John D. MacDonald Reading Order
7 series · 92 books · Born 1916-07-24
John D. MacDonald was a prolific American author renowned for his contributions to the crime and mystery genres. Over his six-decade career, he published 92 works, including the popular Travis McGee series and a variety of standalone novels, short stories, and non-fiction pieces. Active from 1950 until 2019, MacDonald left an indelible mark on literature, particularly with his influential book, "The Deep Blue Good-by."
Anthologies Series
Complete9 books (1953–2002)
Start with Hard-Boiled Detectives, the first of 9 books in the Anthologies series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hard-Boiled Detectives 1953Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 | Worlds to Come: New Science Fiction Adventures 1967Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 | Tomorrow 1| Science Fiction by the Masters 1971Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  Space Suits & Gumshoes 1972Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  The Late Great Future 1976Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  Dark Crimes 2 1993Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  Florida Stories 1993Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  Law and Order 1997Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 |  Murder Most Merry 2002Buy 🇺🇸 |
Masters of Noir Series
Complete1 book (2010–2010)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Masters of Noir(By: ) 2010Buy 🇺🇸 |
Non-Fiction Series
Complete1 book (1965–1965)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The House Guests 1965Buy 🇺🇸 |
Short Stories/Novellas Series
Complete3 books (2015–2019)
Start with Murder Run-Around and read in order.
Short Story Collections Series
Complete6 books (1961–2010)
Start with The Good Old Stuff, the first of 6 books in the Short Story Collections series.
Standalone Novels Series
Complete51 books (1950–2014)
Start with The Brass Cupcake, the first of 51 books in the Standalone Novels series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  The Brass Cupcake 1950Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 | Judge Me Not 1951Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  Murder for the Bride 1951Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  Weep For Me 1951Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  Wine of the Dreamers 1951Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  Ballroom of the Skies 1952Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  The Damned 1952Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  Cancel All Our Vows 1953Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 |  Dead Low Tide 1953Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 |  Neon Jungle 1953Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 | Planet of the Dreamers 1953Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 |  All These Condemned 1954Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 |  Area of Suspicion 1954Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 |  Contrary Pleasure 1954Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 |  A Bullet for Cinderella 1955Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 16 |  Cry Hard, Cry Fast 1955Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 17 |  On the Make 1955Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 18 |  April Evil 1956Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 19 |  Border Town Girl / Five Star Fugitive / Linda 1956Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 20 |  Murder in the Wind / Hurricane 1956Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 21 |  A Man of Affairs 1957Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 22 |  Death Trap 1957Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 23 |  The Empty Trap 1957Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 24 |  Cape Fear / The Executioners 1958Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 25 |  Clemmie 1958Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 26 |  Soft Touch 1958Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 27 |  The Deceivers 1958Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 28 |  Please Write for Details 1959Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 29 |  The Beach Girls 1959Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 30 |  The Crossroads 1959Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 31 |  You Live Once / Kill Me 1959Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 32 |  Slam the Big Door 1960Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 33 |  The End of the Night 1960Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 34 |  The Only Girl in the Game 1960Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 35 |  One Monday We Killed Them All 1961Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 36 |  Where is Janice Gantry? 1961Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 37 |  A Flash of Green 1962Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 38 |  A Key to the Suite 1962Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 39 |  On the Run 1962Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 40 |  The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything 1962Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 41 | The Drowner 1963Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 42 | I Could Go on Singing 1964Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 43 |  Deadly Welcome 1965Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 44 |  The Last One Left 1967Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 45 |  No Deadly Drug 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 46 |  The Price of Murder 1972Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 47 |  Condominium 1977Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 48 |  Two 1983Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 49 |  One More Sunday 1984Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 50 |  Barrier Island 1986Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 51 | Hurricane 2014Buy 🇺🇸 |
Travis McGee Series
Complete21 books (1964–1984)
Start with A Purple Place for Dying, the first of 21 books in the Travis McGee series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  A Purple Place for Dying 1964Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  Nightmare in Pink 1964Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  The Deep Blue Good-By 1964Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  The Quick Red Fox 1964Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  A Deadly Shade of Gold 1965Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  Bright Orange for the Shroud 1965Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  Darker Than Amber 1966Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  One Fearful Yellow Eye 1966Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 |  Pale Gray for Guilt 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 |  The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 |  Dress Her in Indigo 1969Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 |  The Long Lavender Look 1970Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 | A Tan and Sandy Silence 1971Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 |  The Scarlet Ruse 1972Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 |  The Turquoise Lament 1973Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 16 |  The Dreadful Lemon Sky 1974Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 17 |  The Empty Copper Sea 1978Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 18 |  The Green Ripper 1979Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 19 |  Free Fall in Crimson 1981Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 20 |  Cinnamon Skin 1982Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 21 |  The Lonely Silver Rain 1984Buy 🇺🇸 |
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.