Lawrence Block books in order
American writer
- Born
- 1938
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 97
- Series
- 2
- Also writes as
- Andrew Shaw, Anne Campbell Clarke, Chip Harrison, Jill Emerson
Lawrence Block has published 81 novels, 3 novellas, 10 short story collections and 3 non-fiction books, beginning with The Sins of the Fathers (1976). The 2 series include Matthew Scudder (11 books, starting with The Sins of the Fathers) and Bernie Rhodenbarr (7 books, starting with Burglar in Closet). 9 feature Evan Tanner, 4 feature Chip Harrison and 3 feature John Keller. The latest is A Writer Prepares (2021).
Updated September 2026
Matthew Scudder books in order (11)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Sins of the Fathers (1976) · 3 In the Midst of Death (1997) · 5 Eight Million Ways to Die (1982) · 6 When the Sacred Ginmill Closes (1986) · 9 A Dance at the Slaughterhouse (1991) · 10 A Walk Among the Tombstones (1992) · 11 The Devil Knows You're Dead (1993) · 12 A Long Line of Dead Men (1994) · 15 Hope to Die (2001) · 16 All the Flowers Are Dying (2005) · … all 11 below
- 1.
The Sins of the Fathers (1976)
- 3.
In the Midst of Death (1997)
- 5.
Eight Million Ways to Die (1982)
- 6.
When the Sacred Ginmill Closes (1986)
- 9.
A Dance at the Slaughterhouse (1991)
- 10.
A Walk Among the Tombstones (1992)
- 11.
The Devil Knows You're Dead (1993)
- 12.
A Long Line of Dead Men (1994)
- 15.
Hope to Die (2001)
- 16.
All the Flowers Are Dying (2005)
- 17.
A Drop of the Hard Stuff (2011)
Bernie Rhodenbarr books in order (7)Series page
Reading order: 1 Burglar in Closet (1978) · 2 The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams (1994) · 3 The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart (1995) · 4 The Burglar in the Library (1997) · 5 The Burglar in the Rye: A Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery (1999) · 6 The Burglar on the Prowl (Block, Lawrence (Spoken Word)) (2004) · 7 The Burglar Who Counted The Spoons (2013)
- 1.
Burglar in Closet (1978)
- 2.
The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams (1994)
- 3.
The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart (1995)
- 4.
The Burglar in the Library (1997)
- 5.
The Burglar in the Rye: A Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery (1999)
- 6.
The Burglar on the Prowl (Block, Lawrence (Spoken Word)) (2004)
- 7.
The Burglar Who Counted The Spoons (2013)
Books featuring Evan Tanner (9)
Here Comes a Hero (1968)
The Cancelled Czech (1984)
The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep (1984)
Tanner's Tiger (1985)
The Scoreless Thai (An Evan Tanner Novel) (1985)
Tanner's Twelve Swingers (Evan Tanner) (1997)
Tanner On Ice (1998)
Tanner's Virgin (2005)
Me Tanner, You Jane (2006)
Books featuring Chip Harrison (4)
Like a Lamb to Slaughter (1984)
No Score (Chip Harrison Mystery) (1996)
Chip Harrison Scores Again (1997)
Make Out With Murder (Chip Harrison Mystery 03) (1997)
Where to start with Lawrence Block
Start here
The Sins of the Fathers
Lawrence Block's most-read book and the first of the 11 Matthew Scudder books.
Newest
A Writer Prepares
Published 2021.
Standalone novels in order
Deadly Honeymoon (1967)
Time to Murder and Create (Matthew Scudder) (1976)
Burglars Can't Be Choosers (1977)
The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling (1979)
Writing the Novel (1979)
The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza (1980)
A Stab in the Dark (1981)
After the First Death (1981)
Code of Arms (1981)
Telling Lies for Fun & Profit (1981)
Sometimes They Bite (1983)
The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian (1983)
Five Little Rich Girls (1984)
The Topless Tulip Caper (1984)
Such Men Are Dangerous (1985)
Not Comin' Home to You (1986)
Write for Your Life (1986)
Random Walk (1988)
Spider, Spin Me a Web (1988)
Out on the Cutting Edge (1989)
You Could Call It Murder (1989)
A Ticket to the Boneyard (1990)
The Girl with the Long Green Heart (1992)
The Specialists (1993)
Ariel (Block, Lawrence) (1996)
Even the Wicked (1996)
Mary Higgins Clark Presents the Plot Thickens (1997)
Everybody Dies (1998)
Death Cruise (1999)
Master's Choice (2001)
Blood on Their Hands (2003)
Coward's Kiss (2003)
Small Town (2003)
Grifter's Game (Hard Case Crime) (2004)
Manhattan Noir (2006)
Lucky at Cards (Hard Case Crime) (2007)
A Diet of Treacle (2008)
One Night Stands (2008)
Killing Castro (2009)
Campus Tramp (2011)
Getting Off (2011)
The Girl with the Deep Blue Eyes (2015)
A Girl Called Honey (2016)
Shadows (2016)
Threesome (2016)
A Time to Scatter Stones (2019)
A Writer Prepares (2021)
Novellas in order
The Triumph of Evil (1972)
The Night and the Music (2013)
The Burglar in Short Order (2020)
Short story collections in order
Some Days You Get the Bear (1993)
Hit Man (John Keller Mysteries (Audio)) (1998)
Murder on the Run (1998)
One Night Stands and Lost Weekends (1999)
The Collected Mystery Stories (1999)
Enough Rope (2002)
Hit Parade (2006)
Catch and Release (2013)
In Sunlight or in Shadow (2016)
Alive in Shape and Color (2017)
Non-fiction in order
Gangsters, Swindlers, Killers, and Thieves (2004)
Step by Step (2009)
Afterthoughts (2011)
Film and TV adaptations
- 8 Million Ways to Die (1986)Film · from Eight Million Ways to Die
- A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014)Film · from A Walk Among the Tombstones
About Lawrence Block
Lawrence Block is an American crime writer best known for two long-running New York-set series about the recovering alcoholic P.I. Matthew Scudder and the gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr. Block was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 1994. Block has written in the genres of crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century, releasing over 100 books.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Lawrence Block FAQ
- How many books has Lawrence Block written?
- Lawrence Block has published 81 novels, 3 novellas, 10 short story collections and 3 non-fiction books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Lawrence Block's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Matthew Scudder with The Sins of the Fathers and Bernie Rhodenbarr with Burglar in Closet. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Lawrence Block's latest book?
- A Writer Prepares (2021).
- What is Lawrence Block's most famous book?
- The Sins of the Fathers (1976) is Lawrence Block's most widely read book.
- Are Lawrence Block's books connected?
- 18 books belong to 2 series (Matthew Scudder and Bernie Rhodenbarr); the other 79 books stand alone.
- Does Lawrence Block write under a pen name?
- Yes: Lawrence Block has also published as Andrew Shaw, Anne Campbell Clarke, Chip Harrison and Jill Emerson.
- Which Lawrence Block books have been adapted?
- 2 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Eight Million Ways to Die (as 8 Million Ways to Die, film, 1986) and A Walk Among the Tombstones (film, 2014).
Authors like Lawrence Block
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.