Lois Duncan books in order
American young-adult and children's writer
- Lived
- 1934–2016
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 39
- Also writes as
- Lois Kerry
Lois Duncan published 14 novels, 1 novella, 3 short story collections, 3 non-fiction books, 10 children's books and 8 other books, beginning with A Gift of Magic (1971). The best-known is Killing Mr. Griffin (1978).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Lois Duncan
Start here
Killing Mr. Griffin
Lois Duncan's most-read book.
Shortest way in
I Know What You Did Last Summer
One of the most-read, at about 199 pages.
Standalone novels in order
A Gift of Magic (1971)
Hotel for Dogs (1971)
I Know What You Did Last Summer (Oct 1973)
Summer of Fear (1976)
Killing Mr. Griffin (Apr 1978)
Stranger with My Face (1981)
Locked in Time (Apr 1985)
The Twisted Window (1987)
Don't Look Behind You (1990)
Gallows Hill (May 1997)
I Walk at Night (2000)
The Magic of Spider Woman (2000)
Movie for Dogs (2010)
Debutante Hill (2013)
Novellas in order
Five Were Missing (1966)
Short story collections in order
Night Terrors (1996)
Trapped! (1998)
On the Edge (2000)
Non-fiction in order
How to Write and Sell Your Personal Experiences (1979)
Who Killed My Daughter? (1992)
Psychic Connections (1995)
Children's books in order
Peggy (1970)
Down a Dark Hall (Sep 1974)
Daughters of Eve (1979)
They Never Came Home (1979)
Chapters (1982)
The Third Eye (1984)
Wonder Kid Meets the Evil Lunch Snatcher (1988)
The Longest Hair in the World (1999)
Lost Treasures (2002)
News for Dogs (2009)
Other books in order
The Middle Sister (1960)
Game of Danger (1962)
Season of the Two-heart (1964)
Point of Violence (1966)
When the Bough Breaks (1973)
Ransom (1982)
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)
One to the Wolves (2017)
Film and TV adaptations
- Hotel for Dogs (2009)Film · from Hotel for Dogs
- I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)Film · from I Know What You Did Last Summer
- I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)Film · from I Know What You Did Last Summer
- I Know What You Did Last SummerTV · from I Know What You Did Last Summer
- Down a Dark Hall (2018)Film · from Down a Dark Hall
- Killing Mr. Griffin (1997)TV · from Killing Mr. Griffin
- Stranger With My Face (2009)TV · from Stranger with My Face
About Lois Duncan
Lois Duncan Steinmetz, known as Lois Duncan, was an American writer, novelist, poet, and journalist. She is best known for her young-adult novels, and has been credited by historians as a pioneering figure in the development of young-adult fiction, particularly in the genres of horror, thriller, and suspense.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Lois Duncan FAQ
- How many books has Lois Duncan written?
- Lois Duncan published 14 novels, 1 novella, 3 short story collections, 3 non-fiction books, 10 children's books and 8 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Lois Duncan's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Killing Mr. Griffin.
- What is Lois Duncan's last book?
- Debutante Hill (2013).
- What is Lois Duncan's most famous book?
- Killing Mr. Griffin (1978) is Lois Duncan's most widely read book.
- Does Lois Duncan write under a pen name?
- Yes: Lois Duncan has also published as Lois Kerry.
- Which Lois Duncan books have been adapted?
- 5 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Hotel for Dogs (film, 2009), I Know What You Did Last Summer (film, 1997), Down a Dark Hall (film, 2018) and Killing Mr. Griffin (TV, 1997).
Authors like Lois Duncan
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.