Tom Piccirilli Reading Order

41 books (1995–2018)

Tom Piccirilli edited 41 anthologies between 1995 and 2018, representing a complete collection spanning multiple genres including mystery, thriller, horror, and literary fiction. These anthologies should be read in publication order, beginning with 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories and progressing through titles like Fear the Fever, Crimes of Passion, and Horrors!: 365 Scary Stories. The series encompasses both themed collections and genre-focused volumes, with later entries including Cemetery Dance magazine issues and specialized horror compilations. This comprehensive anthology series reflects decades of curated short fiction across dark, suspenseful, and imaginative storytelling.

Start with 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories, the first of 41 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	100 Wicked Little Witch Stories 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Fear the Fever 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Crimes of Passion 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Horrors!: 365 Scary Stories 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Best of the American West II 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	October Dreams 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Devil's Wine 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Four Dark Nights 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Guns of the West 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Book of More Flesh 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Imagination Fully Dilated 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Shivers II 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	A Walk on the Darkside 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Shivers III 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Cemetery Dance: Issue 52 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Corpse Blossoms 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Damned Nation 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Evermore 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Midnight Premiere 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Bare Bone #10 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Best New Horror 19 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Five Strokes to Midnight 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	In Laymon's Terms 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Shroud 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	The Best of Cemetery Dance II 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	The Death Panel: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Dark Faith 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Darkness on the Edge: Tales Inspired by the Songs of Bruce Springsteen 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Halloween 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	The Best of Talebones 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Crucified Dreams 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	Stranger by Night 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	Supernatural Noir 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	Tales From the Crossroad 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35	A Feast of Frights from The Horror Zine 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36	Danse Macabre 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
37	Fantastic Stories of the Imagination 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
38	The Big Click: May 2012 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
39	Dueling Minds 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
40	Mister October, Volume I: An Anthology in Memory of Rick Hautala 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
41	Mirages 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2012–2016)

The Black Labyrinth is a three-book mystery and thriller series completed between 2012 and 2016. Read the books in publication order: The Walls of the Castle, Prisoner 489, and The Booking. This complete series blends elements of mystery, horror, and literary fiction across its interconnected entries.

Start with The Walls of the Castle and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Walls of the Castle 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Prisoner 489(By: Joe R. Lansdale) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Booking(By: Ramsey Campbell) 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2008–2014)

Tom Piccirilli's Cold series is a complete trilogy of literary crime thrillers published between 2008 and 2014. The three books should be read in publication order: The Cold Spot, The Coldest Mile, and Cold Comforts. This dark mystery series blends noir elements with psychological depth across its three interconnected novels.

Start with The Cold Spot and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Cold Spot 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Coldest Mile 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Cold Comforts 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

12 books (1995–2020)

Tom Piccirilli's Collections series spans twelve complete books published between 1995 and 2020, blending mystery, thriller, horror, and literary fiction across interconnected tales. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with Pentacle and progressing through works including Deep Into That Darkness Peering, A Student of Hell, and concluding with A Little Black Book of Noir Stories. Each entry builds upon the thematic and narrative foundations established by its predecessors, creating a cohesive exploration across the author's varied genres.

Start with Pentacle, the first of 12 books in the Collections series.

#	Title
1	Pentacle 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Inside The Works 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Dog Syndrome 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Deep Into That Darkness Peering 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	A Student of Hell 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	This Cape Is Red Because I've Been Bleeding 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Mean Sheep 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Waiting for My Turn to Go Under the Knife 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Futile Efforts 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Forgiving Judas 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Bad Dog 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	A Little Black Book of Noir Stories 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1997–1998)

Tom Piccirilli's Felicity Grove is a completed two-book mystery and thriller series that should be read in publication order. The Dead Past appeared first in 1997, followed by Sorrow's Crown in 1998. Both novels are available in their original sequence, making this a straightforward entry point for readers interested in Piccirilli's blend of mystery, horror, and literary fiction.

Start with The Dead Past and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Dead Past 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Sorrow's Crown 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2015–2015)

#	Title
1	Bullet Ballerina 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

18 books (2001–2024)

The Hellboy series spans 18 novels published between 2001 and 2024, featuring contributions from multiple authors including Christopher Golden, Mike Mignola, and Tim Lebbon. This ongoing collection should be read in publication order, beginning with Odd Jobs and progressing through mystery, horror, and supernatural adventures tied to the Hellboy universe. The novels complement the graphic novel canon while standing as substantial prose works exploring the paranormal world and its inhabitants. Reading order follows the release dates to experience the story developments as intended by the series creators.

Start with Odd Jobs(By: Christopher Golden), the first of 18 books in the Hellboy Graphic Novel series.

#	Title
1	Odd Jobs(By: Christopher Golden) 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Bones of Giants(By: Christopher Golden,Mike Mignola) 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Lost Army(By: Christopher Golden,Mike Mignola) 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Odder Jobs(By: Frank Darabont) 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	On Earth As It Is In Hell(By: Brian Hodge) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The God Machine(By: Thomas E. Sniegoski) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Unnatural Selection(By: Tim Lebbon) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Dragon Pool(By: Christopher Golden) 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Emerald Hell 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Hellboy II: The Golden Army(By: Robert Greenberger) 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Oddest Jobs(By: Christopher Golden,Mike Mignola) 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The All-Seeing Eye(By: Mark Morris) 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Lobster Johnson: The Satan Factory(By: Thomas E. Sniegoski) 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	The Fire Wolves(By: Tim Lebbon) 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	The Ice Wolves(By: Mark Chadbourn) 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	An Assortment of Horrors(By: Christopher Golden) 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Hellboy in Love(By: Christopher Golden,Mike Mignola) 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1955-1957(By: Chris Roberson,Mike Mignola) 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2000–2012)

Tom Piccirilli's two-book non-fiction series spans over a decade, from 2000 to 2012, and should be read in publication order beginning with Welcome to Hell followed by Meeting the Black. The series is complete and finished, offering readers a closed narrative arc across both volumes.

Start with Welcome to Hell and read in order.

#	Title
1	Welcome to Hell 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Meeting the Black 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2002–2004)

Tom Piccirilli's Priest and Lamarr series consists of two complete novels published between 2002 and 2004. The two books, Grave Men and Coffin Blues, should be read in publication order to follow the story properly. This mystery and horror series blends literary fiction with darker themes characteristic of Piccirilli's work.

Start with Grave Men and read in order.

#	Title
1	Grave Men 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Coffin Blues 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

17 books (2002–2015)

Tom Piccirilli's Short Stories and Novellas series comprises 17 darkly atmospheric works published between 2002 and 2015, blending mystery, horror, and literary fiction into tightly crafted shorter forms. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with Cast in Dark Waters, co-written with Ed Gorman, and concluding with Pale Preachers and two additional titles. These pieces showcase Piccirilli's mastery of tension and psychological depth across genres including thriller and noir elements. The series spans over a decade of the author's exploration of suspense and the darker aspects of human nature in compact, impactful narratives.

Start with Cast in Dark Waters(With: Ed Gorman), the first of 17 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.

#	Title
1	Cast in Dark Waters(With: Ed Gorman) 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Misfit Child Grows Fat on Despair 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Fuckin' Lie Down Already 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Thrust 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Frayed 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	All You Despise 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Between the Dark and the Daylight 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Nobody 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Every Shallow Cut 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Loss 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Short Ride to Nowhere 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Last Deep Breath 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	You'd Better Watch Out 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Clown in the Moonlight 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Pale Preachers 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Vespers 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Backshot 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

15 books (1990–2013)

Tom Piccirilli's fifteen standalone novels span from 1990 to 2013, blending mystery, thriller, horror, and literary fiction elements throughout his complete body of work. These independent stories should be read in publication order, beginning with Dark Father and concluding with What Makes You Die. The series encompasses diverse narratives that showcase Piccirilli's range across crime, supernatural, and psychologically complex themes.

Start with Dark Father, the first of 15 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Dark Father 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Shards 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Hexes 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Deceased 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Night Class 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	A Lower Deep 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	A Choir of Ill Children 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	November Mourns 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Headstone City 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Dead Letters 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	The Midnight Road 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Fever Kill 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Nightjack 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Shadow Season 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	What Makes You Die 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2012–2013)

This two-book mystery thriller series by Tom Piccirilli was completed between 2012 and 2013. The novels should be read in publication order, beginning with The Last Kind Words followed by The Last Whisper in the Dark. Piccirilli's work blends elements of mystery, horror, and literary fiction to create a compelling narrative arc across the two installments.

Start with The Last Kind Words and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Last Kind Words 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Last Whisper in the Dark 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible