Anthologies#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Crimespree Magazine #52 |
2013 |
Buy |
| Crimespree Magazine #58 |
2015 |
Buy |
| Borderland Noir |
2015 |
Buy |
Chris Lyon Thriller Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Parts Unknown |
2012 |
Buy |
| Carnival Noir |
2013 |
Buy |
| Cabal |
2013 |
Buy |
| Angels of Darkness |
2013 |
Buy |
Graphic Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Head Games: The Graphic Novel |
2017 |
Buy |
Hector Lassiter Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Toros & Torsos |
2008 |
Buy |
| Print the Legend |
2010 |
Buy |
| One True Sentence |
2011 |
Buy |
| Forever’s Just Pretend |
2014 |
Buy |
| Roll the Credits |
2014 |
Buy |
| Head Games |
2007 |
Buy |
| The Great Pretender |
2014 |
Buy |
| The Running Kind |
2014 |
Buy |
| Death in the Face |
2015 |
Buy |
| Three Chords & the Truth |
2016 |
Buy |
| Write from Wrong |
2021 |
Buy |
| El Gavilan |
2011 |
Buy |
| Once a World |
2019 |
Buy |
Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Art in the Blood |
2006 |
Buy |
| Rogue Males |
2009 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| El Gavilan |
2011 |
Buy |
| Once a World |
2019 |
Buy |
Craig McDonald writes crime fiction that crosses genre boundaries, blending hardboiled mystery with literary history and noir atmosphere. His Hector Lassiter series is his most ambitious work — following a fictional crime novelist through the 20th century, from 1930s Paris to 1950s Hollywood, encountering real historical figures along the way.
The Lassiter books have earned McDonald a devoted following among readers who appreciate crime fiction with literary ambition. He has also written the Chris Lyon thriller series, non-fiction about crime fiction, and contributed to several anthologies. His non-fiction includes Art in the Blood, a collection of interviews with crime writers that reflects his deep engagement with the genre.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Craig McDonald written?
Craig McDonald has written 25 books across six series.
What was Craig McDonald's first book?
Craig McDonald’s first book is Art in the Blood, published in 2006.
What is Craig McDonald known for?
McDonald is known for the Hector Lassiter series, which follows a hard-boiled crime novelist through decades of 20th-century history, rubbing shoulders with real literary figures like Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles while getting tangled in dangerous criminal plots. Head Games, the first published, is set in 1957 and involves the theft of Pancho Villa’s skull.