🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Jess Walter
Jess Walter is a New York Times bestselling American author who has written around 8 books in his career. He is well known to write his novels based on a variety of genres, including the mystery, thriller, nonfiction, literature and fiction genres. His success as an international author can be understood from the fact that he was the finalist for the National Book Award in the year 2006 and winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award in the year 2005. Jess was also the finalist for the PEN and the USA Literary prize for his writing works based on fiction and nonfiction. He has been able to publish his work in more than 30 foreign languages and sell them all over the world.
All Book Series by Jess Walter
Before Her
Series opener · book 1 of 7 · published 2019 Anthology · Jacqueline Woodson
Speed Grieving
Latest in the series · book 7 of 7 · published 2019 Anthology · Allison Ellis
There's No Place Like Home
Book 4 of 7 · published 2018 Anthology · Edan Lepucki
The Hillside
Latest in the series · book 7 of 7 · published 2018 Anthology · Jane Smiley
The Angel of Rome: And Other Stories
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2022
In Contempt
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 1996 Co-authored · Christopher Darden
The Cocaine Chronicles
Series opener · book 1 of 5 · published 2005 Anthology · Lee Child,Laura Lippman,Gary Phillips,Ken Bruen,Jervey Tervalon,Bill Moody
The Heroin Chronicles
Book 3 of 5 · published 2013 Anthology · Jervey Tervalon,Lydia Lunch,Erin Moon,Nathan Larson,Antonia Crane,Jerry Stahl,Eric Bogosian,Ava Stander,John Albert,Michael Albo,Sophia Langdon,Tony O'Neill,L.Z. Hansen
The Marijuana Chronicles
Book 4 of 5 · published 2013 Anthology · Jonathan Santlofer
The Nicotine Chronicles
Latest in the series · book 5 of 5 · published 2020 Anthology · Lee Child,Joyce Carol Oates,Hannah Tinti,Christopher Sorrentino,Cara Black,Lauren Sanders,Bernice L. McFadden,Jonathan Ames
Our Mothers' Spirits: Great Writers on the Death of Mothers and the Grief of Men
Series opener · book 1 of 5 · published 1997
ESPN Quick Pitches: A Star-Studded Lineup of Original Sports Fiction
Book 2 of 5 · published 2011
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jess Walter?
Jess Walter is a New York Times bestselling American author who has written around 8 books in his career. He is well known to write his novels based on a variety of genres, including the mystery, thriller, nonfiction, literature and fiction genres. His success as an international author can be understood from the fact that he was the finalist for the National Book Award in the year 2006 and winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award in the year 2005.
Which Jess Walter series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Warmer Collection series, the earliest of Jess Walter's multi-book series: it opens with The Way the World Ends (2018) and runs to 7 books across 2018, ending with The Hillside (2018). Jess Walter's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Jess Walter written?
Jess Walter has 39 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1995 and 2025. 23 of them belong to 5 named series — the largest being The One series with 7 books — and 16 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Jess Walter's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Jess Walter's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Caroline Mabry (2001–2003, 2 books), Camden (2005–2006, 2 books) and Warmer Collection (2018, 7 books), plus 1 more.
How are Jess Walter's books organised into series?
This guide splits Jess Walter's 39 books into 5 named series and 16 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: The One (7 books, 2019); Warmer Collection (7 books, 2018); Camden (2 books, 2005–2006); Caroline Mabry (2 books, 2001–2003); Akashic Drug Chronicles (5 books, 2005–2020).