What order should I read Peter Benchley's books in?

Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Jaws.

What is Peter Benchley's most famous book?

Jaws (1974) is Peter Benchley's most widely read book.

Which Peter Benchley books have been adapted?

3 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Jaws (film, 1975), The Island (film, 1980) and Beast (as The Beast, TV, 1996).

Peter Benchley books in order

American author

Lived: 1940–2006
Country: United States
Books: 14

Literary fiction

Peter Benchley published 11 novels, 1 non-fiction book, 1 children's book and 1 other book, beginning with Creature (1973). The best-known is Jaws (1974).

Updated September 2026

Where to start with Peter Benchley

Start here
Jaws
Peter Benchley's most-read book.

Standalone novels in order

Creature (1973)
340 pages
Buy
Jaws (Feb 1974)
309 pages★ 4.4 (27 ratings)Adapted for film
Buy
Les Chiens De Mer (1976)
281 pages
Buy
The Island (1979)
263 pagesAdapted for film
Buy
The Girl of the Sea of Cortez (1982)
242 pages
Buy
Q Clearance (1986)
345 pages
Buy
Lush (1989)
258 pages
Buy
Rummies (1989)
257 pages
Buy
Beast (1991)
368 pagesAdapted for TV
Buy
Ocean Planet (1995)
192 pages
Buy
Shark Trouble (2002)
186 pages
Buy

Non-fiction in order

Time and a Ticket (1964)
239 pages
Buy

Children's books in order

Shark Life (2005)
208 pages
Buy

Other books in order

Shark! (2002)
Buy

Film and TV adaptations

Jaws (1975)Film · from Jaws
The Island (1980)Film · from The Island
The Beast (1996)TV · from Beast

About Peter Benchley

Peter Bradford Benchley was an American author. He is best known for his bestselling novel Jaws and co-wrote its movie adaptation with Carl Gottlieb. Several more of his works were also adapted for both cinema and television, including The Deep, The Island, Beast, and White Shark.

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Peter Benchley FAQ

How many books has Peter Benchley written?: Peter Benchley published 11 novels, 1 non-fiction book, 1 children's book and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read Peter Benchley's books in?: Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Jaws.
What is Peter Benchley's last book?: Shark Trouble (2002).
What is Peter Benchley's most famous book?: Jaws (1974) is Peter Benchley's most widely read book.
Which Peter Benchley books have been adapted?: 3 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Jaws (film, 1975), The Island (film, 1980) and Beast (as The Beast, TV, 1996).