Walter Mosley Reading Order

121 books (2002–2025)

The Akashic Noir series is an expansive collection of 121 noir anthologies edited by Walter Mosley, spanning from 2002 to the present and continuing to grow. Each volume focuses on a specific city or region, featuring original short stories by contemporary authors that explore the darker side of urban life through a noir lens. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with San Francisco Noir, though individual volumes can serve as standalone entry points depending on reader interest in particular locations. This ongoing series combines mystery and thriller elements across diverse geographic settings and literary voices.

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

18 books (1993–2023)

Walter Mosley has edited or co-edited seventeen anthologies spanning mystery, science fiction, essays, and cultural commentary from 1993 to 2023. The series includes acclaimed collections like The Darker Mask and Black Pulp alongside volumes focused on diverse voices in speculative fiction and explorations of African diaspora literature. While no new entries have appeared since 2023, the series appears to be complete. Readers should approach these anthologies in publication order, beginning with The New Mystery, though individual volumes can often stand alone depending on reader interests.

Start with The New Mystery, the first of 17 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	The New Mystery 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Plot Thickens 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Best American Mystery Stories 1998 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Writers on Writing 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Writing Los Angeles 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Best American Mystery Stories 2003 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Best American Short Stories 2003 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Reading the Bones 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Dangerous Women 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Transgressions 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Darker Mask 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Freedom 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	The Civil Rights Reader 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Black Pulp 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	California Schemin' 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Crime Hits Home 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	New Suns 2 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (2012–2013)

Walter Mosley's Crosstown to Oblivion is a four-book mystery and thriller series published between 2012 and 2013. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with Disciple and continuing through Merge, The Gift of Fire and On the Head of a Pin, Stepping Stone and Love Machine. Each entry builds on the previous installment's events and revelations.

Start with Disciple, the first of 4 books in the Crosstown to Oblivion series.

#	Title
1	Disciple 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Merge 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Gift of Fire and On the Head of a Pin 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Stepping Stone and Love Machine 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

17 books (1990–2025)

The Easy Rawlins series consists of 17 mysteries written by Walter Mosley, beginning with Devil in a Blue Dress in 1990 and continuing through 2025. This ongoing series follows publication order and should be read sequentially to appreciate the character development and interconnected storylines across the detective narratives. The novels span decades of crime fiction, blending mystery and thriller elements throughout the expanding collection that includes titles like A Red Death, White Butterfly, Black Betty, and recent additions such as Charcoal Joe and Blood Grove.

Start with Devil in a Blue Dress, the first of 17 books in the Easy Rawlins series.

#	Title
1	Devil in a Blue Dress 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	A Red Death 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	White Butterfly 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Black Betty 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	A Little Yellow Dog 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Gone Fishin' 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Bad Boy Brawly Brown 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Six Easy Pieces 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Little Scarlet 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Cinnamon Kiss 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Blonde Faith 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Little Green 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Rose Gold 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Charcoal Joe 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Blood Grove 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Farewell, Amethystine 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Gray Dawn 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2001–2006)

Walter Mosley's Fearless Jones trilogy follows a three-book arc spanning 2001 to 2006. These mystery thrillers should be read in publication order, beginning with Fearless Jones and continuing through Fear Itself and Fear of the Dark. The series is complete and self-contained within its three volumes.

Start with Fearless Jones and read in order.

#	Title
1	Fearless Jones 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Fear Itself 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Fear of the Dark 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2022–2022)

4 books (2018–2026)

Walter Mosley's King Oliver series comprises four mysteries published between 2018 and 2025, with the sequence still ongoing. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with Down the River unto the Sea. Each installment follows the detective protagonist through interconnected cases spanning contemporary New York and beyond.

Start with Down the River unto the Sea and read in order.

#	Title
1	Down the River unto the Sea 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Every Man a King 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Been Wrong So Long It Feels Like Right 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Hanging and Burning 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

7 books (2009–2020)

Walter Mosley's Leonid McGill series comprises seven mystery novels published between 2009 and 2020, following a complete story arc. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Long Fall and concluding with Trouble Is What I Do. This full series spans the protagonist's cases across a decade of crime fiction storytelling.

Start with The Long Fall, the first of 7 books in the Leonid McGill series.

#	Title
1	The Long Fall 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Karma 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Known to Evil 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	When the Thrill Is Gone 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	All I Did Was Shoot My Man 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	And Sometimes I Wonder About You 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Trouble Is What I Do 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

7 books (2000–2019)

Walter Mosley's seven-book non-fiction series spans two decades from 2000 to 2019 and is now complete. These works should be read in publication order, beginning with Workin' on the Chain Gang. The series covers topics ranging from criminal justice and social responsibility to creative writing craft, reflecting Mosley's diverse interests beyond his acclaimed mystery fiction.

Start with Workin' on the Chain Gang, the first of 7 books in the Non-Fiction series.

#	Title
1	Workin' on the Chain Gang 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	What Next 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Life Out of Context 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	This Year You Write Your Novel 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Twelve Steps Toward Political Revelation 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Folding the Red Into the Black 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Elements of Fiction Writing 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2011–2011)

#	Title
1	The Fall of Heaven 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (1993–2016)

This complete collection of short stories and novellas by Walter Mosley spans from 1993 to 2016 across five published volumes. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with The Watt's Lion and continuing through the subsequent releases. Mosley's trademark blend of mystery and thriller elements runs throughout these shorter works, which showcase his range as a storyteller across different narrative lengths and styles.

Start with The Watt’s Lion, the first of 5 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.

#	Title
1	The Watt’s Lion 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Whispers in the Dark 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Jack Strong 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Archibald Lawless, Anarchist at Large 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2001–2020)

Walter Mosley's two-book collection of short stories spans nearly two decades, from Futureland in 2001 to The Awkward Black Man in 2020. These standalone story collections should be read in publication order to experience Mosley's evolving voice across the two volumes. The series is complete and covers mystery, thriller, and social commentary themes characteristic of the acclaimed author's work.

Start with Futureland and read in order.

#	Title
1	Futureland 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Awkward Black Man 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1997–2008)

Walter Mosley's Socrates Fortlow series consists of three complete novels published between 1997 and 2008, following the protagonist through interconnected stories in Los Angeles. Read the books in publication order: Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, Walkin' the Dog, and The Right Mistake. The series should be approached as a continuous narrative that develops Fortlow's character and circumstances across all installments.

Start with Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned and read in order.

#	Title
1	Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Walkin' the Dog 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Right Mistake 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

18 books (1995–2026)

Walter Mosley's seventeen standalone novels span from 1995 to 2023, offering readers independent mysteries and thrillers that can be read in any order despite their publication sequence. Each book functions as a complete story with its own characters and narrative arc, making them ideal for readers who prefer self-contained fiction. The series includes titles such as RL's Dream, Blue Light, The Greatest, The Man in My Basement, and The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, showcasing Mosley's range across mystery, thriller, and speculative fiction. While readers may begin anywhere, following publication order from RL's Dream onward provides a chronological perspective on the author's evolving style across nearly three decades of work.

Start with RL's Dream, the first of 17 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	RL's Dream 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Blue Light 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Greatest 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Man in My Basement 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	47 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Wave 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Diablerie 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Fortunate Son 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Killing Johnny Fry 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Tempest Tales 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Parishioner 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Odyssey 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Inside a Silver Box 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	The Further Tales of Tempest Landry 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	John Woman 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Touched 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Ghalen 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (2005–2006)

The Transgressions series is a collection of mystery and thriller anthologies edited by Walter Mosley, featuring contributions from acclaimed authors including Stephen King, Lawrence Block, and Jeffery Deaver. Four volumes were published between 2005 and 2006, with the series now complete. Readers should follow the books in publication order, beginning with the first Transgressions volume and continuing through volumes two, three, and four.

Start with Transgressions(With: Stephen King,Lawrence Block,Anne Perry,Jeffery Deaver,Sharyn McCrumb,Ed McBain,Donald E Westlake,Bonnie Jeanne Perry,Joyce Carol Oates,John Farris), the first of 4 books in the Transgressions series.

#	Title
1	Transgressions(With: Stephen King,Lawrence Block,Anne Perry,Jeffery Deaver,Sharyn McCrumb,Ed McBain,Donald E Westlake,Bonnie Jeanne Perry,Joyce Carol Oates,John Farris) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Transgressions(With: Stephen King,Lawrence Block,Anne Perry,Jeffery Deaver,Sharyn McCrumb,Ed McBain,Donald E. Westlake,Bonnie Jeanne Perry,Joyce Carol Oates,John Farris) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Transgressions, Vol. 2(By: Stephen King,Lawrence Block,Ed McBain,John Farris) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Transgressions, Vol. 3(By: Anne Perry,Sharyn McCrumb,Ed McBain,Donald E Westlake,John Farris) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Transgressions, Vol. 3(By: Anne Perry,Sharyn McCrumb,Ed McBain,Donald E. Westlake,John Farris) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Transgressions, Vol. 4(By: Anne Perry,Sharyn McCrumb,Ed McBain) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible