
James Hadley Chase Reading Order
10 series Β· 97 books Β· Born 1906-12-24
James Hadley Chase was a prolific British mystery writer who published nearly a hundred crime and thriller novels between 1939 and 1996, establishing himself as a master of the genre across multiple character-driven series. His output spanned numerous detectives and protagonists including Dave Fenner, Don Micklem, and Frank Terrell, showcasing his versatility in crafting suspenseful narratives that captivated readers for decades. Chase brought a distinctive style to pulp mystery fiction, building a substantial body of work that made him one of the most consistently published authors in the thriller genre during the twentieth century.
Anthologies Series
Complete1 book (1996β1996)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pulp Frictions: Hardboiled Stories |
Dave Fenner Series
Complete2 books (1939β1941)
Start with No Orchids for Miss Blandish / The Villain and the Virgin and read in order.
Start this series with No Orchids for Miss Blandish / The Villain and the Virgin
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | No Orchids for Miss Blandish / The Villain and the Virgin |
| 2 | The Doll's Bad News / Twelve C----- and a Woman |
Don Micklem Series
Complete1 book (1955β1955)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Mission to Siena(As: Raymond Marshall) |
Frank Terrell Series
Complete5 books (1964β1970)
Start with The Soft Centre, the first of 5 books in the Frank Terrell series.
Start this series with The Soft Centre
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Soft Centre |
| 2 | The Way the Cookie Crumbles |
| 3 | Well Now, My Pretty .. |
| 4 | Believed Violent |
| 5 | There's a Hippie on the Highway |
Helga Rolfe Series
Complete3 books (1972β1977)
Start with Ace Up My Sleeve and read in order.
Start this series with Ace Up My Sleeve
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ace Up My Sleeve |
| 2 | The Joker in the Pack |
| 3 | I Hold the Four Aces |
Mark Girland Series
Complete4 books (1958β1980)
Start with The Whiff of Money, the first of 4 books in the Mark Girland series.
Start this series with The Whiff of Money
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Whiff of Money |
| 2 | This Is for Real |
| 3 | Have This One on Me |
| 4 | You Have Yourself a Deal |
Standalone Novels Series
Complete67 books (1940β1983)
Start with Lady -- Here's Your Wreath(As: Raymond Marshall), the first of 67 books in the Standalone Novels series.
Start this series with Lady -- Here's Your Wreath(As: Raymond Marshall)
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lady -- Here's Your Wreath(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 2 | The Flesh of the Orchid |
| 3 | Miss Callaghan Comes to Grief |
| 4 | The Dead Stay Dumb / Kiss My Fist! |
| 5 | Eve |
| 6 | Get a Load of This |
| 7 | You Never Know with Women |
| 8 | Just the Way It Is(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 9 | Miss Shumway Waves a Wand |
| 10 | Blonde's Requiem(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 11 | I'll Get You for This |
| 12 | Make the Corpse Walk(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 13 | More Deadly Than the Male |
| 14 | Trusted Like the Fox(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 15 | The Paw in the Bottle(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 16 | Why Pick On Me?(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 17 | But a Short Time to Live(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 18 | In a Vain Shadow(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 19 | Strictly for Cash |
| 20 | The Fast Buck |
| 21 | The Wary Transgressor(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 22 | I'll Bury My Dead |
| 23 | The Things Men Do(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 24 | Mission to Venice(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 25 | Safer Dead / Dead Ringer |
| 26 | The Sucker Punch(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 27 | This Way for a Shroud |
| 28 | Tiger by the Tail |
| 29 | Ruthless(As:Raymond Marshall) |
| 30 | The Pickup(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 31 | You've Got It Coming |
| 32 | You Find Him, I'll Fix Him |
| 33 | Never Trust a Woman(As:Raymond Marshall) |
| 34 | The Guilty Are Afraid |
| 35 | Hit and Run |
| 36 | The Case of the Strangled Starlet / Not So Safe to Be Free |
| 37 | The World in My Pocket |
| 38 | Come Easy, Go Easy |
| 39 | Just Another Sucker |
| 40 | What's Better Than Money? |
| 41 | A Lotus for Miss Quon |
| 42 | A Coffin from Hong Kong |
| 43 | I Would Rather Stay Poor |
| 44 | One Bright Summer Morning |
| 45 | Cade |
| 46 | Mallory(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 47 | The Vulture is a Patient Bird |
| 48 | He Won't Need It Now |
| 49 | Just a Matter of Time |
| 50 | Want to Stay Alive? |
| 51 | You're Dead Without Money |
| 52 | Knock, Knock! Who's There? |
| 53 | So What Happens to Me? |
| 54 | Three of Spades |
| 55 | Believe This... You'll Believe Anything |
| 56 | Goldfish Have No Hiding Place |
| 57 | So Soon to Die |
| 58 | Do Me a Favour - Drop Dead |
| 59 | My Laugh Comes Last |
| 60 | Meet Mark Girland |
| 61 | You Must Be Kidding |
| 62 | A Can of Worms |
| 63 | You Can Say That Again |
| 64 | Hand Me a Fig Leaf |
| 65 | Have a Nice Night |
| 66 | We'll Share a Double Funeral |
| 67 | Not My Thing |
Steve Harmas Series
Complete6 books (1947β1968)
Start with No Business of Mine(As: Raymond Marshall), the first of 6 books in the Steve Harmas series.
Start this series with No Business of Mine(As: Raymond Marshall)
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | No Business of Mine(As: Raymond Marshall) |
| 2 | Double Shuffle |
| 3 | There's Always a Price Tag |
| 4 | Shock Treatment |
| 5 | Tell It to the Birds |
| 6 | An Ear to the Ground |
Tom Lepski Series
Complete5 books (1971β1984)
Start with Like a Hole in the Head, the first of 5 books in the Tom Lepski series.
Start this series with Like a Hole in the Head
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Like a Hole in the Head |
| 2 | Have a Change of Scene |
| 3 | Consider Yourself Dead |
| 4 | Try This One for Size |
| 5 | Hit Them Where It Hurts |
Vic Malloy Series
Complete3 books (1949β1950)
Start with You're Lonely When You're Dead and read in order.
Start this series with You're Lonely When You're Dead
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | You're Lonely When You're Dead |
| 2 | Figure It Out for Yourself / The Marijuana Mob |
| 3 | Lay Her Among Lilies / Too Dangerous to Be Free |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has James Hadley Chase written?
- James Hadley Chase has written 97 books across 10 series. Their published works span from 1939 to 1996.
- What is the first book in each James Hadley Chase series?
- Here are the first books in James Hadley Chase's series: Dave Fenner: No Orchids for Miss Blandish / The Villain and the Virgin; Frank Terrell: The Soft Centre; Helga Rolfe: Ace Up My Sleeve; Mark Girland: The Whiff of Money; Steve Harmas: No Business of Mine(As: Raymond Marshall).
- What order should I read James Hadley Chase's books?
- We recommend reading James Hadley Chase's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Are James Hadley Chase's series complete?
- James Hadley Chase has 10 completed series.

