🎯 Where Should I Start?
Best Starting Point
Publication Order of Drury Lane Books
Start with: The Tragedy of X (1932)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Ellery Queen Detective Books
Start with: The Roman Hat Mystery (1929)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Books
Start with: The Black Dog Mystery (1941)
ⓘ About Ellery Queen
“Ellery Queen” is a pseudonym that was created by two cousins, Frederic Dannay and Manfred Lee. The fictional detective is popularly known as the American Whodunit celebrity, competing with Nero Wolfe. Frederic Dannay was born in 1905 and died in 1982, while Manfred was born in 1905 and died in 1971. The cousins are the authors of over 35 detective novels featuring Ellery Queen. The two cousins wrote many books, hundreds of audio scripts and dozens of television movies. In most books, the author is featured as an amateur sleuth who shares an apartment with his father, Inspector Richard Queen, who is a member of the New York Homicide Squad. In some of the movies and television, Ellery Queen stories did not always capture the original concept of the author.
All Book Series by Ellery Queen
1
The Tragedy of X
Series opener · book 1 of 4 · published 1932
Buy on Amazon1932
2
The Tragedy of Y
Book 2 of 4 · published 1932
Buy on Amazon1932
3
The Tragedy of Z
Book 3 of 4 · published 1933
Buy on Amazon1933
4
Drury Lane's Last Case
Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 1933
Buy on Amazon1933
1
The Roman Hat Mystery
Series opener · book 1 of 55 · published 1929
Buy on Amazon1929
2
The French Powder Mystery
Book 2 of 55 · published 1930
Buy on Amazon1930
3
The Dutch Shoe Mystery
Book 3 of 55 · published 1931
Buy on Amazon1931
4
The Greek Coffin Mystery
Book 4 of 55 · published 1932
Buy on Amazon1932
5
The Egyptian Cross Mystery
Book 5 of 55 · published 1932
Buy on Amazon1932
6
The American Gun Mystery / Death at the Rodeo
Book 6 of 55 · published 1933
Buy on Amazon1933
7
The Siamese Twin Mystery
Book 7 of 55 · published 1933
Buy on Amazon1933
8
The Chinese Orange Mystery
Book 8 of 55 · published 1934
Buy on Amazon1934
9
The Lamp of God
Book 9 of 55 · published 1935
Buy on Amazon1935
10
The Spanish Cape Mystery
Book 10 of 55 · published 1935
Buy on Amazon1935
11
Halfway House
Book 11 of 55 · published 1936
Buy on Amazon1936
12
The Door Between
Book 12 of 55 · published 1936
Buy on Amazon1936
13
The Four of Hearts
Book 13 of 55 · published 1938
Buy on Amazon1938
14
The Devil to Pay
Book 14 of 55 · published 1938
Buy on Amazon1938
15
The Dragon's Teeth / The Virgin Heiresses
Book 15 of 55 · published 1939
Buy on Amazon1939
16
The Penthouse Mystery
Book 16 of 55 · published 1941
Buy on Amazon1941
17
Calamity Town
Book 17 of 55 · published 1942
Buy on Amazon1942
18
The Perfect Crime
Book 18 of 55 · published 1942
Buy on Amazon1942
19
There Was an Old Woman / The Quick and the Dead
Book 19 of 55 · published 1943
Buy on Amazon1943
20
The Murderer is a Fox
Book 20 of 55 · published 1945
Buy on Amazon1945
21
Ten Days' Wonder
Book 21 of 55 · published 1948
Buy on Amazon1948
22
Cat of Many Tails
Book 22 of 55 · published 1949
Buy on Amazon1949
23
Double, Double / The Case of the Seven Murders
Book 23 of 55 · published 1950
Buy on Amazon1950
24
The Origin of Evil
Book 24 of 55 · published 1951
Buy on Amazon1951
25
The King is Dead
Book 25 of 55 · published 1952
Buy on Amazon1952
26
The Golden Summer
Book 26 of 55 · published 1953
Buy on Amazon1953
27
The Scarlet Letters
Book 27 of 55 · published 1953
Buy on Amazon1953
28
The Glass Village
Book 28 of 55 · published 1954
Buy on Amazon1954
29
Inspector Queen's Own Case
Book 29 of 55 · published 1957
Buy on Amazon1957
30
The Finishing Stroke
Book 30 of 55 · published 1958
Buy on Amazon1958
32
Dead Man's Tale
Book 32 of 55 · published 1961
Buy on Amazon1961
33
Death Spins the Platter
Book 33 of 55 · published 1962
Buy on Amazon1962
34
The Player On Other Side
Book 34 of 55 · published 1963
Buy on Amazon1963
35
Kill as Directed
Book 35 of 55 · published 1963
Buy on Amazon1963
36
Murder with a Past
Book 36 of 55 · published 1963
Buy on Amazon1963
37
And on the Eighth Day
Book 37 of 55 · published 1964
Buy on Amazon1964
38
Four Men Called John
Book 38 of 55 · published 1964
Buy on Amazon1964
39
Ellery Queen's Lethal Black Book
Book 39 of 55 · published 1965
Buy on Amazon1965
40
The Fourth Side of the Triangle
Book 40 of 55 · published 1965
Buy on Amazon1965
41
A Study in Terror
Book 41 of 55 · published 1966
Buy on Amazon1966
42
Losers, weepers
Book 42 of 55 · published 1966
Buy on Amazon1966
43
Shoot The Scene
Book 43 of 55 · published 1966
Buy on Amazon1966
44
The Madman Theory
Book 44 of 55 · published 1966
Buy on Amazon1966
46
The House of Brass
Book 46 of 55 · published 1968
Buy on Amazon1968
47
Q.E.D. Queen's Experiments in Detection
Book 47 of 55 · published 1968
Buy on Amazon1968
48
House of Brass
Book 48 of 55 · published 1968
Buy on Amazon1968
49
The Devil's Cook
Book 49 of 55 · published 1968
Buy on Amazon1968
51
The Last Woman in His Life
Book 51 of 55 · published 1970
Buy on Amazon1970
52
Ellery Queen's Poetic Justice
Book 52 of 55 · published 1970
Buy on Amazon1970
53
A Fine and Private Place
Book 53 of 55 · published 1971
Buy on Amazon1971
54
Blow Hot Blow Cold
Book 54 of 55 · published 1974
Buy on Amazon1974
55
Ellery Queen, Master Detective
Latest in the series · book 55 of 55 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
1
The Black Dog Mystery
Series opener · book 1 of 11 · published 1941
Buy on Amazon1941
2
The Green Turtle Mystery
Book 2 of 11 · published 1944
Buy on Amazon1944
3
The Red Chipmunk Mystery
Book 3 of 11 · published 1946
Buy on Amazon1946
4
The Brown Fox Mystery
Book 4 of 11 · published 1948
Buy on Amazon1948
5
The Golden Eagle Mystery
Book 5 of 11 · published 1948
Buy on Amazon1948
6
The White Elephant Mystery
Book 6 of 11 · published 1950
Buy on Amazon1950
7
The Yellow Cat Mystery
Book 7 of 11 · published 1952
Buy on Amazon1952
8
The Mystery of the Vanished Victim
Book 8 of 11 · published 1954
Buy on Amazon1954
9
The Mystery of the Merry Magician
Book 9 of 11 · published 1954
Buy on Amazon1954
10
The Blue Herring Mystery
Book 10 of 11 · published 1954
Buy on Amazon1954
11
The Purple Bird Mystery
Latest in the series · book 11 of 11 · published 1965
Buy on Amazon1965
1
Where Is Bianca?
Series opener · book 1 of 7 · published 1966
Buy on Amazon1966
2
How Goes the Murder?
Book 2 of 7 · published 1966
Buy on Amazon1966
3
Who Spies, Who Kills?
Book 3 of 7 · published 1966
Buy on Amazon1966
5
Which Way to Die?
Book 5 of 7 · published 1967
Buy on Amazon1967
6
Guess Who's Coming to Kill You?
Book 6 of 7 · published 1968
Buy on Amazon1968
7
What's in the Dark?
Latest in the series · book 7 of 7 · published 1969
Buy on Amazon1969
1
The Campus Murders
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 1969
Buy on Amazon1969
2
The Black Hearts Murder
Book 2 of 3 · published 1970
Buy on Amazon1970
3
The Blue Movie Murders
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 1973
Buy on Amazon1973
1
Masterpieces of Mystery
Single-title series · published 1976
Buy on Amazon1976
1
Player on the Other Side
Series opener · book 1 of 14 · published 1963
Buy on Amazon1963
3
The Last Score
Book 3 of 14 · published 1964 Co-authored · Charles W. Runyon
Buy on Amazon1964
4
The Killer Touch
Book 4 of 14 · published 1965 Co-authored · Charles W. Runyon
Buy on Amazon1965
5
Beware the Young Stranger
Book 5 of 14 · published 1965
Buy on Amazon1965
6
The Copper Frame
Book 6 of 14 · published 1965
Buy on Amazon1965
7
A Room To Die In
Book 7 of 14 · published 1965
Buy on Amazon1965
8
Penthouse Mystery, The
Book 8 of 14 · published 1968
Buy on Amazon1968
9
The Most Wanted Man In The World
Book 9 of 14 · published 1968
Buy on Amazon1968
10
Kiss and Kill
Book 10 of 14 · published 1969 Co-authored · Charles W. Runyon
Buy on Amazon1969
11
When Fell The Night
Book 11 of 14 · published 1970
Buy on Amazon1970
13
Eyes of Mystery
Book 13 of 14 · published 1981
Buy on Amazon1981
14
House of Darkness
Latest in the series · book 14 of 14 · published 2010
Buy on Amazon2010
1
The New Adventures of Ellery Queen
Series opener · book 1 of 10 · published 1939
Buy on Amazon1939
2
The Adventures of Ellery Queen
Book 2 of 10 · published 1941
Buy on Amazon1941
3
Calendar of Crime
Book 3 of 10 · published 1952
Buy on Amazon1952
4
QBI: Queen's Bureau of Investigation
Book 4 of 10 · published 1965
Buy on Amazon1965
5
QED: Queen's Experiments in Detection
Book 5 of 10 · published 1968
Buy on Amazon1968
6
Kindly Dig Your Grave and Other Wicked Stories
Book 6 of 10 · published 1977
Buy on Amazon1977
7
The Tragedy of Errors and Others
Book 7 of 10 · published 1999
Buy on Amazon1999
8
The Adventure of the Murdered Moths and Other Radio Mysteries
Book 8 of 10 · published 2004
Buy on Amazon2004
9
The Adventures of the Murdered Moths
Book 9 of 10 · published 2004
Buy on Amazon2004
10
The Adventures of the Puzzle Club
Latest in the series · book 10 of 10 · published 2022 Co-authored · Josh Pachter
Buy on Amazon2022
1
Ellery Queen's Crime Carousel
Series opener · book 1 of 43 · published 1960
Buy on Amazon1960
2
Ellery Queen's 16th Mystery Annual
Book 2 of 43 · published 1961 Anthology · Henry Slesar
Buy on Amazon1961
3
To Be Read Before Midnight
Book 3 of 43 · published 1962
Buy on Amazon1962
4
Ellery Queen All Stars
Book 4 of 43 · published 1967
Buy on Amazon1967
5
Ellery Queen's Mystery Parade
Book 5 of 43 · published 1968
Buy on Amazon1968
6
Ellery Queen's Mini Mysteries
Book 6 of 43 · published 1969
Buy on Amazon1969
7
Ellery Queen's Mystery Bag
Book 7 of 43 · published 1972
Buy on Amazon1972
8
Ellery Queen's Best Bets
Book 8 of 43 · published 1972
Buy on Amazon1972
9
Ellery Queen's Crookbook
Book 9 of 43 · published 1974
Buy on Amazon1974
10
Ellery Queen's Book Of Mystery Stories
Book 10 of 43 · published 1974
Buy on Amazon1974
11
Ellery Queen's Murdercade
Book 11 of 43 · published 1975
Buy on Amazon1975
12
Ellery Queen's Crime Wave
Book 12 of 43 · published 1976
Buy on Amazon1976
13
Ellery Queen's Giants of Mystery
Book 13 of 43 · published 1976
Buy on Amazon1976
14
Ellery Queen's Magicians Of Mystery
Book 14 of 43 · published 1976
Buy on Amazon1976
15
Ellery Queen's Circumstantial Evidence
Book 15 of 43 · published 1977
Buy on Amazon1977
16
X Marks the Plot
Book 16 of 43 · published 1977
Buy on Amazon1977
17
Ellery Queen's Crimes and Consequences
Book 17 of 43 · published 1977
Buy on Amazon1977
18
Ellery Queen's International Case Book
Book 18 of 43 · published 1977
Buy on Amazon1977
19
Ellery Queen's Cops And Capers
Book 19 of 43 · published 1977
Buy on Amazon1977
20
Ellery Queen's Japanese Golden Dozen
Book 20 of 43 · published 1978
Buy on Amazon1978
21
Ellery Queen's a Multitude of Sins
Book 21 of 43 · published 1978
Buy on Amazon1978
22
Ellery Queen's The Golden 13
Book 22 of 43 · published 1980
Buy on Amazon1980
23
Ellery Queen's Crime Cruise Round the World
Book 23 of 43 · published 1981 Anthology · T. M. Adams
Buy on Amazon1981
24
Ellery Queen's Veils of Mystery
Book 24 of 43 · published 1981
Buy on Amazon1981
25
Ellery Queen's Doors to Mystery
Book 25 of 43 · published 1981
Buy on Amazon1981
26
Ellery Queen's Maze Of Mysteries
Book 26 of 43 · published 1982
Buy on Amazon1982
27
Ellery Queen's Eyewitnesses
Book 27 of 43 · published 1982
Buy on Amazon1982
28
Ellery Queen's Book of First Appearances
Book 28 of 43 · published 1982
Buy on Amazon1982
29
Ellery Queen's Prime Crimes
Book 29 of 43 · published 1984
Buy on Amazon1984
30
Ellery Queen's Crimes and Punishments
Book 30 of 43 · published 1984
Buy on Amazon1984
31
Ellery Queen's Prime Crimes Two
Book 31 of 43 · published 1985
Buy on Amazon1985
32
Ellery Queen's Champions Of Mystery
Book 32 of 43 · published 1987
Buy on Amazon1987
33
Ellery Queen's Masks of Mystery
Book 33 of 43 · published 1988
Buy on Amazon1988
34
Ellery Queen's Crime Cruise Round the World
Book 34 of 43 · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
35
Ellery Queen's More Lost Ladies and Lost Men
Book 35 of 43 · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
36
Ellerys Queen's Masters of Mystery
Book 36 of 43 · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
37
Ellery Queen's Screen Favourites
Book 37 of 43 · published 1991
Buy on Amazon1991
38
Ellery Queen's More Eyewitnesses
Book 38 of 43 · published 1992
Buy on Amazon1992
39
Ellery Queen's Edgar Award Winners
Book 39 of 43 · published 1992
Buy on Amazon1992
40
Ellery Queen's Faces of Mystery
Book 40 of 43 · published 1992
Buy on Amazon1992
41
Ellery Queen's Other Faces of Mystery
Book 41 of 43 · published 1994
Buy on Amazon1994
42
Ellery Queen's Windows Of Mystery
Book 42 of 43 · published 1994
Buy on Amazon1994
43
Ellery Queen's Searches and Seizures
Latest in the series · book 43 of 43 · published 1995
Buy on Amazon1995
1
Fifty Famous Detectives of Fiction
Series opener · book 1 of 21 · published 1948
Buy on Amazon1948
2
20 Great Tales of Murder
Book 2 of 21 · published 1952
Buy on Amazon1952
3
Nero Wolfe Mystery Magazine Volume 1 Number 1, January 1954
Book 3 of 21 · published 1954
Buy on Amazon1954
4
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine July 1958
Book 4 of 21 · published 1958
Buy on Amazon1958
5
The Locked Room Reader: Stories of Impossible Crimes and Escapes
Book 5 of 21 · published 1968
Buy on Amazon1968
6
Daring Detectives
Book 6 of 21 · published 1969
Buy on Amazon1969
8
Space Suits & Gumshoes
Book 8 of 21 · published 1972
Buy on Amazon1972
9
Chapter and Hearse
Book 9 of 21 · published 1985
Buy on Amazon1985
11
Wickedest Show on Earth
Book 11 of 21 · published 1985
Buy on Amazon1985
12
Handle with Care: Frightening Stories
Book 12 of 21 · published 1985
Buy on Amazon1985
13
Murder for Christmas
Book 13 of 21 · published 1987
Buy on Amazon1987
14
Great Baseball Stories
Book 14 of 21 · published 1990
Buy on Amazon1990
15
Great Tales of Crime and Detection
Book 15 of 21 · published 1992
Buy on Amazon1992
16
Fifty Best Mysteries
Book 16 of 21 · published 1993
Buy on Amazon1993
17
The Oxford Book of American Detective Stories
Book 17 of 21 · published 1996
Buy on Amazon1996
18
The Oxford Book of Detective Stories
Book 18 of 21 · published 2000
Buy on Amazon2000
19
The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century
Book 19 of 21 · published 2000
Buy on Amazon2000
20
A Century of Great Suspense Stories
Book 20 of 21 · published 2001
Buy on Amazon2001
21
The Longman Anthology of Detective Fiction
Latest in the series · book 21 of 21 · published 2004
Buy on Amazon2004
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ellery Queen?
"Ellery Queen" is a pseudonym that was created by two cousins, Frederic Dannay and Manfred Lee. The fictional detective is popularly known as the American Whodunit celebrity, competing with Nero Wolfe. Frederic Dannay was born in 1905 and died in 1982, while Manfred was born in 1905 and died in 1971.
Which Ellery Queen series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Ellery Queen Detective series, the earliest of Ellery Queen's multi-book series: it opens with The Roman Hat Mystery (1929) and runs to 55 books across 1929–2020, ending with Ellery Queen, Master Detective (2020). Ellery Queen's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Ellery Queen written?
Ellery Queen has 169 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1929 and 2022. 124 of them belong to 7 named series — the largest being the Ellery Queen Detective series with 55 books — and 45 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Ellery Queen's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Ellery Queen's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Ellery Queen Detective (1929–2020, 55 books), Drury Lane (1932–1933, 4 books) and Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery (1941–1965, 11 books), plus 4 more.
How are Ellery Queen's books organised into series?
This guide splits Ellery Queen's 169 books into 7 named series and 45 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Ellery Queen Detective (55 books, 1929–2020); Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine Annual (43 books, 1960–1995); Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery (11 books, 1941–1965); Tim Corrigan (7 books, 1966–1969); Drury Lane (4 books, 1932–1933), plus 2 further series.
