📖 About Michael Shayne

Michael Shayne is a series universe written by Brett Halliday. The complete collection runs to 68 books across 1 series, published between 1939 and 1976.

The main series is Publication Order of Michael Shayne Books with 68 books. It opens with Dividend on Death (1939) and currently runs to Win Some, Lose Some (1976).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with Michael Shayne

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: Dividend on Death (1939), book 1 of Publication Order of Michael Shayne 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.

📚 Michael Shayne Books in Order

Publication Order of Michael Shayne Books
68 books
1
Dividend on Death book cover1Dividend on Death1939Buy on Amazon
The Private Practice of Michael Shayne book cover2The Private Practice of Michael Shayne1940Buy on Amazon
The Uncomplaining Corpses book cover3The Uncomplaining Corpses1940Buy on Amazon
Tickets for Death book cover4Tickets for Death1941Buy on Amazon
Bodies Are Where You Find Them book cover5Bodies Are Where You Find Them1941Buy on Amazon
The Case of the Walking / Corpse Came Calling book cover6The Case of the Walking / Corpse Came Calling1943Buy on Amazon
Murder Wears a Mummer's Mask / In a Deadly Vein book cover7Murder Wears a Mummer's Mask / In a Deadly Vein1943Buy on Amazon
Blood on the Black Market book cover8Blood on the Black Market1943Buy on Amazon
Michael Shayne's Long Chance book cover9Michael Shayne's Long Chance1944Buy on Amazon
Murder and the Married Virgin book cover10Murder and the Married Virgin1944Buy on Amazon
Murder is My Business book cover11Murder is My Business1945Buy on Amazon
Marked For Murder book cover12Marked For Murder1945Buy on Amazon
Blood on Biscayne Bay book cover13Blood on Biscayne Bay1946Buy on Amazon
Counterfeit Wife book cover14Counterfeit Wife1947Buy on Amazon
Blood on the Stars / Murder Is a Habit book cover15Blood on the Stars / Murder Is a Habit1948Buy on Amazon
A Taste for Violence book cover16A Taste for Violence1949Buy on Amazon
Call for Michael Shayne book cover17Call for Michael Shayne1949Buy on Amazon
This is it, Michael Shayne book cover18This is it, Michael Shayne1950Buy on Amazon
Framed in Blood book cover19Framed in Blood1951Buy on Amazon
When Dorinda Dances book cover20When Dorinda Dances1951Buy on Amazon
A Taste for Cognac book cover21A Taste for Cognac1951Buy on Amazon
What Really Happened book cover22What Really Happened1952Buy on Amazon
One Night with Nora / The Lady Came By Night book cover23One Night with Nora / The Lady Came By Night1953Buy on Amazon
She Woke to Darkness book cover24She Woke to Darkness1954Buy on Amazon
Death Has Three Lives book cover25Death Has Three Lives1955Buy on Amazon
Stranger in Town book cover26Stranger in Town1955Buy on Amazon
The Blonde Cried Murder book cover27The Blonde Cried Murder1956Buy on Amazon
Heads You Lose book cover28Heads You Lose1956Buy on Amazon
Weep for a Blonde book cover29Weep for a Blonde1957Buy on Amazon
Shoot the works book cover30Shoot the works1957Buy on Amazon
Murder and the Wanton Bride book cover31Murder and the Wanton Bride1958Buy on Amazon
Fit to Kill book cover32Fit to Kill1958Buy on Amazon
Date with a Dead Man book cover33Date with a Dead Man1959Buy on Amazon
Target book cover34Target1959Buy on Amazon
Die Like A Dog book cover35Die Like A Dog1959Buy on Amazon
Murder Takes No Holiday book cover36Murder Takes No Holiday1960Buy on Amazon
Dolls Are Deadly book cover37Dolls Are Deadly1960Buy on Amazon
The Homicidal Virgin book cover38The Homicidal Virgin1960Buy on Amazon
Killers from the Keys book cover39Killers from the Keys1961Buy on Amazon
Murder in Haste book cover40Murder in Haste1961Buy on Amazon
The Careless Corpse book cover41The Careless Corpse1961Buy on Amazon
Pay-Off in Blood book cover42Pay-Off in Blood1962Buy on Amazon
Murder by Proxy book cover43Murder by Proxy1962Buy on Amazon
Never Kill a Client book cover44Never Kill a Client1962Buy on Amazon
Too Friendly, Too Dead book cover45Too Friendly, Too Dead1962Buy on Amazon
The Corpse That Never Was book cover46The Corpse That Never Was1963Buy on Amazon
The Body Came Back book cover47The Body Came Back1963Buy on Amazon
A Redhead book cover48A Redhead1964Buy on Amazon
Shoot to Kill book cover49Shoot to Kill1964Buy on Amazon
The Violent World of Michael Shayne book cover50The Violent World of Michael Shayne1965Buy on Amazon
Nice Fillies Finish Last book cover51Nice Fillies Finish Last1965Buy on Amazon
Murder Spins the Wheel book cover52Murder Spins the Wheel1966Buy on Amazon
Armed... Dangerous... book cover53Armed... Dangerous...1966Buy on Amazon
Mermaid on the Rocks book cover54Mermaid on the Rocks1967Buy on Amazon
Guilty as Hell book cover55Guilty as Hell1967Buy on Amazon
So Lush, So Deadly book cover56So Lush, So Deadly1968Buy on Amazon
Lady, be Bad book cover57Lady, be Bad1969Buy on Amazon
Six Seconds to Kill book cover58Six Seconds to Kill1970Buy on Amazon
Fourth Down to Death book cover59Fourth Down to Death1970Buy on Amazon
Count Backwards to Zero book cover60Count Backwards to Zero1971Buy on Amazon
I Come To Kill You book cover61I Come To Kill You1971Buy on Amazon
Caught Dead book cover62Caught Dead1972Buy on Amazon
Kill All the Young Girls book cover63Kill All the Young Girls1973Buy on Amazon
Blue Murder book cover64Blue Murder1973Buy on Amazon
Last Seen Hitchhiking book cover65Last Seen Hitchhiking1974Buy on Amazon
At The Point of A .38 book cover66At The Point of A .381974Buy on Amazon
Million Dollar Handle book cover67Million Dollar Handle1976Buy on Amazon
Win Some, Lose Some book cover68Win Some, Lose Some1976Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michael Shayne books are there?
There are 68 books in the Michael Shayne collection, organised into 1 series and published between 1939 and 1976.
What is the first Michael Shayne book?
The first book is Dividend on Death, published in 1939.
What order should I read the Michael Shayne 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 Michael Shayne books?
The Michael Shayne books were written by Brett Halliday.
Is the Michael Shayne series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of Michael Shayne Books, has 68 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the Michael Shayne series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1939, and the most recent in 1976.