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Matthew Scudder Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of Matthew Scudder books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: March 2026
Quick Answer
What order should I read the Matthew Scudder series? Start with "The Sins of the Fathers" (1976) and follow publication order through all 29 books.
The complete Matthew Scudder reading order is listed below in publication sequence.
Publication Order
The Sins of the Fathers
1976
Time to Murder and Create
1976
In the Midst of Death
1976
A Candle for the Bag Lady
1977
A Stab in the Dark
1981
Eight Million Ways to Die
1982
By the Dawn's Early Light
1984
When the Sacred Ginmill Closes
1986
Out on the Cutting Edge
1989
A Ticket to the Boneyard
1990
Batman’s Helpers
1990
A Dance at the Slaughterhouse
1991
A Walk Among the Tombstones
1992
The Devil Knows You're Dead
1993
The Merciful Angel of Death
1993
A Long Line of Dead Men
1994
Even the Wicked
1996
Out the Window
1997
Looking for David
1997
Everybody Dies
1998
Let's Get Lost
2000
Hope to Die
2001
A Moment of Wrong Thinking
2002
All the Flowers are Dying
2005
Mick Ballou Looks at the Blank Screen
2011
A Drop of the Hard Stuff
2011
One Last Night at Grogan’s
2011
A Time to Scatter Stones
2018
The Autobiography of Matthew Scudder
2023
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