Raymond Chandler

1888–1959

1 series 7 books in order 1 standalone book

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. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)

Born: 1888
Known for: Philip Marlowe

Series by Raymond Chandler

Philip Marlowe

7 books in order · 1939–1958

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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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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The high window

1942 · Raymond Chandler

The High Window is a 1942 novel written by Raymond Chandler. It is his third novel featuring the Los Angeles private detective Philip Marlowe.…
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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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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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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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Playback

1958 · Raymond Chandler

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

Poodle Springs

Frequently asked questions

How many books has Raymond Chandler written?

We list 7 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.

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