David Morrell Reading Order

26 books (1992–2023)

David Morrell's Anthologies series comprises 26 books published between 1992 and 2023, showcasing short fiction across mystery, thriller, and horror genres. The series spans multiple themed collections, from Dark at Heart through Shadow Show and beyond, with each volume featuring contributions from various authors. These should be read in publication order to experience how the anthology selections evolved over three decades. The series appears to be complete as of 2023.

Start with Dark at Heart, the first of 26 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Dark at Heart 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Fifth Annual Collection 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Dark Crimes 2 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Hollywood Fantasies: Ten Surreal Visions of Tinsel Town 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Millenium 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Murder for Revenge 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Best New Horror 17 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	These Guns for Hire 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Best New Horror 18 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Dark Delicacies II: Fear 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Crucified Dreams 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Rich and the Dead 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Warriors 3 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	All-American Horror of the 21st Century: The First Decade 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	The Interrogator and Other Criminally Good Fiction 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Chiral Mad 2 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Dark Discoveries - Issue #24 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Hauntings 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Suspense Magazine May 2013 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Thriller Almanac 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Eulogies III 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Detours 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Alive in Shape and Color 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	MatchUp 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Playing Games 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2008–2008)

#	Title
1	The Chosen 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2003–2012)

David Morrell's Cavanaugh series consists of three complete novels published between 2003 and 2012, following a protagonist through mystery and thriller narratives. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with The Protector, followed by The Naked Edge, and concluding with The Attitude Adjuster. All three books were released across a span of nine years, offering a finished story arc for readers seeking a compact trilogy.

Start with The Protector and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Protector 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Naked Edge 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Attitude Adjuster 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (2012–2013)

David Morrell's Cultural-Icon Non-Fiction series comprises five complete books published between 2012 and 2013, each examining the life, work, and legacy of a major twentieth-century entertainer. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with John Wayne: The Westerns and continuing through studies of Marilyn Monroe, Rambo creator Morrell's own connection to the franchise, Frank Sinatra, and composer Nelson Riddle. This collection of non-fiction works explores how these cultural figures shaped American entertainment and popular culture.

Start with John Wayne: The Westerns, the first of 5 books in the Cultural-Icon Non-Fiction series.

2 books (2005–2007)

David Morrell's Frank Balenger series comprises two thrillers published between 2005 and 2007. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with Creepers followed by Scavenger. This two-book sequence offers a contained mystery and thriller narrative arc.

Start with Creepers and read in order.

#	Title
1	Creepers 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Scavenger 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (1983–2006)

The Mortalis series by David Morrell comprises four espionage thrillers published between 1983 and 2006, following publication order from The Brotherhood of the Rose through The Abelard Sanction. This complete series features interconnected spy narratives that should be read sequentially to fully appreciate the ongoing storylines and character development across the four installments.

Start with The Brotherhood of the Rose, the first of 4 books in the Mortalis series.

#	Title
1	The Brotherhood of the Rose 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Fraternity Of The Stone 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The League of Night and Fog 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Abelard Sanction 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

34 books (2022–2025)

The Mysterious Profiles series is a 33-book collection of mystery and thriller profiles published between 2022 and 2025, with new entries still being released. Rather than a traditional narrative series, this is a curated anthology profiling iconic detective and mystery characters from various acclaimed authors, including Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's Aloysius X. L. Pendergast, Stephen Hunter's Bob Lee Swagger, Michael Connelly's Hieronymus Bosch, Lee Child's Jack Reacher, and many others. Readers should approach the books in publication order to follow the intended presentation of these character profiles. Each entry stands independently, making the series accessible whether you read them sequentially or selectively based on your favorite mystery protagonists.

Start with Alex Delaware(By: Jonathan Kellerman), the first of 33 books in the Mysterious Profiles series.

#	Title
1	Alex Delaware(By: Jonathan Kellerman) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Aloysius X. L. Pendergast(By: Douglas Preston) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Aloysius X. L. Pendergast(By: Douglas Preston,Lincoln Child) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Amos Walker(By: Loren D. Estleman) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Bob Lee Swagger(By: Stephen Hunter) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Charlie Parker(By: John Connolly) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Charlie Resnick(By: John Harvey) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Charlotte and Thomas Pitt(By: Anne Perry) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Dismas Hardy(By: John Lescroart) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Elvis Cole and Joe Pike(By: Robert Crais) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Hieronymus Bosch(By: Michael Connelly) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Ian Rutledge(By: Charles Todd) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Inspector Morse(By: Colin Dexter) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Jack Reacher(By: Lee Child) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Jack Taylor(By: Ken Bruen) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Jane Whitefield(By: Thomas Perry) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	John Rebus(By: Ian Rankin) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Lincoln Rhyme(By: Jeffery Deaver) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Lou Boldt(By: Ridley Pearson) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Maisie Dobbs(By: Jacqueline Winspear) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Mallory(By: Carol O'Connell) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus(By: Faye Kellerman) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Precious Ramotswe(By: Alexander McCall Smith) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Rambo 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Spenser(By: Robert B. Parker) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Tess Monaghan(By: Laura Lippman) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	The Lincoln Lawyer(By: Michael Connelly) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Ben Kincaid(By: William Bernhardt) 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Condor(By: James Grady) 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	Repairman Jack(By: F. Paul Wilson) 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Joe Pickett(By: C.J. Box) 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	Nathan Heller(By: Max Allan Collins) 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	Peter Diamond(By: Peter Lovesey) 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	Orphan X(By: Gregg Hurwitz) 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (1976–2022)

David Morrell's non-fiction series comprises six books published between 1976 and 2022, exploring writing craft and literary appreciation. The series includes works on novelists, writing lessons, thriller recommendations, and personal reflections on entertainment media. These standalone volumes should be read in publication order, beginning with John Barth. The series appears to be complete as of 2022.

Start with John Barth, the first of 6 books in the Non-Fiction series.

#	Title
1	John Barth 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Fireflies 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Lessons From A Lifetime Of Writing 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Successful Novelist 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Thrillers: 100 Must Reads(With: Hank Wagner) 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Stars In My Eyes: My Love Affair With Books, Movies, And Music 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2009–2009)

#	Title
1	The Hundred Year Christmas 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1972–1988)

David Morrell's completed Rambo trilogy spans from 1972 to 1988 and should be read in publication order, beginning with First Blood. The three-book series consists of First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part II, and Rambo III, offering a complete narrative arc across the author's action-thriller works. Each installment builds on the previous story, making sequential reading essential for following the character's full development.

Start with First Blood and read in order.

#	Title
1	First Blood 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Rambo: First Blood Part II 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Rambo III 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

10 books (1983–2012)

David Morrell's short stories and novellas collection spans from 1983 to 2012 and comprises ten complete works that should be read in publication order. Beginning with The Hundred-Year Christmas and concluding with The Interrogator, this finished series showcases Morrell's mastery of the mystery and thriller genres across multiple formats. The collection includes titles such as Dead Image, Orange is for Anguish, Blue for Insanity, The Beautiful Uncut Hair of Graves, Nothing Will Hurt You, The Shrine, My Name is Legion, They, and The Architecture of Snow.

Start with The Hundred-Year Christmas, the first of 10 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.

#	Title
1	The Hundred-Year Christmas 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Dead Image 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Orange is for Anguish, Blue for Insanity 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Beautiful Uncut Hair of Graves 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Nothing Will Hurt You 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Shrine 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	My Name is Legion 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	They 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Architecture of Snow 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Interrogator 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1999–2019)

David Morrell's three short story collections span two decades, from Black Evening in 1999 through Nightscape and concluding with Before I Wake in 2019. These collections should be read in publication order to experience the author's evolution across the complete series. The collections showcase Morrell's mastery of the short form within the mystery and thriller genres.

Start with Black Evening and read in order.

#	Title
1	Black Evening 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Nightscape 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Before I Wake 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

14 books (1975–2009)

David Morrell's Standalone Novels series consists of 14 complete books published between 1975 and 2009, with each entry functioning as an independent story rather than a connected narrative. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with Testament and continuing through The Shimmer. These mystery and thriller novels showcase Morrell's versatility across the genre, with each book offering its own distinct plot and cast of characters. The series represents the author's major fiction output during this three-decade period.

Start with Testament, the first of 14 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Testament 1975Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Last Reveille 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Totem 1979Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Blood Oath 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Fifth Profession 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Covenant of the Flame 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Assumed Identity 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Desperate Measures 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Extreme Denial 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Double Image 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Burnt Sienna 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Long Lost 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	The Spy Who Came for Christmas 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	The Shimmer 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

11 books (2017–2019)

The MatchUp Collection is a complete series of 11 collaborative thriller and mystery novellas published between 2017 and 2019. Each entry pairs two acclaimed authors who write interconnected stories, with David Morrell editing the collection. Read the books in publication order, beginning with Deserves to Be Dead and concluding with Taking the Veil, to experience how different writing styles and perspectives blend within each volume.

Start with Deserves to Be Dead(By: John Sandford,Lisa Jackson), the first of 11 books in the The MatchUp Collection series.

4 books (2013–2016)

David Morrell's Thomas De Quincey series comprises four mystery thrillers published between 2013 and 2016, following publication order from Murder as a Fine Art through Ruler of the Night. The complete series features the historical figure of Thomas De Quincey as its protagonist, blending the author's expertise in both thriller fiction and non-fiction elements. Each installment builds on the previous entries, making sequential reading essential to fully appreciate the narrative arc across these four books.

Start with Murder as a Fine Art, the first of 4 books in the Thomas De Quincey series.

#	Title
1	Murder as a Fine Art 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Inspector of the Dead 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Opium-Eater 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Ruler of the Night 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible