Ian Rankin Reading Order

21 books (2000–2022)

Ian Rankin's anthology series comprises 21 books published between 2000 and 2022, featuring collections of mystery, crime, and detective fiction stories. These anthologies, which likely concluded after 2022, should be read in publication order beginning with Master's Choice: Mystery Stories by Today's Top Writers and the Masters Who Inspired Them. The series includes various themed and curated collections such as Dangerous Women, Crime Scenes Revisited: Scottish Popular Fiction, and Crimespotting, showcasing short fiction from multiple authors across the mystery and thriller genres.

Start with Master's Choice: Mystery Stories by Today's Top Writers and the Masters Who Inspired Them, the first of 21 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Master's Choice: Mystery Stories by Today's Top Writers and the Masters Who Inspired Them 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Oxford Book of Detective Stories 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories 1 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories 2 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Longman Anthology of Detective Fiction 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Dangerous Women 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	One City 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Crime Scenes Revisited: Scottish Popular Fiction 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Penguin Book of Crime Stories 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Crimespotting 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Ox-Tales: Earth 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Mammoth Book of Best British Crime 8 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	The Best of Barcelona INK 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	The Killer Cookbook 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	FaceOff 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Jawbreakers 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	OxCrimes: 27 Killer Stories from the Cream of Crimewriters 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Ten Year Stretch 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	First Edition: Celebrating 21 Years of Goldsboro Books 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Daggers Drawn 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	The People's City: One City Trust 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

40 books (2012–2022)

Bibliomysteries is an anthology series of mystery and thriller stories, each centered around books, reading, or libraries. The collection spans 40 entries published between 2012 and 2022, featuring contributions from numerous acclaimed mystery and crime fiction authors including Jeffery Deaver, Laura Lippman, Reed Farrel Coleman, and many others. While the series appears to be complete, readers should approach it as a publication-order collection, beginning with An Acceptable Sacrifice. Each story functions independently, making the series accessible to readers who prefer to sample entries rather than commit to the full sequence.

Start with An Acceptable Sacrifice(By: Jeffery Deaver), the first of 40 books in the Bibliomysteries series.

#	Title
1	An Acceptable Sacrifice(By: Jeffery Deaver) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Death Leaves a Bookmark(By: William Link) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Pronghorns of the Third Reich(By: C.J. Box) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Book Case(By: Nelson DeMille) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Book Thing(By: Laura Lippman) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Book of Virtue(By: Ken Bruen) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Rides a Stranger(By: David Bell) 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Book of Ghosts(By: Reed Farrel Coleman) 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Final Testament(By: Peter Blauner) 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Long Sonata of the Dead(By: Andrew Taylor) 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Book Club(By: Loren D. Estleman) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	It's in the Book(By: Max Allan Collins,Mickey Spillane) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Remaindered(By: Peter Lovesey) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	The Compendium of Srem(By: F. Paul Wilson) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	The Gospel of Sheba(By: Lyndsay Faye) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	The Nature of My Inheritance(By: Bradford Morrow) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	The Scroll(By: Anne Perry) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	The Sequel(By: R.L. Stine) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	What's in a Name?(By: Thomas H. Cook) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Condor in the Stacks(By: James Grady) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Every Seven Years(By: Denise Mina) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	From the Queen(By: Carolyn Hart) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Mystery, Inc.(By: Joyce Carol Oates) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	The Book of the Lion(By: Thomas Perry) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	The Little Men(By: Megan Abbott) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Citadel(By: Stephen Hunter) 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Dead Dames Don't Sing(By: John Harvey) 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Reconciliation Day(By: Christopher Fowler) 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	The Haze(By: James W. Hall) 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	The Travelling Companion 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Hoodoo Harry(By: Joe R. Lansdale) 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	Seven Years(By: Peter Robinson) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository(By: John Connolly) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	The Hemingway Valise(By: Robert Olen Butler) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35	The Last Honest Horse Thief(By: Michael Koryta) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36	The Pretty Little Box(By: Charles Todd) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
37	The Girl Who Did Say No(By: David Handler) 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
38	The Dark Door(By: Lisa Unger) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
39	The Honeymoon Trap(By: Peter Swanson) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
40	The Traitor(By: Martin Edwards) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

50 books (1991–2022)

Hellblazer is a 50-book graphic novel series featuring various writers and artists, published between 1991 and 2022. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with Bloodlines and progressing through works by writers including Garth Ennis, Jamie Delano, Brian Azzarello, Warren Ellis, and others. The series appears to be complete as of 2022. This long-running collection showcases different creative approaches to the character across nearly three decades of storytelling.

Start with Bloodlines(By: Garth Ennis,William Simpson), the first of 50 books in the Hellblazer Graphic Novels series.

#	Title
1	Bloodlines(By: Garth Ennis,William Simpson) 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Dangerous Habits(By: Jamie Delano) 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Damnation's Flame(By: Garth Ennis) 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Fear and Loathing(By: Garth Ennis) 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Fear Machine(By: Jamie Delano) 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Hard Time(By: Brian Azzarello) 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Freezes Over(By: Brian Azzarello) 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Good Intentions(By: Brian Azzarello) 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Haunted(By: Warren Ellis) 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Son of Man(By: Garth Ennis) 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Highwater(By: Brian Azzarello) 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Setting Sun(By: Warren Ellis) 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	All His Engines(By: Mike Carey) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Rare Cuts(By: Grant Morrison,Garth Ennis,Jamie Delano) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Empathy is the Enemy(By: Denise Mina) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Lady Constantine(By: Andy Diggle) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Papa Midnite(By: Mat Johnson) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	The Gift(By: Mike Carey) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	The Devil You Know(By: Jamie Delano) 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	The Red Right Hand(By: Denise Mina) 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Joyride(By: Andy Diggle) 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	The Family Man(By: Jamie Delano) 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	The Laughing Magician(By: Andy Diggle) 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Dark Entries 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Scab(By: Peter Milligan) 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	The Roots of Coincidence(By: Andy Diggle) 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Hooked(By: Peter Milligan) 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	India(By: Peter Milligan) 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Bloody Carnations(By: Peter Milligan) 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	City of Demons(By: Si Spencer) 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Original Sins(By: John Ridgway,Jamie Delano) 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	Phantom Pains(By: Peter Milligan) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	The Devil's Trenchcoat(By: Peter Milligan) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	Death and Cigarettes(By: Peter Milligan) 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35	Critical Mass(By: Paul Jenkins) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36	Rake at the Gates of Hell(By: Garth Ennis) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
37	Shoot(By: Brian Azzarello) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
38	Tainted Love(By: Garth Ennis) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
39	In The Line Of Fire(By: Paul Jenkins) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
40	Last Man Standing(By: Paul Jenkins) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
41	How to Play with Fire(By: Sean Phillips) 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
42	Out of Season(By: Mike Carey) 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
43	The Wild Card(By: Mike Carey) 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
44	30th Anniversary Celebration(By: Neil Gaiman,Paul Jenkins,Alan Moore,Garth Ennis) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
45	Systems of Control(By: Mike Carey) 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
46	No Future(By: Peter Milligan) 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
47	Regeneration(By: Peter Milligan) 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
48	Another Season(By: Peter Milligan) 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
49	Sectioned(By: Peter Milligan,Si Spencer) 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
50	The Curse of the Constantines(By: Peter Milligan) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

25 books (1987–2024)

Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus series comprises 25 novels following the investigations of the titular Edinburgh detective, beginning with Knots and Crosses in 1987 and continuing through 2024. The series is ongoing and should be read in publication order to fully appreciate character development and the evolution of Rebus's personal circumstances across the decades. These crime mysteries blend procedural elements with literary depth, exploring the darker aspects of Scotland's capital city through cases both brutal and psychologically complex.

Start with Knots and Crosses, the first of 25 books in the Inspector Rebus series.

#	Title
1	Knots and Crosses 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Hide and Seek 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Strip Jack 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Tooth and Nail / Wolfman 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Black Book 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Mortal Causes 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Let It Bleed 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Black and Blue 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Hanging Garden 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Dead Souls 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Set in Darkness 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Falls 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Resurrection Men 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	A Question of Blood 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Fleshmarket Alley / Fleshmarket Close 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	The Naming of the Dead 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Exit Music 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Standing in Another Man's Grave 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Saints of the Shadow Bible 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Even Dogs in the Wild 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Rather Be the Devil 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	In a House of Lies 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	A Song for the Dark Times 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	A Heart Full of Headstones 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Midnight and Blue 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (1992–2019)

Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus Short Stories and Novellas series consists of six collections and related works published between 1992 and 2019. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with A Good Hanging. These shorter works complement the full-length Rebus novels, offering additional cases and insights into the detective's investigations throughout his career.

Start with A Good Hanging, the first of 6 books in the Inspector Rebus Short Stories/Novellas series.

#	Title
1	A Good Hanging 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Death is Not the End 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	A Good Hanging and Other Stories 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	In the Nick of Time(With: Peter James) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Beat Goes On 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Long Shadows (Play) 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1993–2001)

Ian Rankin's Jack Harvey trilogy consists of three mystery thrillers published between 1993 and 2001, beginning with Witch Hunt, followed by Blood Hunt and Bleeding Hearts. The series is complete and should be read in publication order to follow the narrative arc properly. This trilogy showcases Rankin's skill in the mystery and thriller genre alongside his literary fiction work.

Start with Witch Hunt and read in order.

#	Title
1	Witch Hunt 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Blood Hunt 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Bleeding Hearts 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (1977–2021)

The Jack Laidlaw series consists of four mystery novels following a Scottish detective, beginning with Laidlaw in 1977 and concluding with The Dark Remains in 2021. The first three books were written by William McIlvanney, while Ian Rankin collaborated with McIlvanney on the final entry. These novels should be read in publication order to follow the character's development across four decades.

Start with Laidlaw(By: William McIlvanney), the first of 4 books in the Jack Laidlaw series.

#	Title
1	Laidlaw(By: William McIlvanney) 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Papers of Tony Veitch(By: William McIlvanney) 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Strange Loyalties(By: William McIlvanney) 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Dark Remains(With: William McIlvanney) 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2009–2011)

Ian Rankin's Malcolm Fox series consists of two complete crime novels published between 2009 and 2011. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Complaints followed by The Impossible Dead. This mystery and thriller series explores corruption and crime through Rankin's distinctive literary approach to the detective genre.

Start with The Complaints and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Complaints 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Impossible Dead 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

7 books (2016–2022)

Ian Rankin's Murderous Christmas Stories is a seven-book mystery and thriller series published between 2016 and 2022. The series appears to be complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Murder under the Christmas Tree. Subsequent entries follow with Murder on Christmas Eve, A Very Murderous Christmas, Murder at Christmas, Murder in Midwinter, Murder on a Winter's Night, and Murder in the Falling Snow.

Start with Murder under the Christmas Tree, the first of 7 books in the Murderous Christmas Stories series.

#	Title
1	Murder under the Christmas Tree 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Murder on Christmas Eve 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	A Very Murderous Christmas 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Murder at Christmas 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Murder in Midwinter 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Murder on a Winter's Night 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Murder in the Falling Snow 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

34 books (2022–2025)

Mysterious Profiles is an ongoing anthology series spanning 33 books published from 2022 to 2025, edited by Ian Rankin. The collection brings together stories featuring iconic detective and mystery protagonists from various authors, including characters like Jack Reacher, Hieronymus Bosch, Inspector Morse, and Charlie Parker. Readers should follow the publication order to experience the full scope of this literary mystery compilation. Each entry can be enjoyed independently, though reading in sequence provides a comprehensive tour of contemporary and classic crime fiction's most memorable investigators.

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

1 book (2005–2005)

#	Title
1	Rebus's Scotland 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2014–2023)

#	Title
1	Dark Road 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	A Game Called Malice(With: Simon Reade) 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (1994–2023)

Ian Rankin's Short Stories/Novellas series comprises five collections published between 1994 and 2023, including A Deep Hole, A Cool Head, Meet and Greet, Deathwatch Journal, and The Rise. The series appears to be complete and should be read in publication order to best experience Rankin's mystery and thriller narratives across the decades. These standalone stories and novellas showcase the acclaimed Scottish author's versatility beyond his celebrated novel work, blending literary fiction with crime fiction sensibilities.

Start with A Deep Hole, the first of 5 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.

#	Title
1	A Deep Hole 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	A Cool Head 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Meet and Greet 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Deathwatch Journal 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Rise 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2002–2026)

Ian Rankin's short story collection series consists of two complete volumes published between 2002 and 2005. Read these mystery and thriller stories in publication order, beginning with Beggars Banquet followed by The Complete Short Stories. This compact series showcases Rankin's range beyond his novels, featuring crime and suspense narratives alongside literary fiction pieces.

Start with Beggars Banquet and read in order.

#	Title
1	Beggars Banquet 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Complete Short Stories 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Cully & More 2026

5 books (1986–2026)

Ian Rankin's Standalone Novels series comprises five mystery and thriller works published between 1986 and 2026, with the series remaining ongoing. These books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Flood and continuing through Watchman, Westwind, Doors Open, and The Heights. Each novel stands independently while contributing to Rankin's broader body of literary fiction in the mystery and thriller genres.

Start with The Flood, the first of 5 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	The Flood 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Watchman 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Westwind 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Doors Open 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Heights 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible