Photo of Raymond Chandler
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Raymond Chandler

1888–1959

1 series 11 books in order 5 standalone books

Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American-British novelist and screenwriter who became a detective fiction writer in 1932, at age 44, after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Great Depression. His first novel, The Big Sleep, was published in 1939, and he published seven novels during his lifetime, all but Playback made into motion pictures. He is the author of the Philip Marlowe series, including Farewell, My Lovely and The Long Good-bye.

Born
1888
Known for
Philip Marlowe

Series by Raymond Chandler

Philip Marlowe

7 books in order · 1939–1958

  1. Cover of Perchance to Dream

    Perchance to Dream

    1939 · Robert B. Parker

    The source describes The Big Sleep, a 1939 hardboiled crime novel by Raymond Chandler, the first to feature detective Philip Marlowe, set in Los…

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  2. Cover of Farewell, My Lovely

    Farewell, My Lovely

    1940 · Raymond Chandler

    This is one of Raymond Chandler’s most famous crime novels, featuring the detective Philip Marlowe. The story begins with a routine case, but Marlowe…

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  3. The high window

    1942 · Raymond Chandler

    The High Window is a 1942 novel by Raymond Chandler, marking his third appearance of the private detective Philip Marlowe in a Los Angeles setting.…

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  4. Cover of The Lady in the Lake

    The Lady in the Lake

    1943 · Raymond Chandler

    The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler follows private investigator Philip Marlowe as he takes on a case involving two missing women. One is the…

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  5. Cover of The Little Sister

    The Little Sister

    1949 · Raymond Chandler

    Orfamay Quest travels from Manhattan, Kansas, to seek help from private investigator Philip Marlowe in finding her missing brother, Orrin. She offers…

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  6. Cover of The Long Goodbye

    The Long Goodbye

    1953 · Raymond Chandler

    This 1953 novel by Raymond Chandler follows Philip Marlowe, who befriends down-on-his-luck war veteran Terry Lennox. Lennox's wealthy nymphomaniac…

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  7. Cover of Playback

    Playback

    1958 · Raymond Chandler and Kathy Reichs

    Playback is a novel by American-British writer Raymond Chandler featuring the private detective Philip Marlowe. It was first published in Britain in…

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Standalone books

  1. Cover of The Raymond Chandler omnibus

    The Raymond Chandler omnibus

    1953

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  2. Cover of The Big Sleep

    The Big Sleep

    1939

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  3. Cover of Poodle Springs

    Poodle Springs

    Year unknown

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  4. Cover of Killer in the rain

    Killer in the rain

    Year unknown

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  5. Cover of Raymond Chandler speaking

    Raymond Chandler speaking

    Year unknown

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Frequently asked questions

How many books has Raymond Chandler written?

We list 11 books by Raymond Chandler across 1 series, published between 1939–1958 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Raymond Chandler's books?

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

Where can I buy Raymond Chandler'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.