Reading Order List โ€” Book Series Reading Order Guide
Patricia Highsmith

Patricia Highsmith Reading Order

6 series ยท 179 books ยท Born 19 Jan 1921

Patricia Highsmith was a renowned American author celebrated for her psychological thrillers and complex character studies. With a prolific output of 179 works, including six series and a diverse array of short stories and non-fiction, her most notable creation is the enigmatic Tom Ripley. Active from 1950 until her passing in 2025, Highsmith's influence continues to resonate in literature and film.

Akashic Noir Series

Ongoing

121 books (2002โ€“2025)

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

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

Anthologies Series

Complete

22 books (1970โ€“2012)

Start with Simply The Best Mysteries, Edgar Award Winners And Front Runners, the first of 22 books in the Anthologies series.

#Title
1
Cover of Simply The Best Mysteries, Edgar Award Winners And Front Runners
Simply The Best Mysteries, Edgar Award Winners And Front Runners
2
Cover of The Twelfth Pan Book of Horror Stories
The Twelfth Pan Book of Horror Stories
3
Cover of The 18th Pan Book of Horror Stories
The 18th Pan Book of Horror Stories
4
Cover of Verdict of Thirteen
Verdict of Thirteen
5
Cover of 65 Great Tales Of Horror
65 Great Tales Of Horror
6
Cover of The 24th Pan Book of Horror Stories
The 24th Pan Book of Horror Stories
7
Cover of The Web She Weaves
The Web She Weaves
8
Cover of Great Baseball Stories
Great Baseball Stories
9
Cover of Mystery Cats
Mystery Cats
10
Fifty Best Mysteries
11
Murder Intercontinental
12
Cover of A Century of British Mystery and Suspense
A Century of British Mystery and Suspense
13
Cover of Crime Story Collection
Crime Story Collection
14
Cover of A Century of Great Suspense Stories
A Century of Great Suspense Stories
15
Crime Never Pays
16
Cover of Escape to Mexico: An Anthology of Great Writers
Escape to Mexico: An Anthology of Great Writers
17
Cover of Stranger: Dark Tales of Eerie Encounters
Stranger: Dark Tales of Eerie Encounters
18
Cover of Murder On The Railways
Murder On The Railways
19
Cover of A New Omnibus of Crime
A New Omnibus of Crime
20
Cover of Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules
Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules
21
Cover of Feline Felonies
Feline Felonies
22
Books to Die For

Non-Fiction Series

Likely Complete

3 books (1966โ€“2021)

Start with Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction and read in order.

#Title
1
Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction
2
Patricia Highsmith's Diaries and Notebooks: The New York Years, 1941-1950
3
Cover of Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks: 1941-1995(With: Anna von Planta)
Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks: 1941-1995(With: Anna von Planta)

Ripley Series

Complete

5 books (1955โ€“1991)

Start with The Talented Mr. Ripley, the first of 5 books in the Ripley series.

#Title
1
Cover of The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Talented Mr. Ripley
2
Cover of Ripley Under Ground
Ripley Under Ground
3
Cover of Ripley's Game
Ripley's Game
4
The Boy Who Followed Ripley
5
Cover of Ripley Under Water
Ripley Under Water

Short Story Collections Series

Complete

11 books (1968โ€“2015)

Start with Nothing That Meets the Eye, the first of 11 books in the Short Story Collections series.

#Title
1
Cover of Nothing That Meets the Eye
Nothing That Meets the Eye
2
Cover of Eleven / The Snail Watcher and Other Stories
Eleven / The Snail Watcher and Other Stories
3
Cover of Little Tales of Misogyny
Little Tales of Misogyny
4
Cover of The Animal-Lover's Book of Beastly Murder
The Animal-Lover's Book of Beastly Murder
5
Cover of Slowly, Slowly in the Wind
Slowly, Slowly in the Wind
6
Cover of The Black House
The Black House
7
Cover of Mermaids on the Golf Course
Mermaids on the Golf Course
8
Cover of Tales of Natural and Unnatural Catastrophes
Tales of Natural and Unnatural Catastrophes
9
10
Cover of The Selected Stories of Patricia Highsmith
The Selected Stories of Patricia Highsmith
11
Cover of Sour Tales for Sweethearts
Sour Tales for Sweethearts

Standalone Novels Series

Complete

17 books (1950โ€“1994)

Start with Strangers on a Train, the first of 17 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#Title
1
Cover of Strangers on a Train
Strangers on a Train
2
Cover of The Price of Salt / Carol
The Price of Salt / Carol
3
Cover of The Blunderer
The Blunderer
4
5
Cover of A Game for the Living
A Game for the Living
6
Cover of This Sweet Sickness
This Sweet Sickness
7
Cover of The Cry of the Owl
The Cry of the Owl
8
Cover of The Glass Cell
The Glass Cell
9
Cover of The Two Faces of January
The Two Faces of January
10
Cover of A Suspension of Mercy / The Story-Teller
A Suspension of Mercy / The Story-Teller
11
Cover of Those Who Walk Away
Those Who Walk Away
12
Cover of The Tremor of Forgery
The Tremor of Forgery
13
Cover of A Dog's Ransom
A Dog's Ransom
14
Cover of Edith's Diary
Edith's Diary
15
Cover of People Who Knock on the Door
People Who Knock on the Door
16
Cover of Found in the Street
Found in the Street
17

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Patricia Highsmith written?
Patricia Highsmith has written 179 books across 6 series. Their published works span from 1950 to 2025.
What is the first book in each Patricia Highsmith series?
Here are the first books in Patricia Highsmith's series: Akashic Noir: San Francisco Noir; Anthologies: Simply The Best Mysteries, Edgar Award Winners And Front Runners; Non-Fiction: Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction; Ripley: The Talented Mr. Ripley; Short Story Collections: Nothing That Meets the Eye.
What order should I read Patricia Highsmith's books?
We recommend reading Patricia Highsmith's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Is Patricia Highsmith still writing new books?
Yes, Patricia Highsmith has 1 ongoing series: Akashic Noir.

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