Ace Atkins Reading Order

121 books (2002–2025)

The Akashic Noir series is an expansive anthology collection of mystery and thriller stories set in distinct cities around the world, comprising 121 books published from 2002 to 2025. Each volume features noir fiction stories centered on a specific geographic location, from San Francisco to London to Miami and beyond, with the series still ongoing. Readers should begin with San Francisco Noir and proceed in publication order to experience how the series has expanded globally across its two-decade run.

Start with San Francisco Noir, the first of 121 books in the Akashic Noir series.

#	Title
1	San Francisco Noir 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Bronx Noir 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Seattle Noir 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Brooklyn Noir 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Hasidic Noir 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Brooklyn Noir 2 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Chicago Noir 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Dublin Noir 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Baltimore Noir 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	D.C. Noir 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	London Noir 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Manhattan Noir 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Miami Noir 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Twin Cities Noir 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Detroit Noir 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Havana Noir 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Los Angeles Noir 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	New Orleans Noir 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Wall Street Noir 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Brooklyn Noir 3: Nothing But the Truth 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	D.C. Noir 2 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Istanbul Noir 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Las Vegas Noir 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Manhattan Noir 2 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Paris Noir 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Queens Noir 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Toronto Noir 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Trinidad Noir 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Boston Noir 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	Delhi Noir 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Phoenix Noir 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	Portland Noir 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	Rome Noir 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	San Francisco Noir 2 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35	Copenhagen Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36	Haiti Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
37	Indian Country Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
38	Lone Star Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
39	Los Angeles Noir 2 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
40	Mexico City Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
41	Moscow Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
42	Orange County Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
43	Philadelphia Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
44	Richmond Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
45	Barcelona Noir 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
46	Cape Cod Noir 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
47	New Jersey Noir 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
48	Pittsburgh Noir 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
49	San Diego Noir 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
50	Boston Noir 2 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
51	Kansas City Noir 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
52	Kingston Noir 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
53	Long Island Noir 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
54	Mumbai Noir 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
55	St. Petersburg Noir 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
56	Staten Island Noir 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
57	Venice Noir 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
58	Buffalo Noir 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
59	Dallas Noir 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
60	Haiti Noir 2 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
61	Manila Noir 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
62	USA Noir 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
63	Belfast Noir 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
64	Helsinki Noir 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
65	Prison Noir 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
66	Rio Noir 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
67	Singapore Noir 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
68	Tehran Noir 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
69	Tel Aviv Noir 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
70	Beirut Noir 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
71	Chicago Noir: The Classics 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
72	Marseille Noir 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
73	Memphis Noir 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
74	Providence Noir 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
75	Zagreb Noir 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
76	Brussels Noir 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
77	Mississippi Noir 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
78	New Orleans Noir: The Classics 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
79	Prague Noir 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
80	San Juan Noir 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
81	St. Louis Noir 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
82	Stockholm Noir 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
83	Atlanta Noir 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
84	Buenos Aires Noir 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
85	Montana Noir 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
86	Montreal Noir 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
87	New Haven Noir 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
88	Oakland Noir 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
89	Trinidad Noir: The Classics 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
90	Baghdad Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
91	Berlin Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
92	Hong Kong Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
93	Lagos Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
94	Marrakech Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
95	Santa Cruz Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
96	Sydney Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
97	São Paulo Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
98	Vancouver Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
99	Amsterdam Noir 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
100	Houston Noir 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
101	Milwaukee Noir 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
102	Accra Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
103	Addis Ababa Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
104	Alabama Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
105	Belgrade Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
106	Berkeley Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
107	Columbus Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
108	Miami Noir: The Classics 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
109	Nairobi Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
110	Santa Fe Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
111	Tampa Bay Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
112	Palm Springs Noir 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
113	Denver Noir 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
114	Paris Noir: The Suburbs 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
115	South Central Noir 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
116	Cleveland Noir 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
117	East Jerusalem Noir 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
118	West Jerusalem Noir 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
119	Honolulu Noir 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
120	Hamburg Noir 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
121	Sacramento Noir 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (2009–2022)

Ace Atkins edited six mystery and thriller anthologies published between 2009 and 2022, with the series appearing to be complete. These collections should be read in publication order, beginning with Delta Blues. The series includes In Pursuit of Spenser, The Highway Kind, Mojo Rising, Alabama Noir, and Birds of Prey: The Harlan Coben Challenge, each featuring various authors contributing short fiction within the anthology's thematic framework.

Start with Delta Blues, the first of 6 books in the Anthologies series.

1 book (2025–2025)

6 books (1998–2025)

The Nick Travers series by Ace Atkins consists of six mystery and thriller novels following the same protagonist across cases spanning from 1998 to 2025. The series remains ongoing, with books best read in publication order beginning with Crossroad Blues. The complete sequence includes Crossroad Blues, Leavin' Trunk Blues, Dark End of the Street, Dirty South, Last Fair Deal Gone Down, and From Four Til Late.

Start with Crossroad Blues, the first of 6 books in the Nick Travers series.

#	Title
1	Crossroad Blues 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Leavin' Trunk Blues 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Dark End of the Street 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Dirty South 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Last Fair Deal Gone Down 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	From Four Til Late 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

12 books (2011–2025)

The Quinn Colson series comprises twelve mystery and thriller novels by Ace Atkins, beginning with The Ranger in 2011 and concluding with Kudzu in 2025. The series should be read in publication order, as each book builds on the events and character development of previous installments. This completed series follows a consistent protagonist through interconnected cases that span from the first book through the final entry.

Start with The Ranger, the first of 12 books in the Quinn Colson series.

#	Title
1	The Ranger 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Lost Ones 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Broken Places 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Forsaken 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Redeemers 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Innocents 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Fallen 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Sinners 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Shameless 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Revelators 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	The Heathens 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Kudzu 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2024–2025)

Ace Atkins' Short Stories/Novellas series consists of mystery and thriller entries released in 2024 and 2025, with new installments forthcoming. Currently two books have been published: The Havana Run and Sunset Park, which should be read in the order they were released. The series is ongoing and best experienced chronologically from the first entry onward.

Start with The Havana Run and read in order.

54 books (1973–2026)

The Spenser series is a long-running mystery thriller featuring the Boston-based private detective Spenser. Originally created by Robert B. Parker beginning in 1973, the series has continued with author Ace Atkins taking over the character, with 53 books published through 2025 and the series ongoing. Read the books in publication order, starting with The Godwulf Manuscript, to follow Spenser's cases and character development across five decades.

Start with The Godwulf Manuscript(By: Robert B. Parker), the first of 53 books in the Spenser series.

#	Title
1	The Godwulf Manuscript(By: Robert B. Parker) 1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	God Save the Child(By: Robert B. Parker) 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Mortal Stakes(By: Robert B. Parker) 1975Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Promised Land(By: Robert B. Parker) 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Judas Goat(By: Robert B. Parker) 1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Looking for Rachel Wallace(By: Robert B. Parker) 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	A Savage Place(By: Robert B. Parker) 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Early Autumn(By: Robert B. Parker) 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Ceremony(By: Robert B. Parker) 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Widening Gyre(By: Robert B. Parker) 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Valediction(By: Robert B. Parker) 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	A Catskill Eagle(By: Robert B. Parker) 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Taming a Sea-Horse(By: Robert B. Parker) 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Pale Kings and Princes(By: Robert B. Parker) 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Crimson Joy(By: Robert B. Parker) 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Playmates(By: Robert B. Parker) 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Stardust(By: Robert B. Parker) 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Pastime(By: Robert B. Parker) 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Double Deuce(By: Robert B. Parker) 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Paper Doll(By: Robert B. Parker) 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Walking Shadow(By: Robert B. Parker) 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Thin Air(By: Robert B. Parker) 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Chance(By: Robert B. Parker) 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Small Vices(By: Robert B. Parker) 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Sudden Mischief(By: Robert B. Parker) 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Hush Money(By: Robert B. Parker) 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Hugger Mugger(By: Robert B. Parker) 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Potshot(By: Robert B. Parker) 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Widow's Walk(By: Robert B. Parker) 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	Back Story(By: Robert B. Parker) 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Bad Business(By: Robert B. Parker) 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	Cold Service(By: Robert B. Parker) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	School Days(By: Robert B. Parker) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	Hundred-Dollar Baby / Dream Girl(By: Robert B. Parker) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35	Now and Then(By: Robert B. Parker) 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36	Rough Weather(By: Robert B. Parker) 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
37	The Professional(By: Robert B. Parker) 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
38	Painted Ladies(By: Robert B. Parker) 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
39	Silent Night(By: Robert B. Parker,Helen Brann) 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
40	Sixkill(By: Robert B. Parker) 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
41	Lullaby 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
42	Wonderland / Spenser Confidential 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
43	Cheap Shot 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
44	Kickback 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
45	Slow Burn 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
46	Little White Lies 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
47	Old Black Magic 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
48	Angel Eyes 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
49	Someone to Watch Over Me 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
50	Bye Bye Baby 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
51	Broken Trust(By: Mike Lupica) 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
52	Hot Property(By: Mike Lupica) 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
53	Showdown(By: Mike Lupica) 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
54	Framed(By: Mike Lupica) 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (2006–2025)

Ace Atkins has written six standalone mystery and thriller novels published between 2006 and 2025, with the series remaining ongoing. These books should be read in publication order, beginning with White Shadow and continuing through Wicked City, Devil's Garden, Infamous, Don't Let the Devil Ride, and Everybody Wants to Rule the World. While each novel stands alone, reading them chronologically by release date provides the best experience with Atkins's evolving storytelling approach.

Start with White Shadow, the first of 6 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	White Shadow 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Wicked City 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Devil's Garden 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Infamous 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Don't Let the Devil Ride 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Everybody Wants to Rule the World 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible