Reading Order List โ€” Book Series Reading Order Guide

James Crumley Reading Order

5 series ยท 139 books ยท Born 1939

James Crumley was a prolific American writer known for his gritty hardboiled crime fiction, leaving a significant mark on the genre from 1969 to 2025. With 139 books to his name, including five distinct series such as Milo Milodragovitch and C.W. Sughrue, along with a variety of standalone works and anthologies, he has garnered acclaim as a masterful storyteller. His most notable work, which showcases his unique blend of violence and introspection, has solidified his reputation as a pivotal figure in modern crime literature.

Akashic Noir Series

Ongoing

121 books (2002โ€“2025)

Start with San Francisco Noir, the first of 121 books in the Akashic Noir series.

#Title
1
San Francisco Noir
2
3
Seattle Noir
4
Brooklyn Noir
5
Cover of Hasidic Noir
Hasidic Noir
6
Cover of Brooklyn Noir 2
Brooklyn Noir 2
7
Chicago Noir
8
9
Baltimore Noir
10
11
12
Cover of Manhattan Noir
Manhattan Noir
13
14
Cover of Twin Cities Noir
Twin Cities Noir
15
Cover of Detroit Noir
Detroit Noir
16
17
Cover of Los Angeles Noir
Los Angeles Noir
18
Cover of New Orleans Noir
New Orleans Noir
19
Wall Street Noir
20
Cover of Brooklyn Noir 3: Nothing But the Truth
Brooklyn Noir 3: Nothing But the Truth
21
22
Istanbul Noir
23
Las Vegas Noir
24
Manhattan Noir 2
25
26
27
Toronto Noir
28
Trinidad Noir
29
30
31
Cover of Phoenix Noir
Phoenix Noir
32
Portland Noir
33
34
San Francisco Noir 2
35
Copenhagen Noir
36
37
Indian Country Noir
38
Cover of Lone Star Noir
Lone Star Noir
39
Los Angeles Noir 2
40
Mexico City Noir
41
42
Cover of Orange County Noir
Orange County Noir
43
Philadelphia Noir
44
Richmond Noir
45
Barcelona Noir
46
Cover of Cape Cod Noir
Cape Cod Noir
47
New Jersey Noir
48
Pittsburgh Noir
49
San Diego Noir
50
Cover of Boston Noir 2
Boston Noir 2
51
Kansas City Noir
52
Kingston Noir
53
Long Island Noir
54
55
St. Petersburg Noir
56
Cover of Staten Island Noir
Staten Island Noir
57
58
Buffalo Noir
59
60
Haiti Noir 2
61
62
63
Belfast Noir
64
Helsinki Noir
65
66
67
Singapore Noir
68
69
Tel Aviv Noir
70
71
Chicago Noir: The Classics
72
Marseille Noir
73
Memphis Noir
74
Providence Noir
75
76
Brussels Noir
77
Cover of Mississippi Noir
Mississippi Noir
78
New Orleans Noir: The Classics
79
80
San Juan Noir
81
St. Louis Noir
82
Cover of Stockholm Noir
Stockholm Noir
83
Cover of Atlanta Noir
Atlanta Noir
84
Buenos Aires Noir
85
Montana Noir
86
Montreal Noir
87
New Haven Noir
88
Oakland Noir
89
Trinidad Noir: The Classics
90
Baghdad Noir
91
92
Hong Kong Noir
93
94
Marrakech Noir
95
Santa Cruz Noir
96
97
Sรฃo Paulo Noir
98
Vancouver Noir
99
Amsterdam Noir
100
Houston Noir
101
Milwaukee Noir
102
103
Addis Ababa Noir
104
Alabama Noir
105
Belgrade Noir
106
Berkeley Noir
107
Columbus Noir
108
Miami Noir: The Classics
109
Nairobi Noir
110
Santa Fe Noir
111
Tampa Bay Noir
112
Palm Springs Noir
113
114
Paris Noir: The Suburbs
115
Cover of South Central Noir
South Central Noir
116
Cleveland Noir
117
East Jerusalem Noir
118
West Jerusalem Noir
119
Honolulu Noir
120
Cover of Hamburg Noir
Hamburg Noir
121
Sacramento Noir

Anthologies Series

Complete

8 books (1996โ€“2012)

Start with Murder For Love, the first of 8 books in the Anthologies series.

#Title
1
Cover of Murder For Love
Murder For Love
2
Cover of The Best American Mystery Stories 1997
The Best American Mystery Stories 1997
3
The Putt at the End of the World
4
Cover of The Mysterious Press Anniversary Anthology: Celebrating 25 Years
The Mysterious Press Anniversary Anthology: Celebrating 25 Years
5
Cover of Measures of Poison
Measures of Poison
6
The Best American Mystery Stories 2003
7
Books to Die For
8
Cover of Contrappasso Magazine, Issue 1
Contrappasso Magazine, Issue 1

C.W. Sughrue Series

Complete

4 books (1978โ€“2005)

Start with The Last Good Kiss, the first of 4 books in the C.W. Sughrue series.

#Title
1
Cover of The Last Good Kiss
The Last Good Kiss
2
Cover of The Mexican Tree Duck
The Mexican Tree Duck
3
Cover of Bordersnakes
Bordersnakes
4
Cover of The Right Madness
The Right Madness

Milo Milodragovitch Series

Complete

3 books (1975โ€“2001)

Start with The Wrong Case and read in order.

#Title
1
Cover of The Wrong Case
The Wrong Case
2
Cover of Dancing Bear
Dancing Bear
3
Cover of The Final Country
The Final Country

Standalone Novels Series

Complete

3 books (1969โ€“1991)

Start with One to Count Cadence and read in order.

#Title
1
Cover of One to Count Cadence
One to Count Cadence
2
3
Muddy Fork & Other Things

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has James Crumley written?
James Crumley has written 139 books across 5 series. Their published works span from 1969 to 2025.
What is the first book in each James Crumley series?
Here are the first books in James Crumley's series: Akashic Noir: San Francisco Noir; Anthologies: Murder For Love; C.W. Sughrue: The Last Good Kiss; Milo Milodragovitch: The Wrong Case.
What order should I read James Crumley's books?
We recommend reading James Crumley's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Is James Crumley still writing new books?
Yes, James Crumley has 1 ongoing series: Akashic Noir.

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