Anthologies#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Third Annual Collection |
1989 |
Buy |
Gun Pedersen Mystery Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Comeback: A Gun Pedersen Novel |
- |
N/A |
| Comeback |
1990 |
Buy |
| Swing |
1991 |
Buy |
| Strike |
1992 |
Buy |
| Sacrifice |
1993 |
Buy |
| The Sinners’ League |
1994 |
Buy |
| Hard Curves |
2020 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Peace Like a River |
2001 |
Buy |
| So Brave, Young, and Handsome |
2008 |
Buy |
| Virgil Wander |
2018 |
Buy |
| I Cheerfully Refuse |
2024 |
Buy |
Leif Enger is an American novelist and former journalist whose work spans literary fiction and mystery. He spent years as a reporter and producer for Minnesota Public Radio before publishing his first novel, Peace Like a River, in 2001. That book became a bestseller and established Enger as a literary voice rooted in the American Midwest.
Before Peace Like a River, Enger co-wrote the Gun Pedersen Mystery series (1990-1994) under the pen name L.L. Enger, with his brother Lin. The series follows sports agent Gun Pedersen through crime plots set in Minnesota. His standalone literary novels, including So Brave, Young, and Handsome (2008), Virgil Wander (2018), and I Cheerfully Refuse (2024), share a lyrical prose style and a preoccupation with faith, landscape, and ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. Each book is set in the rural Midwest and has a distinctive warmth to its storytelling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Leif Enger written?
Leif Enger has written twelve books across three series.
What was Leif Enger's first book?
Leif Enger’s first book is Third Annual Collection, published in 1989.
What is Leif Enger best known for?
Leif Enger is best known for his debut novel Peace Like a River (2001), a bestselling literary novel set in 1960s Minnesota that was named one of the best books of the year by multiple publications.