📖 About Lew Archer

Lew Archer is a series universe written by Ross MacDonald. The complete collection runs to 18 books across 1 series, published between 1949 and 1976.

The main series is Publication Order of Lew Archer Books with 18 books. It opens with The Moving Target / Harper (1949) and currently runs to The Blue Hammer (1976).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with Lew Archer

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: The Moving Target / Harper (1949), book 1 of Publication Order of Lew Archer Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

Each of the 1 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 Lew Archer Books in Order

Publication Order of Lew Archer Books
18 books
1
The Moving Target / Harper book cover1The Moving Target / Harper1949Buy on Amazon
The Drowning Pool book cover2The Drowning Pool1950Buy on Amazon
The Way Some People Die book cover3The Way Some People Die1951Buy on Amazon
The Ivory Grin / Marked for Murder book cover4The Ivory Grin / Marked for Murder1952Buy on Amazon
Find a Victim book cover5Find a Victim1954Buy on Amazon
The Barbarous Coast book cover6The Barbarous Coast1956Buy on Amazon
The Doomsters book cover7The Doomsters1958Buy on Amazon
The Galton Case book cover8The Galton Case1959Buy on Amazon
The Wycherly Woman book cover9The Wycherly Woman1961Buy on Amazon
The Zebra-Striped Hearse book cover10The Zebra-Striped Hearse1962Buy on Amazon
The Chill book cover11The Chill1963Buy on Amazon
The Far Side of the Dollar book cover12The Far Side of the Dollar1965Buy on Amazon
Black Money book cover13Black Money1966Buy on Amazon
The Instant Enemy book cover14The Instant Enemy1968Buy on Amazon
The Goodbye Look book cover15The Goodbye Look1969Buy on Amazon
The Underground Man book cover16The Underground Man1971Buy on Amazon
Sleeping Beauty book cover17Sleeping Beauty1973Buy on Amazon
The Blue Hammer book cover18The Blue Hammer1976Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many Lew Archer books are there?
There are 18 books in the Lew Archer collection, organised into 1 series and published between 1949 and 1976.
What is the first Lew Archer book?
The first book is The Moving Target / Harper, published in 1949.
What order should I read the Lew Archer books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the Lew Archer books?
The Lew Archer books were written by Ross MacDonald.
Is the Lew Archer series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of Lew Archer Books, has 18 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the Lew Archer series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1949, and the most recent in 1976.