Ian Rankin Reading Order

21 books (2000–2022)

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

40 books (2012–2022)

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

50 books (1991–2022)

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

25 books (1987–2024)

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

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

6 books (1992–2019)

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

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

3 books (1993–2001)

Start with Witch Hunt and read in order.

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

4 books (1977–2021)

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

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

2 books (2009–2011)

Start with The Complaints and read in order.

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

7 books (2016–2022)

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

33 books (2022–2025)

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 🇺🇸

1 book (2014–2014)

#	Title
1	Dark Road 2014Buy 🇺🇸

5 books (1994–2023)

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

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

2 books (2002–2005)

Start with Beggars Banquet and read in order.

#	Title
1	Beggars Banquet 2002Buy 🇺🇸
2	The Complete Short Stories 2005Buy 🇺🇸

5 books (1986–2026)

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

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