Reading Order List — Book Series Reading Order Guide
Tony Hillerman

Tony Hillerman Reading Order

6 series · 54 books · Born 1925-05-27

Mystery & ThrillerNon-FictionYoung Adult

Tony Hillerman was an American mystery writer renowned for his Leaphorn & Chee series, which features detectives working for the Navajo Tribal Police and is set against the landscapes of the American Southwest. His crime novels blend indigenous culture, southwestern settings, and intricate plotting in ways that have earned multiple adaptations for film and television. Across more than five decades, Hillerman published over 50 books spanning detective fiction, short stories, children's literature, and nonfiction accounts.

Anthologies Series

Complete

9 books (1991–2005)

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

Start this series with The Perfect Murder

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

Children's Series

Complete

2 books (1972–2001)

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

Start this series with The Boy Who Made Dragonfly

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of The Boy Who Made Dragonfly
The Boy Who Made Dragonfly
1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of Buster Mesquite's Cowboy Band
Buster Mesquite's Cowboy Band
2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Leaphorn & Chee Series

Ongoing

29 books (1970–2027)

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

Start this series with The Blessing Way

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

Non-Fiction Series

Complete

9 books (1973–2004)

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

Start this series with The Great Taos Bank Robbery and Other Indian Country Affairs

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#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
Cover of The Spell of New Mexico
The Spell of New Mexico
1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4
Cover of Indian Country
Indian Country
1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5
Cover of Tony Hillerman's Indian Country Map and Guide
Tony Hillerman's Indian Country Map and Guide
1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6
Hillerman Country(With: Barney Hillerman)
1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7
Cover of Talking Mysteries: A Conversation With Tony Hillerman(With: Ernie Bulow)
Talking Mysteries: A Conversation With Tony Hillerman(With: Ernie Bulow)
1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8
Cover of Seldom Disappointed
Seldom Disappointed
2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9
Cover of Kilroy Was There
Kilroy Was There
2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Short Story Collections Series

Likely Complete

3 books (1991–2023)

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

Start this series with The Best of the West

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of The Best of the West
The Best of the West
1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of The Mysterious West
The Mysterious West
1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of The Great Taos Bank Robbery: And Other True Stories
The Great Taos Bank Robbery: And Other True Stories
2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Standalone Novels Series

Complete

2 books (1971–1995)

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

Start this series with The Fly on the Wall

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of The Fly on the Wall
The Fly on the Wall
1971Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of Finding Moon
Finding Moon
1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Tony Hillerman written?
Tony Hillerman has written 54 books across 6 series. Their published works span from 1970 to 2027.
What is the first book in each Tony Hillerman series?
Here are the first books in Tony Hillerman's series: Anthologies: The Perfect Murder; Children's: The Boy Who Made Dragonfly; Leaphorn & Chee: The Blessing Way; Non-Fiction: The Great Taos Bank Robbery and Other Indian Country Affairs; Short Story Collections: The Best of the West.
What order should I read Tony Hillerman's books?
We recommend reading Tony Hillerman's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Is Tony Hillerman still writing new books?
Yes, Tony Hillerman has 1 ongoing series: Leaphorn & Chee.

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