Ellery Queen Reading Order

21 books (1948–2004)

Ellery Queen edited 21 mystery and thriller anthologies spanning from 1948 to 2004. These collections feature curated short stories across diverse themes, from locked-room mysteries and impossible crimes to holiday tales and sports-themed detective fiction. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Fifty Famous Detectives of Fiction and progressing through volumes such as The Locked Room Reader, Murder for Christmas, and Great Tales of Crime and Detection.

Start with Fifty Famous Detectives of Fiction, the first of 21 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Fifty Famous Detectives of Fiction 1948Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	20 Great Tales of Murder 1952Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Nero Wolfe Mystery Magazine Volume 1 Number 1, January 1954 1954Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine July 1958 1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Locked Room Reader: Stories of Impossible Crimes and Escapes 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Daring Detectives 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	American City 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Space Suits & Gumshoes 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Chapter and Hearse 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Deadly Arts 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Handle with Care: Frightening Stories 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Wickedest Show on Earth 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Murder for Christmas 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Great Baseball Stories 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Great Tales of Crime and Detection 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Fifty Best Mysteries 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	The Oxford Book of American Detective Stories 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	The Oxford Book of Detective Stories 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	A Century of Great Suspense Stories 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	The Longman Anthology of Detective Fiction 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (1932–1933)

The Drury Lane series by Ellery Queen consists of four complete mystery novels published between 1932 and 1933. These books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Tragedy of X, followed by The Tragedy of Y, Drury Lane's Last Case, and concluding with The Tragedy of Z. All four titles are available and the series is finished.

Start with The Tragedy of X, the first of 4 books in the Drury Lane series.

#	Title
1	The Tragedy of X 1932Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Tragedy of Y 1932Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Drury Lane's Last Case 1933Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Tragedy of Z 1933Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

55 books (1929–2020)

The Ellery Queen Detective series comprises 55 mystery novels published between 1929 and 2020, presenting a complete collection of cases featuring the titular detective protagonist. Readers should follow the series in publication order, beginning with The Roman Hat Mystery and progressing through titles like The French Powder Mystery, The Dutch Shoe Mystery, and The Egyptian Cross Mystery, with the final entries released in 2020. This classic mystery series showcases the detective's methods across decades of crime-solving adventures, making it essential reading for fans of traditional detective fiction.

Start with The Roman Hat Mystery, the first of 55 books in the Ellery Queen Detective series.

#	Title
1	The Roman Hat Mystery 1929Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The French Powder Mystery 1930Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Dutch Shoe Mystery 1931Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Egyptian Cross Mystery 1932Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Greek Coffin Mystery 1932Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The American Gun Mystery / Death at the Rodeo 1933Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Siamese Twin Mystery 1933Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Chinese Orange Mystery 1934Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Lamp of God 1935Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Spanish Cape Mystery 1935Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Halfway House 1936Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Door Between 1936Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	The Devil to Pay 1938Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	The Four of Hearts 1938Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	The Dragon's Teeth / The Virgin Heiresses 1939Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	The Penthouse Mystery 1941Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Calamity Town 1942Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	The Perfect Crime 1942Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	There Was an Old Woman / The Quick and the Dead 1943Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	The Murderer is a Fox 1945Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Ten Days' Wonder 1948Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Cat of Many Tails 1949Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Double, Double / The Case of the Seven Murders 1950Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	The Origin of Evil 1951Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	The King is Dead 1952Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	The Golden Summer 1953Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	The Scarlet Letters 1953Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	The Glass Village 1954Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Inspector Queen's Own Case 1957Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	The Finishing Stroke 1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Queens Full 1960Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	Dead Man's Tale 1961Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	Death Spins the Platter 1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	Kill as Directed 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35	Murder with a Past 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36	The Player On Other Side 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
37	And on the Eighth Day 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
38	Four Men Called John 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
39	Ellery Queen's Lethal Black Book 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
40	The Fourth Side of the Triangle 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
41	A Study in Terror 1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
42	Losers, weepers 1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
43	Shoot The Scene 1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
44	The Madman Theory 1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
45	Face to Face 1967Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
46	House of Brass 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
47	Q.E.D. Queen's Experiments in Detection 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
48	The Devil's Cook 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
49	The House of Brass 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
50	Cop Out 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
51	Ellery Queen's Poetic Justice 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
52	The Last Woman in His Life 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
53	A Fine and Private Place 1971Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
54	Blow Hot Blow Cold 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
55	Ellery Queen, Master Detective 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

11 books (1941–1965)

This complete mystery series by Ellery Queen spans eleven installments published between 1941 and 1965, beginning with The Black Dog Mystery and concluding with The Purple Bird Mystery. The books should be read in publication order to follow the intended narrative progression. Each title features a distinct mystery for young readers to unravel alongside the protagonist.

Start with The Black Dog Mystery, the first of 11 books in the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery series.

43 books (1960–1995)

This mystery anthology series spans 43 volumes published between 1960 and 1995, collecting curated short stories from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with Ellery Queen's Crime Carousel and concluding with the final annual installment. Each volume features selections of mystery and thriller stories compiled by the editors of the renowned magazine, offering readers a comprehensive retrospective of the publication's editorial choices across three decades.

Start with Ellery Queen's Crime Carousel, the first of 43 books in the Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine Annual series.

#	Title
1	Ellery Queen's Crime Carousel 1960Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Ellery Queen's 16th Mystery Annual(By: Henry Slesar) 1961Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	To Be Read Before Midnight 1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Ellery Queen All Stars 1967Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Ellery Queen's Mystery Parade 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Ellery Queen's Mini Mysteries 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Ellery Queen's Best Bets 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Ellery Queen's Mystery Bag 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Ellery Queen's Book Of Mystery Stories 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Ellery Queen's Crookbook 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Ellery Queen's Murdercade 1975Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Ellery Queen's Crime Wave 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Ellery Queen's Giants of Mystery 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Ellery Queen's Magicians Of Mystery 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Ellery Queen's Circumstantial Evidence 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Ellery Queen's Cops And Capers 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Ellery Queen's Crimes and Consequences 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Ellery Queen's International Case Book 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	X Marks the Plot 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Ellery Queen's Japanese Golden Dozen 1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Ellery Queen's a Multitude of Sins 1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Ellery Queen's The Golden 13 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Ellery Queen's Crime Cruise Round the World(By: T. M. Adams) 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Ellery Queen's Doors to Mystery 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Ellery Queen's Veils of Mystery 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Ellery Queen's Book of First Appearances 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Ellery Queen's Eyewitnesses 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Ellery Queen's Maze Of Mysteries 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Ellery Queen's Crimes and Punishments 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	Ellery Queen's Prime Crimes 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Ellery Queen's Prime Crimes Two 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	Ellery Queen's Champions Of Mystery 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	Ellery Queen's Masks of Mystery 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	Ellery Queen's Crime Cruise Round the World 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35	Ellery Queen's More Lost Ladies and Lost Men 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36	Ellerys Queen's Masters of Mystery 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
37	Ellery Queen's Screen Favourites 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
38	Ellery Queen's Edgar Award Winners 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
39	Ellery Queen's Faces of Mystery 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
40	Ellery Queen's More Eyewitnesses 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
41	Ellery Queen's Other Faces of Mystery 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
42	Ellery Queen's Windows Of Mystery 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
43	Ellery Queen's Searches and Seizures 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (1976–1976)

3 books (1969–1973)

This complete mystery series by Ellery Queen consists of three books published between 1969 and 1973, following detective Mike McCall through separate criminal investigations. Read the novels in publication order: The Campus Murders, The Black Hearts Murder, and The Blue Movie Murders. Each book stands as its own self-contained mystery while building on the established character and setting.

Start with The Campus Murders and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Campus Murders 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Black Hearts Murder 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Blue Movie Murders 1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

10 books (1939–2022)

Ellery Queen's Short Story Collections series comprises ten volumes of mystery tales spanning from 1939 to 2022. These collections feature the detective Ellery Queen solving various crimes through his characteristic deductive methods across stories ranging from traditional mysteries to radio adaptations and puzzle-based narratives. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with The New Adventures of Ellery Queen and continuing through to The Adventures of the Puzzle Club, the final entry co-authored with Josh Pachter. Though the series appears complete, the decades-long span between early and recent volumes reflects both classic and contemporary contributions to the collection.

Start with The New Adventures of Ellery Queen, the first of 10 books in the Short Story Collections series.

#	Title
1	The New Adventures of Ellery Queen 1939Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Adventures of Ellery Queen 1941Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Calendar of Crime 1952Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	QBI: Queen's Bureau of Investigation 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	QED: Queen's Experiments in Detection 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Kindly Dig Your Grave and Other Wicked Stories 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Tragedy of Errors and Others 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Adventure of the Murdered Moths and Other Radio Mysteries 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Adventures of the Murdered Moths 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Adventures of the Puzzle Club(With: Josh Pachter) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

14 books (1963–2010)

Ellery Queen's Standalone Novels series comprises 14 mystery and thriller books published between 1963 and 2010, with the series now complete. Each entry functions as an independent mystery that can be read on its own, though readers should follow publication order beginning with Player on the Other Side to experience the series as originally released. Several volumes were written in collaboration with Charles W. Runyon, including The Last Score, The Killer Touch, and Kiss and Kill.

Start with Player on the Other Side, the first of 14 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Player on the Other Side 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Wife or Death 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Last Score(With: Charles W. Runyon) 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	A Room To Die In 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Beware the Young Stranger 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Copper Frame 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Killer Touch(With: Charles W. Runyon) 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Penthouse Mystery, The 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Most Wanted Man In The World 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Kiss and Kill(With: Charles W. Runyon) 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	When Fell The Night 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Door Between 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Eyes of Mystery 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	House of Darkness 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

7 books (1966–1969)

The Tim Corrigan series is a seven-book mystery collection by Ellery Queen, published between 1966 and 1969. This complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with How Goes the Murder? and concluding with What's in the Dark?. The books follow Tim Corrigan through various murder investigations and mysterious circumstances across the late 1960s.

Start with How Goes the Murder?, the first of 7 books in the Tim Corrigan series.

#	Title
1	How Goes the Murder? 1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Where Is Bianca? 1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Who Spies, Who Kills? 1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Why So Dead? 1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Which Way to Die? 1967Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Guess Who's Coming to Kill You? 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	What's in the Dark? 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible