Anthologies#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Murder at the Foul Line |
2003 |
Buy |
| Show Business is Murder |
2004 |
Buy |
| Crimes by Moonlight |
2010 |
Buy |
| In Pursuit of Spenser |
2012 |
Buy |
| Not Everyone’s Cup of Tea |
2013 |
Buy |
| Dark City Lights: New York Stories (Have a NYC) |
2015 |
Buy |
| Cozy Case Files Volume 4 |
2018 |
Buy |
| Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible |
2019 |
Buy |
Herbie Fisher#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Barely Legal |
2017 |
Buy |
Puzzle Lady Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| A Clue for the Puzzle Lady |
1999 |
Buy |
| Last Puzzle & Testament |
2000 |
Buy |
| Puzzled to Death |
2001 |
Buy |
| A Puzzle in a Pear Tree |
2002 |
Buy |
| With this Puzzle, I Thee Kill |
2003 |
Buy |
| And a Puzzle to Die On |
2004 |
Buy |
| Stalking the Puzzle Lady |
2005 |
Buy |
| You Have the Right to Remain Puzzled |
2006 |
Buy |
| The Sudoku Puzzle Murders |
2008 |
Buy |
| Dead Man’s Puzzle |
2009 |
Buy |
| The Puzzle Lady vs. The Sudoku Lady |
2009 |
Buy |
| The KenKen Killings |
2011 |
Buy |
| $10,000 in Small, Unmarked Puzzles |
2012 |
Buy |
| Arsenic and Old Puzzles |
2013 |
Buy |
| Lethal Luncheon |
2013 |
Buy |
| NYPD Puzzle |
2014 |
Buy |
| Puzzled Indemnity |
2015 |
Buy |
| Presumed Puzzled |
2016 |
Buy |
| A Puzzle to be Named Later |
2017 |
Buy |
| The Purloined Puzzle |
2018 |
Buy |
| Lights! Camera! Puzzles! |
2019 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Chasing Jack |
2020 |
Buy |
Stanley Hastings Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Most Wanted |
2002 |
N/A |
| Detective |
1987 |
Buy |
| Murder |
1987 |
Buy |
| Favor |
1988 |
Buy |
| Strangler |
1989 |
Buy |
| Client |
1990 |
Buy |
| Juror |
1990 |
Buy |
| Shot |
1991 |
Buy |
| Actor |
1993 |
Buy |
| Blackmail |
1994 |
Buy |
| Movie |
1995 |
Buy |
| Trial |
1996 |
Buy |
| Scam |
1997 |
Buy |
| Suspense |
1998 |
Buy |
| Cozy |
2001 |
Buy |
| Fear of Failure |
2002 |
Buy |
| Manslaughter |
2003 |
Buy |
| Hitman |
2007 |
Buy |
| Oh, What a Tangled Lanyard We Weave |
2006 |
Buy |
| Caper |
2010 |
Buy |
| Clicker Training |
2013 |
Buy |
| Death of a Vampire |
2013 |
Buy |
| Stakeout |
2013 |
Buy |
| Deal Me In |
2007 |
Buy |
| Safari |
2014 |
Buy |
| A Fool for a Client |
2015 |
Buy |
| The Naked and the Dead |
2020 |
Buy |
| The Dead Client |
2020 |
Buy |
Steve Winslow Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Baxter Trust |
1988 |
Buy |
| The Anonymous Client |
1989 |
Buy |
| The Underground Man |
1990 |
Buy |
| The Naked Typist |
1990 |
Buy |
| The Wrong Gun |
1992 |
Buy |
| The Innocent Woman |
2011 |
Buy |
| The Witness Cat |
2013 |
Buy |
Teddy Fay Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Smooth Operator |
2016 |
Buy |
| The Money Shot |
2018 |
Buy |
| Bombshell |
2020 |
Buy |
| Jackpot |
2021 |
Buy |
| Obsession |
2023 |
Buy |
| Golden Hour |
2024 |
Buy |
| Stuart Woods’ Golden Hour |
2024 |
N/A |
| Blown Away |
2025 |
Buy |
| Stuart Woods’ Blown Away |
2025 |
N/A |
| Skin Game |
2019 |
Buy |
Parnell Hall wrote mysteries for over three decades, producing more than 75 books across several series. His longest-running creation was Stanley Hastings, a struggling actor turned private investigator whose cases often involve as much comedy as crime. The series ran from 1987 to 2020, with 28 entries that built a loyal readership among fans of humorous mysteries.
Hall is also well known for the Puzzle Lady series, which ran for 21 books. These cozy mysteries featured Cora Felton, a crossword puzzle celebrity who solves murders. The books included actual puzzles readers could solve alongside the fictional detective. His Steve Winslow courtroom series and his later work continuing Stuart Woods’ Teddy Fay books show his range within the crime fiction genre. Hall also appeared in numerous mystery anthologies over his career.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Parnell Hall written?
Parnell Hall has written 76 books across seven series.
What was Parnell Hall's first book?
Parnell Hall’s first book is Detective, published in 1987.
What made Parnell Hall's mysteries distinctive?
Hall was known for his humor. The Stanley Hastings books feature a wisecracking, reluctant private eye, and the Puzzle Lady series combines crossword puzzles with murder mysteries. His writing had a light, comedic touch unusual in crime fiction.