Tony Hillerman published 27 novels, 1 novella, 1 short story collection, 2 non-fiction books, 1 children's book and 1 other book, beginning with The Blessing Way (1970). The series is Leaphorn & Chee (18 books, starting with The Blessing Way). 3 feature Jim Chee. The best-known is Skinwalkers (1986).
Updated September 2026
Leaphorn & Chee books in order (18)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Blessing Way (1970) · 2 Dance Hall of the Dead (1973) · 3 Listening Woman (1978) · 4 People of Darkness (1980) · 5 The Dark Wind (1982) · 6 The Ghostway (1984) · 7 Skinwalkers (1986) · 8 A Thief of Time (1988) · 9 Talking God (1989) · 10 Coyote Waits (1990) · … all 18 below
- 1.
The Blessing Way (1970)
- 2.
Dance Hall of the Dead (1973)
- 3.
Listening Woman (1978)
- 4.
People of Darkness (1980)
- 5.
The Dark Wind (1982)
- 6.
The Ghostway (1984)
- 7.
Skinwalkers (1986)
- 8.
A Thief of Time (1988)
- 9.
Talking God (1989)
- 10.
Coyote Waits (1990)
- 11.
Sacred Clowns (1993)
- 12.
The Fallen Man (1996)
- 13.
The First Eagle (1998)
- 14.
Hunting Badger (1999)
- 15.
The Wailing Wind (2002)
- 16.
The Sinister Pig (2003)
- 17.
Skeleton Man (2004)
- 18.
The Shape Shifter (2006)
Where to start with Tony Hillerman
Start here
The Blessing Way
Book 1 of Leaphorn & Chee, the series that includes Skinwalkers, Tony Hillerman's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Indian Country (1987)
The Best of the West (1991)
The Mysterious West (1994)
Finding Moon (1996)
The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century (2000)
Seldom Disappointed (2001)
Novellas in order
Talking Mysteries (1991)
Short story collections in order
The Joe Leaphorn Mysteries (1989)
Non-fiction in order
Hillerman Country (1991)
New Mexico, Rio Grande, and Other Essays (1992)
Children's books in order
The Boy Who Made Dragonfly (1972)
Other books in order
The Tony Hillerman Audio Collection (1992)
Film and TV adaptations
- The Dark Wind (1991)TV · from The Dark Wind
About Tony Hillerman
Anthony Grove Hillerman was an American author of detective novels and nonfiction works, best known for his mystery novels featuring the fictional Navajo Nation Police officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. Several of his works have been adapted for film and television, including the AMC series Dark Winds.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tony Hillerman FAQ
- How many books has Tony Hillerman written?
- Tony Hillerman published 27 novels, 1 novella, 1 short story collection, 2 non-fiction books, 1 children's book and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Tony Hillerman's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Leaphorn & Chee with The Blessing Way. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Tony Hillerman's last book?
- The Shape Shifter (2006).
- What is Tony Hillerman's most famous book?
- Skinwalkers (1986) is Tony Hillerman's most widely read book.
- Are Tony Hillerman's books connected?
- 18 books belong to 1 series (Leaphorn & Chee); the other 15 books stand alone.
- Which Tony Hillerman books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including The Dark Wind (TV, 1991).
Authors like Tony Hillerman
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.