Tony Hillerman Reading Order

9 books (1991–2005)

This nine-book anthology series, edited by Tony Hillerman, spans from 1991 to 2005 and collects mystery, thriller, and detective fiction from various authors. The series is now complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with The Perfect Murder. Each volume brings together curated selections of short stories and prose that showcase the breadth of American detective and suspense writing across different time periods and styles.

Start with The Perfect Murder, the first of 9 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	The Perfect Murder 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	2nd Culprit 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Oxford Book of American Detective Stories 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Serpent's Tongue: Prose, Poetry, and Art of the New Mexican Pueblos 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	First Cases, Volume 3 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	A Century of Great Suspense Stories 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Longman Anthology of Detective Fiction 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	A New Omnibus of Crime 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1972–2001)

Tony Hillerman's Children's series contains two complete mysteries published across three decades, from 1972 to 2001. These books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Boy Who Made Dragonfly. The series combines mystery and adventure elements crafted for young adult readers, drawing on Hillerman's distinctive storytelling style.

Start with The Boy Who Made Dragonfly and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Boy Who Made Dragonfly 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Buster Mesquite's Cowboy Band 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

29 books (1970–2027)

The Leaphorn & Chee series consists of 28 mystery novels by Tony Hillerman, beginning with The Blessing Way in 1970 and continuing through 2025. These books follow the interconnected investigations of Navajo detectives Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee as they navigate crime and cultural mysteries across the American Southwest. The series should be read in publication order, as the characters and their relationships develop throughout the sequence. This ongoing series blends detective work with deep exploration of Navajo culture and landscape.

Start with The Blessing Way, the first of 28 books in the Leaphorn & Chee series.

#	Title
1	The Blessing Way 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Dance Hall of the Dead 1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Listening Woman 1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	People of Darkness 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Dark Wind 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Ghostway 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Skinwalkers 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	A Thief of Time 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Talking God 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Coyote Waits 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Sacred Clowns 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Fallen Man 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	The First Eagle 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Hunting Badger 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	The Wailing Wind 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	The Sinister Pig 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Skeleton Man 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	The Shape Shifter 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Spider Woman's Daughter(By: Anne Hillerman) 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Rock with Wings(By: Anne Hillerman) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Song of the Lion(By: Anne Hillerman) 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Cave of Bones(By: Anne Hillerman) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	The Tale Teller(By: Anne Hillerman) 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Stargazer(By: Anne Hillerman) 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	The Sacred Bridge(By: Anne Hillerman) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	The Way of the Bear(By: Anne Hillerman) 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Lost Birds(By: Anne Hillerman) 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Shadow of the Solstice(By: Anne Hillerman) 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Bloodline: A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel(By: Anne Hillerman) 2027Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

9 books (1973–2004)

Tony Hillerman's complete non-fiction series comprises nine books published between 1973 and 2004, all best read in publication order. These works explore the American Southwest, Native American culture, and Hillerman's own experiences and reflections on the region and its people. The series progresses from essays and cultural observations through travel guides, interviews, and memoirs, offering readers a comprehensive look at Indian Country through the author's distinctive perspective.

Start with The Great Taos Bank Robbery and Other Indian Country Affairs, the first of 9 books in the Non-Fiction series.

#	Title
1	The Great Taos Bank Robbery and Other Indian Country Affairs 1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	New Mexico, Rio Grande, and Other Essays 1975Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Spell of New Mexico 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Indian Country 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Tony Hillerman's Indian Country Map and Guide 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Hillerman Country(With: Barney Hillerman) 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Talking Mysteries: A Conversation With Tony Hillerman(With: Ernie Bulow) 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Seldom Disappointed 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Kilroy Was There 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (1973–2023)

Tony Hillerman's short story collection series spans three volumes published between 1991 and 2023, likely representing a complete set. These collections should be read in publication order, beginning with The Best of the West, followed by The Mysterious West and concluding with The Great Taos Bank Robbery: And Other True Stories. The series blends mystery, thriller, and narrative non-fiction elements across its selections.

Start with The Best of the West and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Great Taos Bank Robbery and Other True Stories 1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Best of the West 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Mysterious West 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Great Taos Bank Robbery: And Other True Stories 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Great Taos Bank Robbery: And Other True Stories- MATCH TO 29076 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1971–1995)

Tony Hillerman wrote two standalone mystery novels published between 1971 and 1995. These books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Fly on the Wall followed by Finding Moon. The series is complete with no additional entries planned.

Start with The Fly on the Wall and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Fly on the Wall 1971Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Finding Moon 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible