Non-Fiction Books in Order

116

Books

1971

First Book

2025

Latest Book

55

Years

Below you'll find the complete list of Non-Fiction books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.

Reading order verified: January 2026

Publication Order

1

Detectionary

1971

2

Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection (With: Chris Steinbrunner)

1976

3

Hang Gliding

1976

4

Hunting the Killer Shark

1976

5

Daredevils on Wheels

1976

6

This Prize is Dangerous

1985

7

101 Greatest Films of Mystery and Suspense

2000

8

Whodunit? Houdini?

1976

9

The Private Lives of Private Eyes, Spies, Crimefighters & Other Good Guys

1977

10

The Great Detectives

1978

11

The Crown Crime Companion

1995

12

Murder For Love

1996

13

The Best American Mystery Stories 1997

1997

14

The 50 Greatest Mysteries of All Time

1998

15

Murder for Revenge

1998

16

The Greatest Mysteries of All Time

1998

17

The Case of the Scottish Tragedy

1998

18

The Best American Mystery Stories 1998

1998

19

Murder and Obsession

1999

20

The Best American Mystery Stories 1999

1999

21

Criminal Records

2000

22

The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century

2000

23

The Best American Mystery Stories 2000

2000

24

Murderers' Row

2001

25

The Best American Mystery Stories 2001

2001

26

The Mysterious Press Anniversary Anthology: Celebrating 25 Years

2001

27

Murder on the Ropes

2001

28

Murder Is My Racquet

2002

29

The Mighty Johns and Other Stories

2002

30

Sudden Death

2002

31

The Best American Crime Writing: 2002

2002

32

The Best American Mystery Stories 2002

2002

33

The Best American Mystery Stories 3

2002

34

One Clue Beyond

2003

35

Best American Crime Writing: 2003

2003

36

Best American Crime Writing

2003

37

The Year's Best True Crime Reporting: Best American Crime Writing

2003

38

Murder at the Foul Line

2003

39

The Best American Mystery Stories

2003

40

The Best American Mystery Stories 2003

2003

41

The Best American Mystery Stories 2004

2004

42

Dangerous Women

2005

43

The Best American Crime Writing 2005

2005

44

The Best American Mystery Stories 2005

2005

45

Uncertain Endings

2006

46

Murder at the Racetrack

2006

47

Murder in the Rough

2006

48

The Best American Mystery Stories 2006

2006

49

Pulp Fiction: The Crimefighters

2006

50

Pulp Fiction - The Villains

2007

51

Dead Man's Hand

2007

52

The Best American Crime Reporting 2007

2007

53

The Best American Mystery Stories 2007

2007

54

The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps

2007

55

The Vicious Circle

2007

56

Best American Mystery Stories 2007

2008

57

Pulp Fiction - The Dames

2008

58

Hardcore Hardboiled

2008

59

The Best American Mystery Stories 2008

2008

60

Bloodsuckers

2009

61

The Vampire Archives

2009

62

The Lineup

2009

63

Fangs

2009

64

Black Noir

2009

65

The Best American Crime Reporting 2009

2009

66

The Best American Mystery Stories 2009

2009

67

Agents of Treachery

2010

68

The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories

2010

69

The Best American Mystery Stories 2010

2010

70

The Best American Noir of the Century

2010

71

Christmas at The Mysterious Bookshop

2010

72

Coffins

2010

73

The Greatest Russian Stories of Crime and Suspense

2010

74

The Best American Mystery Stories 2011

2011

75

The Big Book of Adventure Stories

2011

76

Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!

2011

77

Zombies: A Compendium

2011

78

The Big Book of Ghost Stories

2012

79

Mark Twain's Medieval Romance

2012

80

In Pursuit of Spenser

2012

81

The Best American Mystery Stories 2012

2012

82

Jack the Ripper

2012

83

The Best American Mystery Stories 2013

2013

84

The Best of the Best American Mystery Stories

2013

85

Kwik Krimes

2013

86

The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries

2013

87

The Best American Mystery Stories of the Nineteenth Century

2014

88

The Best American Mystery Stories 2014

2014

89

The Black Lizard Big Book of Locked-Room Mysteries

2014

90

Sherlock

2015

91

The Best American Mystery Stories 2015

2015

92

The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories

2015

93

The Best American Mystery Stories 2016

2016

94

The Big Book of Jack the Ripper

2016

95

Silent Night, Deadly Night

2016

96

The Realm of the Impossible

2017

97

The Best American Mystery Stories 2017

2017

98

The Big Book of Rogues and Villains

2017

99

Bibliomysteries

2018

100

Classic American Crime Fiction of the 1920s

2018

101

The Big Book of Female Detectives

2018

102

Death Sentences

2019

103

The Best American Mystery Stories 2019

2019

104

The Big Book of Reel Murders

2019

105

The Misadventures of Nero Wolfe

2020

106

The Best American Mystery Stories 2020

2020

107

The Big Book of Espionage

2020

108

Golden Age Detective Stories

2021

109

The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries

2021

110

Golden Age Locked Room Mysteries

2022

111

The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2023

2023

112

Golden Age Whodunits

2024

113

The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year: 2024

2024

114

Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop

2024

115

The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2025

2025

116

Golden Age Christmas Mysteries

2025

Frequently Asked Questions

The recommended reading order for the Non-Fiction series is publication order: 1. Detectionary (1971), 2. Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection (With: Chris Steinbrunner) (1976), 3. Hang Gliding (1976), 4. Hunting the Killer Shark (1976), 5. Daredevils on Wheels (1976), and 111 more. This is generally the best way to experience the story as the author intended.

The Non-Fiction series by Otto Penzler contains 116 books. The series began in 1971 and continues to be a popular choice for readers.

The Non-Fiction series is written by Otto Penzler. You can find more books and series by this author on our website.

Reader Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Be the first to leave a review!