Chester Himes

1909–1984

1 series 3 books in order 1 standalone book

Chester Himes (1909-1984) was an American writer whose works include If He Hollers Let Him Go (1945) and the Harlem Detective novels for which he is best known, set in the 1950s and early 1960s and featuring the black policemen Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson. In 1958 he won France's Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere, and several of his works have been adapted for film. He is credited here with the Harlem Cycle novels Blind Man with a Pistol and Plan B.

Born: 1909
Known for: Harlem Cycle

Series by Chester Himes

Harlem Cycle

2 books in order · 1969

Blind man with a pistol

1969 · Chester Himes

New York is sweltering in the summer heat, and Harlem is close to the boiling point. Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones, two detectives known…
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Plan B

Year unknown · Chester Himes

Plan B is an unfinished novel by Chester Himes, written in the late 1960s. It was completed from his notes by Michel Fabre and Robert E. Skinner and…
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Standalone books

If He Hollers Let Him Go

1945
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Frequently asked questions

How many books has Chester Himes written?

We list 3 books by Chester Himes across 1 series, published between 1945–1969 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Chester Himes's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “Blind man with a pistol.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy Chester Himes's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.

Some summaries adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.