Where to start with Ellery Queen
Begin with The French Powder Mystery, the first book in the Ellery Queen series, published in 1929. This novel introduces Ellery Queen as a young, intellectually driven detective and establishes the series' hallmark blend of intricate puzzles and logical deduction. Proceed in publication order through the series, which spans from 1929 to 1958. The books are unified by the recurring presence of Ellery Queen and his father, Inspector Queen, and by a consistent focus on locked-room mysteries and fair-play puzzles. The series gradually evolves in tone and structure, with later entries incorporating more complex narrative techniques. The standalone works listed—such as The American Gun Mystery (1940), And on the eighth day (1964), and The Siamese Twin Mystery (2020)—are not part of the main series and should be read separately if desired. No other books or series from the source material are included in the catalog.
Series by Ellery Queen
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Buy on Amazon1929 · Daniel Nathan and Manfred B. Lee
The Roman Hat Mystery is a novel written in 1928 and published in 1929 by Ellery Queen. It is the first of the Ellery Queen mysteries. (Summary…
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1930 · Ellery Queen
The French Powder Mystery is a 1930 novel by Ellery Queen, marking the second installment in the series of mysteries featuring the detective. The…
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Buy on Amazon1931 · Ellery Queen
The Dutch shoe mystery is a 1931 book by Ellery Queen. It is part of the series Ellery Queen. Catalog genres: Mystery Fiction, Whodunit, Detective…
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Buy on Amazon1932 · Ellery Queen
It’s Christmas in Chicago, and Inspector Richard Queen is at a conference on gangland violence. His son, Ellery Queen, an amateur sleuth, is bored…
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Buy on Amazon1932 · Ellery Queen
After the death of a famous Greek art dealer, his attorney discovers the will is missing and contacts the district attorney. Inspector Richard Queen…
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1933 · Ellery Queen
The American Gun Mystery is a novel written in 1933 by Ellery Queen. It is the sixth book in the Ellery Queen mystery series. The story follows the…
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Buy on Amazon1934 · Ellery Queen
A wealthy publisher and collector of precious stones and Chinese postage stamps maintains a luxurious hotel suite for handling his business and…
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Ellery Queen is asked by a lawyer friend to protect the interests of a young heiress. She arrives in New York from England, where she meets a…
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Joe Wilson was a poor, itinerant salesman living in Philadelphia with his young wife. Joseph Kent Gimball was a wealthy, socially prominent New…
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1937 · Ellery Queen
The Door Between is a mystery novel written by Ellery Queen and published in 1937. It was first released in a condensed form in the December 1936…
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Frequently asked questions
How many books has Ellery Queen written?
We list 35 books by Ellery Queen across 1 series, published between 1929–2020 — each shown in full reading order.
What order should I read Ellery Queen's books?
Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “The Art of Adaptation.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.
Where can I buy Ellery Queen'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.