Lew Archer books in order A series by Ross Macdonald
The Lew Archer series by Ross Macdonald has 18 books, from The Moving Target (1949) to The Blue Hammer (1976). Read it in order, starting with The Moving Target.
Reading order: 1 The Moving Target (1949) · 2 The Drowning Pool (1950) · 3 The Way Some People Die (1951) · 4 The Ivory Grin (1952) · 5 Find a Victim (1954) · 6 The Barbarous Coast (1956) · 7 The Doomsters (1958) · 8 The Galton Case (1959) · 9 The Wycherly Woman (1961) · 10 The Zebra-Striped Hearse (1962) · … all 18 below
Updated September 2026
All 18 Lew Archer books in order
- 1.
The Moving Target (1949)
- 2.
The Drowning Pool (1950)
- 3.
The Way Some People Die (1951)
- 4.
The Ivory Grin (1952)
- 5.
Find a Victim (1954)
- 6.
The Barbarous Coast (1956)
- 7.
The Doomsters (1958)
- 8.
The Galton Case (1959)
- 9.
The Wycherly Woman (1961)
- 10.
The Zebra-Striped Hearse (1962)
- 11.
The Chill (1963)
- 12.
The Far Side of the Dollar (1964)
- 13.
Black Money (1996)
- 14.
The Instant Enemy (1968)
- 15.
The Goodbye Look (1969)
- 16.
The Underground Man (1971)
- 17.
Sleeping Beauty (1973)
- 18.
The Blue Hammer (1976)
Lew Archer on screen
- Harper (1966)Film · from The Moving Target
- The Drowning Pool (1975)Film · from The Drowning Pool
Lew Archer FAQ
- How many Lew Archer books are there?
- There are 18 Lew Archer books, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read the Lew Archer books in?
- In publication order, starting with The Moving Target (1949): 1 The Moving Target (1949) · 2 The Drowning Pool (1950) · 3 The Way Some People Die (1951) · 4 The Ivory Grin (1952) · 5 Find a Victim (1954) · 6 The Barbarous Coast (1956) · … all 18 below.
- What is the first Lew Archer book?
- The Moving Target (1949).
- What is the latest Lew Archer book?
- The Blue Hammer (1976).
- Is the Lew Archer series finished?
- There have been no new Lew Archer books since 1976; Ross Macdonald died in 1983.
Sources: series order and dates from Wikidata and Open Library. Last updated September 2026.