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James Ellroy

b. 1948

3 series 10 books in order

Lee Earle "James" Ellroy (born 1948) is an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and memoirist known for crime fiction. He has become known for a telegrammatic prose style that frequently omits connecting words and uses short, staccato sentences, notably in The Black Dahlia (1987), The Big Nowhere (1988), L.A. Confidential (1990), White Jazz (1992), American Tabloid (1995), The Cold Six Thousand (2001), and Blood's a Rover (2009).

Born
1948
Known for
L.A. Quartet, Underworld USA Trilogy, Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy

Series by James Ellroy

L.A. Quartet

4 books in order · 1987–1992

Underworld USA Trilogy

3 books in order · 1995–2009

Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy

3 books in order · 1984–1987

Frequently asked questions

How many books has James Ellroy written?

We list 10 books by James Ellroy across 3 series, published between 1984–2009 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read James Ellroy's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “White Jazz.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy James Ellroy's books?

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

Bibliography and reading orders compiled from verified bibliographic data. Spotted an error? We continuously correct the catalog.