener · book 1 of 5 · published 1966
Buy on Amazon1966
2
Murder Among Children
Book 2 of 5 · published 1967
Buy on Amazon1967
5
Don't Lie To Me
Latest in the series · book 5 of 5 · published 1972
Buy on Amazon1972
1
The Damsel
Series opener · book 1 of 4 · published 1967
Buy on Amazon1967
4
Lemons Never Lie
Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 1971
Buy on Amazon1971
1
The Hot Rock
Series opener · book 1 of 15 · published 1970
Buy on Amazon1970
4
Nobody's Perfect
Book 4 of 15 · published 1977
Buy on Amazon1977
9
What's The Worst That Could Happen?
Book 9 of 15 · published 1996
Buy on Amazon1996
11
The Road To Ruin
Book 11 of 15 · published 2004
Buy on Amazon2004
12
Thieves' Dozen
Book 12 of 15 · published 2004
Buy on Amazon2004
13
Watch Your Back!
Book 13 of 15 · published 2005
Buy on Amazon2005
14
What's So Funny?
Book 14 of 15 · published 2007
Buy on Amazon2007
15
Get Real
Latest in the series · book 15 of 15 · published 2009
Buy on Amazon2009
1
One Of Us Is Wrong
Series opener · book 1 of 4 · published 1986
Buy on Amazon1986
2
I Know A Trick Worth Two Of That
Book 2 of 4 · published 1986
Buy on Amazon1986
3
What I Tell You Three Times Is False
Book 3 of 4 · published 1987
Buy on Amazon1987
4
The Fourth Dimension Is Death
Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
1
Trust Me On This
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 1988
Buy on Amazon1988
2
Baby, Would I Lie?
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 1994
Buy on Amazon1994
1
Sally
Series opener · book 1 of 54 · published 1959
Buy on Amazon1959
4
So Willing
Book 4 of 54 · published 1960 Anthology · Alan Marshall,Sheldon Lord
Buy on Amazon1960
5
All about Annette
Book 5 of 54 · published 1960
Buy on Amazon1960
6
Virgin's Summer
Book 6 of 54 · published 1960
Buy on Amazon1960
7
The Wife Next Door
Book 7 of 54 · published 1960
Buy on Amazon1960
8
The Mercenaries / The Cutie
Book 8 of 54 · published 1960
Buy on Amazon1960
9
Passion's Playthings
Book 9 of 54 · published 1961
Buy on Amazon1961
10
Call Me Sinner
Book 10 of 54 · published 1961
Buy on Amazon1961
12
Brother and Sister
Book 12 of 54 · published 1961
Buy on Amazon1961
14
Young and Innocent
Book 14 of 54 · published 1961
Buy on Amazon1961
16
Strange affair.
Book 16 of 54 · published 1962
Buy on Amazon1962
18
Campus Lovers
Book 18 of 54 · published 1963
Buy on Amazon1963
19
Pity Him Afterwards
Book 19 of 54 · published 1964
Buy on Amazon1964
20
The Fugitive Pigeon
Book 20 of 54 · published 1965
Buy on Amazon1965
21
The Busy Body
Book 21 of 54 · published 1966
Buy on Amazon1966
22
Spy in the Ointment
Book 22 of 54 · published 1966
Buy on Amazon1966
23
God Save the Mark
Book 23 of 54 · published 1967
Buy on Amazon1967
26
Who stole Sassi Manoon?
Book 26 of 54 · published 1968
Buy on Amazon1968
27
Up Your Banners
Book 27 of 54 · published 1969
Buy on Amazon1969
28
Somebody Owes Me Money
Book 28 of 54 · published 1969
Buy on Amazon1969
29
Adios Scheherazade
Book 29 of 54 · published 1970
Buy on Amazon1970
30
Comfort Station
Book 30 of 54 · published 1970
Buy on Amazon1970
32
I Gave at the Office
Book 32 of 54 · published 1971
Buy on Amazon1971
33
Cops and Robbers
Book 33 of 54 · published 1972
Buy on Amazon1972
34
Gangway!
Book 34 of 54 · published 1973 Co-authored · Brian Garfield
Buy on Amazon1973
35
Help, I Am Being Held Prisoner
Book 35 of 54 · published 1974
Buy on Amazon1974
36
Brothers Keepers
Book 36 of 54 · published 1975
Buy on Amazon1975
38
Dancing Aztecs
Book 38 of 54 · published 1976
Buy on Amazon1976
39
Castle in the Air
Book 39 of 54 · published 1980
Buy on Amazon1980
41
A Likely Story
Book 41 of 54 · published 1984
Buy on Amazon1984
42
High Adventure
Book 42 of 54 · published 1985
Buy on Amazon1985
43
Sacred Monster
Book 43 of 54 · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
48
The Scared Stiff
Book 48 of 54 · published 2001
Buy on Amazon2001
49
Put a Lid on It
Book 49 of 54 · published 2002
Buy on Amazon2002
50
Money for Nothing
Book 50 of 54 · published 2003
Buy on Amazon2003
51
Memory / The Actor
Book 51 of 54 · published 2010
Buy on Amazon2010
52
The Comedy is Finished
Book 52 of 54 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
53
Forever and a Death
Book 53 of 54 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
54
Call Me a Cab
Latest in the series · book 54 of 54 · published 2022
Buy on Amazon2022
1
Too Many Crooks
Single-title series · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
1
Curious Facts Preceding My Execution
Series opener · book 1 of 9 · published 1968
Buy on Amazon1968
4
Transylvania Station
Book 4 of 9 · published 1987 Co-authored · Abby Westlake
Buy on Amazon1987
5
Tomorrow's Crimes
Book 5 of 9 · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
6
A Good Story and Other Stories
Book 6 of 9 · published 1999
Buy on Amazon1999
9
The Spy in the Elevator
Latest in the series · book 9 of 9 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
1
Under an English Heaven
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 1972
Buy on Amazon1972
2
The Getaway Car
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2014
Buy on Amazon2014
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
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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
Buy on Amazon2008
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
Buy on Amazon2008
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
Buy on Amazon2009
34
Phoenix Noir
Book 34 of 121 · published 2009
Buy on Amazon2009
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
Buy on Amazon2010
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
Buy on Amazon2010
45
Pittsburgh Noir
Book 45 of 121 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
46
San Diego Noir
Book 46 of 121 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
47
Barcelona Noir
Book 47 of 121 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
48
Cape Cod Noir
Book 48 of 121 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
49
New Jersey Noir
Book 49 of 121 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
50
Staten Island Noir
Book 50 of 121 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
52
Long Island Noir
Book 52 of 121 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
54
Kingston Noir
Book 54 of 121 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
55
St. Petersburg Noir
Book 55 of 121 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
56
Kansas City Noir
Book 56 of 121 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
57
Boston Noir 2
Book 57 of 121 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
60
Buffalo Noir
Book 60 of 121 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
62
Haiti Noir 2
Book 62 of 121 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
63
Singapore Noir
Book 63 of 121 · published 2014
Buy on Amazon2014
65
Tel Aviv Noir
Book 65 of 121 · published 2014
Buy on Amazon2014
67
Belfast Noir
Book 67 of 121 · published 2014
Buy on Amazon2014
68
Helsinki Noir
Book 68 of 121 · published 2014
Buy on Amazon2014
70
Providence Noir
Book 70 of 121 · published 2015
Buy on Amazon2015
71
Chicago Noir: The Classics
Book 71 of 121 · published 2015
Buy on Amazon2015
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
Buy on Amazon2016
77
Stockholm Noir
Book 77 of 121 · published 2016
Buy on Amazon2016
78
Brussels Noir
Book 78 of 121 · published 2016
Buy on Amazon2016
79
Mississippi Noir
Book 79 of 121 · published 2016
Buy on Amazon2016
80
St. Louis Noir
Book 80 of 121 · published 2016
Buy on Amazon2016
82
San Juan Noir
Book 82 of 121 · published 2016
Buy on Amazon2016
83
Oakland Noir
Book 83 of 121 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
84
Trinidad Noir: The Classics
Book 84 of 121 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
85
Atlanta Noir
Book 85 of 121 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
86
New Haven Noir
Book 86 of 121 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
87
Montana Noir
Book 87 of 121 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
88
Buenos Aires Noir
Book 88 of 121 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
89
Montreal Noir
Book 89 of 121 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
91
São Paulo Noir
Book 91 of 121 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
92
Santa Cruz Noir
Book 92 of 121 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
94
Marrakech Noir
Book 94 of 121 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
95
Baghdad Noir
Book 95 of 121 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
96
Vancouver Noir
Book 96 of 121 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
98
Hong Kong Noir
Book 98 of 121 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
99
Amsterdam Noir
Book 99 of 121 · published 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
100
Milwaukee Noir
Book 100 of 121 · published 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
101
Houston Noir
Book 101 of 121 · published 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
102
Nairobi Noir
Book 102 of 121 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
103
Columbus Noir
Book 103 of 121 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
104
Santa Fe Noir
Book 104 of 121 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
105
Alabama Noir
Book 105 of 121 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
106
Berkeley Noir
Book 106 of 121 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
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
Buy on Amazon2020
110
Accra Noir
Book 110 of 121 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
111
Belgrade Noir
Book 111 of 121 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
112
Palm Springs Noir
Book 112 of 121 · published 2021
Buy on Amazon2021
113
Paris Noir: The Suburbs
Book 113 of 121 · published 2022
Buy on Amazon2022
114
Denver Noir
Book 114 of 121 · published 2022
Buy on Amazon2022
115
South Central Noir
Book 115 of 121 · published 2022
Buy on Amazon2022
116
Cleveland Noir
Book 116 of 121 · published 2023
Buy on Amazon2023
117
East Jerusalem Noir
Book 117 of 121 · published 2023
Buy on Amazon2023
118
West Jerusalem Noir
Book 118 of 121 · published 2023
Buy on Amazon2023
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
Transgressions
Series opener · book 1 of 4 · published 2005 Co-authored · Stephen King,Lawrence Block,Anne Perry,Jeffery Deaver,Sharyn McCrumb,Ed McBain,Bonnie Jeanne Perry,Joyce Carol Oates,Walter Mosley,John Farris
Buy on Amazon2005
2
Transgressions, Vol. 2
Book 2 of 4 · published 2006 Anthology · Stephen King,Lawrence Block,Ed McBain,John Farris
Buy on Amazon2006
3
Transgressions, Vol. 3
Book 3 of 4 · published 2006 Co-authored · Anne Perry,Sharyn McCrumb,Ed McBain,John Farris
Buy on Amazon2006
4
Transgressions, Vol. 4
Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 2006 Anthology · Anne Perry,Sharyn McCrumb,Ed McBain
Buy on Amazon2006
1
The Hunter
Series opener · book 1 of 6 · published 2009
Buy on Amazon2009
3
The Man with the Getaway Face
Book 3 of 6 · published 2010
Buy on Amazon2010
4
Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition
Book 4 of 6 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
6
Slayground
Latest in the series · book 6 of 6 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
1
Simply The Best Mysteries, Edgar Award Winners And Front Runners
Series opener · book 1 of 13 · published 1970
Buy on Amazon1970
2
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow...
Book 2 of 13 · published 1974
Buy on Amazon1974
3
Tales to Send Chills Down Your Spine
Book 3 of 13 · published 1979
Buy on Amazon1979
4
Alfred Hitchcock's A Choice of Evils
Book 4 of 13 · published 1983
Buy on Amazon1983
6
Mystery for Halloween
Book 6 of 13 · published 1991
Buy on Amazon1991
7
Fifty Best Mysteries
Book 7 of 13 · published 1993
Buy on Amazon1993
8
Murderous Schemes
Book 8 of 13 · published 1996
Buy on Amazon1996
9
The Plot Thickens
Book 9 of 13 · published 1997
Buy on Amazon1997
10
The Mysterious Press Anniversary Anthology: Celebrating 25 Years
Book 10 of 13 · published 2001
Buy on Amazon2001
11
Transgressions
Book 11 of 13 · published 2005
Buy on Amazon2005
12
Price of Desire
Book 12 of 13 · published 2005
Buy on Amazon2005
13
Transgressions, Vol. 3
Latest in the series · book 13 of 13 · published 2006
Buy on Amazon2006
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Donald E. Westlake?
Donald Edwin Westlake was a noteworthy American author of the science fiction and crime genre. Being born in the year 1933, Westlake died in the year 2008 at the age of 75 after writing hundreds of novels and nonfiction books. Although the crime and science fiction genres were his specialty, he used to write in other genres as well.
Which Donald E. Westlake series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Parker series, the earliest of Donald E. Westlake's multi-book series: it opens with Payback / Point Blank / The Hunter (1962) and runs to 24 books across 1962–2008, ending with Dirty Money (2008). Donald E. Westlake's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Donald E. Westlake written?
Donald E. Westlake has 266 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1959 and 2025. 187 of them belong to 10 named series — the largest being the Parker series with 24 books — and 79 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Donald E. Westlake's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Donald E. Westlake's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Phil Crawford (1959–1962, 2 books), Parker (1962–2008, 24 books) and Mitch Tobin (1966–1972, 5 books), plus 5 more.
How are Donald E. Westlake's books organised into series?
This guide splits Donald E. Westlake's 266 books into 10 named series and 79 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Parker (24 books, 1962–2008); Dortmunder (15 books, 1970–2009); Parker Graphic Novels (6 books, 2009–2013); Mitch Tobin (5 books, 1966–1972); Alan Grofield (4 books, 1967–1971), plus 5 further series.
