Reading Order List — Book Series Reading Order Guide
John D. MacDonald

John D. MacDonald Reading Order

7 series · 92 books · Born 1916-07-24

Mystery & ThrillerNon-Fiction

John D. MacDonald was a prolific American author who crafted compelling mystery and thriller fiction across numerous novels and short stories from 1950 through 2019. Known for his mastery of noir and suspenseful narrative, MacDonald produced over ninety works that demonstrated his skill at building tension and exploring the darker aspects of human nature. His extensive body of work spans collections, novellas, and anthologies that have solidified his reputation as a significant figure in mid-century American crime and mystery writing.

Anthologies Series

Complete

9 books (1953–2002)

Start with Hard-Boiled Detectives, the first of 9 books in the Anthologies series.

Start this series with Hard-Boiled Detectives

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Hard-Boiled Detectives
1953Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Worlds to Come: New Science Fiction Adventures
1967Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Tomorrow 1| Science Fiction by the Masters
1971Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4
Cover of Space Suits & Gumshoes
Space Suits & Gumshoes
1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5
Cover of The Late Great Future
The Late Great Future
1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6
Cover of Dark Crimes 2
Dark Crimes 2
1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7
Cover of Florida Stories
Florida Stories
1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8
Cover of Law and Order
Law and Order
1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9
Cover of Murder Most Merry
Murder Most Merry
2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Masters of Noir Series

Complete

1 book (2010–2010)

#Title
1
Masters of Noir(By: )
2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Non-Fiction Series

Complete

1 book (1965–1965)

#Title
1
The House Guests
1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Short Stories/Novellas Series

Complete

3 books (2015–2019)

Start with Murder Run-Around and read in order.

Start this series with Murder Run-Around

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of Murder Run-Around
Murder Run-Around
2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
In a Small Motel
2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
What Christmas Did for Jerusha Grumble
2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Short Story Collections Series

Complete

6 books (1961–2010)

Start with The Good Old Stuff, the first of 6 books in the Short Story Collections series.

Start this series with The Good Old Stuff

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of The Good Old Stuff
The Good Old Stuff
1961Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of End of the Tiger and Other Stories
End of the Tiger and Other Stories
1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of Seven
4
Cover of Other Times, Other Worlds
Other Times, Other Worlds
1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5
Cover of More Good Old Stuff
More Good Old Stuff
1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6
Death Quotient and Other Stories
2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Standalone Novels Series

Complete

51 books (1950–2014)

Start with The Brass Cupcake, the first of 51 books in the Standalone Novels series.

Start this series with The Brass Cupcake

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of The Brass Cupcake
The Brass Cupcake
1950Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Judge Me Not
1951Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of Murder for the Bride
Murder for the Bride
1951Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4
Cover of Weep For Me
5
Cover of Wine of the Dreamers
Wine of the Dreamers
1951Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6
Cover of Ballroom of the Skies
Ballroom of the Skies
1952Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7
Cover of The Damned
8
Cover of Cancel All Our Vows
Cancel All Our Vows
1953Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9
Cover of Dead Low Tide
Dead Low Tide
1953Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10
Cover of Neon Jungle
11
Planet of the Dreamers
1953Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12
Cover of All These Condemned
All These Condemned
1954Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13
Cover of Area of Suspicion
Area of Suspicion
1954Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14
Cover of Contrary Pleasure
Contrary Pleasure
1954Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15
Cover of A Bullet for Cinderella
A Bullet for Cinderella
1955Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16
Cover of Cry Hard, Cry Fast
Cry Hard, Cry Fast
1955Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17
Cover of On the Make
18
Cover of April Evil
19
Cover of Border Town Girl / Five Star Fugitive / Linda
Border Town Girl / Five Star Fugitive / Linda
1956Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20
Cover of Murder in the Wind / Hurricane
Murder in the Wind / Hurricane
1956Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21
Cover of A Man of Affairs
A Man of Affairs
1957Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22
Cover of Death Trap
23
Cover of The Empty Trap
The Empty Trap
1957Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24
Cover of Cape Fear / The Executioners
Cape Fear / The Executioners
1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25
Cover of Clemmie
26
Cover of Soft Touch
27
Cover of The Deceivers
The Deceivers
1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28
Cover of Please Write for Details
Please Write for Details
1959Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29
Cover of The Beach Girls
The Beach Girls
1959Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30
Cover of The Crossroads
The Crossroads
1959Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31
Cover of You Live Once / Kill Me
You Live Once / Kill Me
1959Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32
Cover of Slam the Big Door
Slam the Big Door
1960Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33
Cover of The End of the Night
The End of the Night
1960Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34
Cover of The Only Girl in the Game
The Only Girl in the Game
1960Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35
Cover of One Monday We Killed Them All
One Monday We Killed Them All
1961Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36
Cover of Where is Janice Gantry?
Where is Janice Gantry?
1961Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
37
Cover of A Flash of Green
A Flash of Green
1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
38
Cover of A Key to the Suite
A Key to the Suite
1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
39
Cover of On the Run
40
Cover of The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything
The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything
1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
41
42
I Could Go on Singing
1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
43
Cover of Deadly Welcome
Deadly Welcome
1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
44
Cover of The Last One Left
The Last One Left
1967Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
45
Cover of No Deadly Drug
No Deadly Drug
1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
46
Cover of The Price of Murder
The Price of Murder
1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
47
Cover of Condominium
48
Cover of Two
49
Cover of One More Sunday
One More Sunday
1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
50
Cover of Barrier Island
Barrier Island
1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
51

Travis McGee Series

Complete

21 books (1964–1984)

Start with A Purple Place for Dying, the first of 21 books in the Travis McGee series.

Start this series with A Purple Place for Dying

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of A Purple Place for Dying
A Purple Place for Dying
1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of Nightmare in Pink
Nightmare in Pink
1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of The Deep Blue Good-By
The Deep Blue Good-By
1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4
Cover of The Quick Red Fox
The Quick Red Fox
1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5
Cover of A Deadly Shade of Gold
A Deadly Shade of Gold
1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6
Cover of Bright Orange for the Shroud
Bright Orange for the Shroud
1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7
Cover of Darker Than Amber
Darker Than Amber
1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8
Cover of One Fearful Yellow Eye
One Fearful Yellow Eye
1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9
Cover of Pale Gray for Guilt
Pale Gray for Guilt
1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10
Cover of The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper
The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper
1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11
Cover of Dress Her in Indigo
Dress Her in Indigo
1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12
Cover of The Long Lavender Look
The Long Lavender Look
1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13
A Tan and Sandy Silence
1971Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14
Cover of The Scarlet Ruse
The Scarlet Ruse
1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15
Cover of The Turquoise Lament
The Turquoise Lament
1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16
Cover of The Dreadful Lemon Sky
The Dreadful Lemon Sky
1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17
Cover of The Empty Copper Sea
The Empty Copper Sea
1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18
Cover of The Green Ripper
The Green Ripper
1979Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19
Cover of Free Fall in Crimson
Free Fall in Crimson
1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20
Cover of Cinnamon Skin
Cinnamon Skin
1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21
Cover of The Lonely Silver Rain
The Lonely Silver Rain
1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has John D. MacDonald written?
John D. MacDonald has written 92 books across 7 series. Their published works span from 1950 to 2019.
What is the first book in each John D. MacDonald series?
Here are the first books in John D. MacDonald's series: Anthologies: Hard-Boiled Detectives; Short Stories/Novellas: Murder Run-Around; Short Story Collections: The Good Old Stuff; Travis McGee: A Purple Place for Dying.
What order should I read John D. MacDonald's books?
We recommend reading John D. MacDonald's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Are John D. MacDonald's series complete?
John D. MacDonald has 7 completed series.

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