Raymond Chandler books in order
American novelist and screenwriter
- Lived
- 1888–1959
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 34
- Series
- 1
Raymond Chandler published 20 novels, 2 novellas, 5 short story collections, 2 non-fiction books, 2 plays and 3 other books, beginning with The Big Sleep (1939). The series is Philip Marlowe (10 books, starting with The Big Sleep).
Updated September 2026
Philip Marlowe books in order (10)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Big Sleep (1939) · 2 Farewell, My Lovely (1940) · 3 The High Window (1942) · 4 The Lady in the Lake (1943) · 5 The Little Sister (1949) · 6 The Long Goodbye (1953) · 7 Playback (1958) · The Midnight Raymond Chandler (1971) · Philip Marlowe (1988) · Poodle Springs (1989)
- 1.
The Big Sleep (1939)
- 2.
Farewell, My Lovely (1940)
- 3.
The High Window (1942)
- 4.
The Lady in the Lake (1943)
- 5.
The Little Sister (1949)
- 6.
The Long Goodbye (1953)
- 7.
Playback (1958)
The Midnight Raymond Chandler (1971)
Philip Marlowe (1988)
Poodle Springs (Oct 1989), with Robert B. Parker
Where to start with Raymond Chandler
Start here
The Big Sleep
Raymond Chandler's most-read book and the first of the 10 Philip Marlowe books.
Standalone novels in order
Red Wind (1946)
Red Wind, a Collection of Short Stories (1946)
Spanish Blood (1946)
Finger Man (1950)
The Simple Art of Murder (1950)
Pearls Are a Nuisance (1958)
The Smell of Fear (1981)
Raymond Chandler (1986)
Los Angeles (1987)
The Raymond Chandler Papers (2000)
Novellas in order
The Notebooks of Raymond Chandler (1977)
Marlowe (2003)
Short story collections in order
Smart-aleck Kill (1958)
Killer in the Rain (1964)
Great Stories of Mystery and Suspense (1974)
Trouble Is My Business (1977)
Later Novels and Other Writings (1995)
Non-fiction in order
Raymond Chandler Speaking (1962)
Selected Letters of Raymond Chandler (1981)
Plays in order
The Blue Dahlia (1976)
Unknown Thriller (1985)
Other books in order
Pickup on Noon Street (1977)
The Notebooks of Raymond Chandler and English Summer (2006)
El Sueno Eterno/ the Big Sleep (Biblioteca Chandler)
Film and TV adaptations
- The Big Sleep (1946)Film · from The Big Sleep
- The Big Sleep (1978)Film · from The Big Sleep
- The Falcon Takes Over (1942)Film · from Farewell, My Lovely
- Murder, My Sweet (1944)Film · from Farewell, My Lovely
- Farewell, My Lovely (1975)Film · from Farewell, My Lovely
- Time to Kill (1942)Film · from The High Window
- The Brasher Doubloon (1947)Film · from The High Window
- Lady in the Lake (1946)Film · from The Lady in the Lake
- Marlowe (1969)Film · from The Little Sister
- The Long Goodbye (1973)Film · from The Long Goodbye
- Poodle Springs (1998)TV · from Poodle Springs
About Raymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at age 44, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Great Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in 1933 in Black Mask, a pulp magazine. His first novel, The Big Sleep, was published in 1939. In addition to his short stories, Chandler published seven novels during his lifetime. All but Playback have been made into motion pictures, some more than once.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Raymond Chandler FAQ
- How many books has Raymond Chandler written?
- Raymond Chandler published 20 novels, 2 novellas, 5 short story collections, 2 non-fiction books, 2 plays and 3 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Raymond Chandler's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Philip Marlowe with The Big Sleep. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Raymond Chandler's last book?
- Smart-aleck Kill (1958).
- What is Raymond Chandler's most famous book?
- The Big Sleep (1939) is Raymond Chandler's most widely read book.
- Are Raymond Chandler's books connected?
- 10 books belong to 1 series (Philip Marlowe); the other 24 books stand alone.
- Which Raymond Chandler books have been adapted?
- 7 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The Big Sleep (film, 1946), Farewell, My Lovely (as The Falcon Takes Over, film, 1942), The High Window (as Time to Kill, film, 1942) and The Lady in the Lake (as Lady in the Lake, film, 1946).
Authors like Raymond Chandler
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.