Patricia Highsmith Reading Order

121 books (2002–2025)

The Akashic Noir series is an ongoing collection of noir anthologies that began in 2002 and has expanded to over 121 volumes as of 2025. Each book focuses on a specific city or region, featuring original short stories by various authors that explore the darker side of that location's streets and neighborhoods. The series should be read in publication order, starting with San Francisco Noir, and readers can either follow the complete sequence or sample individual city-focused anthologies based on their interests.

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

24 books (1970–2012)

Patricia Highsmith's Anthologies series comprises 22 complete collections published between 1970 and 2012, featuring mystery, thriller, horror, and suspense stories curated from various sources. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with Simply The Best Mysteries and Edgar Award Winners And Front Runners and concluding with Crime Never Pays. These anthologies span diverse themes including mysteries, horror tales, baseball stories, crime fiction, and suspenseful narratives, offering readers a broad range of short-form storytelling across the mystery and thriller genres.

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

#	Title
1	Simply The Best Mysteries, Edgar Award Winners And Front Runners 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Twelfth Pan Book of Horror Stories 1971Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The 18th Pan Book of Horror Stories 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Verdict of Thirteen 1979Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	65 Great Tales Of Horror 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The 24th Pan Book of Horror Stories 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Web She Weaves 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Great Baseball Stories 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Mystery Cats 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Fifty Best Mysteries 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Tales of Obsession: Mystery Stories of Fatal Attractions and Deadly Desires 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Mystery Cats III: More Feline Felonies 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Murder Intercontinental 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	A Century of British Mystery and Suspense 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Crime Story Collection 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	A Century of Great Suspense Stories 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Crime Never Pays 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Escape to Mexico: An Anthology of Great Writers 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Stranger: Dark Tales of Eerie Encounters 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Murder On The Railways 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	A New Omnibus of Crime 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Feline Felonies 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Books to Die For 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1966–2021)

Patricia Highsmith's three-book non-fiction collection spans from 1966 to 2021 and should be read in publication order. The series begins with her craft book on suspense fiction, followed by two volumes of her personal diaries and notebooks covering her formative years and entire life through 1995. Though the final volume was published decades after the first, the series appears to be complete.

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

#	Title
1	Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction 1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Patricia Highsmith's Diaries and Notebooks: The New York Years, 1941-1950 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks: 1941-1995(With: Anna von Planta) 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (1955–1991)

Patricia Highsmith's Ripley series comprises five complete novels following the character Tom Ripley across three and a half decades of crime fiction. Published between 1955 and 1991, these mystery and thriller novels should be read in publication order, beginning with The Talented Mr. Ripley and continuing through Ripley Under Ground, Ripley's Game, The Boy Who Followed Ripley, and concluding with Ripley Under Water. The series traces Ripley's evolution as he navigates a life of deception and moral ambiguity across European settings.

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

#	Title
1	The Talented Mr. Ripley 1955Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Ripley Under Ground 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Ripley's Game 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Boy Who Followed Ripley 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Ripley Under Water 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

11 books (1968–2015)

Patricia Highsmith's Short Story Collections series comprises eleven volumes of short fiction published between 1968 and 2015. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Nothing That Meets the Eye. Highsmith's collections showcase her mastery of mystery and thriller storytelling across darkly inventive tales that span themes of human nature, crime, and the bizarre.

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

#	Title
1	Nothing That Meets the Eye 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Eleven / The Snail Watcher and Other Stories 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Little Tales of Misogyny 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Animal-Lover's Book of Beastly Murder 1975Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Slowly, Slowly in the Wind 1979Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Black House 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Mermaids on the Golf Course 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Tales of Natural and Unnatural Catastrophes 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Chillers 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Selected Stories of Patricia Highsmith 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Sour Tales for Sweethearts 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

17 books (1950–1994)

Patricia Highsmith's collection of standalone novels spans from 1950 to 1994 and comprises 17 complete works across the mystery and thriller genres. Each novel stands alone with its own characters and story, though Highsmith's signature psychological depth and morally complex narratives unite the collection. Reading these books in publication order, beginning with Strangers on a Train, allows readers to trace the evolution of Highsmith's craft over four decades of masterful suspense fiction.

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

#	Title
1	Strangers on a Train 1950Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Price of Salt / Carol 1952Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Blunderer 1954Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Deep Water 1957Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	A Game for the Living 1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	This Sweet Sickness 1960Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Cry of the Owl 1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Glass Cell 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Two Faces of January 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	A Suspension of Mercy / The Story-Teller 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Those Who Walk Away 1967Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Tremor of Forgery 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	A Dog's Ransom 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Edith's Diary 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	People Who Knock on the Door 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Found in the Street 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Small g 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible