🎯 Where Should I Start?
Best Starting Point
Publication Order of Philip Marlowe Books
Start with: The Big Sleep (1939)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas
Start with: The Curtain (1936)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Short Story Collections
Start with: Five Murders (1944)
ⓘ About Raymond Chandler
Besides writing novels, short stories, and poetry, famous author Raymond Chandler also wrote some screenplays. Chandler worked on a movie called “Strangers on A Train” that was later directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and “Double Indemnity” (for which he got one of two best original screenplay Oscar nominations), and “The Blue Dahlia” (for which he was nominated for his other best original screenplay Oscar). He also wrote some other screenplays with other people. These screenplays were very influential in the American film noir genre. Chandler quit his civil service job, because he hated doing it. He took reporting jobs with Bristol Western Gazette and Daily Express papers. He would find that he was not cut out to be a journalist, but would continue to write reviews and romantic poetry.
All Book Series by Raymond Chandler
1
The Big Sleep
Series opener · book 1 of 13 · published 1939
Buy on Amazon1939
2
Farewell, My Lovely
Book 2 of 13 · published 1940
Buy on Amazon1940
3
The High Window
Book 3 of 13 · published 1942
Buy on Amazon1942
4
The Lady in the Lake
Book 4 of 13 · published 1943
Buy on Amazon1943
5
The Little Sister
Book 5 of 13 · published 1949
Buy on Amazon1949
6
The Long Goodbye
Book 6 of 13 · published 1953
Buy on Amazon1953
8
Poodle Springs
Book 8 of 13 · published 1989 Co-authored · Robert B. Parker
Buy on Amazon1989
9
Perchance to Dream
Book 9 of 13 · published 1991 Anthology · Robert B. Parker
Buy on Amazon1991
10
The Black-Eyed Blonde / Marlowe
Book 10 of 13 · published 2014 Anthology · Benjamin Black
Buy on Amazon2014
11
Only to Sleep
Book 11 of 13 · published 2018 Anthology · Lawrence Osborne
Buy on Amazon2018
12
The Goodbye Coast
Book 12 of 13 · published 2022 Anthology · Joe Ide
Buy on Amazon2022
13
The Second Murderer
Latest in the series · book 13 of 13 · published 2023 Anthology · Denise Mina
Buy on Amazon2023
1
The Curtain
Series opener · book 1 of 11 · published 1936
Buy on Amazon1936
3
Mandarin's Jade
Book 3 of 11 · published 1937
Buy on Amazon1937
5
The Bronze Door
Book 5 of 11 · published 1939
Buy on Amazon1939
6
No Crimes In The Mountains
Book 6 of 11 · published 1941
Buy on Amazon1941
7
Professor Bingo's Snuff
Book 7 of 11 · published 1951
Buy on Amazon1951
10
The Man Who Liked Dogs
Book 10 of 11 · published 1996
Buy on Amazon1996
11
I’ll Be Waiting
Latest in the series · book 11 of 11 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
1
Five Murders
Series opener · book 1 of 12 · published 1944
Buy on Amazon1944
2
Five Sinister Characters
Book 2 of 12 · published 1945
Buy on Amazon1945
6
The Simple Art of Murder
Book 6 of 12 · published 1950
Buy on Amazon1950
7
Trouble is My Business
Book 7 of 12 · published 1950
Buy on Amazon1950
8
Pickup on Noon Street
Book 8 of 12 · published 1952
Buy on Amazon1952
9
Smart-Aleck Kill
Book 9 of 12 · published 1953
Buy on Amazon1953
10
Pearls are a Nuisance
Book 10 of 12 · published 1958
Buy on Amazon1958
11
Killer in the Rain
Book 11 of 12 · published 1964
Buy on Amazon1964
12
The Smell of Fear
Latest in the series · book 12 of 12 · published 1965
Buy on Amazon1965
1
Double Indemnity
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 1944 Co-authored · Billy Wilder
Buy on Amazon1944
2
The Blue Dahlia
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 1976
Buy on Amazon1976
1
Stories and Early Novels
Series opener · book 1 of 5 · published 1933
Buy on Amazon1933
2
The Notebooks of Raymond Chandler
Book 2 of 5 · published 1976
Buy on Amazon1976
3
Selected Letters
Book 3 of 5 · published 1981
Buy on Amazon1981
4
Later Novels and Other Writings
Book 4 of 5 · published 1995
Buy on Amazon1995
5
The World of Raymond Chandler
Latest in the series · book 5 of 5 · 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
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
Hard-Boiled Detectives
Series opener · book 1 of 15 · published 1953
Buy on Amazon1953
2
The Mammoth Book of Private Eye Stories
Book 2 of 15 · published 1988
Buy on Amazon1988
3
Great Law and Order Stories
Book 3 of 15 · published 1990
Buy on Amazon1990
4
The Little Book of Horrors: Tiny Tales of Terror
Book 4 of 15 · published 1992
Buy on Amazon1992
5
Pulp Frictions: Hardboiled Stories
Book 5 of 15 · published 1996
Buy on Amazon1996
6
The Oxford Book of American Detective Stories
Book 6 of 15 · published 1996
Buy on Amazon1996
7
The Modern Library: The 200 Best Novels in English Since 1950
Book 7 of 15 · published 1999
Buy on Amazon1999
8
The Oxford Book of Detective Stories
Book 8 of 15 · published 2000
Buy on Amazon2000
9
The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century
Book 9 of 15 · published 2000
Buy on Amazon2000
10
Writing Los Angeles
Book 10 of 15 · published 2002
Buy on Amazon2002
11
The Longman Anthology of Detective Fiction
Book 11 of 15 · published 2004
Buy on Amazon2004
12
Pulp Fiction - The Dames
Book 12 of 15 · published 2008
Buy on Amazon2008
13
Books to Die For
Book 13 of 15 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
14
Strand Magazine Issue 53: Unpublished Raymond Chandler Story
Book 14 of 15 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
15
Writers: Their Lives and Works
Latest in the series · book 15 of 15 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Raymond Chandler?
Besides writing novels, short stories, and poetry, famous author Raymond Chandler also wrote some screenplays. Chandler worked on a movie called “Strangers on A Train” that was later directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and “Double Indemnity” (for which he got one of two best original screenplay Oscar nominations), and “The Blue Dahlia” (for which he was nominated for his other best original screenplay Oscar). He also wrote some other screenplays with other people.
Which Raymond Chandler series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Philip Marlowe series, the earliest of Raymond Chandler's multi-book series: it opens with The Big Sleep (1939) and runs to 13 books across 1939–2023, ending with The Second Murderer (2023).
How many books has Raymond Chandler written?
Raymond Chandler has 179 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1933 and 2025. 136 of them belong to 3 named series — the largest being the Philip Marlowe series with 13 books — and 43 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Raymond Chandler's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Raymond Chandler's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Philip Marlowe (1939–2023, 13 books).
How are Raymond Chandler's books organised into series?
This guide splits Raymond Chandler's 179 books into 3 named series and 43 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Philip Marlowe (13 books, 1939–2023); Akashic Noir (121 books, 2002–2025); Screenplays (2 books, 1944–1976).
