🎯 Where Should I Start?
Best Starting Point
Publication Order of Dave Brandstetter Books
Start with: Fadeout (1970)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Nathan Reed Books
Start with: Living Upstairs (1993)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Bohannon Books
Start with: Bohannon's Book (1988)
ⓘ About Joseph Hansen
Joseph Hansen was one of the prolific American authors, who was famous for writing books based on the mystery, gay & lesbian, and thriller genres. He was particularly popular for writing mysteries, especially the Dave Brandstetter mystery series. Born as the son of a shoemaker from South Dakota, Hansen moved to a citrus farm in California in 1936. During the early 1950s, author Hansen published poetry in the magazine called The New Yorker. Over the course of the next 10 years, he went on to become an editor of the gay magazines like Tangents and One. When he attempted to write full length novels, he started by using pen names such as James Calton and Rose Brock. Initially, he published 5 books and a short story collection under these pseudonyms.
All Book Series by Joseph Hansen
1
Fadeout
Series opener · book 1 of 13 · published 1970
Buy on Amazon1970
4
The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of
Book 4 of 13 · published 1978
Buy on Amazon1978
8
Brandstetter and Other Stories
Book 8 of 13 · published 1984
Buy on Amazon1984
9
The Little Dog Laughed
Book 9 of 13 · published 1986
Buy on Amazon1986
12
The Boy Who Was Buried This Morning
Book 12 of 13 · published 1990
Buy on Amazon1990
13
A Country of Old Men
Latest in the series · book 13 of 13 · published 1991
Buy on Amazon1991
1
Living Upstairs
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 1993
Buy on Amazon1993
3
The Cutbank Path
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2002
Buy on Amazon2002
1
Bohannon's Book
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 1988
Buy on Amazon1988
2
Bohannon's Country
Book 2 of 3 · published 1993
Buy on Amazon1993
3
Bohannon's Women
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2002
Buy on Amazon2002
1
Lost on Twilight Road
Series opener · book 1 of 15 · published 1964 Pen name · James Colton
Buy on Amazon1964
2
Strange Marriage
Book 2 of 15 · published 1965 Pen name · James Colton
Buy on Amazon1965
3
Gard
Book 3 of 15 · published 1969 Pen name · James Colton
Buy on Amazon1969
4
Hang-up
Book 4 of 15 · published 1969 Pen name · James Colton
Buy on Amazon1969
5
The Outward Side
Book 5 of 15 · published 1971 Pen name · James Colton
Buy on Amazon1971
6
Longleaf
Book 6 of 15 · published 1974 Pen name · Rose Brock
Buy on Amazon1974
7
Tarn House
Book 7 of 15 · published 1975 Pen name · Rose Brock
Buy on Amazon1975
8
One Foot in the Boat
Book 8 of 15 · published 1977
Buy on Amazon1977
9
A Smile in His Lifetime
Book 9 of 15 · published 1981
Buy on Amazon1981
12
Pretty Boy Dead / Known Homosexual
Book 12 of 15 · published 1984
Buy on Amazon1984
13
Steps Going Down
Book 13 of 15 · published 1985
Buy on Amazon1985
14
Todd
Book 14 of 15 · published 1995 Pen name · James Colton
Buy on Amazon1995
15
A Few Doors West of Hope
Latest in the series · book 15 of 15 · published 1998
Buy on Amazon1998
1
Merely Players
Single-title series · published 1987
Buy on Amazon1987
1
The Corrupter and other stories
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 1968 Pen name · James Colton
Buy on Amazon1968
2
Blood Snow and Classic Cars
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2000
Buy on Amazon2000
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
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
The Corrupter and other stories
Single-title series · published 1968
Buy on Amazon1968
1
Simply The Best Mysteries, Edgar Award Winners And Front Runners
Series opener · book 1 of 8 · published 1970
Buy on Amazon1970
2
City Sleuths and Tough Guys
Book 2 of 8 · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
3
The Mammoth Book of Gay Short Stories
Book 3 of 8 · published 1997
Buy on Amazon1997
4
The Night Awakens
Book 4 of 8 · published 1998
Buy on Amazon1998
5
The Best American Mystery Stories 1999
Book 5 of 8 · published 1999
Buy on Amazon1999
6
The World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories 2
Book 6 of 8 · published 2000
Buy on Amazon2000
7
The World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories 3
Book 7 of 8 · published 2002
Buy on Amazon2002
8
Hope Wins
Latest in the series · book 8 of 8 · published 2022
Buy on Amazon2022
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Joseph Hansen?
Joseph Hansen was one of the prolific American authors, who was famous for writing books based on the mystery, gay & lesbian, and thriller genres. He was particularly popular for writing mysteries, especially the Dave Brandstetter mystery series. Born as the son of a shoemaker from South Dakota, Hansen moved to a citrus farm in California in 1936.
Which Joseph Hansen series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Dave Brandstetter series, the earliest of Joseph Hansen's multi-book series: it opens with Fadeout (1970) and runs to 13 books across 1970–1991, ending with A Country of Old Men (1991). Joseph Hansen's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Joseph Hansen written?
Joseph Hansen has 167 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1964 and 2025. 141 of them belong to 5 named series — the largest being the Dave Brandstetter series with 13 books — and 26 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Joseph Hansen's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Joseph Hansen's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are James Colton Short Story Collections (1968, 1 book), Dave Brandstetter (1970–1991, 13 books) and Bohannon (1988–2002, 3 books), plus 1 more.
How are Joseph Hansen's books organised into series?
This guide splits Joseph Hansen's 167 books into 5 named series and 26 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Dave Brandstetter (13 books, 1970–1991); Nathan Reed (3 books, 1993–2002); Bohannon (3 books, 1988–2002); James Colton Short Story Collections (1 book, 1968); Akashic Noir (121 books, 2002–2025).
