Neely Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| A Short History of a Small Place |
1985 |
Buy |
| Off for the Sweet Hereafter |
1986 |
Buy |
| The Last of How It Was |
1987 |
Buy |
| Call and Response |
1989 |
Buy |
| Glad News of the Natural World |
2005 |
Buy |
Nick Reid Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Ranchero |
2011 |
Buy |
| Beluga |
2012 |
Buy |
| Nowhere Nice |
2013 |
Buy |
Ray Tatum Mysteries Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Cry Me a River |
1993 |
Buy |
| Blue Ridge |
2000 |
Buy |
| Polar |
2002 |
Buy |
| Warwolf |
2011 |
Buy |
| First In Flight |
2015 |
Buy |
| Brigade |
2018 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Gospel Hour |
1991 |
Buy |
| True Cross |
2003 |
Buy |
| Seaworthy |
2006 |
Buy |
| Red Scare |
2008 |
Buy |
| Jerusalem Gap |
2010 |
Buy |
| East Jesus South |
2014 |
Buy |
| Low Lords |
2016 |
Buy |
| Theory of the Case |
2017 |
Buy |
| Serpent Of Old |
2019 |
Buy |
| Sleepaway |
2019 |
Buy |
| Confederate States |
2020 |
Buy |
| Devil Up |
2021 |
Buy |
| Joy To The Just |
2022 |
Buy |
| Bone Eye |
2023 |
Buy |
T.R. Pearson is a Southern fiction author with 28 books published between 1985 and 2023. He first gained attention with his Neely series, starting with A Short History of a Small Place (1985), which earned comparisons to Faulkner and Twain for its elaborate, digressive storytelling about small-town North Carolina life.
Pearson’s work spans literary fiction and mystery. The Neely books are character-driven Southern novels set in the fictional town of Neely, North Carolina, while the Ray Tatum Mysteries blend crime plots with Pearson’s trademark humor and long-winded narration. The Nick Reid series (Ranchero, Beluga, Nowhere Nice) is a more conventional mystery sequence. His fourteen standalone novels cover a range of settings and subjects, from the Civil War echoes of Confederate States to the rural darkness of Bone Eye. Throughout his career, Pearson has maintained a distinctive voice that prizes the rhythms and oddities of Southern speech.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has T.R. Pearson written?
T.R. Pearson has written 28 books across four series.
What was T.R. Pearson's first book?
T.R. Pearson’s first book is A Short History of a Small Place, published in 1985.
What genre does T.R. Pearson write?
T.R. Pearson writes Southern literary fiction and mystery novels, known for his winding, discursive prose style and sharply observed small-town characters.