James Ellroy books in order
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, memoirist
- Born
- 1948
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 30
- Series
- 4
James Ellroy has published 28 novels, 1 short story collection and 1 non-fiction book, beginning with Killer on the Road (1986). The 4 series include L.A. Quartet (4 books, starting with The Black Dahlia), Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy (3 books, starting with Blood on the Moon) and Underworld USA Trilogy (3 books, starting with American Tabloid). The best-known is The Black Dahlia (1987). The latest is Red Sheet (2026).
Updated September 2026
L.A. Quartet books in order (4)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Black Dahlia (1987) · 2 The Big Nowhere (1988) · 3 L.A. Confidential (1990) · 4 White Jazz (1992)
- 1.
The Black Dahlia (Sep 1987)
- 2.
The Big Nowhere (1988)
- 3.
L.A. Confidential (1990)
- 4.
White Jazz (1992)
Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 Blood on the Moon (1984) · 2 Because the Night (1984) · 3 Suicide Hill (1987)
- 1.
Blood on the Moon (Mar 1984)
- 2.
Because the Night (1984)
- 3.
Suicide Hill (1987)
Underworld USA Trilogy books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 American Tabloid (1995) · 2 The Cold Six Thousand (2001) · 3 Blood's a Rover (2009)
- 1.
American Tabloid (1995)
- 2.
The Cold Six Thousand (2001)
- 3.
Blood's a Rover (Sep 2009)
L.A. Quintet books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 Perfidia (2014) · 2 This Storm (2019) · 3 Red Sheet (2026)
- 1.
Perfidia (Sep 2014)
- 2.
This Storm (Jun 2019)
- 3.
Red Sheet (2026)
Where to start with James Ellroy
Start here
The Black Dahlia
James Ellroy's most-read book and the first of the 4 L.A. Quartet books.
Shortest way in
White Jazz
One of the most-read, at about 416 pages.
Newest
Red Sheet
Published 2026.
Standalone novels in order
Brown's Requiem (1981)
Clandestine (1982)
Killer on the Road (Oct 1986)
Murder and Mayhem (1991)
Dick Contino's Blues and Other Stories (1993)
My Dark Places (Oct 1996)
Crime Wave (1998)
Hollywood Nocturnes (1998)
L. A. Noir (1998)
The Dudley Smith Trio (1998)
Scene of the Crime (2004)
The Best American Noir of the Century (2010)
The Hilliker Curse (Sep 2010)
Widespread Panic (2021)
The Enchanters (2023)
Short story collections in order
Destination: Morgue! (2003)
Non-fiction in order
Lapd '53 (2015)
Film and TV adaptations
- Brown's Requiem (1998)Film · from Brown's Requiem
- Cop (1988)Film · from Blood on the Moon
- The Black Dahlia (2006)Film · from The Black Dahlia
- L.A. Confidential (1997)Film · from L.A. Confidential
About James Ellroy
Lee Earle "James" Ellroy is an American crime fiction writer and essayist.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
James Ellroy FAQ
- How many books has James Ellroy written?
- James Ellroy has published 28 novels, 1 short story collection and 1 non-fiction book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read James Ellroy's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start L.A. Quartet with The Black Dahlia, Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy with Blood on the Moon and Underworld USA Trilogy with American Tabloid. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is James Ellroy's latest book?
- Red Sheet (2026).
- What is James Ellroy's most famous book?
- The Black Dahlia (1987) is James Ellroy's most widely read book.
- Are James Ellroy's books connected?
- 13 books belong to 4 series (L.A. Quartet, Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy, Underworld USA Trilogy and L.A. Quintet); the other 17 books stand alone.
- Which James Ellroy books have been adapted?
- 4 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Brown's Requiem (film, 1998), Blood on the Moon (as Cop, film, 1988), The Black Dahlia (film, 2006) and L.A. Confidential (film, 1997).
Authors like James Ellroy
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.