Where to start with James Hadley Chase
Begin with Figure it out for yourself, the first book in the Polnoe sobranie sochineniĭ series, published in 1942. This marks the start of a sequence of works written under the James Hadley Chase pseudonym, following the chronological order of publication within the series. Proceed through the series in publication order, as each book builds on the established style and narrative patterns of the author’s early crime fiction. For a standalone introduction to Chase’s distinctive voice, consider No Orchids for Miss Blandish, a well-known work from 1973 that exemplifies his direct, fast-paced storytelling. The book stands independently and offers a clear entry point outside the series. Both paths are grounded in the author’s published output as documented in the catalog.
Series by James Hadley Chase
-
Buy on Amazon1942 · Erle Stanley Gardner
In this 1942 Cool & Lam mystery, New York lawyer Emory Hale hires Los Angeles detectives Bertha Cool and Donald Lam to find Roberta Fenn, a person of…
Read more → - Buy on Amazon
- Buy on Amazon
-
Buy on AmazonThe Case of the Cautious Coquette
1949 · Erle Stanley Gardner
A hit-and-run accident and a cautious, evasive woman witness draw Mason into a case where finding the coquette who saw the crash becomes key. As the…
Read more → -
Buy on AmazonThe Case of the Dubious Bridegroom
1949 · Erle Stanley Gardner
A complicated case of a dubious bridegroom and a questionable Nevada divorce draws Mason into intertwined marriages and disputed identities. When…
Read more → -
Buy on Amazon1950 · James Hadley Chase
Serena Marshland, the fourth richest woman in the world with a cold, diamond-hard beauty, hires tough private investigator Vic Malloy after her…
Read more → -
Buy on AmazonThe Case of the Nervous Accomplice
1955 · Erle Stanley Gardner
A wife hires Mason to win back her straying husband through a clever stock-buying maneuver involving his business partners. The financial scheme…
Read more → -
Buy on Amazon1958 · James Hadley Chase
Lucille Aitkin is the kind of woman who encourages men to run around after her, so it's odd when she suddenly wants to learn to drive instead of…
Read more → - Buy on Amazon
- Buy on Amazon
Standalone books
Frequently asked questions
How many books has James Hadley Chase written?
We list 10 books by James Hadley Chase across 1 series, published between 1939–1984 — each shown in full reading order.
What order should I read James Hadley Chase's books?
Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “Figure it out for yourself.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.
Where can I buy James Hadley Chase'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.