Nancy Pickard Reading Order

121 books (2002–2025)

The Akashic Noir series is an ongoing collection of over 120 mystery and thriller anthologies, each focusing on noir stories set in a different city or region around the world. Beginning with San Francisco Noir in 2002 and continuing through 2025, the series has expanded to include locations from Brooklyn and Chicago to Dublin, London, and beyond. These books should be read in publication order, starting with San Francisco Noir, as each volume represents a distinct geographic entry point into the noir genre. The series offers readers a global tour of dark, atmospheric crime fiction organized by city rather than by overarching narrative.

Start with San Francisco Noir, the first of 121 books in the Akashic Noir series.

#	Title
1	San Francisco Noir 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Bronx Noir 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Seattle Noir 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Brooklyn Noir 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Hasidic Noir 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Brooklyn Noir 2 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Chicago Noir 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Dublin Noir 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Baltimore Noir 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	D.C. Noir 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	London Noir 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Manhattan Noir 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Miami Noir 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Twin Cities Noir 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Detroit Noir 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Havana Noir 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Los Angeles Noir 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	New Orleans Noir 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Wall Street Noir 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Brooklyn Noir 3: Nothing But the Truth 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	D.C. Noir 2 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Istanbul Noir 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Las Vegas Noir 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Manhattan Noir 2 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Paris Noir 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Queens Noir 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Toronto Noir 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Trinidad Noir 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Boston Noir 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	Delhi Noir 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Phoenix Noir 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	Portland Noir 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	Rome Noir 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	San Francisco Noir 2 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35	Copenhagen Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36	Haiti Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
37	Indian Country Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
38	Lone Star Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
39	Los Angeles Noir 2 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
40	Mexico City Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
41	Moscow Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
42	Orange County Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
43	Philadelphia Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
44	Richmond Noir 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
45	Barcelona Noir 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
46	Cape Cod Noir 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
47	New Jersey Noir 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
48	Pittsburgh Noir 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
49	San Diego Noir 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
50	Boston Noir 2 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
51	Kansas City Noir 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
52	Kingston Noir 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
53	Long Island Noir 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
54	Mumbai Noir 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
55	St. Petersburg Noir 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
56	Staten Island Noir 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
57	Venice Noir 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
58	Buffalo Noir 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
59	Dallas Noir 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
60	Haiti Noir 2 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
61	Manila Noir 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
62	USA Noir 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
63	Belfast Noir 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
64	Helsinki Noir 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
65	Prison Noir 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
66	Rio Noir 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
67	Singapore Noir 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
68	Tehran Noir 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
69	Tel Aviv Noir 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
70	Beirut Noir 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
71	Chicago Noir: The Classics 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
72	Marseille Noir 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
73	Memphis Noir 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
74	Providence Noir 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
75	Zagreb Noir 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
76	Brussels Noir 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
77	Mississippi Noir 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
78	New Orleans Noir: The Classics 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
79	Prague Noir 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
80	San Juan Noir 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
81	St. Louis Noir 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
82	Stockholm Noir 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
83	Atlanta Noir 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
84	Buenos Aires Noir 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
85	Montana Noir 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
86	Montreal Noir 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
87	New Haven Noir 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
88	Oakland Noir 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
89	Trinidad Noir: The Classics 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
90	Baghdad Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
91	Berlin Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
92	Hong Kong Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
93	Lagos Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
94	Marrakech Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
95	Santa Cruz Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
96	Sydney Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
97	São Paulo Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
98	Vancouver Noir 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
99	Amsterdam Noir 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
100	Houston Noir 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
101	Milwaukee Noir 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
102	Accra Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
103	Addis Ababa Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
104	Alabama Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
105	Belgrade Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
106	Berkeley Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
107	Columbus Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
108	Miami Noir: The Classics 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
109	Nairobi Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
110	Santa Fe Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
111	Tampa Bay Noir 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
112	Palm Springs Noir 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
113	Denver Noir 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
114	Paris Noir: The Suburbs 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
115	South Central Noir 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
116	Cleveland Noir 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
117	East Jerusalem Noir 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
118	West Jerusalem Noir 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
119	Honolulu Noir 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
120	Hamburg Noir 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
121	Sacramento Noir 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

30 books (1990–2023)

Nancy Pickard edited this complete anthology series spanning 27 books published from 1990 to 2018. These collections feature mystery and thriller short stories from various authors, with titles ranging from Sisters in Crime 2 through The First Lady Murders and beyond. Readers should follow the publication order to experience these anthologies as originally released.

Start with Sisters in Crime 2, the first of 27 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Sisters in Crime 2 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Deadly Allies 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Dark Crimes 2 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Great Mystery Series: Top Female Sleuths 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Malice Domestic 3 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Tales of Obsession: Mystery Stories of Fatal Attractions and Deadly Desires 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Funny Bones: 15 New Tales of Murder and Mayhem 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Murder, They Wrote 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Plot Thickens 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Vengeance is Hers 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Eleventh Annual Collection 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Night Awakens 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Death Cruise: Crime Stories on the Open Seas 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Diagnosis Dead 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Mom, Apple Pie and Murder 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	The First Lady Murders 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	The World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories 2 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Unholy Orders 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Malice Domestic 10 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Naked Came the Phoenix 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	The World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories 3 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Thou Shalt Not Kill 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Deadly Housewives 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	By Hook or By Crook and 27 More of the Best Crime and Mystery Stories of the Year 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Mysterious Writers: The Many Facets of Mystery Writing 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Manhattan Mayhem 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Silent Night, Deadly Night 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Malice Domestic 13: Mystery Most Geographical 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Pussy Tales 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	Black Cat Weekly #100 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (1982–2001)

The Eugenia Potter mystery series spans six complete novels published between 1982 and 2001, with the first three books written by Virginia Rich and the final three by Nancy Pickard. Readers should follow the books in publication order to experience the character's development across the full arc. This culinary-themed mystery series blends food-focused plotting with traditional whodunit elements throughout its two-decade run.

Start with The Cooking School Murders(By: Virginia Rich), the first of 6 books in the Eugenia Potter series.

#	Title
1	The Cooking School Murders(By: Virginia Rich) 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Baked Bean Supper Murders(By: Virginia Rich) 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Nantucket Diet Murders(By: Virginia Rich) 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The 27-Ingredient Chili Con Carne Murders 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Blue Corn Murders 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Secret Ingredient Murders 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

10 books (1984–1996)

The Jenny Cain mystery series consists of ten books following the same protagonist through various investigations. Published between 1984 and 1996, this complete series should be read in publication order beginning with Generous Death. The books follow Jenny Cain through evolving cases and challenges across the full span of the series, concluding with Twilight.

Start with Generous Death, the first of 10 books in the Jenny Cain series.

#	Title
1	Generous Death 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Say No to Murder 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	No Body 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Marriage Is Murder 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Dead Crazy 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Bum Steer 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	I.O.U. 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	But I Wouldn't Want to Die There 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Confession 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Twilight 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2000–2002)

This complete mystery series by Nancy Pickard contains three books published between 2000 and 2002, following the investigations of protagonist Marie Lightfoot. The novels should be read in publication order, beginning with The Whole Truth, followed by Ring of Truth, and concluding with The Truth Hurts. Each book builds on the previous installment, making sequential reading essential to fully appreciate the series' narrative arc.

Start with The Whole Truth and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Whole Truth 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Ring of Truth 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Truth Hurts 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

31 books (1992–2016)

The Midnight Louie series is a 31-book mystery collection written primarily by Carole Nelson Douglas, with one anthology collaboration featuring multiple authors. Published between 1992 and 2016, the series follows a consistent alphabetical naming convention for its individual titles and should be read in publication order. The complete series concluded in 2016, offering readers a finished narrative arc across more than two decades of storytelling.

Start with Catnap / Cat in an Alphabet Soup(By: Carole Nelson Douglas), the first of 31 books in the Midnight Louie series.

#	Title
1	Catnap / Cat in an Alphabet Soup(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Pussyfoot / Cat in an Aqua Storm(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Cat On A Blue Monday(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Cat in a Crimson Haze(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Cat in a Diamond Dazzle(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Cat in a Flamingo Fedora(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Cat in a Golden Garland(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Cat with an Emerald Eye(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Cat on a Hyacinth Hunt(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Midnight Louie's Pet Detectives(With: J.A. Jance,Carole Nelson Douglas,Toni L.P. Kelner,Lilian Jackson Braun,Walter J. Stutzman) 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Cat in an Indigo Mood(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Cat in a Kiwi Con(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Cat in a Leopard Spot(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Cat in a Midnight Choir(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Cat in a Neon Nightmare(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Midnight Louie In Something Fishy(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Cat in an Orange Twist(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Cat in a Hot Pink Pursuit(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Cat in a Quicksilver Caper(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Cat in a Red Hot Rage(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Cat in a Sapphire Slipper(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Cat in a Topaz Tango(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Cat in an Ultramarine Scheme(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Cat in a Vegas Gold Vendetta(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Cat in a White Tie and Tails(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Fruit of the Tomb(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Cat in an Alien X-Ray(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Cat in a Yellow Spotlight(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	Cat in a Zebra Zoot Suit(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Cat in an Alphabet Endgame(By: Carole Nelson Douglas) 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2003–2020)

Nancy Pickard's two-book non-fiction series explores the craft and practice of writing, beginning with Seven Steps on the Writer's Path, co-authored with Lynn Lott, published in 2003. The series concludes with Bigger Better Braver, released in 2020. These books should be read in publication order to follow the author's progression through writing techniques and personal development. The complete series offers guidance drawn from Pickard's extensive experience in mystery and thriller fiction.

Start with Seven Steps on the Writer's Path(With: Lynn Lott) and read in order.

#	Title
1	Seven Steps on the Writer's Path(With: Lynn Lott) 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Bigger Better Braver 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (1989–2023)

Nancy Pickard's Short Stories/Novellas collection comprises five complete works published between 1989 and 2008, best read in publication order. The series includes Afraid All the Time, Dust Devil, Out of Africa, There is No Crime on Easter Island, and A Nice Old Guy, showcasing the author's skill across mystery and thriller storytelling in shorter narrative forms.

Start with Afraid All the Time, the first of 5 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.

#	Title
1	Afraid All the Time 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Dust Devil 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Out of Africa 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	There is No Crime on Easter Island 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	A Nice Old Guy 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	If Only You Would Leave Me 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (1999–1999)

2 books (2006–2010)

Nancy Pickard completed this two-book mystery series between 2006 and 2010, with each novel standing alone as an independent mystery. Reading the books in publication order, beginning with The Virgin of Small Plains followed by The Scent of Rain and Lightning, provides the intended experience. Both entries showcase Pickard's skill in the mystery and thriller genre, drawing readers into intricate investigations set against richly detailed backdrops.

Start with The Virgin of Small Plains and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Virgin of Small Plains 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Scent of Rain and Lightning 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible