Gregory Mcdonald Reading Order

2 books (1986–1995)

Gregory McDonald edited two mystery anthology collections published between 1986 and 1995. Last Laughs: The 1986 Mystery Writers of America Anthology came first, followed by The Crown Crime Companion. This complete series should be read in publication order.

Start with Last Laughs: The 1986 Mystery Writers of America Anthology and read in order.

#	Title
1	Last Laughs: The 1986 Mystery Writers of America Anthology 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Crown Crime Companion 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

9 books (1974–1986)

Gregory McDonald's Fletch series comprises nine mystery novels published between 1974 and 1986, following the adventures of an investigative journalist navigating cases that blend humor with crime-solving. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with Fletch and concluding with Fletch, Too. Each novel is designed to build on the protagonist's character development while offering standalone mystery plots. This finished series represents McDonald's most celebrated work in the mystery and thriller genre.

Start with Fletch, the first of 9 books in the Fletch series.

#	Title
1	Fletch 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Confess, Fletch 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Fletch's Fortune 1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Fletch and the Widow Bradley 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Fletch's Moxie 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Fletch and the Man Who 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Carioca Fletch 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Fletch Won 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Fletch, Too 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (1977–2003)

Gregory McDonald's Flynn series consists of four mystery and thriller novels published between 1977 and 2003. The complete series includes Flynn, The Buck Passes Flynn, Flynn's In, and Flynn's World, and should be read in publication order. Each installment builds on the previous one, making sequential reading essential for following the character's development throughout the series.

Start with Flynn, the first of 4 books in the Flynn series.

#	Title
1	Flynn 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Buck Passes Flynn 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Flynn's In 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Flynn's World 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1985–2008)

Gregory McDonald's two-book non-fiction series spans from 1985 to 2008 and is now complete. The Education of Gregory McDonald: Writings About America, 1966-1973 should be read first, followed by Souvenirs of a Blown World: Sketches for the Sixties, Writings about America, 1966-1973. Both works collect the author's essays and reflections on American culture and society during the tumultuous 1960s and early 1970s.

Start with The Education of Gregory McDonald: Writings About America, 1966-1973 and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Education of Gregory McDonald: Writings About America, 1966-1973 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Souvenirs of a Blown World: Sketches for the Sixties, Writings about America, 1966-1973 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1995–1999)

The Skylar series by Gregory Mcdonald is a two-book mystery and thriller collection published between 1995 and 1999. Both books should be read in publication order, beginning with Skylar followed by Skylar In Yankeeland. The series is complete and self-contained within these two entries.

Start with Skylar and read in order.

#	Title
1	Skylar 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Skylar In Yankeeland 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1993–1994)

Gregory McDonald's Son of Fletch series comprises two mystery novels published in 1993 and 1994. The complete series consists of Son of Fletch and Fletch Reflected, which should be read in publication order. Both books were released in the 1990s and conclude the series.

Start with Son of Fletch and read in order.

#	Title
1	Son of Fletch 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Fletch Reflected 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

8 books (1964–1991)

Gregory McDonald published eight standalone novels between 1964 and 1991, completing a mystery and thriller collection that should be read in publication order beginning with Running Scared. The series includes Who Took Toby Rinaldi? (also published as Snatched or Snatch), Safekeeping, A World Too Wide, Exits and Entrances, Merely Players, and The Brave, concluding with this author's final work in the group. While each novel stands alone as an independent story, reading them in the order they were released provides the fullest appreciation of McDonald's evolution as a writer across nearly three decades.

Start with Running Scared, the first of 8 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Running Scared 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Love Among the Mashed Potatoes 1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Who Took Toby Rinaldi? / Snatched / Snatch 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Safekeeping 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	A World Too Wide 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Exits and Entrances 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Merely Players 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Brave 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible