Michael Malone Reading Order

7 books (1991–2026)

This anthology series edited by Michael Malone spans six volumes published between 1991 and 2010, offering curated collections within the mystery and thriller genres. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Growing Up in the South. These anthologies showcase short fiction selections that vary in focus, from regional narratives to crime-centered stories, providing readers with diverse mystery and thriller content across the two-decade span of the collection's publication.

Start with Growing Up in the South, the first of 6 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Growing Up in the South 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Murder For Love 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Best American Mystery Stories 1997 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Murder at the Foul Line 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Tar Heel Dead 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Twenty-Seven Views of Hillsborough 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Murderers' Row Volume 2 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2002–2002)

#	Title
1	Red Clay, Blue Cadillac 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1983–2001)

This complete mystery series by Michael Malone follows detective partners Savile and Mangum through three novels published between 1983 and 2001. The trilogy should be read in publication order, beginning with Uncivil Seasons, followed by Time's Witness, and concluding with First Lady. Each book builds on the partnership and history of these characters as they navigate complex cases in their evolving world.

Start with Uncivil Seasons and read in order.

#	Title
1	Uncivil Seasons 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Time's Witness 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	First Lady 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2002–2002)

#	Title
1	Red Clay 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

8 books (1974–2009)

Michael Malone's nine standalone mystery and thriller novels span from 1974 to 2009, presenting complete and independent stories that can be enjoyed in any order, though reading them in publication order provides a chronological perspective on the author's evolving style. The series includes Painting the Roses Red, The Delectable Mountains, Entertaining Strangers, Dingley Falls, Handling Sin, Foolscap, The Last Noel, The Killing Club (co-written with Marcie Walsh), and The Four Corners of the Sky. Each novel stands alone as a discrete mystery or thriller with its own characters and plot, making them accessible to readers regardless of reading sequence.

Start with Painting the Roses Red, the first of 8 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Painting the Roses Red 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Delectable Mountains, Or, Entertaining Strangers 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Dingley Falls 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Handling Sin 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Foolscap 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Last Noel 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Killing Club(With: Marcie Walsh) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Four Corners of the Sky 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible