John Dickson Carr Reading Order

4 books (1954–1964)

Start with The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes(With: Adrian Conan Doyle), the first of 4 books in the Adrian Conan Doyle Collections series.

#	Title
1	The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes(With: Adrian Conan Doyle) 1954Buy 🇺🇸
2	The New Exploits of Sherlock Holmes(With: Adrian Conan Doyle) 1954Buy 🇺🇸
3	More Exploits of Sherlock Holmes(By: Adrian Conan Doyle) 1964Buy 🇺🇸
4	Tales of Love and Hate(By: Adrian Conan Doyle) 1964Buy 🇺🇸

17 books (1952–2025)

Start with 20 Great Tales of Murder, the first of 17 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	20 Great Tales of Murder 1952Buy 🇺🇸
2	Nine Detective Stories 1964Buy 🇺🇸
3	The Locked Room Reader: Stories of Impossible Crimes and Escapes 1968Buy 🇺🇸
4	Daring Detectives 1969Buy 🇺🇸
5	All but Impossible! 1981Buy 🇺🇸
6	Great Stories of Mystery and Suspense 1981Buy 🇺🇸
7	Deadly Arts 1985Buy 🇺🇸
8	Handle with Care: Frightening Stories 1985Buy 🇺🇸
9	Murder for Christmas 1987Buy 🇺🇸
10	English Country House Murders 1988Buy 🇺🇸
11	The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes 1989Buy 🇺🇸
12	Great Tales of Crime and Detection 1992Buy 🇺🇸
13	Fifty Best Mysteries 1993Buy 🇺🇸
14	The Longman Anthology of Detective Fiction 2004Buy 🇺🇸
15	Murder in Midsummer: Classic Mysteries for the Holidays 2019Buy 🇺🇸
16	Murder Takes a Holiday 2021Buy 🇺🇸
17	Metropolitan Mysteries: A Casebook of London's Detectives 2025Buy 🇺🇸

102 books (1862–2024)

Start with The Notting Hill Mystery(By: Charles Warren Adams), the first of 102 books in the British Library Crime Classics series.

#	Title
1	The Notting Hill Mystery(By: Charles Warren Adams) 1862Buy 🇺🇸
2	The Poisoned Chocolates Case(By: Anthony Berkeley) 1929Buy 🇺🇸
3	It Walks by Night 1930Buy 🇺🇸
4	The Secret of High Eldersham / The Mystery of High Eldersham(By: Miles Burton) 1930Buy 🇺🇸
5	Castle Skull 1931Buy 🇺🇸
6	Murder of a Lady / The Silver Scale Mystery(By: Anthony Wynne) 1931Buy 🇺🇸
7	Mystery in the Channel(By: Freeman Crofts) 1931Buy 🇺🇸
8	The Incredible Crime(By: Lois Austen-Leigh) 1931Buy 🇺🇸
9	The Lost Gallows 1931Buy 🇺🇸
10	The Z Murders(By: J. Jefferson Farjeon) 1931Buy 🇺🇸
11	The Corpse in the Waxworks / The Waxworks Murder 1932Buy 🇺🇸
12	The Division Bell Mystery(By: Ellen Wilkinson) 1932Buy 🇺🇸
13	Death in Fancy Dress(By: Anthony Gilbert) 1933Buy 🇺🇸
14	Family Matters(By: Anthony Rolls) 1933Buy 🇺🇸
15	Portrait of a Murderer(By: Anne Meredith) 1933Buy 🇺🇸
16	The Hog's Back Mystery(By: Freeman Crofts) 1933Buy 🇺🇸
17	Death of an Airman(By: Christopher Sprigg) 1934Buy 🇺🇸
18	Murder Underground(By: Mavis Doriel Hay) 1934Buy 🇺🇸
19	Quick Curtain(By: Alan Melville) 1934Buy 🇺🇸
20	Scarweather(By: Anthony Rolls) 1934Buy 🇺🇸
21	The 12.30 from Croydon(By: Freeman Crofts) 1934Buy 🇺🇸
22	The Chianti Flask(By: Marie Belloc Lowndes) 1934Buy 🇺🇸
23	The Mysterious Mr. Badman(By: William Fryer Harvey) 1934Buy 🇺🇸
24	The Spy Paramount(By: E. Phillips Oppenheim) 1934Buy 🇺🇸
25	Weekend at Thrackley(By: Alan Melville) 1934Buy 🇺🇸
26	Death on the Cherwell(By: Mavis Doriel Hay) 1935Buy 🇺🇸
27	The Cornish Coast Murder(By: John Bude) 1935Buy 🇺🇸
28	The Lake District Murder(By: John Bude) 1935Buy 🇺🇸
29	Death in the Tunnel / Dark in the Tunnel(By: Miles Burton) 1936Buy 🇺🇸
30	Death of Anton(By: Alan Melville) 1936Buy 🇺🇸
31	Death of an Author(By: E.C.R. Lorac) 1936Buy 🇺🇸
32	Murder in Piccadilly(By: Charles Kingston) 1936Buy 🇺🇸
33	The Santa Klaus Murder(By: Mavis Doriel Hay) 1936Buy 🇺🇸
34	The Sussex Downs Murder(By: John Bude) 1936Buy 🇺🇸
35	The Traitor(By: Sydney Horler) 1936Buy 🇺🇸
36	The Wheel Spins / Passengers / The Lady Vanishes(By: Ethel Lina White) 1936Buy 🇺🇸
37	Bats in the Belfry(By: E.C.R. Lorac) 1937Buy 🇺🇸
38	Mystery in White(By: J. Jefferson Farjeon) 1937Buy 🇺🇸
39	The Cheltenham Square Murder(By: John Bude) 1937Buy 🇺🇸
40	Antidote to Venom(By: Freeman Crofts) 1938Buy 🇺🇸
41	Excellent Intentions(By: Richard Hull) 1938Buy 🇺🇸
42	Murder in the Museum(By: John Rowland) 1938Buy 🇺🇸
43	The Port of London Murders(By: Josephine Bell) 1938Buy 🇺🇸
44	Thirteen Guests(By: J. Jefferson Farjeon) 1938Buy 🇺🇸
45	Seven Dead(By: J. Jefferson Farjeon) 1939Buy 🇺🇸
46	The Arsenal Stadium Mystery(By: Leonard R. Gribble) 1939Buy 🇺🇸
47	A Scream in Soho(By: John G. Brandon) 1940Buy 🇺🇸
48	Verdict of Twelve(By: Raymond Postgate) 1940Buy 🇺🇸
49	Death of a Busybody(By: George Bellairs) 1942Buy 🇺🇸
50	The Dead Shall be Raised & Murder of a Quack(By: George Bellairs) 1942Buy 🇺🇸
51	Murder's a Swine(By: Nap Lombard) 1943Buy 🇺🇸
52	Somebody at the Door(By: Raymond Postgate) 1943Buy 🇺🇸
53	Checkmate to Murder(By: E.C.R. Lorac) 1944Buy 🇺🇸
54	Fell Murder(By: E.C.R. Lorac) 1944Buy 🇺🇸
55	Murder by Matchlight(By: E.C.R. Lorac) 1945Buy 🇺🇸
56	Trouble on the Thames(By: Victor Bridges) 1945Buy 🇺🇸
57	Fire in the Thatch(By: E.C.R. Lorac) 1946Buy 🇺🇸
58	Death Makes a Prophet(By: John Bude) 1947Buy 🇺🇸
59	Calamity in Kent(By: John Rowland) 1950Buy 🇺🇸
60	Smallbone Deceased(By: Michael Gilbert) 1950Buy 🇺🇸
61	Death Has Deep Roots(By: Michael Gilbert) 1951Buy 🇺🇸
62	Crossed Skis(By: Carol Carnac) 1952Buy 🇺🇸
63	Death on the Riviera(By: John Bude) 1952Buy 🇺🇸
64	Last Seen Wearing(By: Hillary Waugh) 1952Buy 🇺🇸
65	London Particular / Fog of Doubt(By: Christianna Brand) 1952Buy 🇺🇸
66	Murder in the Mill-Race(By: E.C.R. Lorac) 1952Buy 🇺🇸
67	The Danger Within / Death in Captivity(By: Michael Gilbert) 1952Buy 🇺🇸
68	Murder As a Fine Art(By: Carol Carnac) 1953Buy 🇺🇸
69	The Man Who Didn't Fly(By: Margot Bennett) 1955Buy 🇺🇸
70	The Colour Of Murder(By: Julian Symons) 1957Buy 🇺🇸
71	The Christmas Egg(By: Mary Kelly) 1958Buy 🇺🇸
72	Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm(By: Gil North) 1960Buy 🇺🇸
73	The Progress of a Crime(By: Julian Symons) 1960Buy 🇺🇸
74	The Body in the Dumb River(By: George Bellairs) 1961Buy 🇺🇸
75	The Spoilt Kill(By: Mary Kelly) 1961Buy 🇺🇸
76	Due to a Death / The Dead of Summer(By: Mary Kelly) 1963Buy 🇺🇸
77	Surfeit of Suspects(By: George Bellairs) 1964Buy 🇺🇸
78	The Belting Inheritance(By: Julian Symons) 1965Buy 🇺🇸
79	The Last Best Friend(By: George Sims) 1967Buy 🇺🇸
80	Tea on Sunday(By: Lettice Cooper) 1973Buy 🇺🇸
81	The End of the Web(By: George Sims) 1976Buy 🇺🇸
82	Capital Crimes(By: Martin Edwards,Richard Marsh) 2015Buy 🇺🇸
83	Resorting to Murder(By: Martin Edwards) 2015Buy 🇺🇸
84	Silent Nights(By: Martin Edwards) 2015Buy 🇺🇸
85	Crimson Snow(By: Martin Edwards,Fergus Hume) 2016Buy 🇺🇸
86	Murder at the Manor(By: Martin Edwards) 2016Buy 🇺🇸
87	Serpents in Eden(By: Martin Edwards) 2016Buy 🇺🇸
88	Continental Crimes(By: Martin Edwards) 2017Buy 🇺🇸
89	Foreign Bodies(By: Martin Edwards,Palle Rosenkrantz) 2017Buy 🇺🇸
90	Miraculous Mysteries(By: Martin Edwards) 2017Buy 🇺🇸
91	The Long Arm of the Law(By: Martin Edwards) 2017Buy 🇺🇸
92	Blood on the Tracks(By: Martin Edwards) 2018Buy 🇺🇸
93	Golden Age of Detection Puzzle Book(By: Kate Jackson) 2018Buy 🇺🇸
94	The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories(By: Martin Edwards) 2018Buy 🇺🇸
95	Deep Waters(By: Martin Edwards) 2019Buy 🇺🇸
96	The Measure of Malice(By: Martin Edwards) 2019Buy 🇺🇸
97	A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries(By: Martin Edwards) 2020Buy 🇺🇸
98	Settling Scores(By: Martin Edwards) 2020Buy 🇺🇸
99	Guilty Creatures(By: Martin Edwards) 2021Buy 🇺🇸
100	Two-Way Murder(By: E.C.R. Lorac) 2021Buy 🇺🇸
101	Crimes of Cymru(By: Martin Edwards) 2023Buy 🇺🇸
102	Lessons in Crime(By: Martin Edwards) 2024Buy 🇺🇸

1 book (1985–1985)

#	Title
1	Stumpy's Pumpkin Roundup and Other Crazy Poems 1985Buy 🇺🇸

1 book (1940–1940)

#	Title
1	The Department of Queer Complaints 1940Buy 🇺🇸

24 books (1932–1967)

Start with Hag's Nook, the first of 24 books in the Dr. Gideon Fell series.

#	Title
1	Hag's Nook 1932Buy 🇺🇸
2	The Mad Hatter Mystery 1933Buy 🇺🇸
3	The Blind Barber 1934Buy 🇺🇸
4	The Eight of Swords 1934Buy 🇺🇸
5	Death-Watch 1935Buy 🇺🇸
6	The Three Coffins / The Hollow Man 1935Buy 🇺🇸
7	The Arabian Nights Murder 1936Buy 🇺🇸
8	The Crooked Hinge 1937Buy 🇺🇸
9	To Wake the Dead 1938Buy 🇺🇸
10	The Problem of the Green Capsule / The Black Spectacles 1939Buy 🇺🇸
11	The Problem of the Wire Cage 1939Buy 🇺🇸
12	The Man Who Could Not Shudder 1940Buy 🇺🇸
13	Death Turns the Tables 1941Buy 🇺🇸
14	The Case of the Constant Suicides 1941Buy 🇺🇸
15	The Seat of the Scornful 1941Buy 🇺🇸
16	Till Death Do Us Part 1944Buy 🇺🇸
17	He Who Whispers 1946Buy 🇺🇸
18	The Sleeping Sphinx 1947Buy 🇺🇸
19	Below Suspicion 1949Buy 🇺🇸
20	The Dead Man's Knock 1958Buy 🇺🇸
21	In Spite of Thunder 1960Buy 🇺🇸
22	The House at Satan's Elbow 1965Buy 🇺🇸
23	Panic in Box C 1966Buy 🇺🇸
24	Dark of the Moon 1967Buy 🇺🇸

5 books (1930–1937)

Start with It Walks by Night, the first of 5 books in the Henri Bencolin series.

#	Title
1	It Walks by Night 1930Buy 🇺🇸
2	Castle Skull 1931Buy 🇺🇸
3	The Lost Gallows 1931Buy 🇺🇸
4	The Corpse in the Waxworks / The Waxworks Murder 1932Buy 🇺🇸
5	The Four False Weapons 1937Buy 🇺🇸

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 🇺🇸

1 book (1949–1949)

#	Title
1	The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 1949Buy 🇺🇸

9 books (1954–2022)

Start with The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes(With: Adrian Conan Doyle), the first of 9 books in the Short Story Collections series.

#	Title
1	The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes(With: Adrian Conan Doyle) 1954Buy 🇺🇸
2	The New Exploits of Sherlock Holmes(With: Adrian Conan Doyle) 1954Buy 🇺🇸
3	The Door To Doom, And Other Detections 1980Buy 🇺🇸
4	The Dead Sleep Lightly and Other Mysteries from Radio's Golden Age 1983Buy 🇺🇸
5	Fell and Foul Play 1991Buy 🇺🇸
6	13 to the Gallows(With: Val Gielgud) 2008Buy 🇺🇸
7	The Third Bullet and Other Stories 2020Buy 🇺🇸
8	The Island of Coffins and Other Mysteries from the Casebook of Cabin B-13 2021Buy 🇺🇸
9	The Kindling Spark 2022Buy 🇺🇸

23 books (1934–1991)

Start with The Plague Court Murders, the first of 23 books in the Sir Henry Merrivale series.

#	Title
1	The Plague Court Murders 1934Buy 🇺🇸
2	The White Priory Murders 1934Buy 🇺🇸
3	The Red Widow Murders 1935Buy 🇺🇸
4	The Unicorn Murders 1935Buy 🇺🇸
5	The Punch and Judy Murders /The Magic Lantern Murders 1936Buy 🇺🇸
6	The Peacock Feather Murders / The Ten Teacups 1937Buy 🇺🇸
7	Death in Five Boxes 1938Buy 🇺🇸
8	The Judas Window / The Crossbow Murder 1938Buy 🇺🇸
9	The Reader Is Warned 1939Buy 🇺🇸
10	And So to Murder 1940Buy 🇺🇸
11	Nine and Death Makes Ten / Murder in the Submarine Zone 1940Buy 🇺🇸
12	Seeing Is Believing / Cross of Murder 1941Buy 🇺🇸
13	The Gilded Man / Death and the Gilded Man 1942Buy 🇺🇸
14	She Died A Lady 1943Buy 🇺🇸
15	He Wouldn't Kill Patience 1944Buy 🇺🇸
16	The Curse of the Bronze Lamp / Lord of the Sorcerers 1945Buy 🇺🇸
17	My Late Wives 1946Buy 🇺🇸
18	The Skeleton in the Clock 1948Buy 🇺🇸
19	A Graveyard to Let 1949Buy 🇺🇸
20	Night at the Mocking Widow 1950Buy 🇺🇸
21	Behind the Crimson Blind 1952Buy 🇺🇸
22	The Cavalier's Cup 1953Buy 🇺🇸
23	Merrivale, March and Murder 1991Buy 🇺🇸

21 books (1932–1972)

Start with Poison in Jest, the first of 21 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Poison in Jest 1932Buy 🇺🇸
2	The Bowstrings Murders(As:Carter Dickson) 1933Buy 🇺🇸
3	The Murder of Sir Edmund Godfrey 1936Buy 🇺🇸
4	The Burning Court 1937Buy 🇺🇸
5	Fatal Descent / Drop to His Death(As: Carter Dickson, With: John Rhode) 1939Buy 🇺🇸
6	The Emperor's Snuff-Box 1942Buy 🇺🇸
7	The Bride of Newgate 1950Buy 🇺🇸
8	The Devil in Velvet 1951Buy 🇺🇸
9	The Nine Wrong Answers 1952Buy 🇺🇸
10	Captain Cut-Throat 1955Buy 🇺🇸
11	Fear is the same(As: Carter Dickson) 1956Buy 🇺🇸
12	Patrick Butler for the Defense 1956Buy 🇺🇸
13	Fire, Burn! 1957Buy 🇺🇸
14	Scandal at High Chimneys 1959Buy 🇺🇸
15	The Demoniacs 1961Buy 🇺🇸
16	The Witch of the Low Tide 1961Buy 🇺🇸
17	Most Secret 1964Buy 🇺🇸
18	Papa La-Bas 1968Buy 🇺🇸
19	The Ghosts' High Noon 1969Buy 🇺🇸
20	Deadly Hall 1971Buy 🇺🇸
21	The Hungry Goblin 1972Buy 🇺🇸